Lower Columbia River Spring Chinook Fishing

 

The Fishery itself:  The majority of the Spring Chinook will return to the upper Columbia River system.  These will be headed for the upper Columbia tributaries  & the Snake River systems.  Below Bonneville Dam there is a small run that heads up the Sandy River.  The Willamette has a decent run in it.  Below that the Kalama, Lewis & Cowlitz also have a small run.  The Willamette fish will usually be the first to show as Oregon DFG releases their smolt a few weeks ahead of Washington DFW.

This fishery starts at Astoria when the run enters the river, and moves upriver as the majority of the fish then migrate upriver.  Cathlamet will be the next spot to fish, with the Longview area being next.  Then the mouth of the Lewis, and then on upstream to the Willamette, Cammas  & Sandy areas.

 

 

When: Best fishing is usually going on for about 6 weeks in late March  through April.  This time of the year is known for changing weather.  Take your rain gear along.  It can be totally different when you get to the launch than when you left home in the morning.  Wind would be the crucial thing effecting boating safety or fishing conditions.  Fishing methods & places may change from year to year depending the water flow.  This flow then depends on the winter rain & snow-pack.  Also in the mix is the water temperature, as the fish tend to not want to enter if the water is to cold.   Fish have been pulled at a temperature of 51 degrees.

 

Tides:  Each fisherman will also have their favorite time of tide depending on the method of fishing used.  But then those that are there at daylight no matter what the tide, many old timers say that fishing seems to be best at tide changes & the outgoing tide.  The methods used will also depend on the tidal effects on the river.  Most experienced boat fishermen will troll the low slack, incoming and high tide slack, and then anchor up on the outgoing tide.  The reason appears to be that the slower slack & tide change water is more conducive to trolling, and also easier to operate the boat.  And the fish tend to travel upstream into the current. The faster outgoing water is running just too fast in places to troll, while it is needed to get action on Kwikfish anchored from a boat.  I guess the pre-requisite is that you have to have your lure in the water before you can expect to catch fish.

 

The tide influence at Longview is about 2hrs, 25 min on high tide, with the low tide at about 4 hrs difference from Astoria tide tables.

On the outgoing tide you normally want to anchor up & use KwikFish, or a spinner. After the tide slows down enough to make it ineffective for these function, you may be able to find a spot where you may want to back troll. However if the wind is blowing enough this can be a problem controlling the boat. Usually by then, the tide has ebbed & the current flat enough that is is then better to troll.

 

Some say to fish the Oregon side of the river early in the season, they say because many of these fish are Willamette River fish & they can smell the water.  This may be somewhat true for the early part of the run, which are usually Willamette fish.  I tend to think that the fish travel areas of the river that is easier for them to negotiate.  This could be water  from 6 feet to 50 feet.  they will usually be on the bottom in the shallower water, but when they are crossing over a deeper slot they will be suspended & not on the bottom.  

 

Not in Deep Water: These Chinook will NOT normally be found in deep water. Do not think like a Blackmouth fisherman in this fishery.  They will travel in what appears to them the shortest route.  So you need to think like a fish & try to intercept them as they go around a point, a wing jetty or an island.  This means that they will not normally be found in a deep, slack water hole. You will have to read the water, as they will not normally be in the swifter water, or on the outside bends of the river.  They will cut corners & follow the seams.   The migration routes will usually be the same from year to year if the water flow is about the same.  They tend to travel in water from 6' to 25' deep and in small schools, so if you catch one, & are trolling, go back & cover the same basic area again. 

Funny thing about it, is that the fish have to swim up the whole river, not just sections that 'look' fishy or have boats all over them. Lots of people swear by certain depths, my opinion is that it depends on where you are fishing.  Look for the streams within the river.  Like in smaller rivers, there are typical locations to catch fish, but those may vary between 8-30 feet deep. If you just insist on fishing water that is 18 feet deep, you could be missing out.

