I guess I'll get the springer report started...

The LCR downstream of Bonni to I5 opened March 16th. Fishing was ok for the first few days. Average was about one fish for every 5-7 rods. Fishing slowed over this last weekend as the weather turned sour. Almost no fish were seen caught on Saturday, and on Sunday boats were getting scarce in the area around Vancouver as the wind kicked up. Water visibility is good, at about 3-5 feet, water temps 44-45 degrees through the week.

I missed Cathlamet for the opener on the 24th. I did fish the area just up from the Cowlitz on the 25th, one fish caught for 28 boats for the first 5 hours of fishing. No fish marked. Water temps 44.5 degrees. Wind is super freaky cold.

If someone has a report for the Cathlamet area please post. The fishing should have been more consistent. I'll be heading back down in a couple days.

I'm guessing that the fishing will turn on as soon as the temps hit 47-48 degrees. Very few fish counted over Bonniville. 12 fish counted on 3/23.

VHawk

Thanks for the report. I have an invite to fish the St Helens area on Fri & Sat, but I know it was very slow there yesterday. Decisions, decisions...

well I have had a lot of slow fishing reports from cathelamet. about 1 fish for 15 boats comin in. slabhunter mangaged to bring in a 30 lber yesturday and is in 1st place in the derby. way to go!

Slabhunter invited me to fish today, but we have a house party I have to help set up for. A 30 pound, five year old fish is going to be hard to beat since this years component of 5 y/o fish is supposed to be smaller than usual. Good for him. I think 30 pounds should meet the minimun size requirements for getting a springer mounted.

Hit Catlamet Mon. & yesterday. Saw a couple landed on the hook out of 20+ boats around. Tides aren't the best for trolling now. We did lose one on the late high on Mon. trolling herring. Water was dirtier than I like, probably from the lower tribs from Sundays rain. Need some warmer weather before it closes and the tides will be getting better.

Nice reports.Thanks for sharing.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

fished out of cathalamet on the WA side of tenasahelah (sp?), trolled green sized herring w/green, yellow & red triangle flashes in 14 to 30 feet of water from red "steam whistle" looking "bouy" to bottom point of island from 2 pm until dark on march 24, touched nothing, heard from couple of boats we talked to (from the 20+ boats around us) that a few had been caught earlier & heard of 5 or 6 being seen at the launch...

I'll be somewhere in the lower river starting Saturday for 3-days. I'll fire off a report when I get back. The launches are going to be an absolute zoo this weekend , make sure you bring plenty of patience. I'm going down with 12 dozen herring combined of reds and greens for my boat and buddy's boat and crew. I figure 10 herring a day per rod...I like to keep a fresh bait on the line and switch out every 25 minutes of trolling. Just seem to get more bites this way.

BD

Am staying at the marina and fished Monday and Tuesday. Got a small one on Monday mid-afternoon. Only bite in two days. I know of 3 others caught on Monday and did not see a net out all morning at Clifton on Tuesday. I talked to a guy who was anchored with several other boats on the main channel side across the island from Clifton and he said he saw only one fish hooked all morning. Going back to fish Thursday afternoon and Friday and then??? For sure all next week. Hope for better weather and warmer water.

I have talked to people who have caught fish around Cathlamet and they have most of all caught fish trolling the incoming tides on Herring, some went up off Jones beach across from the ferry and also have trolled up and down at Clifton channel and Tenasellie Island. This year the water is dirty so you just have to put some time in and figure which slots and lanes the fish are going to travel. I screwed up and told my daughter I would take her skiing this weekend not knowing the season was going to be short, but I like spending time with my daughter as she is growing up so fast and is an honor student at her middle school. There's the Cowlitz ,it will have plenty of fish soon. p.s. those fish are on the bottom so put your bait there.

People must be fishing, camping and away from their computers....or they're fishing, catching and don't want to tell the world.

Springer fishing is dead slow. Fishing for wild steelhead has been pretty decent in some of the smaller coastal rivers, as well as some smaller SW tribs. I've had the best fishing in places too small to run a drift boat. 5 for 7 the last two days on the water. Its going to be hard to drag the boat down to St Helens if the small water fishing stays productive. Unless of course I get some major skin infection from getting scratched up in the bankside brush.

Limited on springers in the Columbia three days in a row by 11:00 am, three guys, six fish a day. Didn't fish today, going tomorrow. Get out of the 43 degree water and find 45 to 47 and you will get bites. They are down there, most guys are just fishing to cold of water. If fishing that cold water downsize kwikies or herring to 13s and 11 kwikie sizes you will get more strikes.

You did better than just limit out, you were hitting double limits. Below Bonniville it's a one adult salmon per person this year. I'm guessing you just mistyped, or are finding all the jacks.

If you're finding 47 degree water you must be fishing off the mainstem way downstream. I'm not too familiar at this point with the water downstream of the Astoria bridge, but I'd hazard a guess you're either near the Oregon coast highway bridge over Youngs bay, or are fishing the Wa side near Chinook. Am I even close?

