Outdoor Report 11/7
All along the Oregon Coastline fall Chinook fishing continues to be productive. With the lack of rain a lot of the fish are staying out in the bay or even in the bubble fisheries right outside the mouths of the bays. These fish are more or less milling around, just waiting on rain. Fishermen have been finding good success trolling 360° flashers with small spinners as well as with lead and a cut-plug herring. Near the mouths of the tributaries, some folks have been finding success with bobber and eggs, targeting the fish that are staged near those areas. This can be very tidally dependent so make sure you have some trolling gear with you if the egg bite isn’t happening. We can expect at least one more decent push of fish into rivers, just need rain at this point. Below Bonneville Dam, fishing for hatchery coho is still open and those that are putting their time in are being rewarded. These fish are stacking up around the mouths of their respective tributaries waiting on rain and are fairly easy to target. Trolling spinners, Wiggle Warts, Mag Lips and 360° flashers with spinners have all been producing fish. Recently there has been an innovative coho fishery developing on the Columbia mainstem & tributary mouths where anglers are using twitching rigs to target coho-cool stuff! In Southwest Washington there are a number of rivers that get two runs of coho and the second run, B run, are starting to trickle in. These fish will filter into these tributaries now through the beginning of December and are typically very good biters. Twitching jigs, spinners, plugs and spoons are all great techniques to choose from when chasing these aggressive fish. Bottom fishing has stayed good with anglers reporting great success this last week as the ocean finally calmed down and made crossing the bar much easier. The catch has been a good mixture of Lingcod and rock fish with anglers also taking advantage of the ability to drop crab pots to add to the bounty. Crabbing will stay good with crabs continuing to fill out and as salmon fishing slows, the amount of people dropping pots will also decrease. Giving you even more opportunity to limit the boat. There are evening Razor Clam tides starting Monday of next week and Washington has approved the following season: • Nov. 11, Monday, 5:51 pm, 0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis • Nov. 12, Tuesday, 6:27 pm, -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks • Nov. 13, Wednesday, 7:03 pm, -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis • Nov. 14, Thursday, 7:41 pm, -0.6 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks • Nov. 15, Friday, 8:22 pm, -0.5 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis • Nov. 16, Saturday, 9:08 pm, -0.3 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Mocrocks • Nov. 17, Sunday, 9:59 pm, -0.1 feet; Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis Please note-No digging is allowed before noon for allowed digs, when low tide occurs in the evening For more information on razor clam seasons in Washington visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing In Oregon the season is open for the beaches between the Columbia river and the North Jetty of the Siuslaw River. The go to area is Clatsop Spit. Look for good tides in the evenings and you should find razors around Seaside, Gearhart, and the Fort Stevens areas. For more information visit https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/ Trout fishing around the local area has stayed a good option and the amazing weather we have been having has kept the trout very active. These feisty fish offer a great way to get the whole family into the outdoors as the action can be constant and an easy way to keep young or new anglers entertained. Catch and release sturgeon fishing has been quite good, especially in the Portland harbor area of the Willamette River. These fish have started to pile into the Willamette and have been keying in on sand/shrimp, smelt and squid. November also means Chum Salmon on Oregon's North Coast and Southwest Washington Rivers. At times very aggressive, Chum can also be very finicky when rivers are low and clear. Flies, jigs and drift gear in pink or chartreuse are standard fare. Always check regulations for chum on the river you intend to fish. Fish on! Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading out. Find reports and two most widely used baits, information on the Fisherman's Community page.
