Anyone fishing the Willamette near Portland right now?

[NeoBlackdog]

Shad are good if prepared properly, though they are bony little buggers. It's nothing more than a huge herring and actually have about 3 times more Omega 3 fatty acids than salmon.
Supposed to be good for keeping the 'bad' cholesterol down. We used to catch 'em by the gunny sack full up by Rufus when I was a kid. We smoked a lot of them and baked a bunch more. Use a 'shad dart' jig drifted just over the bottom.

 

[RedRover]

I wont try to argue that the Willamette is clean (thats obvious a losing argument lol)... but I still think its pretty pristine compared to rivers like the Ohio or Tennessee.

I mean you can tell the Ohio river is polluted as hell just by looking at google maps, the number of massive industrial sites along its banks is staggering... While the Willamette river def has some industrial polluters, the Chemours plant outside of Parkersburg WV is probably a bigger polluter than every industrial site south of the broadway bridge combined.

Compared to the Ohio river sure, but by most estimates, the Ohio river is the most polluted river in the U.S.
That's a pretty high benchmark to work from.

While it may be difficult to light it on fire, the Willamette River is not a river that I would personally eat any fish from, nor would I even swim in it.

 

[OregonForest]

Compared to the Ohio river sure, but by most estimates, the Ohio river is the most polluted river in the U.S.
That's a pretty high benchmark to work from.

While it may be difficult to light it on fire, the Willamette River is not a river that I would personally eat any fish from, nor would I even swim in it.

lol... I see your point. No doubt the Ohio is a high benchmark, and the fact that it is a polluted disaster doesnt make the Willamette any cleaner. Anyway like I said I avoid the Willamette.... and that has nothing to do with the fact that its not as bad as the Ohio

 

[Mikej]

I dont swim in the Willamette either, but theres no way its one of the most polluted in the country... Old willy is pretty pristine compared to rivers like the Ohio, or the Tennessee, or Cuyahoga, or the Delaware, or the Hudson, or the Holston, or the Schuylkill, etc...

Well NOW, the Willamette is cleaner than the filthy, disgusting urine and feces tainted city that surrounds it. But Ross Island downstream certainly has a huge extra measure of human excrement from the homeless flotilla that the elected's of this state allow there.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

I would not eat anything out of that area. Catch and release only. Lots of bad stuff in those sediments.

 

[oremike]

From Cottage Grove on down every burg dumps their "treated" effluent into the Willamette river one way or another. Oh don't worry it's clean so they say except for the occasional "oppsie".

 

[Tlock]

If you do go fishing on the Willamette River in that area, do not eat any squishy brown trout!


They're not really fish.

It's corn-eyed brown trout!

 

[Stomper]

It's corn-eyed brown trout!

Packed with peanuts and nougat in every bite!

 

[Caveman Jim]

The word Pristine and Willamette river should never be used in the same sentence. Just sayin…

 

[MTpockets]

This is your brain…

This is your brain on Willamette fish…

 

[The B]

It's the idiots that started fires that ruined it for everyone. 15 fires last year during the fireworks season. 18 fires the year before.

le sigh.. and yea thats lame that idiots idiot - but no fireworks on the 4th is about as unamerican as middle aged men with ripped abs

i am kind of in shock that people let that fly. however im pretty sure i still saw fireworks stands when i was up there about a week ago? can buy them, just cant use them?? seems like a great way to push people and their fireworks out into wilderness areas where theyre a significantly worse hazard

 

[40Garand]

Eugene obviously isn't the head waters of the Willamette. But it's where the sewer system of the Willamette certainly begins. I catch and release 100% there, even Salmon and Steelhead that are up in the Santiam systems. Bass will be your easiest bet. Rapala Jointed Shad Raps (photo below) are almost fool proof and don't require a PHD to run or a whole lot of finesse to entice large or small mouth bass in the summer. Level wind reels are recommended but you can get by with spinning reels. 10lbs to 12lbs main line will do the trick. Make sure that everybody fishing is properly licensed if need be and that they have their Columbia River Basin Endorsement. Like it's been heavily stated above, consumption is not recommended. Good luck!

 

[GrayGoose]