Fishing report for the week of volume 3 issue number 44 Columbia River Fishing Report - Finally! Say good-bye to the gillnets- at least until a possible "mop up fishery" that may occur in May. I hate that word, "mop-up" but it has more applicability in the salmon fishery than it does in the sturgeon fishery. The nets came out on the morning of 3/27 so get in your boat or car and go fishing! Lots of springers to be had and the tides are right. I started off my springer season fishing with pro guide Andy Betnar on 3/23 at Altoona upstream of Tongue Point. We got there before the tide started running but ended up in the right spot. For 16 or 17 boats, we only witnessed 10 fish caught with one of two of those fish being steelhead. We hooked and landed 2 springers, one of which we had to release. Thankfully, it was the smaller one. Future guide Tyler Betnar (age 9) landed his first one of the year using a diver and bait wrapped Kwikfish in about 12 feet of water along the Altoona wing jetty. Tyler's 18 pound fish was black faced indicating a Columbia River bound springer versus the "snow-belly" salmon destined for the Willamette River. And when you read the Willamette report, you might wonder if a good batch of the 5-year old fish already passed through the lower Columbia and are holding in the Willamette. Although we witnessed numerous sea-lions at the site, amazingly no salmon were taken from sport anglers fishing the near-by area that day. They were however, having no trouble catching their own for lunch. Pro guide Dennis Stewart reported from the Puget Island area out of Westport that he had taken 2 legal springers on 3/23 and there was a decent bite at Jim Crow Sands as well. The last few days for sport anglers in the Astoria area have been disastrous. The gillnets were having a significant impact on sport harvest. Pro guide Andy Betnar reported scores of gillnet boats targeting springers in the channel on the flood tide and coming up with fish. Andy postponed his trip by a day or two to allow for some fresh fish to come into the river. A more recent report from the Columbia comes from pro guide Trevor Storlie as he announced good fishing from the Reed Island area. Trevor witnessed about a dozen fish for 30 boats in this area. Bonneville seems to be a hit-or-miss proposition as Trevor stated it was dead on the day he reported to me (3/25) but there had already been decent action by both bank and boat anglers. Pro guide Dan Ponciano reports that he landed 2 springers on plugs on 3/27 in the Bonneville area. He talked to one dedicated angler in the reach that said this was the slowest day he had seen in 10 days. He has had 10 straight days of salmon landings fishing near Bonneville! On the sturgeon side, Dan Ponciano reports easy limits for those boats parked in the right spot. He stated Cape Horn is the go-to spot and if you are one of the 4 boats to anchor in the slot, it's easy pickings. Trevor Storlie also mentioned that his "secret" bait was a squid/smelt combo in that same area. Trevor said some boats were fishing the flats just upstream of Cape Horn and coming up with positive results as well. The Guide's Forecast - Spring chinook fishing will only get better from here on out. We have the removal of the gill nets, favorable tides and just plain run-timing on our side this week for Columbia River anglers. With 4-year old Columbia River springers making up the bulk of the run, look for these smaller, redder fleshed salmon to make up the bulk of the catches. There are still plenty of the larger 5-year old fish to come into the Willamette but if you are really greedy and want to target larger fish, you should be heading for the Willamette River. The chrome/green dot and chrome/red dot Kwikfish are good bets when plunking plugs. Trolled herring will seldom out-fish the hog-liners but may be your only option when we have incoming tides. From the Altoona wing jetty upstream to Rainier will be the best opportunity for bigger number of fish but don't discount the Bonneville area if you are prepared to fish there as some guides are saying any day they should be seeing a significant jump in numbers being caught. Dan Ponciano said the flows are certainly low enough to back-bounce eggs right now but may not stay that way if water releases go on.
 Willamette River and Santiam Rivers Fishing Report - I kinda blew this fishery off in last weeks report but there have been some great days for Willamette River springers recently. Reports of great catches in the Oregon City area came on 3/25 but then slowed again on 3/26. Springers have been taken throughout the lower river by trollers and bouncers. The best action has been by bouncers and backtrollers in the Oregon City area just upstream and downstream of the I-205 bridge. Prawns and sand shrimp will take most of the salmon when backbouncing but anglers wanting a relaxing way to fish should employ the easy technique of backtrolling Kwikfish behind jumbo jet divers this time of year. Full details on these techniques and more can be found on our technical report home page from our link at www.TheGuidesForecast.com . On the Santiam, pro guide Grant Scheele reports, "Fished the Santiam Saturday (3/23) hooking 8 and landed 6. We caught all natives on the Santiam but I expect that to change in the coming weeks with the Summer Steelhead count improving. Caught most of the fish on eggs but a few with sandshrimp." The Guide's Forecast - This fishery may continue to be hit and miss but better action should be expected by mid-week as the "nets of death" are lifted coupled with favorable tides to bring in good numbers. For those anglers willing to put up with a bit more crowded conditions, Oregon City will be the most productive area. Trollers participating in the "Gentlemen's Fishery" from the Portland Harbor to St. Helens should stand a fair chance at success using herring (which are still hard to find) or prawns, prawn spinners or plugs in these areas. In water with little current, fish will likely be suspended off of the bottom but when you are fishing tidally influenced water or a downstream current, look for fish to be in the shallower, slower moving currents closer to the bottom.
