Fishing Report 11/7

Coastal Chinook

The coast picked up a solid stretch of rain this past week, which is exactly what drift-boat anglers have been waiting for. Rivers are on the rise, fish are pushing in, and tidewater powerboat fishing is in full swing with fresh Chinook entering daily. This fishery is known for producing true giants, with 40-pounders landed every year. 

Pro John Klar has been doing well backtrolling large K15 and K16 Kwikfish wrapped with bait, with some fish cracking the 40-pound mark. Others are finding success backtrolling bait and divers, backbouncing, bobber fishing eggs, and twitching jigs. High, off-colored water means you’ll want plenty of scent and bait options to help fish key in on your presentation. 

Techniques: Backtrolling K15/K16 Kwikfish, bait-wrapped plugs, backtrolling bait and divers, backbouncing eggs, bobber fishing bait, twitching jigs. 

Southwest Washington Coho

Coho fishing remains strong in SW Washington. The North Fork Lewis, Kalama, and Cowlitz are all kicking out fresh B-run fish. Casting spinners, spoons, and plugs has been productive, and twitching jigs continues to be a favorite. Fishing eggs under a bobber or bobber-dogging covers a ton of water and stays effective when fish are spread out. These fish often school tight, so hooking one usually means there are plenty more around. 

Techniques: Spinners, spoons, casting plugs, twitching jigs, bobber fishing eggs, bobber-dogging eggs. 

Crabbing

Crabbing has been excellent across many Oregon coast bays. Bill Monroe Jr. has been running crab-focused trips and doing well, with some pots coming up heavy. When the pots are loaded, that usually means you’re headed home with full limits of Dungeness. 

Techniques: Baited pots, chicken/fish carcass baits, soaking deeper channels on outgoing tides. 

Bottomfish

Bottomfishing has been solid whenever ocean conditions let folks cross the bar. Lingcod have been showing in good numbers along with plenty of rockfish. Shrimp flies, Farallon feathers, vertical jigs, and big curly-tail grubs are all producing well. 

Techniques: Shrimp flies, Farallon feathers, vertical jigs, curly-tail grubs. 

Waterfowl

It’s prime waterfowl season in Oregon. The recent storm fronts are getting birds up and moving. The best days tend to line up with rainy and windy weather, which usually pushes birds lower and makes them more active. 

Techniques: Hunt storm fronts, focus on wind-blown edges, run natural-looking spreads, call sparingly in heavy weather.