Fishing Report 12-02-2022
Bryce Stark caught this magnificent Coho up on the Olympic Peninsula this past week. This aggressive 14lb fish striked at a well presented twitching jig. There are plenty of opportunities to encounter some nice size fish as the B-Run Coho continue to make their push upriver.
Fishing Report:
Well, we finally got another batch of rain and this time it was quite a bit. A few of our rivers have blown out, especially along the coast. Some of the local rivers that have a heavy glacial influence came up but have stayed in shape due to the mountain snow that accompanied this last storm. Along the coast there should be another batch of Chinook showing up out of the salt. Usually, the majority of Chinook have entered rivers by the first week of December, which means you should see some good fishing when the rivers drop back in shape. Backtrolling plugs, back bouncing bait and bobber fishing bait or jigs tipped with bait are all good options. Don’t be surprised if you hook a big Wild Coho or an early returning hatchery Steelhead. You never know what you're going to catch this time of year.
Tributary fishing for B-Run Coho in Southwest Washington is still going on. Some rivers have blown out, momentarily, and others are still in great shape. Twitching jigs is all the rage these days, and for good reason. Big B-Run Coho love to attack moving objects and they just simply cannot resist the up and down action of a well presented, bright-colored twitching jig. Spinners, spoons, and casting plugs also work well. Bobber fishing eggs, beads, and jigs will all be effective ways of covering lots of water, especially when searching for fish. Again, don’t be surprised if you hook a nice Chinook or hatchery Steelhead as they all love to bite at these techniques as well.
Winter Steelhead are right around the corner. Yes, at first in small numbers, but that is exactly what gets Winter Steelhead fishermen excited. Most of the Southwest Washington and Willamette Valley tributaries will start to see their first few Steelhead showing up any day. Bobber and jig, pink worm, bait, and beads are great ways to cover water when searching for fish. Casting spinners and spoons will also force a fish into its fight or flight sense and can Illicit fierce takes. Backtrolling plugs are a great option when the water is high and you’re searching for fish or when the water gets low and clear. Bobberdogging is also a great way to search for fish and cover a lot of water effectively.
Crabbing remains excellent along the Oregon coast. Most Bays have had crabbers reporting exceptionally sized crab. Fisherman’s Pro, Bill Monroe, has continued to make the trip down to Astoria for his clients to get quick limits of Crab. Limits typically coming within the first few pulls of the pots. Huge amounts of freshwater entering a bay at times can put a damper on the crabbing as the Crab like to push out into the ocean in search of saltier water. Once rivers come back down from their blown-out conditions, the Crab will move right back into the bay.
Wintertime Sturgeon fishing is a super fun way to get the whole family out on the water! Lots of baits will work as Sturgeon love squid, herring, smelt, and fresh sand shrimp. During the colder winter months, introducing some pickled baits like Rollmops, or Sturgeon Candy from D&G Bait can really turn the bite on!
Trout fishing is still going on strong during these winter months. In Southwest Washington: Battle Ground Lake, Klineline pond, and Al’s Mass Lake all got stocked with several thousand Trout this past week. In Oregon, Walter Wirth Lake and Timber Linn Lake both received a 1,000 Trout as well. When picking out your techniques think about targeting slow moving Trout that are just cruising looking for an easy meal. Bait under a bobber or fished off the bottom is one of the go-to options for anglers. Casting spinners or Kastmasters will also work, especially once the sun comes out and warms the water a few degrees.
Waterfowl hunters are rejoicing with all this nasty weather. It gets the birds in the air and moving around, searching for a body of water to come down in for a rest. Lowland areas are also starting to get some standing water in them giving birds more options when it comes to bodies of water for them to land on.
