Fishing report for the week of volume 4 issue number 6 Columbia River Fishing Report - It's an "on again, off again" show for sturgeon in Astoria this week. Most guides are happy to get their limit and if you knock it out before noon, you are a superstar! In other words, we have to go to work to get the job done! Action out of the Hammond Boat Basin has slowed but shows signs of wanting to maintain some stability with short, hot bites like the one that took place just upstream of the single piling on the Oregon side of the sandbar. Pro guide Brad Vanderzanden got his limit there in no time but then his bite died after just a quick 20 minute flurry. The middle slot has also produced mixed results. The most consistent fishing has been in the Oregon Channel. The single piling out of Skipanon and the deep water in front of Bornstiens have been the most consistent. With the weaker tides we are experiencing now, anglers can fish much of the outgoing tide without having to use lead heavier than 10 or 12 ounces to keep the baits on the bottom. Many of these fish are running large too. The sculpins are liking it also as some boats report tearing through 10 pounds of anchovies in no time. One of the "hot new techniques" down here is to just buy numerous pounds of anchovies and circling the boat re-baiting hooks until a sturgeon hits. I choose not to employ this method but instead just bring smelt as they are less likely to get harassed by the trash fish. We managed a limit of 3 today fishing the middle slot up by the bridge. Something to note, with the smaller schools of fish that seem to be present in the estuary this year, it typically does not pay off to park close to a "hot boat" and try and get in on the action. Often, that boat has all the fish focused on their scent trail and you will end up watching them catch all of the fish. We also found fish this last week up close to Marker 3 out of John Day. The best fishing seems to be upstream of Tongue Point and the trash fish are certainly less of a problem out of John Day. It has been busy up there so the holiday weekend may be challenging to get a parking place if you are not there early. Sand shrimp and anchovies are the bait of choice near Tongue Point. Further upriver, oversize sturgeon fishing remains on par with most boats having 1 to 4 opportunities for big fish using fresh caught shad for bait in the power water. Some days the water releases have been next to unbearable making anchoring almost life-threatening! Pro guide Trevor Storlie reported taking a mix of keepers and oversize fish in the gorge. The keepers are coming on smelt or smelt/shrimp combos. And how is that summer chinook season panning out? Pro guide Trevor Storlie also reported on that. "5 kings the day before the opener. 1 PER 1/2 DAY then down to oversize the rest of the afternoons. The Chinook bite has been less than impressive this week. I was seeing 3 or 4 a day at the shad rack. Steelhead are not biting real good yet either. Water flows are so up and down right now with that last storm it has made it real tough to figure out these fish. The fishing should get better for the boaters as time goes on and water flows drop." Pro guide Andy Betnar fished out of John Day for summer chinook and steelhead on 6/29 hooking 2 steelhead and 2 chinook. Of the 4 fish they landed, they were able to keep one of the chinook, which was a 21 pound hatchery fish! They released one very large native steelhead that took a X5 flatfish. The other chinook and steelhead fell to solid pink or orange spin-n-glos. Andy fished both the Altoona and Jim Crow wing jetties just upstream of Tongue Point about 4 miles in 5 to 8 foot of water. And pro guide David Johnson fished the mid-river. He states, "I fished on July 1 for my first trip ever for "June Hogs". We fished just below Prescott and came up with one clipped chinook, lost another and two sturgeon, 38 and 41 inchers. We fished Kwikfish on anchor." And speaking of salmon, we have another opener to look forward to… the ocean reopens to the taking of salmon on Sunday, July 7th! Seasons vary by location but the recreational fishery out of Astoria is what I would focus on if you are in the area. Plentiful chinook and some coho should be available from the get-go out of Astoria and if the early season chinook fishery is any indication, we should have lots of fun up here. Where to start is a