Fishing report 2-5
Winter Steelhead fishermen have had some very cold hands over the past few weeks. With air temperatures dropping into the 20s and river temps in the 30s, anglers have been packing hand warmers and extra layers to combat the chill. However, despite the cold conditions, we’re still hearing about great success all along the Oregon coast and Willamette Valley. Pro Terry Mulkey has been finding success fishing small corkies with a cluster of eggs, while Pro John Klar has been luring Steelhead up off the bottom with jigs and floats. Whatever technique you prefer, the fish have been responding. Backtrolling plugs through broken water with large boulders is another effective way to “wake up” these fish, which are living in near-frozen conditions. The action of a Mag Lip or Wiggle Wart often triggers a “fight or flight” response in Steelhead, leading to some aggressive takedowns.
Spring Chinook? Anyone? We’re still waiting for the first one to be brought in and weighed. If that’s you, you’ll win a $100 Fisherman’s Gift Card and a Fisherman’s Large Fish Cooler Bag. Any day now, we should start hearing about a few fresh Spring Chinook being caught in the lower Willamette by anglers trolling a flasher and plug-cut herring—or by those plunking off Meldrum Bar in hopes of hooking a chrome Steelhead.
Catch-and-release Sturgeon fishing in the lower Willamette can be quite productive when river temperatures drop this low. It may take a little longer for the fish to find your bait, but once they do, the action can be consistent. Squid, herring, smelt, and sand shrimp have all been productive bait choices.
Bottom fishing has been good when the weather allows safe passage over the bar. Pro Andy Martin continues to bounce back and forth between river fishing for Steelhead and chasing bottom fish in the ocean. Lately, he has found great success targeting Lingcod using Scampi tails, shrimp jigs, and curly tail grubs—some of the top-producing baits.
The last opener produced great results for Razor Clamming, and once again, WDFW has opened multiple Washington beaches for another seven days of digging starting February 8th.
Kokanee fishing at Lake Merwin remains a solid option for anglers looking to bring home some tasty fish. Sitting in a covered boat, slow trolling around the lake with the heater on doesn’t sound half bad! Small Spin-N-Glos, Hottails, Kokanee Cutplugs, and Wiggle Hoochies have all been producing well. A kernel of Shoepeg corn or a Berkley Gulp maggot is a must-have, but anglers have been reporting that scent is key in the cold winter months. Bringing along a few different scent options can help snap Kokanee out of their winter lockjaw, creating a feeding frenzy that will help you limit out much faster.
