The steelhead fishing, and super early springer lottery caliber luck try, was slower there today than Big Stew crawling up Palmer Field on Mt. Hood! We fished with Columbia effectionado and good guy Mark Zimmer, and were the only boat trying for chrome - the few other boats around that area were fishing for sturgeon, which was mostly a slowish shaker show. But I can sniff those early pilot springers starting to edge into the estuary. Or maybe that was Mark's boots. Fun time though for sure.

RT

LOL You would be amazed at how fast I would make it up there if Ashley Judd was waiting for me. For that matter a pepperoni pizza would do it too or a bag of Mothers Cookies.
Mark Zinzer AKA FishinMission is a great guy to fish with. His knowledge of salmon fishing on the Columbia is amazing.
Stew

Ya, that's how I meant to spell your name Mark - Zinzer. .... And Stew, if fish could 'fish' for humans, you and I would be easy catches on big hooks baited with pizza. Or with Ashley Judd for that matter. Ooouch!

RT,
I think I'd go for the Ashley Judd coochie too....I mean hoochie.

[ 01-14-2002: Message edited by: RANDY ]

Thanks for the report RT. Did you guys fish flatfish or try any spin-glo bait combos?

I think I replied to FM over on the "other" board last week about this subject.

How was the water clarity? What about temp? I'm kinda suprised you guys didn't try lower down on the columbia. Myself, I think I would have tried down at Willow bar below longview. You guys were above all of the cowlitz and lewis fish.

Last year a buddy of mine did real well C&R'ing big winter natives this early in the mult. Channel trolling small plug cut herring. He was also looking for the early springers, but hey, who'd complain about catching steelhead in the upper teens.

Aaron

That's a good point Jelly'. But Mark knows where to put his boat. It had been a hot spot for him last season on the lower end of that area. The water color was great, but was at 41 degrees on his FF/transducer indicator. We tried mostly K-10 and k-11's in flame red with other stuff on them. They stayed all day with those things, but as usual I start trying everything in my tackle box. No indication of steelhead on the FF either.

RT

I wasn't doubting you guys

It was a toss up for me this weekend of doing exactly what you did (but down lower), or hitting a zipperlip. Well the zipperlip produced so I don't feel too bad. It is hard to imagine all of the fish that must pass under the boat during the day while fishing in the columbia though. During summer steelhead fishing out there this year, Watching the f.finder was almost depressing, but there were enough biters to keep us going back for more.

Thanks for the spec's.

Aaron