Spend some time on the river and do some homework. Watch who catches fish in a given location. Look at a topographical map of the river.  When the tide is flooding (and no one is anchor fishing), go over that spot with your sonar.  Both parallel to the bank and perpendicular to it.  Not where the boats were anchored, but where the baits were sitting.  Look at your map, and try to see if there is some contour or structure the fish are keying on.  Are they cutting a corner?  Are they running a 'ditch' in the bottom that may only be 1' deeper than the water around it?  Is there a rise or drop off they are working around or over?  Sometimes its just a big 'flat' and the fish work across the whole thing.

With a good map and some time on the water, you will begin to see that depth is less important than knowing where to fish in a given area. Think about it. Some folks catch fish in less than 20'. Some in 30' and still others in over 40' (all on the bottom). Why is this? Because the fish have to swim through there. 

Also, instead of "spot hopping", try to learn one spot at a time.  Fish it for several days, adjusting your technique or position with the new things you have learned.  Try to learn something new every time you go out. <![endif]>

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The season & catchable fish will vary from year to year depending on the projected run, & the percentage of allowable endangered fish that can be harvested & yet remain within the Federal guidelines. This Salmon run is early enough in the year that it may not show in the fish regulation pamphlet.

 

If they do open a season, don’t wait around, get out on the water & fish it because it will close when the WDFW & ODFG see it nearing the quota.  Some years see no open season, while other years may see a short season depending on the forecast.

 

The year 2001 saw a large number of returning fish with 2002 predicted to be right behind with a slightly less number.  The first part of the 2001 season you could keep any Chinook.  Later it was changed to only adipose fin clipped Chinook.  The fish caught were mostly in the 12-15# size with a few approaching 30#.

 

You Will be Counted Even if No One Contacts You:  The fish & game departments may not check your fish, yet you will be counted.  They will fly over the river & count boats & bank fishermen.  Other fish checkers may check the boaters at some launches & the bankies.  The percentage of success per rod is then averaged out.

 

Depending on the water color, you might also take into consideration whether the sun is out or not as to where you fish.  It is very likely that they will tend to be a little deeper water on a bright day. 

 

Methods: There are many ways to fish for these Salmon, but normally they are (1) anchoring, (2) trolling, (3) back-trolling, (4) plunking, (5) Casting from shore,  or a combination of these.  Every fisherperson seems to have their own personal favorite gear.  All of these methods seem to catch fish. 

 

On the outgoing tide you normally want to anchor up & use KwikFish, or a spinner. After the tide slows down enough to make it ineffective for these function, you may be able to find a spot where you may want to back troll.  However if the wind is blowing enough this can be a problem controlling the boat. Usually by then, the tide has ebbed & the current flat enough that is is then better to troll.

 

The WDFW regulations for this fishery as of 2002 do not stipulate "barbless hooks only", therefore, the use of BARBED HOOKS appear to be legal.  But somewhere in the regs it says barbless hooks required on non-floating devices.

 

(1) Anchor & use Plugs or Wobblers:

Tidal exchange is the greatest on the Lower Columbia, & you will see some tidal movement all the way up to Portland. Anchoring & fishing from a boat with bait-wrapped Salmon plugs behind a boat is effective if the current is enough to work these plugs.  This is especially popular at the mouths of the Cowlitz, Lewis, Kalama, & Sandy Rivers. It can also be done below Bonneville Dam, but depending on the water flow can get dangerous for the inexperienced.

 

When anchoring, most fishermen in the lower river will be using a rocker anchor, 6’ of chain, 150’ of 3/8” anchor rope, and a 15” dia. or so, anchor float attached to a AnchorLift retrieval system. Also one thing to consider is to place a small float on the other end of the anchor rope or tie the excess together with a small bungie cord.  This is in case you have to disconnect & chase a fish, you can come back, pick up your anchor rope & re-anchor in your established spot, the small float helps keep the rope’s loose end from being pulled under. The reason for disconnecting & floating away from your location is out of courtesy to the other fishermen, in that you don't want your fish to tangle in their gear. These fish tend to run in small schools, so if you catch one, the rest of the school may be there also & your neighbor would be rather irritated if he lost his chance to catch a fish, while untangling from your fish.

