Northwest Fishing Reports

Can anyone advise me if using my Smokercraft with 70 hp Yamaha, prop driven for fishing the lower Columbia is OK. I am worried about damaging the lower unit. I know the water levels are higher sometimes, but I do not know anything about fishing the Lower Columbia.

Pick up the charts of the area and you should be fine. Absolutely no reason in the world to worry about using a prop on the river, it's big and deep.

Kinda depends on what you mean by the lower Columbia. I was born/raised in Portland, still have friends there and fish the Columbia and the Willy 2-3 times a year. I wouldn't recommend your boat for Buoy 10. Some do that but I wouldn't. But anywhere else, Longview, Kalama, St Helens, Portland etc your boat is fine. A lot of it is anchoring which on the C is a skill and you need the right gear. Anchoring can be dangerous in that current if you don't know what you are doing. No problem with the depth. Best advice, go out with a guide or a friend that knows what he is doing and learn the skills. You might check out Ifish which is mostly Columbia guys.

Thanks for the info guys. Your comments are exactly my thoughts. I was just concerned about upstream or downstream from Kalama, Cowlitz and around Astoria-Megler Bidge. I was worried more about sand bars which could be an issue near the mouths of major river drainages. I would never attempt Buoy 10 in a small boat like mine. I realize the some of the danger when anchoring. I think the biggest thing would be staying alert to debris floating in the river, especially large wood debris. Should a large log tangle in the anchor line, be ready to cut the line. Better to loose the anchor instead having that tangled line drag the boat under.