roll of the dice but the CR Buoy seemed to be a consistent producer in late June. Check your regulation booklet for the area you are going to fish as regulations vary and can be challenging to understand. The tides will be friendly for a morning crossing but don't take this for granted. People will die on the Columbia this year- it happens every year. Don't become a statistic- know what you are doing before you venture out. Check with the buoy reports and local tackle shop owners. The Guide's Forecast - I will likely be focusing more of my effort out of the John Day Ramp this week to avoid the sculpin but the bite seems to have slowed below the Astoria/Megler Bridge this week. No doubt, isolated fish will be had so if you fish below the bridge, focus your effort on the Oregon side of Desdemona Sands directly north of the mouth of the Skipanon River. Even though the bite in front of Astoria slowed a bunch on 7/3, it will still be a good bet through the weekend. The best bite at this location has been happening close to low slack but if you are fishing lower in the river, it's better to order too much bait than run out during a hot bite in which most of the fish are shakers! Leave the sand shrimp at home unless you know you want to fish water shallower than 5 feet deep or have confidence more sturgeon will be there than sculpin. Anchovies are the top bait in the deeper water but smelt is a great back-up if the trash fish start eating you alive! If you are going to go out of John Day, target Tongue Point itself of directly upstream at Marker 3. Anglers may want to try the edge of the shipping channel closer to Buoy 50 but like most deep water spots, the fish settle closer to the bottom around low slack. You know the oversize routine… catch your shad and do oversize fishing in the deep water. If you want to drop a keeper line, use smelt in combination with a shrimp. If you are going to target those beautiful summer chinook, don't expect great results. You are best to target steelhead and hope a fin-clipped chinook grabs your offering. If you are a die-hard chinook angler, you are better off using plugs or spinners in deeper water. The stronger the tide, the close the fish will be to the beach. For both steelhead and salmon, your best bet if you are going to target salmonids will be the Bonneville area but anglers launching out of Westport could expect fair results fishing the head of Tenasillahe Island. Spin-n-glos in pinks and oranges seem to the consistent colors.
 Willamette and Santiam Rivers Fishing Report - The fish counts at Willamette Falls haven't been updated since June 19th. Somebody's asleep at the switch. It's safe to assume that two or three hundred steelhead along with 500 chinook are passing every day ... still! There's a ton of fish in the system. Pro Guide Jesse Zalonis reports, "Recently the Santiam has been sporadic. One day we hammer them and the next is a little slow. There are tons of steelhead scattered through the entire system if that's your bag. There have been many recycle trips made to Mehama, and angler pressure reflects that. The best steelheading has been from there up-river. Floats and jigs have been producing well in the reds and pinks. I started using some blues and purples and have been doing well, just for a different profile. Small baits of all varieties have been very effective as well. "The Spring Chinook were cooperating well until the river dropped. They are still more than available, however a little picky. If you find a bunch of fish, stay on them and be persistent, as they will go in little biting frenzies. That's how I've been picking up most of my fish. Drift fishing and back-bouncing have been the best for me, using anything pink or red with fresh baits and good scents. "As summer goes, Early morning and late evening is generally best, and shady spots through the day are the ticket, and don't be afraid to hit the flats for steelies. For some reason they tend to hold in shallows here." From the South fork, we hear from Pro Guide Grant Scheele, "Fishing for Springers slowed for me this week on the S. Santiam. My last three trips 5 for 5, 2 for 3 and 2 for 4. While the fish are starting to really darken we haven't caught one yet that didn't have red meat. Put your time in with some quality Salmon eggs and sandshrimp under a bobber and the probability of catching a nice Spring Chinook is good."
