Outdoor Report 11/24

Rain, rain, rain, that has been the name of the game these last few weeks. It is getting late in the season, but anglers that are still in search of fall chinook can find them in most of the Tillamook area rivers. While there may not be the high numbers of fish that we had in October, this time of year can yield some extremely nice quality fish. Typically, these fish are brand new, fresh from the salt and on a one-way mission to the spawning grounds. A lot of anglers have great luck fishing large plugs in the high off-color water we have had due to all the rain. Mag Lip 5.0, Hawgnose Flatfish, K16 Kwikfish and KF16 Killerfish are all great choices. Wrapping them with your favorite bait fish and sending them down a promising looking run, can be one of the most exciting ways to catch these late fall chinook. Don’t be surprised if a scrappy winter steelhead latches onto those big plugs as well. A lot of the first few winter steelhead are caught on big plugs by anglers targeting fall chinook. Speaking of steelhead, Thanksgiving weekend is here and that typically marks the kick off for anglers targeting winter steelhead. A lot of anglers have a tradition of making their first winter Steelhead trip at the end of November. There are several great techniques to use to catch these early fish, however, there are a few that you will most likely see being deployed. Bobber and jig, pink worm or bead will be the most popular techniques, and using them enables you to cover a lot of water quickly and attract the most aggressive fish in the run. Another option is to drift fish. Fishing homemade yarnballs, corkies or bait will all be productive options when choosing your drift fishing gear. While fishing these baits you may also encounter a fall chinook or late run coho; see you never really know what you may hook! Late run coho are still around, we should be getting a few more pushes of brand new fish as the rivers start dropping back into shape. Twitching jigs, casting plugs or swinging spinners are all great techniques to use while searching for these fish. Bobber or drift fishing eggs is another great option as you may also pick up a winter steelhead while fishing bait. Razor clam digging in the Long Beach area is tentatively scheduled for the first week in December. You can get details by visiting http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/ shellfish/razorclams/current.html. As a reminder, Oregon is open every day and with good tides coming up the first week of December, it should make for excellent digging on the Clatsop Spit beaches. With the warmer weather, duck hunting has slowed in local hunting areas. The Sauvie Island Game Management area harvest showed a dip in the birds per hunter average to 1.9 for Tuesday the 21st. The second period Northwest Permit Goose season opened last Saturday the 18th and runs through January 7th. Populations of geese look good in the Willamette Valley and should provide great shooting for those who have the permit. If you don’t have one and would like one you can find the details by visiting http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ resources/hunting/waterfowl/# As always be sure to check local regulations before heading out. Shoot straight, tight lines and most of all, be safe out there.