Outdoor Report 2/15

Last week the winter steelhead finally made a good push up most local and coastal streams. With the rivers dropping into perfect shape and little to no precipitation it made for optimal river conditions. From the south coast all the way up into the Washington coast line the steelhead made an impressive push in. However, because there was very little rain a lot of the rivers were a bit low and started to get clear as there was not much lying snow to give rivers that steelhead green color for very long. Many anglers have switched over to clear water presentations and are still having great success by giving the fish different offerings. Float fishing beads, jigs and worms are all effective choices as is float fishing bait. A small cluster of eggs under a bobber can sometimes be the ticket to stubborn clear water steelhead. Those that are drift fishing may have to focus more on the tops of each hole as that area will have the most current. Small corkies and bait, yarn balls or beads are all options that will get steelhead to bite. You may have to be a little more tactical about your approach to a spot, but fish are still willing to bite. Catch and release sturgeon fishing on the Willamette has been nothing short of amazing this last week. The reports we got from the Portland harbor area were that sturgeon were piled up and feeding aggressively. Sand shrimp, smelt, herring and squid were all baits that got bites. This fishery can be so much fun, especially when introducing people to the sport, as usually you have consistent action. The first reports of springers being caught are running through the local rumor mill. We have several confirmed reports of lower Willamette springers that were caught last week. Although it is early, the fish that do enter the system are usually super aggressive and willing to bite. Herring or prawns being trolled behind a flasher are great options when targeting these early fish in either the Portland harbor or Multnomah channel areas. You may have to put some time in for these early fish but the table fair is second to none and worth the hours spent to catch them. Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading into the field. Find reports and information on the Fisherman's Community page. Tight lines, shoot straight and most of all, be safe out there.