Outdoor Report 10/26

This last week we finally had some substantial rain! As a matter of fact, we had just a bit more rain than we really wanted. Tillamook rivers neared or went above flood stage as well as local Portland area rivers. The Sandy and Clackamas are both dropping into shape nicely for this coming weekend. Locally coho fishing has been average with anglers catching fish on a variety of techniques. Twitching jigs, bobber and eggs, drift fishing eggs, casting spinners or casting plugs have all been producing well. We still have a few weeks left of the local coho fisheries and these can be some of the best weeks as the water cools down and the fish start to bite even more. Down in Tillamook the rains brought most rivers up to the point that fishing in the boat launch parking lot was a viable option. As the rivers start to drop into prime shape there will be a few great techniques for the drift boat anglers to employ. Backtrolling plugs is a super exciting way to target these brand new fall chinook. These fish will slam a Kwikfish or Mag Lip with a vengeance, when backtrolled through a productive slot. Also, anglers will be backbouncing while they backtroll. This technique is a bit trickier to master but, it's a great option when you want to put your bait right in the face of the chinook. The most widely used technique, all up and down the coast, is bobber fishing. A lot of anglers will anchor up and bobber fish a good looking piece of water or they will float down river with their bobbers out in search of traveling fish. Which ever technique you choose, be prepared for an amazing fight as these fish are sure to be brand new and in a hurry to get upriver. The bite will continue in Tillamook Bay and Nehalem Bay throughout the month of November with fish in all areas of the bay. If you want to troll spinners the upper bay will be the place for you, while anglers wanting to spin a herring should target the lower bay. Anglers like to troll spinners in Nehalem Bay from Wheeler up through Tidewater. Although the Ghost Hole in Tillamook Bay has traditionally been trolled with herring, anglers are finding a Pro-Troll and spinner to be the hot item this year. Many our Pro Staff Guides have made the switch to that technique recently due to it’s success. A wide range of spinners can be used from 3.5 all the way up to size 8, so pick your favorite spinner and get trolling as there will be hungry chinook waiting. Those who prefer to troll herring will target the lower bay areas. In Nehalem Bay this means from Wheeler all the way to the jaws, while the jaws will be the most popular area to troll herring in Tillamook Bay. Tillamook Bay has had some very large fish in it this year so people like to run a little bigger bait at times, this means running blue label herring instead of green. Fresh chinook entering the bays will be more than happy to eat a well-presented herring. For water fowlers, the recent wind and rain has made the early season feel more like a duck season should. Although we haven’t seen a big push of migrants yet, local numbers are average. The Sauvie Island Management area reported 2.8 birds per hunter on Opening Day and the most recent shoot day, October 24th had an average of 2.2 birds per hunter. Those numbers are normal for this time of year. Before heading out, be sure to check local regulations. Tight lines, shoot straight and most of all, be safe!