The one time that might be better to not disconnect would be when the seals start gathering in wait for a fish to be caught that they can steal.  If you leave the clicker on initially, these seals seem to use this sound as a dinner bell.  If you drift away from the hogline, then the seal has you more at his mercy, compared to if you stayed in place. With that many boats concentrated in one area, sometimes Mr. seal tends to not want to come in that close. If you do disconnect & drift away from the line & a seal targets you, your best hope is to maneuver the boat so it is always between the fish & the seal.

 

Boat Positioning:  
On both of these fisheries, it is sometimes a chore is to maintain your position. If the boat swings back & forth when the wind is blowing, or the tide gets closer to slack tide, it may be harder to tell when a fish hits the lure. 

 

Or your boat may not position itself exactly as you wish in relationship to other boats.  In case of this turn your motor to act as a rudder in the current. If this is not enough, slightly change the position of the anchor rope off your mooring cleat. These methods can change your position up to 20’. 

There are a couple of other methods or a combination of all that may improve your odds. Use 2 drift socks, sometimes known as sea anchors. These do not need to be large for a small boat, a 12" dia. upper hoop may be all that is necessary, while 16" + may be right for a larger boat. These smaller socks are made from nylon & are normally about 12" on the large end about 24" long with a 4" hole on the bottom.  They act just like you had a 5 gallon bucket in the water. Place these socks over the side on the rear corners of the boat.  They do not need to be back more than 4" to 6'.  Keep in mind that the farther back they are the more chance of interfering with a possible fish.  All you want to do is keep the boat from swinging in the wind or slowing tide. As the tide approaches slack, you might consider removing the sock from the side your kicker motor is mounted on & then running the kicker in reverse, pulling the boat against the anchor to hold it straight. 

 

Once the tide has slacked somewhat you can backtroll using slight amount of current to your advantage. When the tide goes flat, then pull your gear & troll. You can use herring or spoon as if trolling in the ocean or use your same Kwikfish gear with a dropper singer or a JetDiver, & troll it.
 

Lures:  
The lures used in this type of fishing will mostly be Luhr Jensen's Kwikfish in sizes  from K-13 to K-16, with the K-14 & K-15 being the most popular sizes.  Flatfish in size T-50 to T-55 are also used.  The larger sizes are used when the current slows down, as the K-13 & K-14 will work better in faster water, where the K-15 will be the normal one used, while the K-16 performs better in slower water.  If the fish tend to be smaller, say 10# or under you may consider going to the next smaller size.  The most popular colors used are silver with chartreuse tails or gold & red.  This color preference can change from year to year, or even week to week.   So have in your tackle box at least a variety of colors.  On the belly of your plug place a sardine fillet and attach it using stretchy thread.  The use of sardines is recommended because they seem to have more oil & therefore leave more of a scent trail longer.  If sardines are not available, then herring can be used, however you may have to change the strip more often. 

 

The latest twist is instead of using a sardine fillet on the bottom of the plug is to place a small 1/4" x 3/4" strip of adhesive backed Velcro attached to the top rear of the plug.  On this Velcro place a liquid scent.  You may have to renew the scent oftener than the belly strip, but it is faster & easier to deal with. You can also get a self adhesive backed foam patch from Pro Cure.  This is designed to be soaked in scent.

 

 Or if you prefer, smear plenty of Smelly Jelly on the plug.

 

48" leaders & 18" to 24" lead lines are standard.  A 2 or 8 ounce round sinker is the usual weight required depending on the depth & current.  

 

Fish the seams where you try to put the lure in front of them as they migrate upstream.  These fish seem to be on the move when the tide is going out & the river is running faster.  However don't try to fish the real fast water, which the fish ignore.  You might also look for a breakwater or piling that the fish have go around.

Rod Holders:  
Use a rod holder that has rod removal VERY READILY achieved.  Position the holder with the angle lower than normal.  One well known guide uses 2 forked uprights on each side of the stern, with a PVC crossbar pipe that has sponge pipe insulation around it, & this bar dropped in to the forks. The rods are just laid over this foam & the rod butts are on the boat's floor.  The thought here appears to be to insulate all vibrations of the boat to the rod & hence on to the line.

