Adam and Liam Sabol with another pair of fat shad they caught yesterday on the Willamette River at Oregon City. Great catch, boys!
Fishing Report:
The Columbia opened up on the 16th and it opened with a bang! We had Pro Staff fishing all throughout the Columbia from Bonneville Dam down. Most folks have been finding their success sitting on anchor with Flatfish, Kwikfish, Killerfish and Mag Lips. These Chinook are on a one way mission upstream to their designated tributary so they will be seeking the path of least resistance. Finding traveling lanes will be a big key to success, as well as making sure your plugs are cleaned, running correctly and wrapped with your favorite baitfish. Another lure that folks like to use in the warm summer water is spinners. Right now is when we typically start to see some of those bigger summer fish get caught, and a lot of the time it is a spinner that they latch onto.
There are also a few Sockeye and Summer Steelhead being caught in the Columbia. These fish tend to run in the same general areas so they will get caught on the same bait in the same slots together. Spin-N-Glo and a coon shrimp is one of the most popular bait options. These delicious fish will tend to be very acrobatic so be prepared for an aerial display.
Spring Chinook are in many of the lower Columbia and Willamette tributaries, with anglers finding success using a multitude of techniques. Bobber fishing is a fan favorite for folks off the bank or in a boat. Many rivers are getting low, so the fish will start to stack up in the deeper holes and bobber fishing, back bouncing or hover fishing will be some of the primary techniques. A quality salmon egg with a sand shrimp tail it's a hard bait to beat.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing down in the Columbia estuary is starting and many anglers are finding success. This fishery is a hard one to beat for fast-paced action with large, prehistoric fish in shallow water. This is another fishery where the fish can be quite acrobatic, so be prepared for a show. Squid, herring, anchovies and sand shrimp are all preferred baits.
Bottom fishing remains stellar along the Oregon Coast, with anglers finding great success from the California border up to Astoria. Swimbaits, shrimp flies and vertical jigs have all been producing well.
Kokanee are starting to get caught at the higher mountain lakes as the snow has finally melted and the fish are feeding frantically. Along with those lakes, Lake Merwin, Yale and Swift Reservoirs are also putting out a lot of Kokanee. Trolling has still been the preferred technique with small Spin-N-Glos, spinner blades, bright-colored hoochies and wedding rings are all working. Be sure to tip your hooks with a kernel of Shoepeg Corn!
Shad fishing is still going strong on the Willamette River at Oregon City, and fishing should remain good there for at least a couple more weeks.
Trout fishing in Oregon and Washington has been great for many lakes and rivers and last week’s rain helped keep the water temperatures down. Many lakes and rivers got a fresh shot of stocked Trout this past week with several lakes receiving big plants. One of the more notable lakes is Detroit Reservoir, which got over 4,000 trophy size Trout! Powerbait, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, marshmallows and salad shrimp are all killer bait options. For boat anglers, trolling small Mag Lips, Flatfish, Hotshots or lightweight Roostertails will all provoke aggressive fish into biting.
Walleye fishing in the lower Columbia River Gorge continues to be a great option for anglers wanting a chance at bringing home some delicious fish. Trolling bottom walkers and worm harness rigs has been the best technique as of late.
