Sunday, October 05, 2008

Oregon Fishing

Willamette Valley/Metro - Although salmon fishing is beginning to slow on the lower Columbia River, anglers fishing the gorge are still taking chinook at a rate of nearly 1 for every other boat. The action should hold up for just another few weeks but the quality of fish will begin to degrade.

Sturgeon anglers in the gorge continue to see sturgeon success climb with nearly a keeper per boat taken for boat anglers. Bank anglers are still taking keepers as well at a rate of 1 for every 6 rods.

Chinook and coho are crossing Willamette Falls by the hundreds every day. With a 34-day closure of the fish ladder, the actual totals will remain unknown. Sturgeon fishing is yielding few keepers.

Fishing has been fair to good on the North Santiam with good numbers of steelhead scattered from Mehema to Packsaddle Park. Bobber and jig will catch fish here.

Surfacing coho are frustrating Clackamas River anglers but upcoming rains should stimulate better action. Coho are being caught periodically on Eagle Creek when pods move through.

Coho fishing has been fair on the Sandy River with a significant number of jacks being taken. Action should be very good with precipitation. Use caution - There has been no update on the trees blocking the river above Dabney. Cedar Creek is busy with anglers.

Scheduled to be planted with hatchery trout are Henry Hagg Lake, Mt Hood College Pond, Timber Lake, Dexter Reservoir and Foster Reservoir.

Northwest – Large numbers of coho jacks are present in Young’s Bay near Astoria. Spinner casters working the tidewater areas are taking good numbers of fish. It looks much more promising for next years coho run.

Tillamook Bay anglers are struggling for results. With heavy concentrations of seaweed in the bay, anglers focused most of the week’s effort on a calm ocean but wild coho made up more of the catch than chinook.

Forecasted precipitation could clear the bay of vegetation but river levels are scheduled to rise making driftboating a good option. The Trask River will likely produce the best as the earliest returning fish are headed for this system. Some hatchery coho may also be available. Be sure to positively distinguish between large wild coho and chinook as multiple violations have recently been witnessed.

Also in need of clarification is the ocean crabbing season. Recently adopted to extend to October 15th beginning in 2009, crab pots have been spotted in the ocean this week. Violators will be cited until the ocean opens back up for crabbing on December 1st. Bay crabbing on many north coast estuaries, including Tillamook Bay, has picked up significantly in recent days.

The Nestucca and Salmon Rivers will continue to get chinook into October but catches are beginning to slow from the peak period. The Alsea and Siletz Rivers continue to disappoint.

Razor clam season re-opens along Clatsop Beaches on Wednesday with favorable tides for just the first 2 days. The next tide series will come at mid-month.

Southwest – The tides won't be a factor if wind and wave predictions are accurate; bar crossings into the ocean will likely be treacherous into the weekend.

Fall is an excellent time to pursue sea-run cutthroat trout. Most of the coastal rivers have runs and larger fish are taken through October.

Crabbing has been good out of Florence for big, hard Dungeness.

Bill Kremers (541-754-6411) reports, "Fished the Siuslaw yesterday by Florence. Chinook fishing is slow, but coho is better to good.

Pro guide Jeff Jackson (541-268-6944) reports, "Fishing on the Siuslaw has been fair. We're averaging 2-4 fish/day.

It's been spotty for chinook on the Coos River. A few chinook are falling daily for trolled, plug-cut herring in tidewater on the Coquille.

Winchester Bay has been fair to good for crabbing. Chinook and coho fishing has been worthwhile in tidewater on the Umpqua while smallmouth bass fishing continues to reward anglers upstream. Steelheading has slowed on the North Umpqua following wildfires.

Trollers in Rogue tidewater are catching chinook and coho. Crabbing has also been good. The Grants Pass stretch picked up for chinook over the weekend. Steelheading on the upper Rogue has been spotty.

The fall chinook ocean terminal fishery is open through Saturday, October 4th on the Chetco. Large salmon are taken every year during this brief opportunity.

When the ocean has laid down, boats out of Brookings have taken mostly limits of rockfish. Ling cod have been elusive but they are running large.

Diamond Lake fished well through the weekend with bait the top producer for trout to 20 inches.

Eastern – Steve Fleming (1-888-624-9424) reports the John Day's water is cooling off, and the bite is slow in the morning. but by 10 Am it gets going and is very good in the afternoon.

Pro guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688) reports from the Grande Ronde River that this is the year to catch steelhead (yes, plural) on a dry fly! As the second largest run on record enters the Snake River, steelhead are already occupying the Grande Ronde.

Trollers working the mouth of the Deschutes have been catching more salmon than steelhead lately. Spinners and plugs, especially in green have been producing results.

Fly anglers are doing well for trout on the lower Deschutes and have been surprised occasionally with steelhead hookups. Fishing for large browns on the middle Deschutes has been good as the spawn approaches. Anglers are also sight-fishing for big bull trout in the middle river.