A typical Sandy River springer caught with guide Josh Leach (www.guidejoshleach.com)
Though the summer’s flying by, it’s not too late to catch Spring Chinook. Oregon’s Sandy River looks like a good place to be in the upcoming weeks as a healthy return of spring kings is expected.
“We have a good return of spring Chinook this year and fishing conditions are excellent,” said Todd Alsbury, fish biologist for ODFW’s North Willamette Watershed District. Alsbury said an estimated 6,000 spring chinook are expected to return to the Sandy River basin this year and many are still yet to arrive. Of the total, approximately 4,000 are hatchery fish, identified by clipped adipose fins, and are available for harvest. Wild fish must be immediately released unharmed under state fishing regulations.
The Sandy is open for fishing from its confluence with the Columbia near Troutdale approximately 35 miles upstream with its confluence with the Salmon River near Brightwood. Public access to the river is available at the following locations:
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Buddy's springer blasted the competition...
Though he faced some fierce competition (like a 50+ pound striper, a 40 pounder and a 20-pound steelhead, for example), Buddy Shaw and his Clearwater River, ID spring-run Chinook Salmon put a pretty serious beat-down on the competition in the May Hawg of the Month vote.
For his efforts, Buddy wins some
Pautzke’s headgear and is now entered into the Hawg Bowl Playoffs at the end of the year, where the monthly winners will do battle for a fishing trip with
Swanny’s Fishing. Read on to see how the vote broke down…
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Guide Jeremy Warter with a nice slab of Columbia Chrome!
The strange year that is springers on the Columbia River continues as fishery managers yesterday extended the spring Chinook fishery above Bonneville Dam through June 15, 2011.
The area from the Tower Island power line (approximately 6 miles below The Dalles Dam) upstream to the Oregon/Washington border AND the Oregon and Washington banks between Bonneville Dam and the Tower Island power lines will be open from Friday, June 3 through Wednesday, June 15. The area had been scheduled to close on June 2.
Anglers fishing above Bonneville Dam can keep sockeye salmon, adipose fin-clipped chinook salmon and adipose fin-clipped steelhead. The daily bag limit is two adult salmon or steelhead in combination, and an additional five fin-clipped jack chinook. Sockeye salmon count towards the adult limit regardless of size.
Buddy Shaw jetted up the Clearwater River from Lewiston, ID last Wednesday with his 4-year-old son and they teamed up for this sweet 26-pound spring Chinook.
Buddy said that he got his plunking rig (a Spin-N-Glo and a tuna ball) out into the water and then had to help Jr. with the Call of Nature in the woods. When they came back, the rod was pegged and he set up on the nice king. After a 20-minute battle, dad realized that he was going to have a tough time fighting and netting the fish at the same time so he talked the little man through the process. Obviously, the kid did a great job!
Good stuff!
For his efforts, Buddy is entered into our Hawg of the Month of the Contest, in which he has a shot at winning some Pautzke’s gear. Should he advance to the Hawg Bowl Playoffs later this year, Buddy could win a fishing trip for two with Bill Swanny Swann of Swanny’s Fishing. For his work with the net, Jr. better be invited on that trip!
Only Ad-clipped hatchery springers will be allowed for take
I know, the Columbia’s springer season was pretty much a bust this year… but it’s not officially over yet! The Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife announced today that the Lower Columbia River reopens for marked hatchery Chinook on Friday, April 8 and will remain open through April 15.
The initial season, which opened March 1 and closed April 4, was marred with poor river and weather conditions that made fishing tough. As of Monday, approximately 3,820 upriver chinook remained on the catch quota of 7,750.
“Given the available fish remaining on the harvest guideline, we believe at least an additional eight days are available to give fishermen a chance to catch the upriver chinook quota,” said Chris Kern, ODFW’s assistant Columbia River fisheries manager.
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HSU's in da house!
Though spring Chinook salmon fishing on the Columbia River has been a bit spotty of late due to stained water conditions, Craig Hultgren of Kelso, Washington (and fellow Humboldt State grad) was able to put this fine piece of barbecue fodder in the box recently.
Craig is now entered into our March Hawg of the Month Contest in which he has a chance to win some cool new headgear from the
Pautzke Bait Co. If he advances, he will get to compete in the Hawg Bowl Playoffs at the end of the year and maybe, just maybe win a trip with Bill Swann of
Swanny’s Guided Fishing. Click to
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There are springers in the Columbia...let the games begin!
The arrival of spring Chinook salmon in the Columbia River is one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year in the Pacific Northwest. While it’s early yet, there are definitely some fish around, as proven by this one caught Weds near I-5 by Buzz Ramsey (r) and friend/guide Eric Linde.
They hooked a second fish, too, but it was grabbed by a marauding sea lion. Both fish were hooked using a Fish Flash (chartreuse) and plug-cut herring combination on the downstream troll.
The Master speaks Saturday
With springer season just getting started, maybe a crash course from one of the grand masters of the sport, Buzz Ramsey, is in order.
And you’re in luck! Buzz will be on hand at the Cabela’s Lacey Washington Saturday, March 5, at 2 pm, where he’ll be conducting a Spring Salmon Seminar to get you all dialed in for a productive season.
