when the current isn't there anymore? help?

[dan(or)]

Well, out west on the great Columbia River we are short of water, very short! My question is for you folks who fish the reservoirs with a small amount of current. I am thinking that the Columbia will more closely emulate that body of water this summer than a river. So knowing that the fish are conditioned to a river environment and suddenly may not have current to deal during a large portion of their day, what changes in strategies are warranted? Will the fish stay close to the river channel where the current flows or will they roam or suspend more like a lake environ?

If the flow is intermittent based on turbines turning on and off what is your best guess for changes to the Walleye behavior? As always, I find the board and its collective knowledge very enlightening, thank you in advance for your thoughts and suggestions.

Dan
Out in Oregon land where the rivers are drying up!

By the way … anyone know who released the largest walleye in the annual In-fisherman magazine contest for 2000? Was it a 15 lb 5 oz Columbia River fish? I don’t get that magazine anymore…… thanks!

[Fin Addict]

We have so much water here in MN that the launches on the Mississippi are closed. Too bad we can't send a little your way. Were I in your shoes I would bet the fish will either key in on discharge times for short feeding frenzies after which you might as well go home, or some will begin to behave as lake fish relating to standard structure. Find the food and you will find your fish. Try different types of areas and presentations til you hit on a pattern that works. You can bet the discharge areas will be hot when the water is flowing though.

[DAN(OR)]

Thanks for the advice, I'm hoping there are a few others out there that will chime in..

anybody?

dan
out in Oregon Land where the walleyes grow bigger but there may not be any water for them to swim in this year!

[Scott D]

Dan, I believe your name was in the In-Fisherman magazine for the fish you mentioned. I will try to find my copy to check, but I think I remember seeing you in there. Good job!

[Gunga Din]

I'm looking at the issue right now and for walleyes kept, winner was 17 lbs 6 oz. (from Kennewick, WA) and second was Dan Spence of Bozeman, MT with a 16 lb .06 oz walleye.

C&R for Region 3, if your name is Dan Tuinstra of West Linn, OR, you were last on the list with a 31.5" fish. Top of list was a 34.5" fish caught in Buffalo City, WI. All the fish came out of the Columbia River or Ft. Peck.

[drum]

Scott,

It wasn't me I just netted it for Steve M. He called the other day and said it might have been the largest eye released that was entered into the infisherman contest. I don't take In Fisherman anymore and out west In-Fisherman is not on newstands or sports shops. I was just seeing if he has bragging rights or just blowing smoke at me. I did enter a smaller fish, only 12lb 11 oz...

thanks for the reply,

dan
Out in oregon land where I tablulating the tide tables for the full moons in Sept and Oct. An out going tide really makes the Columbia flow.....

[Scott D]

LAST EDITED ON Apr-20-01 AT 01:37PM (CST)[p]I just found my copy. Like Gunga Din said you are on the list. Steve has the top 2 entries listed (34.5" and 32") Gunga's post should have said the 34.5" was caught in the Columbia River by Steve M. (He is from Buffalo City)

[DAN(OR)]

Thanks! Steve and I have been friends for years.... he came out and fished the Columbia with me this fall. He did mention something about coming back again this year. Go figure that out, eh?

dan