Fishing Report 10-29-2021
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Fishing Report - October 29th, 2021
This past week has had all kinds of different weather patterns moving through. From snow in the Cascades, to torrential downpours and heavy winds pounding the coast, we’ve seen it all. It has made for tough Salmon fishing conditions all across the Northwest. Several of the Southwest Washington rivers have remained fishable and anglers have found success targeting B-Run Coho. These fish are typically bigger than the A-Run Coho that have been in the river the past two months, and they love to bite! You may see fish caught on all kinds of techniques from twitching jigs, bobber and eggs, casting spinners or spoons and even casting plugs. They will bite them all. However, you will be well-prepared by bringing several of these options with you as you never know what they may key in on that day. These fisheries will continue to be good through November and on some rivers, clear into December. Be sure to check the regulations for open seasons on the water you intend to fish.
Along the North Coast we saw heavy rains, powerful winds and some extremely crazy ocean conditions. Needless to say, there were not many anglers searching around for Salmon. It has been a "hang out and prep your gear" kind of week, but these times are just as important as when actually on the water. Having leaders pre-tied, Kwikfish washed and hung up, boat washed out, rods and reels cleaned and batteries charged can make your next trip on the water that much more rewarding. They say the "devil is in the details" and some of the best anglers in the Northwest know this, and make good use of the off days. Being organized is half of the battle. Down on the southern coast and into California, we also saw good rainfall and some of these rivers dropped into shape faster, giving anglers an earlier opportunity at some monster Fall Chinook. Fisherman’s Pro, John Klar, sent us some reports this week of really nice, quality Chinook that they caught back trolling Kwikfish. John loves this time of year as you never know when your next 40lber could bite and being on the edge of constant suspense is enough to keep any angler's adrenaline running all day.
Once rivers do drop into shape be ready for some quality Chinook fishing throughout many of the Oregon coastal rivers. These fish will be quickly making their way up river so finding good traveling lanes is a must. On some rivers these lanes could be only 4 or 5 feet deep, and on others they may be 20 feet deep. But spending some time reading the water and deliberately putting your gear in front of traveling fish will pay dividends.
Bottom fishing is a great option this time of year, although the ocean was out of control this week making for bottom fishing a no-go. Once the ocean calms down and storms subside, look for a break to get back on the big pond to chase around some fish tacos. Bottomfish make for great table fair and anglers will prepare them in many ways, from fish tacos to oven roasted on a pile of jasmine rice-the possibilities are endless. Curly tail grubs, vertical jigs, shrimp flies and Rock Cod rigs are all good bottomfish rigs to try.
Razor Clamming at Long Beach has continued to be excellent even though the tides have been later evening tides. The folks that have put on headlamps and braved the elements have been getting rewarded. Reports of very fast limits gives hope that the next few digs, set by WDFW, will be awesome as well.
Razor clamming in Oregon is also a happening thing at the moment. Oregon has opened up the entire state to retention of Razor Clams, however, 95% of the harvest happens in the first 15 miles south of the Columbia River on the Clatsop County Beaches.
Trout fishing is another solid option as many of the mountain lakes have yet to get snowed in, which makes for piles of hungry Trout. We only have another week or two of this fishery as once we get some low-lying snow, they will stay covered until next spring. Casting spinners, Kastmasters and Thomas Buoyant spoons are an awesome choice right now as Trout are actively tying to fill their fat reserves for the harsh winter ahead. Mimicking bait fish can often trigger a good bite from larger fish as well. It gives them something worthwhile to chase.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing is another local option as the Willamette River will start to fill up with Sturgeon looking to escape the colder Columbia River temps. There isn’t a set time frame where this happens, as every year the weather varies However, this is a fishery to always have in the back of your mind as an option when looking for new fishing opportunities.
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.
