Fishing Report 6-24-2022
Mason Waddle of Longview caught this nice Spring Chinook yesterday fishing with his Grandpa, John Shmilenko, on the lower Willamette River. The gorgeous Springer slammed a 3.5 spinner pulled behind a Pro Troll flasher. Nice job, Mason!
Fishing Report
The Willamette River has dropped back into shape and is fishing very well for both Spring Chinook and Shad. With just under 19,000 Salmon over the falls, there are still plenty of fish to come, and this year we have great conditions to catch them, with higher and cooler water than normal for this late in the season.
Tillamook Bay has been kicking out some beautiful Spring Chinook lately. These are some of the most prized Salmon in the world! The amount of fish that return is relatively small, but they are among the hardest fighting chinook you will ever see. Fisherman’s Pro, Tim Juarez, has been finding his success trolling green label plug cut herring out near the jetty. Look for this fishery to continue for a few more weeks.
Bottomfishing, ocean Salmon fishing, near shore Halibut and ocean crabbing has been stellar for many anglers. A lot of the time the weather will play the deciding factor on quality of fishing, but when the weather is decent the reports have been impressive. Shrimp flies, Farallon Feathers and curly tail grubs have all been producing well.
With last week's low tides the clamming was pretty good for those that made it out. Bay clamming was good, as was the Razor Clamming up north of Seaside. This outdoor activity is so much fun for anyone involved.
This week's warm weather definitely has Tuna anglers chomping at the bit for news of near shore Albacore activity. Typically, the first fish are caught by troll anglers as you are able to cover a ton of water when trolling at relatively fast speeds. Tuna Clones, Cedar Plugs, Xrap Plugs and live bait are all among the top producing choices.
Surf Perch fishing is a fun summer activity that more folks are starting to figure out. These amazingly delicious, pan-sized fish tend to be a schooling fish that love to dart in and out of the surf on an incoming tide. Sand shrimp, clam necks and Berkley Gulp Sandworms are the best option when picking out baits.
Trout fishing around the state has been good and should continue to be productive. Several lakes have received large plants, like Lava Lake with 6,000 Trout; Detroit Reservoir with 4,000 trophy Trout; and Wallowa Lake with over 6,000 Trout. These lakes should fish very well, especially the first few days after the truck drops off the Trout. As we enter into much warmer weather you will start to see fish dive deep for cooler water. This is when fishing bait off the bottom is one of the best options, especially in the heat of the day. Trout have a very hard time passing up a perfectly placed ball of Powerbait or a wiggling nightcrawler.
Kokanee fishing at Lake Merwin continues to impress most anglers by giving up quality limits of Kokanee. Lakes like Green Peter, Paulina , Wickiup and Odell are all producing Kokanee as well. Trolling has been the most productive technique and the typical dodger/lure combo with a kernel of corn on the hook has been the best combo. Bring along several scent options as well. This can put you ahead of the pack when the bite goes stale and you need a little something to bring the bite back.