 

    (a) Anchor & use plunking gear & bait as the current is now running enough for the bait to move or “work” in the current.  Here the use of a Spin-N-Glos & eggs or shrimp or prawns may be used.  Color can be egg orange, pink or red.  Use a 60"  leader with 3/0 hooks and a slider with 18" to a 12 ounce sinker if anchored, less if trolling.

    (b) Hog-lining is another method & is another name for anchoring, but every boat is anchored in a line across a section or strung out up & down the river.  You will usually not use an anchor buoy puller system, because you are not in that deep of water.  Most fishermen do have a fender tied to the end of their anchor line & the anchor line not permanently tied to the boat. This is so that if you get a large fish on, you can disconnect the anchor line from your boat and drift downstream to fight it away from the other boats.  Then you can return to you spot & re-tie to your anchor line & resume fishing.

     (c) Anchoring, but in a cluster strung out along a potential "HOT" location.  This is basically the same as Hog-Lining, except all the boats  may be in a group 60 yards wide by 500 yards long strung out, maybe 3 wide by however many boats there is in the cluster.  The one thing here is to remember to give yourself enough room when you drop anchor so that if you do hook a nice fish, that you do have enough space (50 yards), so that if it does run downstream that it does not get tangled in the boats anchor rope that is below & or to the side of you.  Remember that the other boat below you has his anchor considerably farther upstream that you can see.  In this circumstance you will probably not be able to do as (b)  & detach your anchor & float away, since you will float into the other boats if you are not the last one in line.

 

If  you Hook a Fish While in a Hogline: 
When you hook a fish, here is one sequence of procedure that seems to work.
(1)  reel in extra lines 
(2)  start kicker motor, ready to put in gear 
(3)  pull in socks 
(4)  throw buoy

The other rods should be reeled in first thing.  It's easy to get tangled with your own crew while you do everything else.  It may be also prudent to fire up the kicker AS SOON AS YOU CAN, just in case you need it to steer around boats, lines, etc. You never know when the current's will throw you one way or the other. You could leave the sea anchors out until you get the other lines in as if you have to throw the anchor line over, they will help you drift back out of the line better. 

Now, while you are getting the other lines in, & after a short period of time, you should be able to determine if the fish is a size, or hooked in a manner that it can be fought while still anchored.  But that is one of the last decisions to be made before you decide to throw off the anchor line or not. 

If the hogline is close, then hopefully the guys next to you will reel in too.  Then soon as you drop & drift out of the way, they can start bouncing back and often get another fish out of that same school that is still moving upstream.

If the fish happens to tangle up with the extra rod or your neighbors line before you get it out of the water, so be it...they can then FREESPOOL the reel. 

It does get hectic when in a hogline, especially if there are Sea Lions  in the area. If there are sea lions in the area then you will have to horse the fish to the boat as fast as possible, because they will be on the fish in a hurry. 

One report of getting a Sea Lion to drop a Salmon is to charge it with the boat. Not sure if it's legal, but it has worked with a LOT of witnesses and nobody said a thing.  Some say, if the Sea Lion is commin' : pull anchors, start engine, and haul ... out of there

(2) Trolling:

In trolling here you will be using basic estuary gear using 8'6" or 9' rods.  It usually will mean using herring in the green label (5"-6")size. If green label are not available then go down to the red label (4"-5") before going up to the blue labels (6"-7").  It seems more fish are caught in 12-25’ of water.  If you are on the water & keep your eyes & binoculars working, you will observe just about any type of gear.  Many do not use rod holders, but hold onto their rod.  The method is drag  the lure just off the bottom,  with have your reel drag set lighter than normal, with the clicker on.  Let the fish take the lure & pull line out before you set the hook.  Constantly watch the rod tip for the tell-tale tap-tap of the sinker on the bottom.  Adjust you line either in or out to keep the lure on the bottom.  When using bait, you should consider injecting it with either anchovy or herring scent.

 

Listed below are some methods that you may see.

