Fishing Report 12-16-2022
Mike from our Oregon City store is an avid Winter Steelhead fisherman and caught this nice Steelhead on one of his trips out with his buddy Colton. If you need any tips and tricks to help get going on a productive Steelhead season make sure to see Mike in our tackle department.
Fishing Report:
Winter Steelhead fishing is continuing to improve. We have had reports from most all local and coastal rivers of a few Steelhead being caught. We have heard the most success coming from anglers fishing small clusters of salmon eggs fished either under a float, side drifted or drift fished. This week we look to be getting a bit of cold weather which will definitely drop rivers and clear them up. This will mean that anglers may need to use several techniques to try and entice Steelhead into biting. Bobber and jig is a tried and true method; bobber fishing bait and drift fishing bait are all go-to methods as well. Boat anglers will find success side drifting bait and back trolling plugs. Sometimes all you need is a bright-colored, erratic moving plug to wake up a cold water Steelhead. Maglips, K11 Kwikfish, Hotshots and Wiggle Warts are all great plug options for Winter Steelhead.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing is a great wintertime fishery. These prehistoric beasts will file into the deep spots of the lower Willamette and spend their days looking for an easy meal. That’s where you come in. Find the deep spots, locate the Sturgeon and deploy a tasty bait right in front of them. Squid, herring, sand shrimp and smelt all make excellent baits. Keeping a few different scents on board is a great idea as well. Some days you will find that the Sturgeon will key in on different scents and if you have several options on board, you might just have exactly what they are looking for.
Trout fishing is another fun fishery that many people forget about during the winter months. There are many bodies of water open to Trout fishing in Oregon and Southwest Washington. In Oregon, most of the lakes that have most recently been stocked are down in the Willamette Valley, with Walter Wirth Lake and Junction City Pond both receiving plants. In Southwest Washington, lakes such as Battleground Lake, Klineline Pond and Lacamas Lake have all received healthy plants of catchable Trout in the last 30 days. These Trout definitely act different during the Winter Months than they do during the Spring and Summer. These Trout are in survival mode, so bait is often the preferred offering of choice. Baits like Nightcrawlers, single Salmon Eggs, Powerbait and Salad Shrimp all work really well. Often it may take one or two bait switches to key in on what the Trout will prefer that day. Scent is another good item to bring along with you. They may want Nightcrawlers next time you are out, but adding Garlic scent could drive them crazy; maybe Shrimp scent or a chunk of corn tipped on your hook. There are many bait combinations to consider and having a good arsenal at your disposal can help seal the deal.
Crabbing remains stellar. No other way to put it. We are still getting reports of fast limits from Astoria. These Crab are full, and there have been some really big ones in the mix. Make sure to check the tides and weather before you go, but now is definitely the time to go Crabbing if you want to cash in on fresh Crab cakes for Christmas!
Waterfowl hunters have been enjoying the previously rainy weather as it has kept birds up and moving. We are in for a bit of a cold dry spell so getting out to your blind early and bringing along the right calls will help bring in birds to your set up.
