Outdoor Report 2/6

This week the vast majority of rivers in the Northwest rose to unfishable heights as we received wave after wave of rain.  With that said, rivers look to finally be dropping back into shape next week and there should be plenty of Steelhead to be caught.  These fish have been hiding out, waiting for a break in the rain to jet upriver.  As rivers clear up the fish will quite often be tucked in next to the shore where they can get the most break from the current.  Don’t be afraid to take your first couple of casts right off the bank, as sometimes that may be right where they are.  Bait, pink worms, Steelhead Scampi, Spin-N-Glos, Corkies and plugs will all be great choices when targeting these high-water fish.  Finding a clear water feeder creek can also be a great place to start as fish will tuck up into those clear water areas to get a break from silt that may be coming down river.

Springers are going to start poking their heads into the Columbia and Willamette any day now.  Typically, we start to see a few fish get caught around the beginning of February and then more as the season progresses.  These first fish are almost always caught by anglers trolling herring and a flasher in the lower Willamette.  Cut-plug Green Label herring is usually the ticket with a flasher that has a lot of flash or UV tape on it.  In the Columbia, we start to see the first few fish get caught by those anchor fishing in the lower river.  Kwikfish in sizes 13-15 and Mag Lips from sizes 3.5-5.0 are among the favorites of these plug fishermen.

Catch and release sturgeon fishing has still been great for those fishing the lower Willamette specifically.  However, with all of the recent rain, be very careful about where you anchor and where in the river you plan to fish.  With rivers rising as we head into the weekend, there will likely be a lot of debris coming down river.

Kokanee fishing remains a great option, especially at Merwin Lake.  These fish have been aggressive and anglers are reporting a really nice grade of fish.  Most fish are still relatively high in the water column, so those anglers that don’t have downriggers can still do really well.  Shoepeg corn is a must and adding different scents can really mix it up.  Again, small spinner blades, Wiggle Hoochies and small Spin-N-Glos have all been performing well.

Crabbing is always an option and look for it to get a lot better once the bays flush out all of the fresh water brought in by the recent rains.

Razor clamming has opened in Oregon from Astoria to Tillamook Head and WDFW announced that Long Beach, along with several other beaches, are going to be open for evening digs from February 6th through February 12th.

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.