(a)    Trolling a mooching leader & either a cut-plug or whole herring, using a 3 way swivel or a slider with 12” of a lighter leader as a dropper attached to a sinker of from 2 to 6 oz depending on the depth & tide.  If using a mooching  leader tied with 3 hooks, let the bottom hook trail at the bait’s tail.  Length of leader seems to vary from 24” to 60" depending on water color.

(b)    Trolling the same as (a) except using a diver instead of the sinker.  This diver could be a Pink Lady, Deep Six or even a JetDiver.

(c)  Trolling  the same as (a), but using a small or medium Fish Flash behind the sinker.  Do not use a large Fish
       Flash, as in this shallow water it may spook the fish more than attract it.  The one drawback here 
       is that is it more difficult to tell if the lure is on the bottom, as the slow rotation of this flasher somewhat 
      duplicates the sinker tap-tap.  Color of the Fish Flash used by most fishermen seems to be, lime green, blue, 
      or the plain plaid, in that order.

(d)  Trolling similar to (a) except using a Coyote 3.5” spoon in army truck or glo green / white colors.

(e)  Trolling with the "Bait Buster", a imitation vinyl/Velcro herring that is adjustable for bending by using the
      Velcro fastener, has proved to be a Salmon getter. The one thing with this lure, is you can place the scent in
      the Velcro, which allows for a longer exposure time before refreshing it. One report is to use oil off cheap
       canned tuna, as the scent.

 

(f)   Trolling spinners with prawn is another method.  This consists of using a pre-tied Eric's prawn rig made
      especially for this type fishery.  It consists of beads & a spinner blade on the leader above the hook. Color
      usually will be gold, half & half or chartreuse & yellow blades.  Blade size will be around a #4 or #5 with up
      to #7 if the water is dark. Prawn is the most popular bait, but sand shrimp will work also.  Soak your prawn
      for a couple of hours in last years egg cure juice. Run a 36" to 48"  leader on a 3 way swivel or slider and a
      24" to  36" lead line dropper to a 6 ounce sinker.  Blue Fox spinners in size #5 are also used.

(g)  Trolling Storm's Magnum Wriggle Wart in fluorescent red, gold or hot pink.  Here you want to troll them
      about 60' behind the boat & keep the line angle at about 45 degrees.  Run a 48" leader & a 3 way swivel with
     18" lead line to a 1 to 2 ounce sinker.

(h)  Slow trolling with Luhr Jensen's KwikFish in sizes  from K-14 or K-15, with the same color, sardine wrap &
      weight as mentioned below.

 

(3) Back-trolling Plugs behind  Divers:

Depending on water levels, you can also back-troll bait.  Here you rig up with a Jumbo Jet Diver and bait wrapped plugs.  If water conditions are low, you can simply flat line them, but normally you will need the diver.  Use a 5' leader and about 8" leader to the Jet Diver off a slider or 3 way swivel at the lines end.  Use the same Kwikfish plugs & bait wrap described in "Anchoring with Plugs" above.   In using this method you will be essentially trolling against the current, but with your kicker motor slow enough to allow the boat to back down with the current.  This can be effective if you can back down thru the slot the fish are holding in.

 

(4) Plunking:

This type of fishing can either be done from the bank or from an anchored boat.  The bank fishermen may tend to concentrate in an area that has been known to produce fish, & at the same time be accessible.  The boat fishermen have a lot more options, they can move into the area they have picked out & either anchor or tie up to piling & begin to plunk.

 

The use of multiple baits are common.  Gear used here will normally be a sinker slider on the mainline, with the lower Spin-N-Glo attached to a leader of about 30”.  On the mainline, up about 36” put a 3 way swivel.  On the dropper side of the swivel push a short (3”) piece of plastic tubing, (this helps eliminate tangles when casting).  Now attach another leader to another Spin-N-Glo, but use a slightly shorter leader of about 24”.  These Spin-N-Glos should be a different color to give the fish a choice, usually the egg orange for one & chartreuse for the other.  The law says you can use 3 hooks per line, so some fishermen then tie a swivel up the mainline another couple of feet, and after the gear is in the water snap a Flatfish or KwikFish on the line.  It then will bite into the current & work it’s way down to the upper swivel.

