I have not caught a damn fish

[Mikej]

Oregon is trying to get people out of their boats, (air pollution). Oregon doesn't want people tramping down the bank (destroys riparian habitat). Fishing with lead pollutes the environment. So Oregon keeps raising the price of licencees and tags, cuts hatchery plants and forces people to pay more in parking fees for water access points and boat licensing. However, if you would consider staying in town and getting a bicycle instead? You will have FREE access to some of the best rated bicycle infrastructure in the U.S.. All pretty much for FREE!

Sorry, at this time, other than that, I got nuthin'. I'd hook up with @Caveman Jim if I were you. He's still got a decent outlook of fishing in the Northwest.

 

[P7M13]

Funny, you've scouted for deer, but not for fish? Go watch the waters, you'll see the rising near dawn and dusk. My very unscientific, brief observation is the fish here tend to be temperature sensitive. Warm day, they're hanging out in the cooler waters, not surfacing.
You're in WaCo. Try Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, around SW of Huntington Ave and Butner road. You'd have to check, but people have told me no license is required to fish there.
They stock it with trout, and I'd expect a lot of trash fish too. Probably fly or bobber only. Otherwise you catch a lot of seaweed.
There are also wetlands around Barnes road between 118th and Cedar Hills Blvd, but they might not be on public land.
I was working with a guy, kayaker, who was nailing some pretty big bass a few weeks ago up at some old, abandoned docks on the Columbia.
If you fished a lot in the midwest, I'd expect you to be able to spot bass hangouts pretty easily.

 

[Mikej]

You're in WaCo. Try Commonwealth Lake Park in Beaverton, around SW of Huntington Ave and Butner road. You'd have to check, but people have told me no license is required to fish there.

Lakes like that get planted early in the year. February, maybe? By this time of year trout can't survive and weeds will take over making it tough to find open water even. And I'd wager that there's nowhere in Oregon to fish without a license, without some real special circumstances.

 

[Member 5605]

I found one


I swear by the lunar schedule. Check it out if you haven't or if you don't use that then best of luck to you

 

[Snip]

Maybe see if the wife wants to dig for geoducks.

 

[Carbon]

The stingray was surprisingly good.

I had some fresh caught stingray once grilled over open fire, I was also surprised at how tasty it was, I ate the whole "wing fillet".

As to the op, some of the funnest fishing i've ever done was following small mountain streams to rivers, fishing light gear and a small dick nite spoon, just cast across deep pools and behind big rocks and riffles. The trout in the streams fight like big salmon, and big fish do hide in small forested above waters, usually in the holes.

 

[Beekeeping1341]

I took the wife and kids out to steelman lake on sauvie island to fish. The area looked like prime bass fishing as there were lily pads and grass and such growing out of the water.

And I didnt catch A DAMN FISH.

This time though it may have been because my german shepherd decided it wanted to jump in and swim around me as I was fishing since it was so hot.

How do people avoid getting their line and hook etc not getting caught on all the detritus in the area bass chill at?

 

[sobo]

So, have you turned in your man-card yet?

Promises... promises...

 

[Beekeeping1341]

I

So, have you turned in your man-card yet?

I have a dog I can blame this one on, amd a hot and nagging wife so I'll say I'm safe for now. Next time I'm leaving the old lady and family behind. Then if I still fail to catch a fish you can all roast me to your hearts content

 

[gmerkt]

I have the worst luck. is there a certain time of day to go?

brief observation is the fish here tend to be temperature sensitive. Warm day, they're hanging out in the cooler waters, not surfacing.

I don't claim to be a fisherman but I have fished. The epiphany for me was when I realized there is more science to fishing than throwing a line in the water and hoping for the best. The rigging for your particular quarry aside, fish do "this and that" based on how they live their lives. They feed at certain times of the day when they are most comfortable and when food is most readily available. Ambient temperature makes them more or less active, depending. Wind conditions can keep them from feeding (they know insects are blown off the water), etc. And these variables change from location to location. I don't know anything about lunar timing but nothing about animals surprises me. If migratory birds can successfully navigate thousands of miles on their own, I suppose fish can use the moon for their purposes. I'm thinking it takes some study before the line goes in the water.

