Outdoor Report 9/6

Salmon fishing on the Columbia River is in full swing from Bonneville down, with wide open bites occurring this week in the Gorge, Davis Bar and many other locations. Pulling small spinners behind Pro Troll Flashers has been the technique of choice, with VIP, Simon, Hildebrandt, Oregon Tackle UV Spinners and Half-Fast Baby Back Spinners all taking their share of fish. In the heavier current near Bonneville, or lower down on an outgoing tide, anchor fishing wobblers, plugs and spinners is also effective. Coastal Bays are also seeing some Chinook at this time, though action has been spottier than on the Columbia. Fish are being caught at Nehalem tidewater, Tillamook Bay and Siletz Bay and tidewater. These coastal fisheries will only improve in the coming weeks. Coho have arrived at the Clackamas River and some have been caught this week at the confluence with the Willamette River at Clackamette Park. Casting spinners at first and last light is the name of the game here, though the fish could bite at any time if we have cloud cover or rainy weather. There have also been a few coho caught up the Clackamas, and we have heard rumors of coho in the Sandy, yet nothing confirmed. Last year the coho on the Clackamas were surprisingly good biters, so we are hoping for a repeat. Rain will certainly help jump start our tributary coho fisheries region-wide. Have you seen next week’s weather forecast? Nothing like well-timed rain showers to kick off the coho season! When the action gets going, casting spinners, plugs, or twitching jigs will take plenty of fish, and drift-fishing or bobber-fishing eggs will take them when nothing else seems to work. Have you seen the new Spro Twitching Jigs at our stores? These come in a ¾-ounce size, which is great for getting down in deeper holes with heavier current. Shorter days, cooler weather and the onset of the Fall season means that trout, bass and walleye will be on the snap again in order to fatten up for the long Pacific Northwest winter. Smallmouth bass fishing on both the Willamette and Columbia Rivers has been off the charts recently, with crankbaits, drop-shotted plastics and topwater all working well at times. Three of our guys from the Oregon City store fished the Willamette River above the falls last week and caught and released well over 100 bass between them on a variety of techniques. Smallmouth are pugnacious, hard-fighting fish, and these fisheries are vastly under-utilized by the fishing public. Stop by any of our stores for tips on how to target bass, and we’ll help you get going on this fun fishery! Fall is a great time to target trout as they begin to aggressively feed again, and autumn in the high country is awesome! Brook trout, rainbows and cutthroat are all available depending on where you go, but keep in mind that Mt. Hood’s Timothy Lake has all three and is a vastly underrated trout fishery. There are some very large brook trout and rainbows to be had in Timothy, and right now is the time to get them! Crabbing continues to improve as we approach what many consider the best time of year for succulent, delicious Dungeness. Now is a good time to round up the crab pots and kids, and make one more crabbing adventure to the coast while we still have gorgeous late summer/fall weather. While you’re at the coast, keep in mind that bottom fishing is still excellent and salmon are also available off shore and are starting to show in the bays. Good luck! Always be sure to check local regulations at ODFW and WDFW before heading out. Find reports and information on the Fisherman's Community page.