Clackamas, McKenzie, and Sandy River Fishing Reports - Pro Guide David Johnson reports, "I finished up my Clackamas Springer season last week, or should I say that hot weather finished it up for me. Things had held up nicely through the 20th when we landed 7 but from then on it was two to three chances a day with one or two fish in the boat. My last day was the 25. There are still nice bright fish available but the moss, swimmers, trash fish and low water are adding to the challenge. Summer fishing should be good for a while and for fly fishermen hitting the riffles before the sun gets on them it could be productive." And this report comes from Pro Guide Trevor Storlie, "The Sandy once again got hit with mud flows with the last storm. The river level came way up. This means when the river finally does clear there should be plenty of fish available. The Sandy is only clearing right now at a rate of about 6 inches a day. Next weeks report should be a little better." Pro Guide Gene Tomasco reports, "Clackamas River: The Clackamas has slowed some in the past week. The temperature change in the water has promoted the growth of a lot of moss and sludge, especially in the lower river below Carver. Last week the hatchery recycled several hundred steelhead for another shot up the river. There are still chinook available in the upper stretches, as the river continues to drop using a bobber and eggs from the bank in McIver Park will be your best bet. A report of a native 50lb springer was released in the upper park recently. As of 7/2 the river was at 11.76ft, and the flow was 1660cfs. "Sandy River: Not much to report here, the river has been blown out from Fridays storm that dumped too much rain for this time of the year, and also sparked some snowmelt which made matters worse. Prior to the muck, the river was still kicking out springers. The counts over Bonneville continue, and reports of fish as far down as Fred's Marina on the Willamette continue as well. The bank fisherman on the upper Sandy from Revenue bridge down are doing well for summer runs. "McKenzie River: The Mac continues to drop and clear from the Corps disaster. The fishing has been slowly returning to where it should be for this time of the year. Hatches have been a bit sparse though. Since the Mac is a big caddis river , once the weather gets back on track look for some major caddis and little yellow stones to be popping off. I fished the river for three days this past week and I would say that the upper river above Leaburg is fishing better than the lower. The boaters continue to hammer the steelhead, and springers from the dam down." The Guide's Forecast - As the spring chinook season is in the process of winding down, there seems to be ever more fresh steelhead entering the system. Target them for quality fish, concentrating efforts at first and last light as this is when they'll be on the move and susceptible to spinners, jigs and bait.
Deschutes River Report - Fly-rodders are finding action all day long with redsides !4- to 15-inches and whitefish slightly larger. Prince and caddis nymphs are effective.
North Coast District Fishing Report - The Wilson River lit up for steelheaders over the weekend after the rain on Friday. Nestucca anglers are also finding steelhead scattered throughout the system. While a few chinook have been taken recently on Tillamook Bay, the Trask has slowed. Some chinook are being taken from the jaws at Nehalem, but fish are not yet in the bay. Offshore bottom fishing has been fabulous and is expected to hold up. The Guide's Forecast - It's gonna be a first light/last light show on the coastal streams for steelhead scattered in the systems. The spring chinook fishing is just about history for 2002. Historically, the Fourth of July marks the last of the great summer steelhead action, but with the strong run this year, action is expected to continue through the month as fresh fish continue to enter. It we're blessed with a rain shower, be there as the streams drop for some action. Mild tides over the weekend favor crabbing, but it's been terrible in Tillamook Bay. The best reports (although still not great) are coming from Yaquina Bay. Netarts has been very slow.
Central & South Coast Bays and Rivers - The ocean off the mouth of the Umpqua River is providing steady action with coho and chinook. Coho can be kept as of July 7th. Crabbing has been excellent. There's no sign of a lull in the smallmouth action upstream with bass hitting on the surface in the morning hour and crankbaits & soft plastics throughout the day. Chinook fishing remains consistent out of Charleston.
