Fishing Report 7-15-2022
Trevor from our Oregon City store with a nice Summer Steelhead he caught yesterday from a local river. The awesome fish hit a 20 mm BnR Soft Bead, Clown color. Nice fish, Trevor!
Fishing Report:
Chinook fishing on the Columbia has continued to be productive for many anglers. The fisheries managers have decided to keep the lower Columbia River open to hatchery Chinook retention through July 31st! This creates great opportunities for many folks that may otherwise be stuck waiting until the August 1st opener in Astoria to fish for Chinook. Anchor fishing has been the name of the game in the Columbia for boat anglers like Fisherman’s Pro’s, David Johnson and Josiah Darr. Both of these accomplished anglers have been finding success anchored in shallower water with bait wrapped plugs like the Yakima Bait Mag Lip, and Brad’s Killer Fishing Gear KF14 Killerfish. Sockeye Salmon are also being caught, as well as some Summer Steelhead. For bank anglers the set up is to plunk Spin-N-Glos with coon stripe shrimp or prawn tails as a bait. Both bank and boat fishermen do well in this fishery as the fishing tends to be focused near the shoreline in shallower water.
While fishing for Chinook, many anglers are using prawns or coon stripe shrimp that Sockeye just can’t help themselves from attacking. Summer Steelhead are also being caught so you never really know what you might have biting at your presentation. Small, bright-colored plugs or spinners are also great lure options when targeting Steelhead. Tributaries like the Cowlitz, Lewis, Sandy, and Clackamas are also getting good shots of Summer Steelhead. These acrobatic fish love to bite spinners, spoons, jigs, beads, bait and even flies. Walking speed water that’s 3’-6’ deep is prime habitat when looking where to focus your efforts.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing is a phenomenal fishery in Astoria this time of year. These fish are known to be great biters and can be found in really shallow water. Yes, this isn’t a fishery that you will be taking home fillets, but you will certainly be taking home amazing memories and usually some sore upper arms from fighting big fish fresh from the salt.
In the ocean, the Salmon fishing has done well for those that are able to make it out. Fisherman’s Pro, Terry Mulkey, has been spending his time out of Garibaldi where he has been finding a really nice grade of fish. Last week, his group landed a 34lb. hatchery fish in the ocean! Trolling with 360 flashers and small spinners, bait with triangle flashers, and delta divers have all been producing well. Looking into next week the tides are a bit smaller so getting out over the bar should be a bit easier.
Bottom fishing remains a stellar option for folks looking to have some fun in the salt. We have had good reports of quality fish being caught from Astoria down through southern Oregon. Fisherman’s Pro, Andy Martin, has been doing really well out of Brookings. His boat landed a nice 44lb. Lingcod last week that ate a Twin Tail Scampi. Shrimp flies, vertical jigs curly tail grubs and swimbaits have all been productive baits.
Trout fishing around the state continues to be a great option for anglers looking to spend a day on the water. Many lakes and streams received plants of Trout this past week, including Paulina Lake, North Fork Reservoir, and Wallowa Lake. With the hot weather we have been having, it pays off to be on the water at first light to try and capitalize on the cooler morning temps when most fish are active. By mid day, most fish are moving to deep water and looking for cooler temps. Also, look for the fishing to pick up later in the evening as it begins to cool. Fishing bait on the bottom is one of the best ways to entice these fish to bite. Powerbait, nightcrawlers, salmon eggs, salad shrimp and flavored marshmallows are all great choices when picking out your bait to drop down to the depths of a lake.
Kokanee fishing at Paulina Lake, Green Peter Reservoir, Odell Lake and Lake Merwin has been good. As mentioned before, the fish have really started to dive deeper in lakes searching out cooler temps to make it through the summer. Vertical jigging has been working for some anglers, while most are still trolling with downriggers, dodgers, Wiggle Hoochies, small spinner blades, small Spin-N-Glos, and Wedding Rings.
Warmwater species have been caught at local lakes, ponds and creeks. Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Crappie, and Bluegill are among the many fish you may target. Jigs, spinners, bait and soft plastics are all great choices when picking out your terminal tackle.