I'm thinkin' released natives, Vinnie.

Actually, V I just screwed up my words like usual. I meant just three a day. I was thinking of a trip down a trib with six the other day and two fish a piece. Ya, just three man.

Think Urban area on the Big C, V hawk.

Portland Airport? (Portco?)

Fished out of Cathlamet mon, tues, wed, and thurs. Seems like normal springer fishing for this time of year. Tough tough tough, people are bringing in fish but they seem to be few and far between. Just have to put in the hours and hope for the best.

Everybody better hurry up and get out there. With lower thatn predicted returns, it will only be a matter of days before the run is updated and a closure date is announced. I bet april 15th is the last day to fish the Columbia.

Fished the Lower CR for five days. My rod only had four bites, one in the box.

Last night I pulled my boat from the water just before we were pounded by yet another hail, sleet, snow shower. Water temeperature was 44.3°F, visability was 28" over Clifton way.

I'm still attempting to dry out my old camera to see if any images of my fish were saved. At the ramp I was checked, people pulled out cell phones and took pictures.
I'd appreciate anyone sharing images if the happened to capture a shot.

Long story, short... I was blessed to land this, my only springer over the thirty mark. Presentation is everything in this cold water. Tight spin on a whole herring in a helmet behind a smaller in-line flasher was the ticket for me.

Hans

Good job Hans with that thirty.

Thought the limit was a single hatchery fish? Maybe because the run is soooo huge they up'd the limit. LOL

Red tell us the truth? 6 fish 3 days in a row? Come on.

Jerry, I already gave him the business for that and he explained himself.





I'm thinking of getting back out on Tuesday. Have some attorney stuff, and job interviews on Monday. Any day now the river should turn on.

Call me as I am fishing it all week in the usual spot.

Ok understood, I just thought 6 keepers was quite excellent if not impossible with the water temp the way it is. Warmest water we could find today was 45.2 degrees. Trolling was the ticket today above Hayden Island 22- 26 feet of water

Got up at 3 on Saturday and was picked up by Walleye World for the first trip of the year to the big C. Of course I only got about 2 hours of sleep so I was snoozing in the truck before we got thru Oly. Woke up just before the Longview exit and saw the whiteout. Snowin' like a crazy and slushy on the sides of the road. Pull into Cathlamet about an hour later. Still snowing hard, but hey, we were third in line for the ramp. Found out why.
South dock was full. Only the little short dock on north side of the ramp had room for a boat. No biggy. Walleye backed down the ramp. Boat just about hit the water when he remembered the plug was still in his bucket. We had to make sure we had a plug in the hull. Got that done, boat into the water. I had a long rope so no problem making the jump up onto the walkway. Whoosh....slicker that snot. I did skate it down to the docks and did get the boat turned around. Of course the top was covered with ice and the snow was turning to partial rain. My rain coat was inside under the topper and I was getting soaked thru while holding the boat.

Walleye comes down the sidewalk quicker than I expected. He found a parking spot close to the ramp, so within a few minutes, we were under way. Getting out toward the west end of the marina and we find out the wiper was frozen down. A little coaxing and it was working fine. Pulled out into the main channel and formulated the plan of attack. I was still tired, Walleye had an upset stomach, so it was simple, we were gonna pull up to our spot by the island, anchor up, throw out a Kwikie and nap. Half hour later we had two kwikies in the water, heater on, and were eating our breakfast.....oatmeal cookies.

Tried several colors and sized of kwikies. Used several scents and even tuna balls. Nothing........until about 10. I had about 10 minutes prior thrown out my lucky kwikie (chrome with chartreuse head and tail) with fresh sardine wrap and a little sardine smelly jelly. Suddenly the old $11 Berkley pole from Walmart was doin the Fish On dance. Springer was up to the top of the water doin the rolie polie dance trying to spit out the kwik fish. No seal lions in sight so after a 5-10 minute reel and scream, reel and scream tug-o-war, we had a nice 17.5 lb hen in the net. Thought gee, this is great! We'll catch more.

We fished until 6:30. Not another takedown. We trolled Herring, Anchovies, with and without flashers. We tried different speeds and different directions. Not another bite. We did see one boat net a native that they returned. We also watched while a sealion played with someones fish about a 1/4 mile down river. Saw no other fish taken. Per the fish checker at the ramp, our fish was 37 or 38 for 84 or 85 boats.

Well, 1 for 1 is acceptable. Last couple of years has been nothing but shakers and skunk trips.

Steve

Smaller than average run? Here in the Lewiston area they are predicting a much higher than avaerage return for the Clearwater and Salmon?

I cant wait! Even these begining of the run reports are making me twitch. They will be up here in a month. I'm thinking last weekend in April or First weekend of May for the opener.

Hey neighbor. How do you go for these guys?

Early, I troll magnums (no herring) or 13 QF w/herring above the hog line.
Later, bounce eggs in the CW.