They put us to shame. Using maybe 30 feet of string and a hook, they were able to out-fish us

Yes, when I was a kid I used to fish off a pier with a simple drop line. Actually caught some fish who were dumber than I was.

 

[titsonritz]

That's why they call it "fishing" and not "catching".

 

[98sporty]

Guys,

I haven't caught a single stinkin fish since I moved here 5 months ago.

I've fished at hagg lake.

I've fished in the Wilson river.

I've fished from banks.

From overhangs.

Hell, I've even gone ahead and braved the frigid waters of the Wilson river and fished INSIDE the river!

I have fished calm spots.

I have fished faster water.

I have fished patiently.

And yet I haven't caught a single fish! What does it take to catch a fish here? I grew up fishing in the midwest and always was able to land fish. Bass, trout no problem. I ALWAYS used worms to great effect.

And out here I have also used worms, to no avail.

I float fish, so I put one of those lead weights at the end of my line near the hook, and use a bobber to set my depth.

Can someone please school me up? My wife is gonna think I'm a failure of a man if I keep this losing streak up

I noticed the problem immediately.
This place here is called Northwest FIREARMS.
I think if you look around, you'll find a site called Northwest FISHING.
I don't live in Washington County - I live in Washington State.
I had a girlfriend once that lived in Washington County. But she didn't fish.
I fish nearly every morning. I limit out every time I go out. If there's fish where I fish.
One thing my Buddhist teacher told me years ago was about "waiting patiently"...
There's no such thing. You're either "waiting" or, you're "patient".
I'm an ACTIVE fisheman. even AGGRESSIVE. I'm sure not passive.
I shake, I twitch, I shake, rattle and I roll...
My theory is if, in that big murky pond, they don't know I'm even there, they sure ain't gonna take my hook.
And for my efforts, I'm rewarded... Many days some like this... (that's a ten inch plate)
Good luck, pard. If you're in Orygun, thank yer lucky starz there's even water to fish in.
When I was an Orey Gonian, I couldn't unnerstan why, if the minimum size was 6" everything I caught was 5 1/2"????

 

[762x39]

I'm in Yamhill county. We go fishing all the time at Hagg, Willamette and Columbia when open. Have learned a few tricks for each area. They are not tough tricks either.
Happy to relay them to you if you PM me. Not bragging, just things we have gathered over the years.
Like the Hagg trout (pic) I caught a little while ago.. Have done it several times this year.

 

[TDH]

Check ODFWs stocking schedule - or go find a pond with Blue Gills (should be listed @ ODFW as well), if you can't get them you're in trouble

Also you can stop in at Sportsmans and read the board, it will tell you where the fish are and what they are eating. Fly shops will give you pointers too. Buy some pheasant tail nymphys while you're there.

 

[EPS]

Maybe you should try a bigger hook.
LOL.

 

[Unicykle]

Like anything else improving your odds costs money, bank fishing can be hard with the limited acess. Ive found a cataraft or pontoon boat alows me the most diverse options. I can just sight see or bass fish the john day or umpqua, run the coastal rivers for salmon or steelhead, fish the big lakes for trout or up to 5 day trips. You can do a fairly cheap odc , bucks bags or outcast used for pretty cheap or get a decent cararaft for 1k-3k+ depending on what you need. I built mine for about half of retail cost.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Friend if you have fished that long without catching one I suggest that you change brands of dynamite.

 

[jbett98]

Buy a metal detector, you find all sorts of stuff.l

 

[DirectDrive]

You could try hand grenade fishing, but it's kinda dangerous.

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Screw the fly fishing.
bait up!
Knuckle dragger style