Outdoor Report 8/16

Salmon fishing in Astoria is heating up! There seem to be more chinook on every tide set, so things should blow wide open here any day. Those that have been fishing out closer to the actual Buoy 10 have been getting a few coho, so when the fishery changes to a coho only fishery on the 24th, there will definitely be some around. For the chinook fishermen, most folks are trolling either herring or anchovies in combination with a triangle flasher. Some people are using 360 Flashers when the tide slows down at either low or high slack, as these fish will typically suspend up off of the bottom so these flashers definitely work well during that time period. As the month progresses the fish move up river and the wobbler fishermen will start to chip away at the packs of fresh chinook moving upstream. These fish move the hardest on an outgoing tide and will get pushed flat to the bottom from the pressure of the current. Finding under water seams or long flat sections of 35’-55’ feet of water will be your best bet at intercepting these fish. Once the tide slacks up then you can definitely start trolling for them with either triangle or 360 Flashers and small spinners or Brad's Super Bait Cut Plugs®. The summer steelhead fishing continues to be good in the Columbia. A lot of fishermen have transferred over to targeting chinook, but that just means the steelhead that are still coming up river are seeing very few steelhead type baits. Fishing coon stripe shrimp continues to be the most popular bait with small spinners and plugs being the second and third options. There are also the cold water fisheries that become popular up in the Gorge this time of year. Herman Creek and Drano Lake are popular because of the cold water influences that these summer steelhead love to hang out in. These are primarily bobber fisheries with coon stripe shrimp and jigs being the two popular options. Bottom fishing continues to be great out in the ocean. For those that still want to scratch that itch, bottom fishing is a fun and easy way to fill the fish box for fish tacos or fish and chips. Shrimp flies, vertical jigs or large curly tail grubs have all been productive lately. Crabbing is getting better and better with the crabs definitely starting to fill out more. We have had reports of large keepers being taken up and down the coast. Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading out. Find reports and information on the Fisherman's Community page.