Ramblings and Musings Anglers seeking those 'June Hogs' have found a few from Tongue Point clear up to Bonneville Dam. While there aren't sufficient numbers of summer chinook for this to be considered a 'hot' fishery, they can be a pleasant surprise as an incidental catch when targeting the more numerous steelhead. Anglers looking to fish specifically for the summer-run Chinook would want to find good current in 10 to 15 feet of water. Prawn spinners and sardine-wrapped K-15 Kwikfish have been effective recently. Bank anglers are taking steelhead and chinook on Spin 'n' Glos at the deadline below Bonneville and off Prescott beach, both of which have been crowded. Social Security Beach has been slow. About 2,000 summer chinook and 1,500 steelhead are crossing per day at Bonneville. The North Santiam has been hot and cold for springers, but remains a solid steelhead fishery. Expect to see the levels drop over the next week, creating some excellent steelheading opportunities. The chinook are starting to color up on the South Santiam, but are said to retain good quality for the table at this point. Clackamas anglers are still finding spring chinook high on the river and steelhead are numerous enough to be recycled. The Sandy River blew out again with the last rain but is reported as fishable, though roiled, above Dodge Park. Visibility is about 12 inches and improving. Springers and steelhead are hitting spinners and baits of cured salmon eggs. Sturgeon fishing in the estuary on the Columbia River is holding up well. Reports that sturgeon are scattered is not entirely accurate. The pods of keepers are scattered, but once located, limits come quickly. Once again, moving frequently is required. Stay on a non-productive spot no longer than 30 minutes and take plenty of bait. Sand shrimp and anchovies are tops, but bullheads are numerous and voracious. Retention of sturgeon will be allowed through July 25th after which it will be closed through September 30th. Over last weekend according to ODFW checkers, 762 legal sturgeon were taken by 550 recreational fishermen in the estuary (127 of these were released). Reports from the John Day (East side) are of 100 smallmouth per day right of the surface of a river that's running low and getting skinnier. Caution should be excersized for any contemplating a drift on this shallow stream, but fly-rodding action with poppers and dries is fast and furious for foot-long smallies. Crescent Lake is putting out some whopper kokanee in the 18-inch range with some reaching 22 inches, but the limit is five per day. Odell has been slow. Boaters should be aware of this USCG advisory regarding a holiday closure, "The U.S. Coast Guard, Multnomah and Clark County Sheriff's Marine Patrols and the City of Portland will be enforcing a safety zone regulation on the Columbia River surrounding the 4th of July Fort Vancouver Fireworks Display from 9:50 PM to 10:50 PM. The river will be closed to vessels wishing to transit or anchor between the I-5 Bridge and the middle of Tomahawk Island (east of Hayden Bay and the Columbia River Yacht Club) during this time." More info here: http://www.piersystem.com/external/final_View.cfm?pressID=7427&CID=21
SailCat's Inbox Subscriber Richard B. sent this late last week, " ... this week I am in Pacific City, no luck on the river, not even with the C & R cuts. Big springers rising all around me. Oh, well. So I go to Town Lake for consolation. DFW put surplus "steelhead" in there, they are 16" rainbows. Not as much fight as the real thing but I'm using a five foot very lightweight rod, small sharpened hook, split shot, 4 lb. line, nightcrawler chunk and they give me a good fight. Lots for the freezer. If any hook at all shows, even the line knot, they're shy, otherwise they bite like crazy and so do the perch, some of which are huge. Best times 7 a.m. (when I get there, that is) and right after sunset." I replied to Richard, "Great report, thanks. Hang in there on the river ... those chinook are tough to catch, but since you know where they are, try them at first light. That'll be your best shot. Please keep the reports coming!" This week, subscriber Steve S. had this question, "In many of your forecasts you state that fishing should be good on river X because tides will be favorable. I am new to the bigger river fishing. I typically fish smaller non-tidally influenced systems. Could you please explain how tides affect fishing for steelhead and salmon and perhaps discuss how the tides affect the techniques one uses during different tides. Thanks and keep it up." Pro Guide Bob Rees answered this one, "You may find helpful info by reading some of our technical reports available at www.TheGuidesForecast.com . But to briefly explain tides for steelhead beach fishing- most anglers believe (and it seems to be true) that our river dwelling salmonids hug the beach on outgoing tides to make for easier migration upstream. Anytime you get fish that concentrate, your lures will be presented to larger numbers of fish thus, getting more opportunities. Also, fish bite better in flow and likely disperse on an incoming tide making them difficult to find. Some anglers switch gear during different parts of the tide too. Certain lures work better in harder flows and certain ones work better in softer flows. As you can see, much to learn here. I hope this is a valuable start. Good Luck!" Thanks to Steve for asking and Bob for the answer. Random Links
Ocean salmon catch estimates:
How to cure eggs like a pro: Weekly quote "Rivers and the inhabitants of the watery elements are made for wise men to contemplate and for fools to pass by" - Izaac Walton Have a safe and happy holiday weekend. Keep those reports coming to SailCat@TheGuidesForecast.com. GOOD LUCK!
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