Duc'...whats safe?

I floated the lower end of the Sol Duc' a few times in may for springers, I think it was 4 1/2 boards, lowest I have floated it. It was pretty burly, but fun too. At what board do you put away the aluminum and pull out the puma? I knew we were in for a ruff ride because mansfield was the only other boat on the bottom end with us. Basically whats the point of no return! Young and dumb only gets me so far......so help me out? How many boards?

Bk I have been on the Duc at 5 1/2 boards and did alot of boat pushing. I felt that the banging and clanging spooked the fish to much. Down here when the rivers are low I will pull the boat above the shallows and walk down to the good slots below, fish theml, then move on. Good luck. By the way how did you do? I would like to get up there and fish the Kings soon.
Keep the Rivers Clean!!!

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dank

It was spotty for springers on the Duc' in my boat but we got a couple. A couple takedowns a day, either crack of dawn or heavy water. I really didn't fish it often. In three days we landed four springers and a few spawners. That is until we started fishing the Kalama almost every day. That baby was hot from may on for our boat. Starting mid may we hooked quite a bit of steelies too. Killer fighters! But those kalama springers are the best eating fish ever....screw sockeye. Real fatty! I'm not kiddin' about the kalama either, what a fun place when may normally sucks. Wouldn't be a bad place to live. Sorry I'm gettin' carried away, that was fun. I heard the wind was super juiced too, even more than the kalama, I just couldn't leave em' to find em'. Back to the lower Duc, how in the hell do you walk a boat down some of that [Bleeeeep!]? Five fingers ya, but some of the drops? What float did you do? Not to be rude Kalamabama, but again how many boards is it still FLOATABLE? I dont mind banging around.

Hey Fella's,
What is the board measurement you are refering to?curious in west richland

4 1/2 oards is actual still a fair amount of water in there ... fairly common to be there or even a board or two lower lower in late steelie season. The lowest I can remember taking my bokat down the bottokm end was about one board, but know that many people have done it lower than that. One board is probably as low as I'd take the hard boat down ... use my Puma after that 'cuz it's just too much of a pain otherwise. Should be able to safely do it at a board if you know the trail. By the way, boards are the number of concrete slabs at the Maxfield Rd launch that are covered with water at a given height reading.

Thanks Bob, I know my way down but I think maybe 2 boards and up is what I'll stick to. Better safe than sorry. Its a blast just to float the Duc, regardless of how many ya hook. Thanks again.

BK sorry about the bad info. I drifted the lower end to linedecker. I thought that some of the folks had said it was 5 1/2 boards. Must have been lower.
Keep the Rivers Clean!!!