columbia R spring chinook

B

B~C

New member
thought I'd throw this out there as a service to my C-Dorian brothers

For years I've driven by the local boat ramps during the spring chinook season on the columbia and shook my head at the insanity. I just couldn't bring myself to wait in those long lines to launch and then hike a mile back to the boat after parking the tow rig.
The kid has nagged me for years to pungle up the money for moorage, this season I done did it. Being cheap, and wanting to make sure I get my moneys worth, I'm going to try to get out fishing most late afternoons and weekends so if any of you chowderheads have a craving to hit the river, drop me a line. I have extra gear if needed, what I don't have is a great wealth of springer fishing wisdom (but I do know a few things about fishing), nor a desire to anchor in a hog line.
 
If you want someone to join you give me a call, 503-507-3698. I am retired so timing isn't an issue, and on occasion I have actually caught a columbia river springer. I don't know what moorage you are in but watch what you leave onboard. Thievery seems to be at an all time high this year. I ended up buying a yearly permit at Camas so my truck and trailer would be secure while out on the river. You can't leave your vehicles safely anywhere in the portland area. The multnomah county river patrol even told me they wouldn't leave a vehicle at the ramp on marine drive next to their office because of the 24 hour theft.
 
Ken, Not being a fisherman, (but sometime I'm going to learn) Where are you moored, Portland, Vancouver, Kalama or...? I do get to Ptld occasionally and might be interested in an afternoon or something more to watch and see how it's done than anything else right now.

Good luck with the fishing, and the hog line stuff :shock: :roll:

Harvey
SleepyC :moon
 
Lloyds, I have spring break coming up and it looks like it will be another year that we don't go to lake powell, so your phone will be ringing

Harvey, you'd be more than welcome

the best bet would be to send me a pm the same day or day or two before . With spring weather what it is, I'm not keen on long range plans

I'm tied up at ridgefield, they have a harbormaster on site, floating homes equiped with prying eyes and gated parking but I still won't be leaving anything onboard of value...the last time I looked they still have monthly spots available if anybodys interested
 
I went springer fishing with B~C once. Didn't catch anything, but we didn't really care either.

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that was fun....a few years back it was.... Is that a rare photo from the archives of the first ever c-brat gathering?
 
I've been out in the St. Helens area the last three weekends. Haven't gotten a sniff, but we marked a lot of fish today. The water's up to about 45 degrees, and once it drops and clears the fishing will be great.

If you like to sit on the hook with KwikFish, next weekend has some great tides. If you're a troller, the weekend after that is good.

I've never moored in the area for any long period, but I've stayed at Sand Island for a few days, and at St. Helens municipal marina for a couple of days. I left the boat at Port of Kalama for a week, too, one year. Now I just leave her at a friend's place in Castle Rock so it's a shorter haul to the launch, rather than from my house up north.

I'll more than likely be fishing the Columbia for springers at least one day every weekend until shrimp season starts. Then C-Dawg gets moored at the Everett Naval station. :)
 
The Kings will be on the Columbia and so will 'In Cahoots'-Idaho. Not much on the brag board at Fred's Marina, Multnomah channel yet, but that should change in a week or so. Fred's Marina on highway 30 will be the headquarters for 'In Cahoots' starting April first. Looking forward to seeing some Brats on the water. Roger and Cheryl
 
cool, we need a c-dory hog line....we had one once with Tyboo, Shearwater, Cheers & B~C, that was a few years ago;

Those St Helens docks are a tough place to get any sleep, the wind always beats me up, if you're on the river and looking to hang your hat for the evening, Martins lagoon is great

It's looking like a nice weather weekend.....good weather and fish are on their way, and not to mention spring break next week, I'm stoked
 
RogerJuntunen":1kx32g4l said:
Ya, well maybe we should have a mini C-Brats event some weekend at Saint Helens. There is a good Pizza place right up the hill from the marina.
Roger
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I might be up for a mini-gathering. As long as someone's there to give me some fishing tips. :wink
 
RogerJuntunen":1d80929k said:
Ya, well maybe we should have a mini C-Brats event some weekend at Saint Helens. There is a good Pizza place right up the hill from the marina.
Click to expand...
Plantation House Restaurant and Brewery. Had lunch and a beer there last weekend. :)
 
Ken,

Are there any parking issues at Ridgefield, like running out of room and having to park a mile away?

And do you need to watch the tide to run down the slough to the big river?
 
if you go to google earth and zoom into the ridgefield launch, note the line of rigs parked east of the RR tracks,,,,,zoiks.....short answer, parking stinks and the police are very aggressive in ticketing wayward parkers. Kalama is ugly also when the season is in full swing but at least you can find a place to park, not always the case in ridgefield. For me, it's almost worth the $130 a month moorage fee just to have a gated, guaranteed parking place :)


The Link river is navigable at low tide but don't get to anxious about turning to port & cutting the corner at the bottom end of Batchelor Island, like most of the islands there's a pretty good shoal there.

see ya on the water
 
I've been told that there is no such thing as a dumb question! ?. When anchoring in a heavy current with a heavy boat, is the anchor winlass capable of withstanding the constant tug or should you put an additional wrap around a cleat? I'm talking about short periods anchoring on the Columbia for quickfish style fishing in addition to bait trolling. The other option is to use a separate anchor with anchor ball which I have done successfuly with the 22. I have not had a windlass before, and the 25 is much heavier than the 22. The windlass is a lewmar pro series. Any feedback from the fabulous Brats will be appreciated. How do you guys do it-pros and cons- whats the scoop? Thank you, Roger
 
I suppose you should dog off your line but I never do, but I have a 22' and a Power Winch, don't dog off the work boat either, it's 32' with an EZ Anchor Puller

went out yesterday for six hours of hog line fun, neighbor boat hooked a native, not much action other than that .....I did catch a much welcome sunburn
 
Roger-

The biggest problem with not tying off the rode to a cleat is that the constant strain on the windlass's gypsy will cause the seals on the gear case to fail, allowing water into the gear case, causing corrosion of gears and bearings alike.

And, as usual, salt water is especially efficient in doing so.

Moreover, in vertical windlasses, at least, the water can also migrate down into the electric motor, which is definitely the death knoll for your windlass.

Starcraft Tom had pictures of a horizontal windlass once that had water intrusion, and more recently Boris of Journey On chronicled a vertical windlass that had been destroyed by salt water.

You can simply pull the rope rode up and cleat it, but Thataway Bob frequently describes how to use a short piece of extra line to do it without any wear onto the rode from cleating it.

You put the line over the rope rode with a rolling hitch, then cleat the other end of it after taking the tension off the windlass.

This is also the way to do it if you have an all chain rode, of course.

Hope this helps, and good luck fishing!
 
As usual, the Brats come through with good information and advice. If its o.k., I may post some Columbia fishing info on this thread. The gillnetters have been out afew days last week- I'm not sure how they did, but the water is cloudy around Portland, and little action. The spring kings were selling for $26.00 a pound last year in Portland stores. Roger
 
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