Fishing report 01-07-2022
Customer Matt Benim caught this awesome Winter Steelhead earlier this week and promptly entered it into the Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoor Steelhead Derby, on now through April 1st. The awesome fish slammed a spinner. Nice catch, Matt!
Fishing Report 01-07-2022
Winter Steelhead fishing is at the top of the list now and folks are finding success. We’ve had some wild weather lately, with cold snowy conditions to windy and wet conditions. Those that are being successful lately are having to be willing to change their game plans throughout the week as the water and weather have been changing drastically. Paying attention to river levels, rain forecasts and snow levels are some of the tools you can use to formulate your best plan. As far as terminal gear goes, it will depend on the technique you will be employing. Fisherman’s Pro, John Klar, has been having success side-drifting eggs and beads up until the massive amount of water nearly blew out all the rivers in his area. He told us that he will be focusing on soft edges and travel lanes on his next trip. He likes to plunk with his clients out of his drift boat by sitting in a productive travel lane and letting the fish coming to them. Locally, folks have been finding success plunking the Willamette as well. Spin-n-Glos, Smile Blades, large Corkies and even hoochies are all popular attractants to use with bait like sand shrimp, prawns, coon stripe shrimp and even pink worms. Large yarn balls, rags, large beads, bait and pink worms all work for those searching for fish in big, heavy water. As the rivers drop and the fish start to spread out, bobber and jig, Bobberdoggin, beads, bait, spoons and spinners all will give you a good shot at some fresh Winter Steelhead.
The Willamette River is currently very high and dangerous to be on right now, but look for the Sturgeon bite to be great once water levels subside.
Bottom fishing is still going on, but last week's fishery saw little participation as the pass over the Coast Range was snowy and weather was gnarly, keeping folks off of the big blue pond.
Razor clamming was good last week as there was yet another opener at Long Beach. Again, the participation was down because of road conditions and weather temps. However, the amount of clams is still really high and should continue to be good as more digs happen over the next few months.
Crabbing has continued to be good in Tillamook, Nehalem and Astoria. Look for this quality crabbing to continue throughout January. The current high water might slow Crabbing for a few days, but they should be back as rivers drop again.
Kokanee fishing on Merwin Lake has been good and it seems that more people are starting to find out about this hidden gem. Fat, healthy Kokanee high in the water column? What’s not to like! Vary your trolling speed to find out exactly what speed they are keying in on that day. It sounds like most of these fish are up near the surface but it can pay dividends to have a rod or two set a little bit deeper, just in case the fish are a little deeper on that given day. Bright-colored hoochies, small spinner blades, small Spin-N-Glos and Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plugs have all been putting Kokanee in the fish box for anglers.
Trout fishing has slowed down but that doesn’t mean you won’t find success. Fishing bait off the bottom is an ideal choice right now as the fish are lethargic and looking for an easy meal. Nightcrawlers work as well as Powerbait. One little trick is to peg a size 12 Corkie on top of your bait to float it up off of the bottom. This gives your bait some extra color and the floatation can be really beneficial in keeping your bait of weed beds or large rocks.
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.
