Willamette Valley/Metro- As is commonly the case, catch rates in the Portland area don’t reflect the large numbers of chinook passing Bonneville Dam. These earlier returning fish often don’t fall to anglers working the gorge area as they focus more on migration that feeding and aggressive behavior. Catch rates in the gorge should improve in late September.
Anchor anglers however are witnessing improving catches from Portland to Longview as excitement grows with angler success and the quality of fish being taken in this fishery. Half of the sport boats working this stretch saw action between salmon and steelhead catches. This fishery should really take off this week.
Smallmouth bass fishing remains productive on much of the Willamette above the falls.
Trout catches are as steady as the water conditions on the McKenzie although there are very few anglers on the river.
The North Santiam is stable with the water crystal clear and fishing slow. The remaining, mostly-dark spring Chinook are off-limits as of mid-August.
Steelheading is near-standstill on the Clackamas. Banks are lined with litter and beer cans from Barton to Carver due to the carelessness of the inflatable plastics crowd.
Although the sandy is roiled from glacial runoff, a few fish are being caught. Coho will likely begin to show in catchable numbers by mid-September.
Northwest – The Buoy 10 fishery busted wide open this week with great catches of chinook and some coho around the Astoria/Megler Bridge on both sides of the river. Barbara Trinkle and her family of 5 took a 6 chinook limit by noon on Tuesday, finishing up above Tongue Point where numerous salmon were falling on both the incoming and outgoing tides. The group took most of the fish on plug cut herring, fishing within 7 feet of the bottom in about 30-foot of water.
Chinook retention is slated to close after Sunday, August 28th with numbers reportedly coming in as modeled. Anglers can continue to retain chinook above Tongue Point however although this area fishes best on the smaller tide exchanges, like the current one we are now experiencing.
Coho catches have been sparse but numbers are building with the peak of the “A” run coho due in the next 2 weeks. October can also provide excellent catches; these later running fish are deemed the “B” run.
The ocean out of the Columbia will remain open to coho but will close to the retention of chinook effective Monday, August 29th. There isn’t much effort in the ocean with lower Columbia catches coming into full bloom. The weekend forecast offshore is calling for significant wind waves, further motivating anglers to stay inland.
Ocean crabbing should begin to pick up as males move closer to shore in preparation for fall feeding and spawning. They are still a bit light for meat recovery but that too should change next month.
Nehalem Bay anglers are finding fair success from Wheeler to Nehalem. Trolled herring are taking some fish and improving tides should bolster catches. Bobber tossers are starting to take fish above Nehalem.
The Nestucca and Tillamook districts should begin to see chinook staging this week with better catches occurring by mid-September. Both systems will have small quotas for wild coho this year but Tillamook Bay should see a fair return of hatchery coho as well.
Southwest – Offshore crabbing has resulted in excellent catches. Sorting of softshells is still required but dungeness are hardening. Bottom fishing has been fair to good for rockfish and lingcod. Coho salmon fishing resumes September 1st. Nearshore halibut fishing currently remains open.
Crabbing has been very good this week out of Waldport in Alsea Bay.
Boats fishing the bar at Winchester Bay are taking chinook but those trying should exercise caution in this hazardous area. Reedsport has started producing chinook to trollers. Fishing is fair to good for summer steelhead on the North Umpqua. Smallmouth bass fishing is good near Elkton and in the South Umpqua.
Chinook are being taken daily in Coos Bay while the chinook fishery is just starting to become productive in the lower Coquille.
As seas calmed and fog rolled in over the past week, albacore anglers found fish inside the 15-mile mark out of Gold Beach. Trollers in Rogue Bay have been averaging numerous chinook a day although the fishery is on one day, off the next with salmon moving upriver quickly.
Boats launching out of the Port of Brookings have made trips of 35 to 40 miles to find warm water and tuna but catches have been excellent. Rockfish catches have been excellent as well with lingcod results fair. Lingcod are being taken by jetty fishers in decent numbers.
Eastern – Summer steelhead are moving into the lower Deschutes in good number now with catches improving despite warm water. Early and late day results have been best.
At the Odell kokanee derby held over the past weekend, anglers made decent catches of fish averaging over 12 inches.
Jigging has been more effective than trolling at Paulina with kokanee schooled in good numbers.
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