Fishing Report 03-26-2021
What a fish! Customer Scott McKinney caught this incredible Spring Chinook last Saturday from the Willamette River near Oregon City. The massive fish slammed a Luhr Jensen K15 Kwikfish, Double Trouble color. Scott promptly entered his amazing Springer into the Fisherman’s Spring Chinook Derby, which just happened to start that day! The big fish weighed in at 29.5 pounds after being gutted per derby rules, which means it almost certainly weighed 30-pounds at the time of capture. Congratulations on a killer Springer, Scott!
Fishing report 3-26
While the arrival of spring to the Pacific Northwest means that a challenging Winter Steelhead season is coming to an end, savvy anglers know that there still could be a few weeks left of decent Steelhead fishing at both coastal rivers and inland streams. And, while Steelhead numbers were down this year due to the conspicuous absence of two-salt fish, there was also some pretty good fishing at times for some unusually large specimens. Now might be a good time to take advantage of the dwindling crowds to go explore your favorite river…and maybe even catch the fish of a lifetime! Keep in mind that some rivers close to Steelhead fishing after March 31st, so always check the regulations for the water you intend to fish.
Spring Chinook fishing continues to improve on the Willamette River, and finally, the lower Columbia is showing some signs of life, too. On the Willamette, fish are now being caught daily at most of the usual locations from the Multnomah Channel up to Oregon City. With current water conditions favorable, a variety of techniques are catching fish. Trolling plug-cut herring behind a triangle flasher has been accounting for a good share of the catch, and prawn spinners are also seeing some action. Anchor-fishing Kwikfish, Mag Lips or similar plugs is also highly effective at times, as evidenced by the thirty-pound Springer that customer Scott McKinney caught on a K-15 Double Trouble from the Willamette River near Oregon City last Saturday! There have even been some Spring Chinook caught on jigs already from the Oregon City Reach, a technique that is usually employed later in the season once the water begins to warm. The P Line Laser Minnow in 2 or 3-oz size is the jig of choice for this fishery, though Crippled Herring and Buzz Bombs will also work.
Spring Chinook action has also improved on the lower Columbia River over the past week, and most anglers are trolling herring behind a flasher in that fishery, or, fishing plugs on anchor in a select spot. With the Columbia below Bonneville Dam open through April 4th, time is running out to get your hooks into one of the finest-eating fish on the planet.
Kokanee fishing continues to heat up at Lake Merwin and elsewhere. This early in the season the fish tend to be located near the surface, meaning you can target them fishing little to no lead, which means you get to fight the fish and not your gear. Small wobblers like the Luhr Jensen Needlefish, Sep’s
Kokanee Candy, Baby Simon or Dick Nite work great when trolled slowly behind the dodger of your choice. The Arrow Flash Dodger from Half Fast is a highly effective Kokanee attractor that works well under a wide range of trolling speeds and is made locally in Clackamas, Oregon. Mack’s Wedding Ring Spinners and P Line Reaction Squid are also extremely effective lures when trolled for Kokanee. Be sure to tip your offering with a kernel or two of Shoepeg corn, a morsel that Kokanee seem to relish. Cured corn Like Nate’s Bait Kokanee Korn and Pautzke Fire Corn are both excellent for Kokanee, and tend to stay on the hook better than uncured corn. Also, it never hurts to have a few flavors of scent to add to your offering. Our current Sportsmen’s Show Sale is laden with great deals on a variety of Kokanee gear, so be sure to check it out to get your spring fishing off to a great start!
Spring Trout fishing is taking off as both Oregon and Washington continue to stock a variety of lowland lakes with both keeper and trophy Trout. Hagg Lake near Forest Grove is being heavily stocked as usual, and also has a good number of carry-over fish of larger size from previous plantings. East of Salem, Detroit Lake is also a good early season bet for both Kokanee and Trout. Be sure to check the ODFW website for a list of recently stocked waters in your area.
Early season Trout can be caught a variety of ways, with bait being popular and effective where you intend to keep your catch for a tasty fish fry. PowerBait, Zeke’s Soft Baits, Berkely Gulp, nightcrawlers, Pautzke’s Salmon Eggs and more can all be effective at times. Rig the floating baits to fish up from the bottom, or, fish the nightcrawler and Pautzke’s under a float. Targeting the near-shore areas is a solid tactic this time of year as the fish will be searching the shallows for insects and other forage that becomes active as the water warms. Trolling or casting lures is also a great way to catch Trout this time of year, and is easier on the fish if you intend to catch-and-release. For casting, it’s hard to beat a Rooster Tail, Panther Martin, Blue Fox Spinner, Kastmaster or Little Cleo, all available at Fisherman’s. Effective lures for trolling include Flatfish, MagLips, Hot Shots, Needlefish and more. Be sure to check in with our knowledgeable staff for gear recommendations for your favorite location.
With the gradually warming weather of spring, warm water fish like bass, crappie, bluegill and walleye are beginning to stir. Check out our updated selection of gear for these fisheries and head for your favorite lake. Some of the biggest Bass of the season are caught early on, so now is the time to get after that monster Largemouth or Smallmouth Bass. Fish on!
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.
