Outdoor Report 12/21

The water has been low and clear lately so there has been a little less pressure on area rivers. That doesn’t mean there are not fish around, you just need to alter your tactics a little bit. When the water gets clear and cold steelhead tend to move to slower water areas to conserve their energy. It doesn’t mean they aren’t in fast runs, but it means you should also target slower runs. Hard beads, soft beads, jigs, small egg clusters and sand shrimp are all great options when targeting steelhead in these conditions. Another technique that can work in cold water is hardware. Now it may not be the best choice to run through the hole first, but before you leave a spot always throw a spinner or a spoon. Sometimes there will be a fish that is unwilling to bite traditional offerings but will go out of its way to smash a spoon or spinner. With all that being said, we have had some rain this week which brought the local rivers back up. We should be seeing pushes of brand new steelhead in virtually all the local and coastal rivers. Jigs, Beads, pink worms and bait are all going to be great options with the rivers at a perfect level. These fish will be fresh, hot and aggressive, so be ready for a hard fight. Catch and release sturgeon has been great for those that have been out targeting them. Squid, sand shrimp, herring and smelt have all been great baits. Both the Willamette and Columbia have had plenty of fish to target, so pick your favorite sturgeon spot and go have some fun playing catch and release. Reports from Skagit Flats in northern Washington site many new birds migrating into the area. With this current spate of cold weather, expect more birds locally as well. Flocks of both puddlers and divers in the lower Columbia show signs of decoy shyness. Until more fresh birds move into the area, hunting success is very conditional. With the right weather, hunting is good. Calm days make for tough hunting. As always check local regulations before heading out. Tight lines, shoot straight and most of all be safe out there.