Fishing Report 10-23
Marissa from our Oregon City store took advantage of the calm ocean on Monday and went deep water Rockfish and Ling Cod fishing with Outer Limits Charters, operated by Captain Chris Schaffner. Bottom fishing has been good when conditions allow. Outer Limits Charters: 541-765-2545.
Fishing report 10/23
Fall Chinook are still being caught in the Columbia, although not in numbers like they were several weeks ago. Trolling and hover fishing have still been the two most popular techniques. Coho have showed up as well. Focusing your efforts near the mouths of tributaries will be your best bet on locating fish. These chrome-bright fish are caught trolling and hover fishing. Trolling fishermen catch them with 360 flashers and spinners, Wiggle Warts, Spinners and Mag Lips.
Fall Chinook fishing in Tillamook and Nehalem Bay have both been productive and will continue to produce for several more weeks. These fishermen are split down the middle between folks trolling triangle flashers with Herring, and folks trolling 360 flashers with Spinners or Brad’s Super Baits. Pay close attention to the tides as they play a huge role in where fish will be in the bay.
Bottom fishing has been good and anglers are finding a lot of nice Lingcod mixed in with a variety of other bottom fish. This time of year the ocean doesn’t always play nice. But, when you’re able to make it out over the bar, the fishing will typically be good. Large grubs, Shrimp Flies and P-Line Rock Cod Rigs have all been good choices.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing has been good and provides anglers a great option to have a lot of fun on the water. As the water starts to cool down, look for a few more fish to pull into the lower Willamette, where the action can be fast-paced at times. Squid, Herring, Sand Shrimp and Smelt have all been good baits lately.
Tributary Coho fishing is going fairly well with anglers finding success in the Willamette Valley as well as in Southwest Washington. Twitching jigs, spinners, beads or eggs are all good techniques to try. Watch weather patterns and, if possible, plan a trip several days after a good rain. These fish love to move up river and bite much better when we get a bump in water.
Summer Steelhead fishing this time of year can be fantastic. These beautiful fish sometimes get forgotten this time of year but really they should never be over-looked. These hard-fighting, good-biting acrobats are now in many streams all around the Northwest. Jigs, spinners, eggs, Sand Shrimp, plugs and beads are among the many popular techniques that anglers will use.
Trout fishing is still a great option. A lot of high mountain lakes haven’t gotten snow, just yet. The trout know that it’s coming, so they are quickly gobbling up anything that they can right now. Bait is always a great choice with plugs and spinners coming in as a close second and third choice.
Crabbing remains an excellent option right now. Whether you are dropping some pots before a day of fishing, or, heading over to the coast just to do some crabbing, you are likely to bring home some tasty keepers.
Clamming at Long Beach was phenomenal once again this past week. Even with limited lighting and evening tides, beach goers found quick limits all up and down the beach. Many are expecting to have the same results on the next opener.
Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading out. Find reports and two most widely used baits, information on the Fisherman's Community page.
