Fishing Report 01-14-2022
Trevor from our Oregon City Store recently caught this nice Winter Steelhead from a local river. Reports of good Steelhead fishing both locally and from the Coast continue to roll in, and rivers should be in prime shape over the next few days!
Fishing Report - January 14th, 2022
Winter Steelhead fishing is off to a great start as there seem to be plenty of fish around when we can get at them in between high water events. Both local and coastal rivers are producing a good mix of hatchery and wild Steelhead, with some exceptionally large fish being caught already. As rivers continue to drop into prime shape over the next several days, it will be “pick your poison” as far as technique is concerned, as good conditions will allow for a variety of methods to be employed successfully.
Bobber-doggin’ beads or bait certainly tops the list as today’s most popular technique as it allows you to cover a great deal of water efficiently. Soft beads, yarnies, spawn sacks and roe are all used to great effect with this tactic. As rivers continue to clear, float fishing with jigs and worms will also result in many Steelhead landed. Casting hardware like spoons and spinners is also a great way to cover water and elicit a territorial strike from fish that may not respond to other techniques. Little Cleo and Pro Steel Spoons are a good bet, as are the venerable Blue Fox spinner in sizes four and five. Back-trolling plugs will also be a good bet as rivers continue to drop.
The Willamette River has dropped around nine-feet in the past week and continues to slowly clear, providing hope for the “early bird” Spring Chinook fishermen that they may soon be on the water chasing their favorite quarry. Yes, it is very early for Springers, but every year the first few fish are usually caught the first week or two of February—sometimes in January—so now is a good time to prep gear and get ready for the upcoming season.
Trout fishing in low elevation lakes has recently picked up with warmer weather, and a fair number of particularly large brood trout have recently been caught from Henry Hagg Lake near Forest Grove. Slow trolling small plugs like Flatfish, Hot Shots and Mag Lips is a great way to entice a vicious bite from cruising fish. Bait is also effective this time of year, with Power Bait and nightcrawlers both being very effective. Fish the worms under a float near-shore as Trout cruise the shallows looking for food, or, fish the Power Bait off the bottom with a slip-sinker rig. If you have questions or need help with rigging, be sure to stop into our stores and visit out Tackle Departments and we’ll be glad to help out.
Crabbing was temporarily stalled in coastal bays due to all of the freshwater runoff of late, but should resume its former glory as the weather remains dry into the near future. Crabbing has been exceptionally good over the past few months when conditions were good.
Several more Razor Clam digs have been approved in Washington State for Long Beach starting January 14th through the 20th. There are some additional beaches open on certain days as well, for details go to wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulations/razor-clams. Also, be reminded that the temporary limit of twenty clams per digger has reverted back to the standard Washington limit of 15 per person. Good luck!
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.
