Fishing Report 10-30
Fall continues to provide ample angling opportunity for a variety of species, including hard-fighting smallmouth bass, like this nice “bronzeback” caught yesterday by JP from our Oregon City store.
Fishing report 10-30
On the Columbia River Salmon anglers have pretty much switched their focus from Chinook to Coho. These tasty, chrome-bright fish are showing up daily and entering the majority of Southwest Washington rivers. These fish are, often larger than the early returning Coho, as they have had more time to bulk up in the Ocean. Targeting these fish at the mouths of local tributaries is a great place to start. Folks catch them on Wiggle Warts, 360 flashers and spinners, prawn spinners and Mag lips. At times, Coho can be finicky so if you do find a pod of fish, staying with them and switching up tactics can be just what the doctor ordered.
Tributary Coho fishing is happening and anglers are finding success in a wide variety of Southwest Washington rivers. Right now is when the “B” run starts to show up, so folks are catching a mixture of fish that have been in the system for a few weeks and fish that are only days from the salt. Spinners, spoons, twitching jigs, eggs and plugs all work well for Coho. Bring along a few different options, as it often pays to switch tactics.
This time of year the Summer Steelhead fishing can be really good! A lot of tributaries already have Steelhead in them that have been waiting out the summer heat to become active again. There are also some rivers that just got their Summer Steelhead a few weeks ago. These fish can be very aggressive this time of year and will aggressively bite a lot of different techniques. Spinners, spoons, jigs, beads, eggs and small plugs all will work.
Tillamook and Nehalem bay are still seeing fresh Chinook enter them daily. However, for this time of year we really need some more rain to bring in the next few large waves of fish. Trolling triangle flashers and herring is a go-to technique here as these fish are usually fresh out of the saltwater. 360 flashers with small spinners or Brad’s Superbaits are the other trolling option. This technique can be deadly when a wave of fish shows up.
Look for the Tillamook area rivers to be good for those wanting to launch their drift boat and back troll some kwikfish when conditions improve. Again, this fishery is definitely dependent on rain. So once we get a good shot of water, make your way down for an action-packed day.
Bottom fishing has still been good. As long as the ocean lays down and you are able to safely make it across the bar, the bottom fish have been cooperating. Large curly tail grubs, shrimp flies and vertical jigs have all been producing.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing has been good and anglers are having success on both the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. Smelt, herring, squid and sand shrimp have all been productive bait choices.
Trout fishing is still going on and this time of year anglers can expect a peaceful day at the lake. Fishing bait, either under a bobber or off of the bottom, are both effective techniques. For anglers wanting a more fast- paced technique, casting spinners or Kastmasters is also an extremely effective choice. Bringing both options with you will give you the ability to change up your technique if one or the other isn’t producing well. Many trout fisheries close for the season after October 31st, so be sure to check regulations before heading out.
Crabbing has continued to be great. Folks are reporting large healthy keepers!
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.
