Gresham area — 14ft inflatable w/ trolling motor on the Columbia (salmon + bass/walleye?)
Hey all — I moved to the Gresham area a year ago and thinking about fishing the Columbia starting this year.
I’m running a 14 ft Saturn inflatable with an 86 lb thrust trolling motor. I treat it like a kayak with a motor - stay close to shore (50–100 ft out), always wear a PFD, don’t cross the main channel, and only go out on calm days.
Fishing-wise:
- Fall: would like to troll for salmon
- Rest of the year: bass / walleye, mostly slow trolling or working shoreline structure
Looking for some local input on:
- Launch spots east of Portland / near Gresham that are safer for a small setup like this
- Shoreline areas where trolling or casting for bass/walleye is actually productive
- Whether salmon trolling near shore is realistic with this setup, or if that’s pushing it
- Any specific hazards in this stretch (current, barge traffic, weird wind patterns, etc.)
Also curious how people would realistically view this setup on the Columbia. I’ve only been here about a year and have mostly fished lakes with this boat so far. I’m cautious and plan to stay in the same lane as kayak anglers, but want to make sure I’m not underestimating anything.
I’ve seen plenty of kayak anglers out there and salmon trolling videos on Youtube, so I’m trying to stay in that same lane—just with a trolling motor.
Appreciate any advice.
LATER EDIT: The Saturn does accept a kicker up to 25HP, but I am really trying to avoid that, given the smell/noise/leaks risk etc. If my attempts are unsuccessful, I will probably end up getting a 5-9 HP motor and that would be a different story.