SPRINGER 201: Schneider digs into details of early/cold-water springers
NEW March 16, 2009 / 4:15 p.m.

PORTLAND, Ore. - It's the middle of March, and some of our most dependable Wild Country sources are starting to get serious about springers. Here’s what they’re finding: onesy-twosy action, and coooold water.

Andy Schneider and David Johnson tackled the basics of early-season spring Chinook in last week’s early-season springer tech feature, but this week, Schneider is at it again, with some deeper details on how (and where) to defeat frigid March waters.

Here’s his advice:

Plug proven: Plugs are the most popular lure used to catch spring Chinook throughout the season, so it makes sense to use them early in the season, in cold water. Since the Columbia and Willamette rivers typically hover around 36 to 40 degrees in late winter, using a smaller plug will be more effective.  The most common sizes of Kwikfish in April and May are K14 and K15, but downsize that to a K12 or K13 until waters warm up a little more.

Scent/baits: Though you’re downsizing your plugs, don’t skip a bait wrap on the plug. While sardine is the traditional wrap for plugs, herring and anchovy may work more effectively on these smaller plugs because they can be filleted thinner without falling apart like a small sardine fillet will. 

You’ll need to pay close attention to your fillet size, so you don’t eliminate all the action of the plug with a bait wrap that’s too big. When you wrap your bait to your plug, use 1-pound monofilament, sewing thread or Spider Thread. The standard elastic thread has a larger diameter and will take some of the action out of the plug. 

To keep your plug in “The Zone” use a 24- to 30-inch lead dropper and 48- to 60-inch leader.

Prawns: Springers love prawns, so using a prawn spinner, Spin-n-Glo with a prawn or a plain prawn are all excellent February springer techniques. When plunking a prawn from shore or from a boat, use a 24- to 30-inch dropper and 30- to 48-inch leader. 

Herring: Trolling whole or cutplug herring is always a good choice when fishing for springers.  Whole red-label Herring or cutplug green-label herring are the most popular sizes, but blue label herring were extremely productive last season with the shortage of smaller herring.

A 24-inch lead dropper and a 6- to 8-foot leader work well when trolling herring. 

Even when the tide is incoming on the Columbia, there still seams to be some current heading downstream. Use this little bit of current to cover more water and troll downstream.  Look for water that is 12-30 feet deep and keep your bait within 2 feet of the bottom.

Slow it all down: These fish are cold blooded and swimming in cold water, so you’re going to have to drop the bait right in front of the fish and hold it there longer to get them to respond to it. And when the fish finally does respond to it, take a couple of deep breaths, hang on to something to keep you from setting the hook too soon or setting it too hard and losing your only opportunity for the day, week or even the month.

LOCATIONS
Chasing reports does nothing but wear a person down and frustrate them, especially when the reports are a couple of days old. Instead of chasing reports, fish the water you’re familiar with. It may seem strange to launch on an empty boat ramp two months early for springers, but if you know the water, you’re well ahead of the game. 

Though the bulk of the run isn’t here, there are still a few early fish in every system. Fishing your familiar waters early will give you the edge you may need to catch the less numerous  springers of late winter, rather than fishing unfamiliar water.  When the bulk of the springers do arrive, you will have figured out any changes the river has made to your stretch of water, and be ahead of the curve when it comes to knowing where to intercept spring Chinook.

Davis Bar, Frenchman’s Bar, Caterpillar Island, Bachelor Island and Sand Island (at St. Helens) are all excellent places to start fishing for springers close to Portland. All of these locations offer both trolling and anchoring opportunities. Frenchman’s Bar also offers some excellent plunking waters.

-AS