Fishing report 4-3
Winter Steelhead are still around and folks in the know are quietly having plenty of fun on coastal tributaries. Many people have switched their efforts to chasing Spring Chinook which leaves many rivers relatively empty of angling competition. Late March and early April can definitely have some phenomenal Steelhead fishing as you have older fish milling around, brand new Winter Steelhead fresh off the tide, a few early Summer Steelhead and even an early returning Spring Chinook or two. You never know what you might hook on your next trip.
Spring Chinook fishing has really picked up in the lower Columbia as well as the lower Willamette. Anglers have found great success on the lower Columbia, specifically from the i205 bridge down past Longview. Trolling has been the most popular option for anglers with herring and Spinfish being the most popular baits. However, anglers sitting on anchor have reported decent success using kwikfish, Maglips, Brad’s Killerfish and even a flasher and plug-cut herring. Pro’s, Jim Nicol and Chris Vertopoulos, have both been finding success trolling triangle flashers with plug/cut green label herring. Keeping your bait near the bottom and trolling down river have been keys to their success.
Down in Southern Oregon Pro, Mike Kelly, just started his Spring Chinook season and has been finding success since day one. Sitting on anchor with an anchovy Spin-n-glo combo has proven to be really productive for these early season Chinook.
Bottom fishing remains a stellar option for anglers, with boats having success all up and down the coast line. Lingcod, Bass and a variety of other bottomfish have been coming over the side rails of quite a few boats. Vertical jigs, shrimp flies and farallon feathers have all been working well.
Razor clamming was great during the last ClM opener at Long Beach and there are more digs coming up! Check your calendars and with the WDFW website as to when the next digs get set.
Trout fishing is continuing to get better by the week. ODFW is still ramping up their stocking efforts and locally Henry Hagg Lake just got stocked with over 4,000 hungry Trout. Fishing bait on the bottom or under a Bobber is a sure fire way to find success as well as trolling small Mag Lips or flatfish. Wedding rings tipped with a night crawler is another great way to catch these freshly planted trout.
Smallmouth Bass fishing is just about to get started. As the Columbia and Willamette start to warm up, look for these bronze stripped fish to make their
accent from the depths and start to head towards shallow water to spawn. Lipless crank baits tube baits, jigs and deep diving crankbaits are all great lure options.