Clackamas and Sandy River Fishing Reports - Pro guide Trevor Storlie reports steady action for steelhead on the Sandy. Trevor commented that action was better last year than it is shaping up for this year but it is still steady enough to warrant a trip. There is a mix of summer steelhead and winter natives for those few working the river. Fresh fish are spread throughout the river but the best chance at a hatchery summer fish will be in the lower stretches. The Guide's Forecast - Springers will be in the mix on the Clackamas as greater numbers run. The Sandy is a cooler (glacial) stream but will continue to provide steelhead action.
North Coast District Fishing Report - Although I experienced some frustrating fishing this week on my natal streams, that was not the case for many anglers. All the legendary rivers fished well this week, especially for those able to tap virgin water for the day. My theory has long been to just work the water, all the water, with dedication and determination. I do owe my limited success to this theory but clearly anglers that were able to work the previously unmolested water ahead of me, fared better. The Wilson and Nestucca Rivers fished very well this week but with numerous other boats ahead of me, I was only able to scrounge up 4 opportunities on 3/26 for my spring break crew of Garry Whyte and his son but landing none! We did the Siskeyville to Donaldson's float and the water was in ideal shape. Driftboaters need to still be aware of the dangerous rock in the "Rock Garden" section of this drift (visible from Hwy. 6) as the lower flows we are now experiencing make this section hazardous! On 3/27, I took a float on the Trask River expecting fewer anglers and more fish- wrong on both counts! We only had 2 opportunities, breaking one off and not getting the hooks into the other one. The trout were hitting Tadpolys regularly however. Other boats on the drift complained of only 1 or 2 chances for the day. Other guides, like Chris Vertopoulos found good numbers of fish in the lower section (downstream of Donaldson's) on 3/26. He landed 6 fish with one of the fish being a nice broodstock fish. He was filming an edition of America's Outdoor Journal with host Trey Carskadon. They landed all of their fish driftfishing bait. I also talked with another sport angler at the 101 take-out on the Trask on 3/27 and he claimed to land 8 steelhead below Sollie Smith Bridge on 3/26 counting a nice spring chinook! (Spring chinook season does not open until April first but catches are fairly common in late March in the rivers.) This angler claimed most of his fish came on bobber and jigs. Pro guide Dave Johnson also had good fishing in the district this week. Dave reports, "In the last two days I've fished both the Trask and Wilson. The water has been great but if we don't get much rain they will be dropping down. We ended up hooking 14, landing 11 for the two days. All beautiful chrome fish. Four of them were Broodstock fish. We took all our fish on pink or orange corkies and cheaters with eggs. I think these rivers may be starting to wind down even though every fish we got was real fresh. We really had to work for them and cover a lot of water." On the Nestucca, pro guides Kent Anderson and Marty Peterson have been posting good numbers of fish in the upper drifts of the river. Kent and Marty had multiple fish days in the early week but as the flows dropped, the fish became more concentrated in fewer spots. The smaller streams like the Kilchis and Necanicum are low and clear now. The Guide's Forecast - With the weather forecast calling for fair conditions, water levels will continue to drop and clear causing anglers to change up techniques and river sections to maintain success. The "big" river, namely the South Fork of the Nehalem may give up the best opportunity in years for that once in a lifetime bruiser that is bound for the Salmonberry River. This is always the last river to clear and is most likely fishable now but may improve as the weekend nears. Keep in mind that Mohler Sand and Gravel is closed on the weekends making Roy Creek the only option for a take-out if you put in at the Beaver Slide on the Nehalem. The Wilson and Nestucca Rivers should continue to fish good especially with the extreme tide series we are currently experiencing. As a general rule, low water conditions call for lower river drifts. Not only are the upper floats unproductive, but they are hazardous as well. 6th Bridge put in would not be a good option on the Nestucca and the stretch above Mills Bridge should also be a concern for driftboaters. The Trask should improve from the results I saw as the water still has good color and height to it. Bank anglers working the upper stretches are scoring if they are stealth in their approach and tactic. The rivers open up for springers on the 1st of April but remember, spring chinook in Tillamook County must now have a fin-clip to keep. Only about 70% of the hatchery fish are supposed to be clipped this season. Bobber and jigs will have a place to fish this weekend. Drifted baits will have to be worked in the deeper, slower water and it appears our district steelhead are not taking plugs like they used to although the black pirate and silver/metallic blue back Tadpolys showed promise in my boat the last few days.
