Sitting on anchor while fishing plugs is a popular way to fish for spring chinook in the lower Columbia River .
Choke Point
Springers
FISHING FOR COLUMBIA RIVER SPRING CHINOOK STARTS BELOW THE KALAMA RIVER . BY JASON BROOKS
ALL OF THE RODS WERE stressed in a downward arc as the lead droppers were dragged through the sand . The tide was shifting to the outgoing and the current started to move westward when the back rod dipped hard . Playing this game many times before nobody moved from his or her seats . It wasn ’ t until the rod stayed down and line began peeling off of the reel did the rod get ripped from the holder . A hard fought battle ended too soon as the barbless hooks and chewed up herring came back without the chinook . Some days you ’ re done in an hour , other days you go all day for your one chance , and this is one reason why it can be challenging when you ’ re fishing for spring chinook on the Columbia River at the Port of Kalama .
Being in the lower Columbia River system where the tides still flush in and out with the pull of the moon , the stretch from Martin Bluff down- river to the mouth of the Kalama , often referred to as the Port of Kalama , becomes very busy as soon as the first springer is caught . In fact there are days when the river becomes choked with boats that you wonder how a salmon could even make it past without succumbing to someone ’ s bait .
Anyone who has fished for salmon in the Pacific Northwest knows a spring chinook is arguably the most sought after of all salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest . With their high oil content and firm flesh , silver sides and hard fight the springer is a trophy fit for dinner no matter the size of the fish . Because the spring chinook is so highly coveted , it will attract hundreds of anglers every day the Columbia is open . And when the fishing is good countless slabs of salmon are caught , which subjects the fishery to intermittent openings and closures depending on the run predictions and commercial fisheries in the area .
But what makes this fishery different from others is the proximity to the fishing grounds from the launch . It is also home to the largest grain silo on the West Coast and a major hub for large cargo ships . Crossing train tracks to get to the launch you will see an active port deep in history , which only lends itself to a giving this fishery an added slice of Americana
24 SALMON THE TAILOUT & STEELHEAD JOURNAL
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