Outdoor Report 3/15

Steelhead fishing has stayed consistent this last week. Anglers from the coast to the valley have been successful catching both hatchery and wild steelhead. Those that have been fishing out of a boat are finding their best results bobberdoggin’ or side drifting yarnies and eggs or beads, both soft and hard beads have been producing. Even so, do not underestimate the power of a properly backtrolled Mag Lip, Tadpolly or K11. Plugs are a great option as the water temps start to gradually warm and we see an occasional summer steelhead or spring chinook get caught. These fish will readily grab a plug, so it’s good to always have a rod or two rigged up for plug fishing. Those that are bank bound have been catching fish with a multitude of techniques. Float fishing jigs, worms or beads have been producing and drift fishing yarn, eggs, shrimp or plain corkies have been catching their fair share of fresh winter steelhead as well. Hardware can also be a killer option when there is a possibility of hooking a summer steelhead or spring chinook. These fish will willing grab a spinner or spoon, not to mention these techniques can be some of the most fun to deploy. Blue Fox, Mepps, Little Cleo and P-Line Pro Steel spoons are among many of the great options when choosing hardware. Like we already mentioned, look for a few summer steelhead and spring chinook to get caught as the month progresses. Spring chinook are now being caught daily in the Columbia and lower Willamette. The numbers are nowhere near amazing but those putting in the time are having success. Trolling plug cut herring behind your favorite triangle flasher has been the most widely used technique so far. However, those that are choosing to anchor have just as good of a chance, these early springers are usually quite aggressive. Whole red label or cut-plug green label are the preferred size baits when targeting spring chinook. Pair that with a triangle flasher from either Yakima Bait, Shortbus or Gibbs Tackle and you will have a winning combo. It’s also that time of year when bass and panfish are beginning to stir. Mealworms, nightcrawlers or jigs tipped with Crappie Nibbles are great options for catching perch, bluegill and crappie. Slow presentations of plastic baits will fool large and smallmouth bass as they emerge from their winter lethargy. Slow-rolling a spinnerbait around cover is also a great bass technique this time of year and can result in some of the biggest fish of the season! Spring trout stocking has commenced at many lowland lakes and ponds, with Henry Hagg Lake alone receiving thousands of catchable trout thus far, and hundreds of huge trophy trout to boot! For a list of recently stocked waters, check out the ODFW home page at myodfw.com. Catch-and-release sturgeon fishing in the Willamette River remains excellent, with fish hitting a variety of baits this time of year. Squid, smelt, herring, and sand shrimp should all attract attention. We have now reached the point on the calendar where a wide variety of angling opportunities become available to the Northwest angler. So good luck deciding which way to point the truck or boat, and have fun getting your fish on! Tight lines, shoot straight and most of all, be safe out there.