Outdoor Report 3/14
There were more Spring Chinook caught this past week, as both the Columbia and Willamette Rivers continue to improve. Look for the reports to start becoming much more frequent as the month progresses. With the Columbia still relatively low, the trolling game will be a great bet as you can still troll down river and not be going too fast. Green Label Herring will be the most popular size of Herring. However, folks also use Anchovies and do extremely well on them. Those fishing the Willamette will find success trolling with either traditional Triangle Flashers or 360 Flashers. Whichever you choose, try to stay suspended in the water column, as a lot of the Willamette fish will be suspended, especially down in the lower river and Multnomah Channel. Winter Steelhead fishing this last week was still quite good, considering that most rivers were experiencing low and clear conditions. Next week, the rivers are getting a decent shot of rain which will give them all a little bump in height. This should bring in yet another shot of fresh fish and most rivers should be in fishable shape. Jigs, worms, beads, bait and hardware will all produce well, and don’t forget good ol’ plug fishing. Fishing plugs is a great way to cover water and target multiple species at once. This time of year there are a few early Springers, Summer Steelhead and of course Winter Steelhead. So, you never know what you might hook into. Crabbing has been great at the coast and with this nice change in weather it will make pulling pots a bit more enjoyable. Crabbing is also a super fun activity to do off the jetty. Casting out a Crab Hawk crab trap or crab snare can be entertaining and not to mention super productive. Bottom fishing has also been great for those that have been making the trip to the coast. Lots of nice Lingcod have been caught recently, along with plenty of Rockfish to keep everyone busy. Jigs, curly tail grubs and shrimp flies are a few of the most popular options when chasing bottom fish. Surf perch fishing has been good for those that have been going. With the weather getting nicer and days getting longer, there will be more and more opportunity to go after these delicious critters. Since fishing for them is typically an incoming tide program, watching the tides and weather will be a must. Kokanee fishing remains good up on Merwin Lake as areas of snow continue to melt, making access to Swift and Yale Reservoirs more feasible. Again, the water has been on the cold side, so a lot of the Kokanee are still very high in the water column. Try staggering the depths of your rods until you dial in the depth they are at and set all your rods at that depth. Walleye fishing has continued to be a viable option, especially up the Columbia Gorge. Anglers have reported good success, with quite a few “trophy size” Walleye being caught as well. Trolling bottom walkers is a perfect way to cover some water and find where they are located at. Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading out. Find reports and information on the Fisherman's Community page.
