Columbia River Springers!

Yeah, well, it was them buggers at Englund's that got me today. They sent me home with a dozen of them RSK's, the tool for loading them, some new Gamis and leader for tying up rigs, herring, and fancy salt to brine the things. Of course, I don't believe in them RSK nose clips. I only got them to have on the boat so I could say, "Yeah, I got those, but I never use 'em".

How heavy a lead you trolling? I take it you use the banana sinkers? I told that salesman that I never caught a springer yet, and he just said to get some more stuff.

We'll be up there all weekend. I got the boat washed and parked in the driveway, ready to hook up tomorrow after work. Friday morning sometime we'll dunk it in the river and head up to St. Helens. We'll stay there Friday night, and maybe try to find some fish Saturday morning. Saturday evening and night, we'll be in Cathlamet, and fish across from there on Sunday. Monday morning early, it's back down the creek.
 
Hi Mike,
At Saint Helens use a plug cut herring 5 to 6 feet of leader with a good swivel in the middle of the leader and a 4 to six ounce cannon ball with about a foot of leader on the weight you want to just be touching the bottom in about 10 to 25 feet and troll at 1.2 1.5 mph . I use the main engine and a bucket to slow me down ( I have the main idleing at 700 rpms ,I turned down the idle) trool from Warror Rock down to the island below it watch the other boats if they are catching fish try and trool through there on the next pass.
Good luck
Richard
 
TyBoo Mike,

Glad to hear we got a scouting party heading to the cruise spot.

My recent Columbia springer studies (css) have boiled down to some facts that run consistent with all articles.

1) Troll the tides, anchor the slacks

2) Fish the edges of sandbars running parallel with the current not the boils

3) Fish at depths between 12 and 25 ft. off these sandbars

4) Herring, Herring, Herring this time of the run

Hope this helps. Leave a few for the cruise :wink.

PS: Please map out some of these areas so we can spend more time fishin' than lookin' in new water. Thanks

PPS: I too picked up a couple of them RSKs. May be a hot C-Bay item :smilep.

Jon
 
anchoring on the slack doesn't work so good, boat just twists around in the wind and your lure doesn't work so good. Anchoring on the ebb works more better
 
Thanks for the tips. This might be the year for a TyBoo springer. I hope so, my mom wants half of one.

HO Larry - You gonna be afloat this weekend?
 
Yes sir, I will be afloat and afishin. Friday will be in Clifton Channel dragging an RSK behind 6 ft. of leader.... held down with 3 oz. of lead on a 2 ft. dropper.
The rest of the weekend is free, let's go fishing.
I spent part of today marking the dead heads in Clifton area on my GPS. You know about them, right?
 
The only thing I know about around there is the submerged piling just off the south side of the ship channel out of Elochman. I even saw it once. It's on the chart. I do not have a clue about the deadheads.

See ya Saturday sometime. Pull the HO to the dock for a night and see if the one she's named for might want to come down with you for a spell.

B~C's been dropping little hints about showing up at St. Helens Friday afternoon/evening for some dockside fish-n-chips. I think he really wants to, but hasn't cleared it with M yet. No smelt, though. His whole class is flunking out this term. So there's something to keep in mind if the skies and water are good after fishing on Friday.
 
Larry - is that like marking the good fishing spots on the side of the boat? (Three Stoodges routine? "You fool, how do you know we will get the same boat next time!")
Helen O":174qtzm8 said:
I spent part of today marking the dead heads in Clifton area on my GPS. You know about them, right?
 
Mike, see ya Friday, don't want to flunk these non-smelt catching students, gotta pass them on and get a smelt catching bunch for next year.

WD50, slack as in no current flow, twist around your anchor get no lure action no current. Do you have some sea socks? they are a must have for anchoring on windy days

Pat, that's funny as H3LL

later
 
B~C,
No sea socks :cry:, But like the old song goes; I'll be trollin' round the river for some fish, I'll be trollin' round the river for some fish, I'll be trollin' round the river, I'll be trollin' round the river, I'll be trollin' round the river for some fish. Everybody! I'll be trollin' round the river for some fish hmm hmm hmm......

Sorry, long day at work and no dinner yet :twisted:.

Jon
 
Spent a great day fishing for springers with Larry on the Helen O. What a gracious host and knowledgable skipper to hook you up with your first Columbia River Springer.
Larry was even kind enough to hall me over to the main channel to try out my prawn and spin-glow rig. Didn't work but we did watch the guy with the skiff boat another fish today with the same set up. He must hold his tongue differently than I do or something. Whatever he's doing, he's doing it well.
My advice to others, Don't ever turn down a fishin trip with Larry.

Tim
 
I'll certainly second that! Three pieces of advice though for not being a bozo guest:

1 - Leave the dog home,
2 - Don't try to pour coffee, and
3 - Don't even THINK about using the marine head.

(Don't ask why, just trust me on this stuff!)


Lynn Marie":8f9dpc5f said:
My advice to others, Don't ever turn down a fishin trip with Larry.

Tim
 
Thanks for the kind words, guys. I had a great time with you yesterday,Tim.

Yo Pat, Helen O' now has a plunger in the head. :moon :mrgreen:
I can't recall the coffee incident.
And... I'll bet Oscar is cuter than ever. :wink
 
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