Are the Willamette and Columbia Rivers safe in a 'yak?

Hi, I'm new to kayak fishing and recently purchased my first recreational kayak and had thought I could fish the Willamette and some areas of the Columbia under the right conditions. Recently however I put a post on another fishing forum I am a member of and everyone told me I'm insane to even think it. What are the thoughts of the Kayakers out there? Any help or thoughts are much appreciated. - Yokut

By the way, my kayak is 11' feet w/ a 29.5 beam.

It really depends on quite a few factors..
Your skill level
water level and flow
traffic
location
weather
what you are planning on doing (anchoring, trolling, just paddling)


For example if you've never kayaked before and wanted to troll the Columbia for springers near the airport on a windy day... You are crazy.

The willamette late summer during low water, no wind, no boat traffic and you paddled a bit elsewhere, you should be fine.

Most of us kayak anglers in the Poetland area fish the Willamette and occasionally venture out on the Big C on occasion.

Brian 

I  went out  earlier this winter on the Willamette by George Roger's Park in Lake O for an attempt at CNR sturgeon.  The river was moving pretty good and I had no problem anchoring out there.  However, I didn't turn my back for too long due to the huge logs floating downstream. I also had a quick release for my anchor.

For example if you've never kayaked before and wanted to troll the Columbia for springers near the airport on a windy day... You are crazy.

And fishing illegally in a boat upstream of I5...

I was in the Big C yesterday. Nothing to show for it though. 3 mile troll, then turned back and sat on the anchor for a few hours.

Hi, I'm new to kayak fishing and recently purchased my first recreational kayak and had thought I could fish the Willamette and some areas of the Columbia under the right conditions. Recently however I put a post on another fishing forum I am a member of and everyone told me I'm insane to even think it. What are the thoughts of the Kayakers out there? Any help or thoughts are much appreciated. - Yokut

By the way, my kayak is 11' feet w/ a 29.5 beam.

What are your plans?  Trolling for springers? Bass? C&R Sturgeon? etc.  A lot depends on what you want to do and where you choose to go.

Most people on fishing forums don't know sh!t.

Ha Ha, that was funny.  Really though...don't believe anything on a fishing forum- like fishing for sturgeon on the Columbia out of a Kayak.  Totally insane...


Of course don't get in over your head, be safe and have fun!

Welcome Yokut!

Being safe does not have to be boring.  The Willamette and Columbia are very do-able.  Just do your homework, check the tides and be aware of what's going on around you.

-Spot-

thanks everyone. I mainly will be fishing for bass but figured I'd troll a swimbaitor a plug just for grins and see if I couldn't pick something up as I worked my way up river. I'm not opposed to fishing for other species but prefer more solitude (part of the reason I wanted a kayak) and the bass are just so dang plentifull!  I also thought I'd anchor in coves or protected eddies or simple float and cast in slow moving water. Didn't really figure to fish much on the main river but rather paddle to different destinations using the shoreline. Seemed reasonable to me as long as I used a little common sense and played it safe. Glad to hear others feel the same.
 

Yokut,

You mentioned the size of your kayak, but not the make, model or style.  Another thing to consider is what would happen if I did fall off into the river from my kayak.   Most of us use SOT (sit on top) kayaks which makes self rescue pretty simple; flip the kayak over and climb back on.  It's a good idea to practice that so you know what to expect.  However, if you have a SIK (sit in kayak) self rescue becomes a technical issue (rolling, bailing, etc..) and training and practice are very important and thus makes any kayaking trip by yourself potentially more dangerous.

Brian

 I purchased a Future Beach Trophy 126 sit in kayak. It's set up as a fishing kayak. I also purchased a spray skirt and am rigging it with a portable Cuda 300 fish finder. I'm also adding more foam to the bow for added bouyency to go along with the sealed rear bulkhead.
  I thought long and hard about a sit on top but what I really wanted I simply couldn't justify buying as of yet due to personal finances. (I wanted a Hobie SOT paddle drive). Instead I had to scale back my budget and compromise so  I  decided I  wanted a little protection from the rain and such and also figured this would be a nice little recreation kayak for my kids in the future.
 I'll definitely test it out on small ponds and lakes practicing rolls, manuverablitly, paddle strokes etc. before I try the rivers. If I don't feel comfortable on the rivers I simply won't go. I've got no problem fishing sloughs and the like but I was hoping to hit the main river at certain times of the year. Anyway, that's my thought process. thanks for the input.