Fishing Report 12-11
Customer Josh Osborn with one of two gorgeous Winter Steelhead he caught yesterday on an 1/8-ounce pink Aerojig from a Southwest Washington River. Reports of Winter Steelhead being caught continue to trickle in this week, and with plenty of rain in the forecast, numbers of fish should continue to grow in the coming weeks! Be sure to check out our vast selection of Winter Steelhead gear at Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoor and get your fish on!
Fishing report 12-11
It is now that time where anglers are switching from Chinook to chasing Winter Steelhead. As soon as we get another good shot of rain, look for most rivers to get a push of Winter Steelhead. These fish will enter the lower sections of rivers as soon as the water starts to drop and clear. If we have continual rain that keeps rivers up and high, look for fish to start to spread throughout the system. Many techniques will work and being able to utilize several throughout the day will really up your chances of finding a few biters. For boat anglers, back trolling small Mag Lips, Hot Shots, Wiggle Warts or Brad’s Wigglers is a great way to cover some water and get in front of the most aggressive fish.Bobberdoggin' is another very popular technique that allows anglers to cover a lot of water effectively. Beads, eggs, shrimp, yarnies and corkies are just a few of the ideas that bobberdoggin' fishermen come up with. Bobber and jig, pink worm, bead or bait are other fan favorites. Some folks definitely prefer to post up in a spot for a while and bobber fish the traditional way, drift fish or throw hardware. Whatever your fancy, now is the time to be getting your gear dialed in and exploring the lower stretches of your favorite river.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing has been an option for those wanting to use their power boat. This fishery is great for younger or new anglers that are wanting some action. Pulling on big fish while drinking coffee or hot chocolate next to a warm heater is a recipe for fun. Squid, sand shrimp, herring and smelt have all been good baits.
Trout fishing has been an option that some anglers are taking advantage of. ODFW is still not letting us see what lakes are getting stocked and when but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go do some reconnaissance on your own to lakes that typically get heavily stocked. Henry Hagg Lake receives some of the heaviest Trout plants in the state and is a great option right now. Trout will come out from the deeper water and search for some of the warmer water in shallower areas. Trolling is a good option for boat anglers and bank fishermen can find success fishing bait on the bottom or under a bobber as well as casting spinners.
Kokanee fishing up at Merwin lake is another good option and will continue to be good through the winter. These Kokanee tend to school high in the water column so folks won’t even need down riggers to target them. Trolling dodgers with a short leader and either a small Spin-n-glo, spinner blade, Wiggle Hoochie or Brad’s Kokanee Cut Plug will work. Always tip your offering with Shoepeg corn and bring along a few different scents to try as well.
A fishery that doesn’t get taken advantage of as often as it should is Surf Perch fishing. This time of year the ocean can be volatile so always check the weather and ocean conditions. Perch are in the surf all year round and are a great alternative when rivers are low or clear and Steelhead fishing is slow.
Gulp Sandworms, Sand Shrimp or Clam necks are the most popular bait choices.
Crabbing has been good and with the recent nice weather, folks have been taking advantage. Spending some time pulling pots and cooking crab is a lot of fun, not to mention delicious.
Duck hunting has been good from the coast to the valley. Hunters have been finding lots of success and with the time of year being an in between Fall Chinook and Winter Steelhead, we are seeing more folks participating in Duck hunting.
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.