Central & South Coast Reports - On the Siletz River, pro guide Grant Scheele fished the river as it was dropping into shape. They managed good numbers as they went 7 for 12 in two days of fishing. Pro guide Shane Groshong reports, "Thursday I fished the Siuslaw for steelhead and we were 4 for 6, and all four landed were nice hatchery fish. 5 were hooked on bobber and eggs, and while the other was on a plug. Friday we were 3 for 6 all fish being hooked on bobber and eggs. We were fishing the Whitaker creek area." The Umpqua River has started up for springers, with pretty good numbers in the lower river for this early in the season.
Ramblings and Musings Following innumerable extensions of the commercial 'tangle net' season in the Columbia and lower Willamette Rivers, the last of the operations pulled out at 9 A.M. on Wednesday, March 27th. While this action does provide a greater number of spring chinook for the sports anglers, the door was left open for additional commercial fisheries in April. Stay tuned. Counts at Willamette Falls as of Friday, March 22nd (the latest data available) shows 10,713 winter and 427 summer steelhead. Only two springers have climbed the ladder, but with the Willamette at 47 degrees and 2.8 feet visibility, the time is nigh for the rush to take place. Look for a stampede at 50 degrees. As it is, the Willamette is several degrees warmer than the Columbia, a situation the salmon find agreeable. Finally, the spring chinook season seems to be underway and the Willamette River is the heating up. Anglers are taking fish by slow-trolling plug-cut herring or by sitting on anchor trailing Kwikfish or spinners. The area near Sellwood Bridge has been a hotspot. Bank anglers have been taking some springers as well from Meldrum Bar on the Willamette, and while the Columbia has yet to start producing consistently for boaters, plunkers using spinners or Spin-N-Glos are taking fish from Prescott Beach on the Oregon Side and off the beach at Rainier in Washington state. An occasional spring chinook has been taken by boat anglers in the Big River, however, like the 40-pounder that was weighed at a G.I. Joe's store on Sunday, March 24th. The fish took a plug-cut herring near the mouth of the Kalama. Steelhead have been cooperative with anglers in the Sandy River during the spring-like weather recently. Clackamas fishers are taking a mix of winter native, hatchery summer and broodstock steelhead. All favored methods are taking fish, with plugs the preference of boat anglers, spinners and drift gear getting the nod from bank-bound fishermen. The Northern coastal streams open for spring chinook on April 1st, although virtually no springers are yet present. They're coming, though as the lower Umpqua has quite a few already and this run moves up the coast from the South. Jennie Logsdon Martin fished with Pro Guide Tim Juarez of T and S Guide service on Wednesday, March 27th. While the stream went un-named, she described it as "one of the North Coast's premiere steelhead rivers," and went on to say, "I hooked 10 native steelies, and landed 8! I've never in my wildest fish dreams imagined such a day!" The rest of the story may be found at www.ifish.net. One gets the impression a pretty good time was had by all. Be sure to visit her discussion board. Heck, sign up and join in, it's lots of fun. Native coastal steelhead continue to provide catch-and-release action in the Wilson, Trask and Nestucca Rivers and the fabulous bounty of hatchery summer steelhead will be available soon. The latter incredible catch-and-keep fishery will go away if the hatcheries on these systems close. Just a little reminder to get involved and stay involved. Only fin-clipped (hatchery) spring chinook may be taken on the coastal rivers and soon this will include Fall salmon as well. One way to get involved is to volunteer to help fin-clip 120,000 spring chinook at the Whiskey Creek Hatchery (near Netarts) on Saturday, April 13th. It's the 15th Anniversary of the Tillamook Anglers, a non-profit organization dedicated to the enhancement of habitat and fishing in Tillamook County and the folks responsible for maintaining this facility. This is one of the places where they'll be celebrating. Doughnuts and coffee will be available at 8 A.M. and lunch will be provided at mid-day courtesy of local merchants. Telephone (503) 842-6519 or Email jdovetillanglers@tillanet.com for more information. South coast streams have been producing some fine steelhead catches with Rogue River just starting to turn on. Crabbing has been slow in Tillamook Bay and fair in Yaquina Bay. Offshore bottom fishing has been excellent with the commercial charters providing consistent limits of rockfish, which they say are running 30% larger than average. Large ling cod are usually in the catch. Rock, jetty and surf perch fishing remains good. The calming has been so good recently that even though the minus tides this weekend fall into the 'mild' category, if this is a sport you enjoy (or like me, a seafood of particular interest), go anyway. Razors and gapers and cockles, oh my! The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) has