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| The Pleasures of Fishing Close to Home |
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 | | Hobart Manns | | Total bag limit for the day on the channel for the four of us totaled six wallies, several bass, and far too many small catfish |
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If the weekend pressure and traffic are something you really do not care for when it comes to fishing, then try this. Take time off and plan a trip close to home and off of the beaten path. Several of my fishing friends invited me to spend a day on the water with them this past month and it proved a really fantastic time. Bob Judkins (Hoover), Tom Nelson (Blind Dog) and Russ Miyata (Hukilau) took me in tow as the rookie to fish one of my favorite locations at this time of year, the waters near Scappoose Bay along the Sauvie Island. channel.
Traveling across town before the work traffic tied up all of the roads was easy and placed us on the water long before the sun cleared the high fog and the winds picked up. Launching at the marina with no competition was also another reason to fish mid- week. Now on the water and just a quick run up the channel placed us above Coon Island where the lines were baited and dropped for walleye. Well it did not take Hoover long before he convinced us again why his nickname is "Hoover," he indeed does vacuum up all the fish around. It did not take long for him to net a nice 20 incher, which went into the live-well.
With the local osprey perched on top of the nearest piling watching closely, Hoover re-baited and off we trolled. The next pass produced another even larger walleye and Hoover again had it. My rod went down and with great hopes and a gentle hand I landed a smallmouth Bass not a wally. Changing gear to trolling plugs we set off on an upstream tack. Halfway through the trolling pass, Hoover sucked up yet another white eye, this one about 23 inches.
This pass produced the most unlikely of things for me, a very small brown bullhead catfish. It was the first of several I managed to catch that day. The outcome of landing so many small cats is that I have now received a new nickname which I deserve. So I'm likely to answer to either bullhead or catfish--at least in our fishing group.
The total bag limit for the day on the channel for the four of us totaled six wallies, several bass, and far too many small catfish, (yours truly).The very best outing one could ask for, no long travel, light traffic and enough fish to make for a great day with good friends.
Just as an added benefit: without a lot of other boaters on the water we were privileged to watch a mother Columbian deer and her very small fawn work the edge of an island for food and a drink. They, along with the resident eagles and osprey, made a day of viewing and fishing a treat long to remember.
If you plan an outing for fish that others pass up. you will likely end up catching and fishing without pressure. The same day, others leaving the moorage that morning spent their day chasing salmon without much luck.
Back at the dock, local anglers asked what walleyes looked like and if the were any good to eat. Well I guess Hoover answered that with tongue in cheek and muttered something about cat food.
Well this Bullhead Catfish hopes to someday in the future spend another day with Hoover and perhaps it will be over at Brownlee where we can fish on an even playing field. None the less, it was a really great day out of Scappoose Marina.
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