Outdoor Report 4-12-19
Chinook for two days on Saturday, April 13th and Sunday, April 14th! Open area remains unchanged from earlier this season, which is the Columbia River mainstem from the Warrior Rock deadline up to the Beacon Rock deadline for boats and bank angling, with bank angling only from Beacon Rock upstream to the Bonneville Dam deadline. Customer Jay Elder recently caught this awesome Columbia River Springer while fishing with Fisherman’s Pro Guide, Steve Leonard, of Steve’s Guided Adventures (360-609-1902). Great fish, Jay! A lot of rivers have hit near flood stage this week and it looks like we are in for more rain. Once the rivers start to drop, they will start to green up and the Springers will be here in full force and ready to bite. The Willamette will be a great option for those fishing around the Metro area and gives anglers a lot of different options as far as areas to fish. Down in the Portland Harbor and Multnomah Channel, fishermen will be trolling Triangle Flashers and either bait or spinners, as well as 360 Flashers paired with spinners, or Superbaits. Don’t be afraid to start fishing even if the water isn’t super clear as this area will start to fish as soon as you can start to see your prop. The fish will get pushed down there from all this high water and will be waiting patiently for the water to clear. Once the water clears up a little bit the fish will start to get caught in the Milwaukie area as well. These fish are usually caught on Flashers and bait or spinners. You can either choose to fish the many ledges that make up the bottom of the Willamette, or you can fish suspended and target traveling fish. Either choice can be productive. The Oregon City area will also start fishing around the same time as the Milwaukie area. Fishermen up there typically are backtrolling jumbo jet divers with a wide variety of offerings behind them. There are lots of options, such as eggs, Sandshrimp, Prawns, Maglips, Kwikfish and even Brads Super Bait Cut-Plugs. There are also a lot of fishermen that have started to vertically jig for these fish. Most of these folks are fishing above the 205 bridge in the deep, slower water. These fish are just off the bottom and are caught with a wide variety of vertical jigs. 2-4 oz jigs are the standard sizes when picking out what jigs to bring with you. The 3 oz P-Line Laser Minnows are a local favorite, and we have a great selection of these in stock. With most rivers being blown out it gives anglers an opportunity to branch out and try other fisheries that are available this time of year. Trout fishing can be phenomenal with all the Trout stocking that has already happened so far. Lakes such as Henry Hagg Lake, St. Louis Ponds, Common Wealth Lake and Harriet Lake are great options to get out and chase some fish without having to worry if the rain will prevent you from finding fishable water or not. Kokanee are another great fish when it comes to getting your boat on the water and chasing some delicious land-locked Salmon. These fish are great biters this time of year and are some of the best eating fish around. Trolling is still the go-to technique with Wiggle Hoochies, Wedding Rings and Brads Kokanee Cut Plugs being some great options to bring with you. Check out our stores for a killer selection of Kokanee gear! Bottom fishing remains great with lots of nice Lingcod and Rock Fish in the mix. These are also delicious fish and can be a fine way to stock up on some fillets. Vertical jigging is a popular choice when targeting Lingcod, but don’t be surprised if an aggressive Rock Fish climbs onto your jig as they love to bite them as well. If the waves are under control, Surf Perch fishing can also be off the charts this time of year. Fishing either live Sandshrimp or Berkley Gulp plastics are both great choices.
