Fishing Report 03-18-2022
Trevor from our Oregon City store caught and released this gorgeous wild steelhead from a local river on Thursday, a good reminder that we still have several weeks of quality winter steelhead fishing ahead of us! Trevor’s chrome steelhead slammed a Mad River Steelhead Worm, proudly carried at all three Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoor locations. So come see us to get your gear, then head to your favorite river to get your fish on! (Note: some coastal rivers close to steelhead fishing after March 31st, so be sure to check regulations before heading out.)
Fishing Report
Winter Steelhead are still present in many rivers around the Northwest. In the valley, anglers have been reporting good success on both the Clackamas and Sandy Rivers. And at the coast, many rivers have fish in them including the Wilson, Trask, Nestucca, Siletz and Alsea. Most of these rivers will continue to have fresh fish moving in over the next 3-4 weeks. A lot of them will also start to see some Summer Steelhead trickle in. You will typically be able to tell if you hook a summer as they like to spend more time out of the water than in it! Some Coastal rivers close to Steelhead fishing March 31st, so be sure to check regs.
Spring Chinook are now being caught daily as we have had quite a few reports this week, mainly from the Willamette and Multnomah Channel. Some fish have been caught on prawn spinners, however, it seems that trolling a plug-cut herring behind a triangle flasher has been the most popular technique. Fisherman’s Pro, Josiah Darr, spent some time trolling this week in the lower Willamette and found success with Shortbus triangle flashers and plug-cut herring. As we approach April, look for the run to build and we should start to see fish caught throughout the river from Oregon City to the Columbia. On the Columbia the reports have been much spottier. It seems that the river has had a lot of Smelt in it which can definitely have an effect on the fishing. Most of the Smelt should be moving out in the next week or so, and when that happens, look for the fishing to dramatically improve.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing in the Willamette has been decent for those that have been trying. This fishery is underutilized this time of year and really could be enjoyed more, especially if you are spending a day trolling for Spring Chinook and the bite is slow. You can put your extra bait to use by spending a few hours targeting Sturgeon, and the fishing can be phenomenal!
Bottom fishing is an awesome choice during the spring. These fish are usually very plentiful and give anglers an opportunity at catching many different species in the same day. Always check your wind and wave predictions and keep an eye on the bar restrictions before your trip. Swimbaits, vertical jigs, shrimp flies and curly tail grubs all will entice bites.
Trout fishing is continuing to improve as ODFW has been planting fish daily. Many valley lakes are on the list to get planted as well as many on the Coast. One stand-out from this week is Cape Meares Lake. It is set to receive 4,000 legal Trout! Check the ODFW website for recent or upcoming plants to start making your plans as the weather gets nicer. Powerbait, nightcrawlers and salmon eggs all make great baits. As far as hardware is concerned, Roostertails, Blue Fox, Kastmasters, Thomas Buoyant, Flatfish and Maglips all make great choices. Bring along several options with you and you will be ready for any conditions that you may face.
Razor clamming remains a great option as WDFW has opened up another dig at Long Beach for March 16th through March 22. As we move past March 20th, the low tides switch to AM tides, which makes digging some Clams a much more feasible option for a lot of folks.
Crabbing is still a good option and will get better as we get some sunny weather and the bay gets less fresh water in it.
