Fishing Report 2-25-2022
Mike Arrigo and his Dad braved the cold yesterday, along with some low, clear, challenging conditions, to catch this awesome keeper steelhead from a coastal stream while fishing with Fisherman’s Pro Guide, Chris Vertopoulos. There seem to be quite a few steelhead around despite the lack of water, so we can’t wait to see what happens with the coming rain! (Chris V’s Guide Service: 503-349-1377.)
Fishing Report 02-25
With this past week being the Sportsman’s Show, many anglers around the Northwest were at the show and not on the river. So the anglers that decided to try their hands at low water Steelhead fishing did not see much pressure from other anglers. Even though rivers are extremely low, we had reports of fish still being caught. Jigs, beads, bait and plugs have all been used to intercept fish this week. We have some rain in the forecast this coming weekend, so look for the fishing to pick back up.
Spring Chinook have started to get caught up and down the Willamette river now. This isn’t to say that fishing is hot by any means. However, for February it’s going pretty darn well. We are having fish brought in from folks fishing in Oregon City as well as down through the Channel. With the river temp being cold it seems as though fishing Herring has been the best option but we have heard of several fish caught on prawns as well. Fisherman’s Pro, Brandon Glass, sent us a photo of a beautiful hatchery Spring Chinook his boat caught down in the lower Willamette on Wednesday, giving us further evidence that more fish are showing up.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing has been pretty good although recently the extreme cold temps caused water temps to drop a few degrees, slowing down the bite. When this happens, sometimes having a few different scent options with you can make or break a day. Smelt, herring, anchovies, sand shrimp and nightcrawlers have all been producing fish.
Bottom fishing has been good, especially with the recent calm weather. Crossing into the ocean has been a bit nicer for folks. Fisherman’s Pro, Andy Martin, has been keeping his clients happy by helping them catch a good array of sea critters including some very nice Lingcod. Vertical jigs and Rock Cod rigs have been producing very well for him.
Trout fishing is starting to get going as ODFW is ramping up its planting efforts across the state. This next week, Henry Hagg Lake is set to receive 12,000 legal Trout! That’s right, it’s not a misprint, 12,000 Trout. With huge numbers of fish being released into the lake, look for the fishing to be pretty good for a while. Especially around the locations that the Trout are dumped in. Fishing bait is definitely a good option right now, especially with how cold the weather has been. Casting spinners and Kastmasters along the shorelines is another very fun and active technique that keeps anglers entertained all day long.
Kokanee fishing up at Lake Merwin remains an excellent option for anglers. Who doesn’t want the chance to catch and take home some landlocked Sockeye Salmon? Trolling high in the water column is still the preferred technique right now. Trolling dodgers with Wiggle Hoochies, small spinners, bright colored hoochies or small Spin-N-Glos are all good lure options.
Razor Clamming at Long Beach is set to open again on February 26th through March 4th, as WDFW said that there is exceptionally abundant Razor Clam populations at the moment. Look for the Clamming to be really good for most folks.
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.
