Springers 2023

[Mfowl]

Summers are my favorite to fish for as the weather is better, they seem to bite better and are bigger on average than the springers. BUT the springers are the best eating salmon that swims in our waters. Sockeye hold their own as well.

[Blacklab]

Finished with my setups. From koke rigs to salmon. Minnie cut plugs to hootchies. The salmon mooching rigs. This is what I finished with. Diggin the colors Hoping the Springers do as well

[metlhead]

I kept it very simple last year and did better than ever. No flashers and a red label herring.

[JBG]

Summer chinook are fantastic, but they aren't spring quality.  It makes sense, they stop eating when they come in and essentially breed at the same time, so those that come in earlier need to have more fat to survive longer in the river.  May or may not be scientifically correct, but that's what I always thought.

I've spoken to a biologist turned fish monger and this is their same sentiment and idea for why they taste better.  That being said this particular person preferred sockeye over everything else. 

[Blacklab]

Methead that’s interesting. Good to hear you did well. I’ve always used some type of flasher. Not sure if I have  the confidence to fish naked

[2MANY]

Blue brined red label.
Or not.

[Blacklab]

I do both using procure igreen/blue. On the Green Lable.

[7mmfan]

If you get the red label bent just right, they spin like an absolute top and those chinook just can't lay off. Greens are great too, if they're lean enough. Often they're just a little to fat and need to be cut plugged. I agree on blue. If you want to really mix it up, find some purple... 

[castie2504]

Any springers being caught below Bonneville yet? I don’t fish below the dam but I’m anxious to hear them showing below it, that means it won’t be too long before they are up towards me!

[metlhead]

Two fish over the block without any for weeks. Not optimistic yet.

[Mfowl]

Sounds like the water is COLD! 39 to 42°. I saw some pics of a few caught in the lower Willamette but only heard of 1 in the big river. It will happen! Just got to get the temps up a bit. Usually I would make my first trip about this time in March but early has not been good to me the last couple years. Holding off to hit it harder towards the end of the lower river season. C'mon spring! Let's get on with it!

[Encore 280]

Hundreds and hundreds of sea lions by Cathlamet the other day. Friend of mine has been there for a couple weeks now. Sent me a video of the sea lions. You wouldn't believe how many there are down there chasing the smelt and Springers!! If you want to see the video, PM me your number and I'll text it to ya. It's unbelievable!

[Mfowl]

So are the smelt late or have they done their thing and are now being washed down river to the ocean? Last year the sea lions were thick all the way up to Portland. The Cowlitz mouth looked like a scene from National Geographic in late March. Hundreds of them on the sand bars there. You could see them chewing on smelt and the occasional springer up and down the river.

[Encore 280]

My brother was down there the other day and said there's a lot of dead smelt that the sea lions are chowing down on. Don't know if there's another run going up river or not.

[CastleRocker]

I think there are some smelt coming back up the Columbia, just judging by the amount of Sea Lions showing back up.  They all left the Cowlitz and Columbia in the Longview area around the last week of February.  They (Sea Lions), have been showing up again this last week, but all I've seen them eating is Springers.  Not too many birds returning yet, but they are usually later, as they only pick the spawn-outs still swimming or dead ones.