03-20-2005, 03:12 PM
Oregon Fisheries Update
March 18th – March 24th, 2005
Sturgeon fishing on the mainstem Columbia remains poor. No smelt in sight mean no sturgeon success in sight. The fish are simply seeking alternative food sources in other estuaries.
Salmon fishing on the lower Columbia is picking up, however, and with a short break from gillnets over the weekend, fishing could be worth your time.
Spring chinook numbers are improving in the lower Willamette. The catch rate will increase in the coming weeks. Steelheading in the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers is slow to fair. A few summer steelhead and spring chinook showed in Clackamas catches over the last week.
Now is the time to try your hand at walleye fishing if you never have. Action is good in the Rufus area as quality fish are being taken in the warmer climate and prior to the spawning blues. See the full report for specifics on lures, rigs and techniques!
North Coast fishing for steelhead has been slow but sturgeon fishing in Tillamook Bay is fairly good! Crabbing however is challenging as many folks are trying their hand at it given the previous nice weather we have been having.
South coast rivers are too skinny to offer much steelheading. A few are being taken in the middle Umpqua as the lateness of the season drives winter metalheads to run regardless of marginal water conditions. The first Rogue spring chinook of the year was taken this week.
Late afternoon clamming on Clatsop Beaches could be good- especially if the surf calms a bit as predicted on Friday. It is forecasted to grow big again by the weekend. Central Oregon beaches opened for razors around Newport and Waldport following a two-year closure.
Bottom fishing remains good but the seas will be a little hard to tolerate over the weekend. Surf perch fishing remains good when ocean conditions have allowed. The Columbia jetty is productive for the pursuit of pinkfin as are most ocean beaches. Crabbing in South coast bays is fair to good.
Smallmouth bass are active and being taken in good number on the Willamette River and the John Day (East side). Largemouth are moving into the shallows as water in the valley lakes and ponds warm.
With spring break next week, extensive trout stocking has taken place this week. Rainbows have been planted in Alder, Buck, Cape Meares, Coffenbury, Cullaby, Devil's, Dune, Eckman, Elbow, Lost and Georgia Lakes, Loren's Pond, South Lake, Canby Pond, St. Louis Pond, Benson Lake, Bethany Pond, Blue Lake, Commonwealth Lake, Dorman Pond, Huddleston Pond, Mt. Hood Pond, Roslyn Lake, Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Pond, Cottage Grove Reservoir, Creswell Pond, Dorena Reservoir, E. E. Wilson Pond, Freeway Lake East, Junction City Pond, Roaring River Park Pond, Timber Linn Lake, Walling Pond, Walter Wirth Lake, and Waverly Lake.
Soapbox Update:
HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TAKE (OR GIVE?)
Hydropower wants your flows- AGAIN! Big river industry is
with the position the Governor's office is taking on an aggressive non-breach program to save our salmon. These are the fish that determine how long we fish for Chinook (both spring and fall) on the Columbia. They are pressuring the State of Oregon to lay-off the hard line when it comes to adequate flow and spill for juveniles to migrate downstream! Don't let big industry take you for a ride- it's the fish that need the ride!
It is CRITICAL that anglers email the Governor's office to tell them to keep up the fight for the recovery of the Northwest's finest resource. Email Michael Carrier at: Michael.carrier@state.or.us and tell them how important it is that they maintain a hard line for adequate flow and spill for our downstream migrants. A copy of the letter I sent to the Governor's office is on the home page at http://www.theguidesforecast.com/.
Always more at the website: http://www.theguidesforecast.com/
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March 18th – March 24th, 2005
Sturgeon fishing on the mainstem Columbia remains poor. No smelt in sight mean no sturgeon success in sight. The fish are simply seeking alternative food sources in other estuaries.
Salmon fishing on the lower Columbia is picking up, however, and with a short break from gillnets over the weekend, fishing could be worth your time.
Spring chinook numbers are improving in the lower Willamette. The catch rate will increase in the coming weeks. Steelheading in the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers is slow to fair. A few summer steelhead and spring chinook showed in Clackamas catches over the last week.
Now is the time to try your hand at walleye fishing if you never have. Action is good in the Rufus area as quality fish are being taken in the warmer climate and prior to the spawning blues. See the full report for specifics on lures, rigs and techniques!
North Coast fishing for steelhead has been slow but sturgeon fishing in Tillamook Bay is fairly good! Crabbing however is challenging as many folks are trying their hand at it given the previous nice weather we have been having.
South coast rivers are too skinny to offer much steelheading. A few are being taken in the middle Umpqua as the lateness of the season drives winter metalheads to run regardless of marginal water conditions. The first Rogue spring chinook of the year was taken this week.
Late afternoon clamming on Clatsop Beaches could be good- especially if the surf calms a bit as predicted on Friday. It is forecasted to grow big again by the weekend. Central Oregon beaches opened for razors around Newport and Waldport following a two-year closure.
Bottom fishing remains good but the seas will be a little hard to tolerate over the weekend. Surf perch fishing remains good when ocean conditions have allowed. The Columbia jetty is productive for the pursuit of pinkfin as are most ocean beaches. Crabbing in South coast bays is fair to good.
Smallmouth bass are active and being taken in good number on the Willamette River and the John Day (East side). Largemouth are moving into the shallows as water in the valley lakes and ponds warm.
With spring break next week, extensive trout stocking has taken place this week. Rainbows have been planted in Alder, Buck, Cape Meares, Coffenbury, Cullaby, Devil's, Dune, Eckman, Elbow, Lost and Georgia Lakes, Loren's Pond, South Lake, Canby Pond, St. Louis Pond, Benson Lake, Bethany Pond, Blue Lake, Commonwealth Lake, Dorman Pond, Huddleston Pond, Mt. Hood Pond, Roslyn Lake, Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Pond, Cottage Grove Reservoir, Creswell Pond, Dorena Reservoir, E. E. Wilson Pond, Freeway Lake East, Junction City Pond, Roaring River Park Pond, Timber Linn Lake, Walling Pond, Walter Wirth Lake, and Waverly Lake.
Soapbox Update:
HOW MUCH MORE CAN WE TAKE (OR GIVE?)
Hydropower wants your flows- AGAIN! Big river industry is
with the position the Governor's office is taking on an aggressive non-breach program to save our salmon. These are the fish that determine how long we fish for Chinook (both spring and fall) on the Columbia. They are pressuring the State of Oregon to lay-off the hard line when it comes to adequate flow and spill for juveniles to migrate downstream! Don't let big industry take you for a ride- it's the fish that need the ride! It is CRITICAL that anglers email the Governor's office to tell them to keep up the fight for the recovery of the Northwest's finest resource. Email Michael Carrier at: Michael.carrier@state.or.us and tell them how important it is that they maintain a hard line for adequate flow and spill for our downstream migrants. A copy of the letter I sent to the Governor's office is on the home page at http://www.theguidesforecast.com/.
Always more at the website: http://www.theguidesforecast.com/
[signature]