Smith salmon weekend

Drove up early friday in time to do an afternoon float. The drift is just short of 5 miles long. Water was about 3000 cfs and clear. No fish hooked by my boat. Seemed to be a slow bite for all. It rained very hard from the takeout till early morning. The river rose almost 4 feet,(6000cfs), and dirtied up by saturday morning. Lots of leaves. Big water! We take our time getting in, not many people fishing. Clear and gorgeous day! We get a 21lber on the anchor with a KwikFish.
Sunday the river has dropped to previous levels. We do a quick float as rain is moving in. No fish for many. We head home in the pouring rain by 2:30.
Everyone is wondering where the real run of fish is. The numbers just aren't there.

Mako1,

Thanks for the report.








 

 Hey Bud, I hope to be cruising up to your neck of the woods sometime around the 22nd (see hookups bodega 11/17-) you going to be around?What kinda anchor system you using? I want to set mine up this week and wonder how they work in strong current. Sac river. retrieving would seem like a balancing act. Randall

Hey Bigfoot! I was in my Willie driftboat, though I did meet some 'yakers fishing. If I did the 'yak I wouldn't want to try anchoring, I'd rather drift and drag roe through the holes. I guess one could paddle and hold in the current as they worked a KwikFish, but it's ripping along in the primo runs for plugs.
As I drifted the river I wondered how my 'yak would fare. A good amount of whitewater in some places! Lots of short runs would be do-able though. I now pretty much know of every put-in and take-out between Jed Smith and Baily Hole. Lots of options.
I'm itching to get up there again. Even if I don't hook fish, I love rowing the Willie, even though 2 or 3 spots have a high pucker factor.
Juan

I was thinking more along lake mendo or closer to Ukia maybe Gulala. Randall