Planning on fishing Astoria to B-10 on Labor Day weekend. Any advice would be much appreciated. I've never fished that section of the river but I hear it's going off that time of year.
I have a 20 foot center console that is pretty beefy and outfitted with downriggers though I hear everyone talking about divers....
Any help would be great.
Thanks,
Dave

I am planning a trip down there myself, I will be around the mouth of the cowlitz though.
My dad was telling that the regular trolling gear with the flashers and such used to work wonders for him years ago, so I think I will stay with the same methods.

Forget the insane crowd at Buoy ten.... Here is what you do. Fish the incoming tide for 3 hrs before slack. Fish about 1/2 mile downstream from the Megler/Astoria bridge on the Chinook side (North) of the river. Cruise slowly and there is a shallow flat and an abrupt dropoff to about 60 feet. You will find schools of silvers and chinook (30-40 ft and 50-60 ft). Stop right over the top of them and float with the current (it will still take you upstream), and depending on the wind you may have to use a kicker.
2-3 oz banana sinker, 3 ft. of 20lb leader, and an anchovy or herring. I can almost guarantee you that if you do this right it will never make it to bottom and your line will go slack. Reel and hit it hard.
When I was guiding doing this (could not stand the bumper-car crap) I would have fantastic days of 20-50 fish days. I can assure you though, you have to be discreet as those with binos will see the action and then you will have your own buoy ten to deal with.

Good luck!

MC

K9JJ,
If you are fishing the mouth of the Cow, I'd leave the flashers at home. All you need are some spreaders, drop a 3oz weight about 18 inches down and run a brass Flash - Glo spinner about 6 feet oFf the spreader. Troll the incoming tide in 10 - 20 feet of water. Fish On! Once the tide is going out your trolling area is going to be severely limited due to all the boats anchored up, but don't be afraid to troll in water even shallower than that!

I'll be down there for some silvers a couple weeks after you, so save a few .

There is good fishing all the way from the bridge to buoy 10. You can use your downriggers just like you have anywhere else or you can use a delta diver size 7 with a medium or large fish flash a foot of so behind the diver. From the fish flash run a 3 foot leader to a bead chain and then 3-4 more feet to your hooks size 4/0 or 5/0. Hook up your cut plug or whole herring and troll. Troll with the crowd not against it or you won't be very popular.

If you want to fish buoy 10 do it on the incoming tide. GO up towards the bridge on the outgoing. STAY AWAY from 10 on the outgoing tide.

Greens seemed to produce the best last weekend but reds will work as well as the plad.

Good luck to ya.
Glowball

Thanks for the help!
Under what conditions can I cross the bar and go into the ocean (if fishing is bad in the river)?
Also I hear I should launch at Chinook. Will I be able to keep the boat in the water and are there any hotels that might have vacancies. If not are there campgrounds that would have vacancies?
Thanks again
Dave