Fishing report 1-3
Winter Steelhead fishing along the Oregon coast has silently been getting better. Several of our Pro Staff have been having great success Bobber-doggin beads, yarn and eggs. Fish are starting to move into most all river systems and will continue to pile in for quite some time. This week’s rainy forecast should help bring the fish in. Locally, the Sandy and Clackamas have been seeing some activity. Both rivers are still waiting on their first big push of fish, but some are being caught currently. Bobber-doggin is a great way to cover lots of water effectively, as your bait will be in the zone for a prolonged period of time. Back-trolling plugs is another great way to cover water effectively; especially if you find a slot with only one or two fish hanging in it, their fight-or-flight response kicks in quickly. Bank fisherman will do well casting drift-fishing gear or bobber-and-jig. You can also use pink worms, beads or bait with great success.
Catch-and-release Sturgeon fishing has been good in the lower Willamette for the folks giving it a shot. Above Bonneville the keeper Sturgeon fishery was only open for a few days and folks were doing extremely well!
Bottom-fishing remains a great option for anglers as we get through the cold weather winter months. Lingcod have been in the mix with anglers, along with great variety of other bottom fish species. Shrimp flys, vertical jigs, farallon feathers and large curly tail grubs have all been working well.
Crabbing remains great along the coast. Both Tillamook and Nehalem Bay have been kicking out full pots of nice size Dungeness Crab, for folks making the trek over to the coast.
Razor Clamming at Long Beach was good over the most recent opener that we had, last week. Be on the look out from WDFW for another Razor Clam dig coming up.
Kokanee fishing continues to be a productive option for anglers near the Portland Metro area. Lake Merwin has been kicking out quality Kokanee for several folks fishing for them. Trolling high in the water column has been the key to success, using dodgers with small spin-n-glos, spinner blades, wiggle hoochies, and small bright colored hoochies. Tip your offering with a kernel of corn and you are in business! Bring along several different scent options to give the fish something different if the bite slows down.
Waterfowl hunting has been decent around the region with hunters rejoicing in the nasty weather that’s in its way. With windy, rainy conditions the ducks and geese with be up in the air and moving, giving hunters a good crack at them.