 

(5) Casting, & retrieving from Shore:

At the Wind River many bank anglers will cast & retrieve plugs from the Hiway 14 bridge downstream.  Normally used will be Magnum Wriggle Warts in fluorescent red or gold.

Commercial Vessel Traffic:  
One thing to keep in mind is that this whole river is a means of commercial water travel for many different types of vessels, including ocean going ships & tugs. The normal shipping lane depths may be dredged & kept at a minimum of 40 ft. The one thing here is that the ships will be coming in many times at a high tide because of a lesser current so upriver & downriver traffic can increase during the high tide. It may be very advisable to NOT anchor in their shipping lanes. These shipping lanes are just like a hiway with upriver designated for the Oregon side, & downriver designated for the Washington side of the lane.

Normal "Springer" fishing will be in shallower water & not in the shipping lanes.  If however, you plan on fishing & anchoring near these shipping lanes, it may be a good idea to become familiar with the "Rules of the Road" as far as who has right of way & the whistles connected to them.   

In the lower river, expect to find commercial traffic on VHF channel 13.  In the Bonneville Dam area, expect to hear traffic on VHF channel 14.  The tugs communicate with the dams on 14, and you will have at least a one hour notice that a towboat is headed your way.

Releasing Wild Fish: 
In releasing a “wild” or unclipped fish and the fish is hooked in the mouth, you should extract the hook as carefully as possible.  The preferable situation (& now legally required) is to leave the fish in the water, as it will usually tend to be calmer and will struggle less. Others say if you roll the fish upside down while he is in the water, that this calms them down.  The next ideal situation would be to remove the hook while the fish is still in the net, but also still in the water with the net pinning the fish to the side of the boat. Try to push the hook back the way it came and try not to tear the mouth. Hook removers or long-nosed pliers can help greatly to get a secure grip on the hook.  If the fish has swallowed the hooks, then it is preferable to cut the leader as close to the hooks as possible. 

Observations:

You will notice that many of the guides will be using 12' G Loomis rods, these are not noodle rods, but have a decent action & a fast tip.  Most of them also will be using spectra type mainlines, in that these longer rods are more forgiving to inexperienced fishermen.  They tell their clients to not to set the hooks, but allow the fish to hook himself.  Possibly this is to keep from breaking the rods from an over-zealous hook-set.

When using KwikFish, & you get a fish that has took the lure, but not solid yet, pick the rod up & hold the tip high, DO NOT set the hook, as you will pull it out of the fish's mouth.  What is happening is if the fish has decided it is not what he thought it was & opened it's mouth, trying to back down river & spit the lure out. When you just pick the rod up & hold it up, if the fish is hooked enough, you will have it on.  If however the lure is not hooked solid & the fish is trying to get rid of it, in a very short time the fish will turn trying to get rid of it. This is when you will feel the fish & then give the rod a slight twitch to set the hook.  Mind you that the hooks have to be VERY SHARP.

 

One thing to add, is to pay attention also to time of day and water conditions. Fish will use different routes when the water is clearer or when the angle of the sun is different. 

One fisherman's advise is, if you're fishing the Columbia or Willamette, you should also consider what the tide is doing when deciding where to fish when trolling. When the tide is coming in some put their bait between 12-17 feet deep in the "deeper" sections of the river. When the tide is running out they fish just off the bottom next to a ledge or drop off and in shallower water (6'-15').

 

It may not be one or two things that the guides do differently, but when you add up all the little things, then the odds start stacking up for them.  Plus, they are on the water all the time & will have observed the spots that the fish are being pulled.

 

I believe that these guides will not deliberately lie to you if you ask them a question or two.  But, they may not open up & tell you all there is as if you were a long lost friend.  So, it is recommended that you book with one or more of them, keep your eyes open & remember what you see that is different.  It is my firm belief that you can learn from these experts.  I myself can not live long enough to learn by my own mistakes to become even somewhat proficient in a different game.  You have to pay your dues one way or the other.  Sure, I know how to Salmon fish in the ocean, but this is a different situation.  Once you have gained some insight, then you can take your boat out & try what you have learned.

Last Updated 04-11-04
LeeRoy Wisner