Willy report, 7-25

So it was a pretty sweet morning.  I've been going to this place near Salem on the Willamette every once in a while for the last 6 months or so.  It is just another slough next to the road so it isn't a real big secret.  Whenever the weather looks nice and I don't have too much to do I'll swing down here and fart around for a few hours and mostly just take in how nice the weather is.  I have been trying to pull a bass out of this area several times and up until today had not had but one bite.  I knew there was bass in there.  There are always power boats that stop in and work the area and the occasional bankies that plunk worms. 

I figured today would be a good day to give it another shot.  I had a lot of mojo working in my favor I figured.  I just quit my job yesterday and I had a pretty good amount of confidence worked up from all the bass we caught up in Canada a few weeks ago.

So I get to the water a little before 8 and there is this guy laying on the shore where people normally launch their human-powered crafts.  He's not just laying there to take a load off while he enjoys the morning or the fishing.  He's laying there like he just woke up from getting plastered and camping there all night!  Wonderful.    Just the guy I want to chat with while I'm getting on the water. 

I wasn't getting any bites for the first hour or two, but there were fish consistently breaking the surface every 10 minutes or so.  I tried working a little on top, but didn't get any results.  There was an older couple in a small boat trolling back and forth through the slough with an electric motor and they were picking up a couple of bass.  On one pass we exchanged greetings and the woman said they were getting hit on top a lot.  So I switched back to working the surface along the banks in the shadows.  I threw on a zoom fluke rigged weightless and was casting to logs and brush along the shore.  I was working one particular log and saw a pig of a largemouth dive down in the direction of my kayak.  It looked like it went for my lure before it dove, but wasn't sure if he had hit it so I jerked as soon as I saw it.  After reeling in I saw that it had clearly nailed my fluke; it must have been so quick I didn't even feel it! 

Moving along, I pitched towards another submerged dead tree limb near the shore and felt a take, FISH ON! WEEE!!! Finally, I got my smallmouth out of this slough; it ended up at 15.25".



I worked my way down the bank a little further and missed an exploding strike as I looked away for not even a second! Dayng!

It was starting to get pretty hot so I began to make my way back to the launch spot.  I was hanging out where the slough meets the river in about four feet of water and watched a group of carp swim right under my kayak.  There were about six or seven of them and a couple of them looked as though they could have been close to 30 inches.   

Got back to the launch at around noon.  The guy was still there.  Only now, he was out cold and snoring.  I quietly packed up my stuff and snapped a pic of him as I was leaving.



 

Awesome report.   

Some days, ya just gotta get on the water to enjoy the day.  Catching fish is icing on the cake.

Now...about that job you just quit.  Are you moving up to P-Town soon? 

Nice report, I miss that slough.  Some of the best SMB fishing will be in early Oct right out from the "launch".  That rocky outcropping on the road side bumps into the current seam, and the smallies are working it.  Did you paddle all the way up to the gravel head of the slough?  Nice pic of sleeper dood.
-Scott

Nice report, I miss that slough.  Some of the best SMB fishing will be in early Oct right out from the "launch".  That rocky outcropping on the road side bumps into the current seam, and the smallies are working it.  Did you paddle all the way up to the gravel head of the slough?  Nice pic of sleeper dood.
-Scott

Yes, thanks for the tip btw!  I'm beginning to really like hanging out there.  I see what you mean when you're talking about the rocky outcropping.  I imagine that place would be smallie heaven come pre-spawn as well.  The only problem is that it is not exactly a secret spot so I'm sure that when the action is hot, there is probably a line of folks waiting to work it. 

When the water was higher, I paddled all the way to the top and walked my kayak through the part of the river that feeds that slough.  Then paddled down the river on the other side of the island; that's a pretty sweet little round-trip.  There are some pretty nice rock formations in the river right near where that slough is fed also.

Craig, it looks like I'll be moving up to PDX around mid September.  I'll see you then as I'll probably want to go hit up Hagg or something.

Hell yeah!  Cool beans. 

Looks like a great time!