Fishing report 2-7

Winter Steelhead fishermen were sitting on the sidelines for the majority of January, but February has been great so far! Pro Staff all along the coastline are finding success. Pro, Tim Juarez, has been out dragging floats and bait through Tillamook area rivers and doing well. While Pro, John Klar, has been back-trolling Maglips and finding success in Northern California. As you can see, the fish have infiltrated nearly every river system and anglers are out there finding them. Bobber-doggin is still all the rage and you will find the majority of anglers deploying this technique. While it can be extremely effective, don’t discount traditional Float fishing or Drift fishing. These tried-and-true techniques hold just as much merit now as they did 30 years ago. 

Spring Chinook are going to be here soon. In fact, you can assume there is one or two swimming around the lower Willamette right now. Usually around the middle of February we have one or two brought by our stores for an official weigh and photo. Remember, if you are the first person to weigh in a hatchery Spring Chinook at one of our locations you will win a $200 Fisherman’s Marine gift card! 

Catch-and-release Sturgeon fishing doesn’t get the notoriety that it deserves this time of year. As rivers start to warm slightly with the warmer daytime temps, the Sturgeon typically respond really well. The lower Willamette is a sure-fire bet for anglers looking to have some catch-and-release fun. Many days anglers report averaging 30+ hook-ups a day, during these early spring months. This is a type of fun that anyone can appreciate. 

Bottom-fishing along the coast has been good, and as we get more predictable weather it will make the fishing even more accessible. Large Curly-Tail Grubs, Farallon feathers, and Squid Jigs have been accounting for several anglers’ success. Fisherman’s Pro, Andy Martin, has been doing extremely well in southern Oregon, finding limits of Lingcod on most days along with a plethora of other bottom-fish species. 

Crabbing remains excellent for folks looking for a salty treat. There is almost nothing better than a warm crab cake or some fresh cooked crab dipped in garlic butter to cure the winter blues. 

Razor Clamming at Long Beach has opened on and off over the past few months, with Clammers enjoying quality clamming each tide. Currently there is one through February 12th, with more tentative dates in the near future.

 Trout fishing is ramping up, as each week passes. ODFW has picked their stocking efforts back up, and this last week it seemed focused on the Newport and Corvallis areas. Lakes like Cleawox and Lost were both stocked this week as well as Walter Worth Pond and Waverly Lake. Look for lakes, ponds and rivers near you to get stocked in the coming weeks and months. 

Kokanee fisherman have been having great success at Lake Merwin this past week. Fish are still high in the water column, although it always pays off to have a few rods set a bit deeper in case you stumble into a school that’s hovering a bit lower. Dodgers and small bright-colored Hoochies have been producing well, as have small Spin-n-Glos and bright-colored Spinner blades.