determined that the ocean off the Washington. Oregon, Washington and California coasts will open May 1st and have adopted a 1,310,000-pound quota which is a 15 percent increase over 2001 catch limits. The first all-depth fisheries have been established as May 10th, 11th, 17th and 18th with dates in June and August depending upon additional poundage available. All depth halibut fishing is open year 'round North of Cape Falcon (Astoria area). Additional information may be found here: http://www.hmsc.orst.edu/odfw/regs/halibut.html. Sturgeon fishing remains slow and with spring chinook taking off, interest is low. For those who prefer to chase these bottom-dwellers, the action is upriver on the Columbia. Think Multnomah and Horsetail Falls, Rooster Rock, Power Lines and the Fishery. Trout were heavily stocked last week for spring break, with virtually every trout and pond getting fish. As a consequence, this week the list is short with Canby Pond, Henry Hagg and Waverly Lake (Albany) getting legal rainbows. Blue River Reservoir, Cottage Grove Reservoir, and Dexter Reservoir will be stocked this week with legal, larger and a few trophy trout. Chickahominy Reservoir fans have a tear in their eye due to the March 27th announcement that stocking will be discontinued there. It seems there's not enough water and insufficient snow pack to properly fill it following that last few years of below-normal precipitation. All the resident trout died in the warm, shallow water last year, after which it was drained to eliminate illegally stocked goldfish. Goldfish? Stop that. Hey, you can't catch fish if you don't know how (not consistently, anyway), so check out the spring chinook clinic which will be given by the Newberg Chapter of the Northwest Steelheaders this Saturday, March 30th at the Sherwood G.I. Joe's store from 10 A.M. 'til they run out of tips to share and questions to answer.
SailCat's Inbox Regarding a Weekly Quote from a TGF newsletter earlier this month, regular contributor Mr. D. wrote, "I love that fishing report from 1878. Brought a smile just thinking about how long we have been chasing those wily trout around this country. They never fail to elude even the most hardy of soul." So true, Mr. D., but check the quote this week (below) for a real trip on the Way-Back Machine. The human race has been hooked on angling for quite some time. Subscriber 'G' wrote saying he was fishing is a sturgeon derby, but didn't mention where. We wrote back asking the location and received this reply about 3 A.M. *on the day* of the derby, " I'm thinking about around Bonneville, but I have never taking my boat out there. I did some reading up of the area and may hit the horsetail falls area. Is this a good area this time of the year? What water levels should i be in and if so what weight should i use? The derby is Saturday. Any info would be helpful." I replied, typing hurriedly, "[received your request] just a few minutes ago ... I hope this gets to you in time to do some good. "The Horsetail area has been very good lately and is an excellent choice, A personal friend has been fishing there with very good results. Look for a change of bottom contour like a depression and take plenty of lead. While my buddy wasn't specific about depth or the amount needed to hold bottom, have weights on hand 10 to 20 ounces. Use the freshest smelt available, with and without scent, and sand shrimp if you can get 'em. Good Luck!" I received this follow-up Email from 'G' that evening, "thanks for the info, but it was a little late. We went instead to cape horn. We didn't do too well, but a couple boats next to us did. Our down fall was not using fresh smelt and not enough weight. Oh well. The weather was get and i learned a lot about the area for next time." You've got the right attitude, 'G', and I'm sure you'll get'em next time around. Good luck getting that 'Caps Lock' button fixed. 8-)
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How to cook 'em: Weekly quote "When I sit by the river, my mind is totally concentrated on fishing and nothing else. I have a good feel for the give and pull of the line so the fish are not even aware when the hook and bait enter the water. To them, the bait is no different from a grain of sand or a bubble, and they swallow it without suspecting. This is the principle of using the soft to win over the strong and the light to hold the heavy. My lord, if you can rule your country this way, then everything in the world will be at your fingertips. Isn't that more effective than using force?" - The words of Taoist hermit Lieh Tzu, born around 400 BCE Send fishing information and pictures to SailCat@TheGuidesForecast.com. Feel free to make suggestions and advise us if your favorite fishery isn't listed. GOOD LUCK! If there is a fishery in our northwest corner that you would like to see expanded coverage on, please let us know by emailing Bob Rees at brees@pacifier.com. Support NSIA. Keep the hatcheries open. The following guides have some availability for fishing in the mentioned fisheries: Bob Rees - North Coast steelhead |
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