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Hooker_Sean · 06-03-2002, 08:15 PM

This is Dennis Dobson at Oregon Outdoors with your north coast fishing report for the week beginning Thursday, May 30, 2002. By this time next week I will have moved my base of operations north the Astoria for the summer. I will be working the great summer sturgeon run we get on the lower Columbia River during June and July and then the Buoy 10 chinook and coho fishery in August and September. Seats are filling fast for both seasons so if you want to book a trip you need to contact me soon. You might also check out the great specials I am running in conjunction with Local Fisherman News and Fishing and Hunting News. You’ll save a chunk of change on both the sturgeon and salmon fishing by taking advantage of either offer. On a more personal note, I DESPARATELY need a new(er) computer. The one I am using now has a hard drive so full I can’t open multiple pages without triggering “User Resources Limited” messages and crashing my system. I would gladly trade a generous number of guided fishing trips to someone in trade for an upgraded system. Something with a Pentium 2 or 3 maybe? So, if you are an angler in the process of moving up to a state-of-the-art system and want to put your outdated system to work for you please contact me. You can reach me at the phone number and/or email address listed at the end of this column. On to the fishing report… Halibut There will be another two-day halibut season beyond the 30-fathom line on Jume 7 and 8. If you would like to fish it with any of the coastal charter services you need to book your seats now as they will fill quickly. If you don’t know who to call, contact me and I’ll be happy to provide a recomendation. General Conditions Although river levels are a bit low, steelhead fishing is still good to excellent. Recent rains have moved fresh steelies into local rivers and springers have moved into tidewater and the lower sections of most of our area rivers.. Salmon Springer catch numbers in Tillamook Bay continue to remain low although last week’s rains did move some more fish into the bay. Fresh springers are being taken in Trask and Wilson rivers tidewater on bobbers and bait. Some chinook are also being taken by anglers trolling in the Memaloose (Oyster House) area. The most productive bite there has come from trolled red and while spinners with number four or five-sized blades. Trolled herring are also taking fish along the jetties. The Trask, Wilson and Nestucca tidewater sections are producing steady catches for bobber anglers. Steelhead There are still good numbers of steelies in local rivers. Both the Wilson and Nestucca are producing consistent catches. The lower Nestucca is seeing some summer fish headed for the Cedar Creek hatchery on Three Rivers. Your best bet for a chance to find a keeper steelie this time of year is the Wilson River or in Three Rivers. The stretch of Three Rivers just upstream from the mouth, behind the water treatment plant, has been producing well. The area between the bridge and Cedar Creek Hatchery, about two miles east of Hebo on Highway 22, has also been producing. The middle Wilson River really turned on this last week for steelie anglers. Some excellent catches have been reported. The Trask, Wilson, Nestucca and North Fork Nehalem (opens May 25) will all produce steady catches well into July, weather and water conditions permitting. Sturgeon Both Tillamook and Nehalem bays are producing good catches of sturgeon. A good minus tide cycle starts on the 24th and should improve the sturgeon bite. Best time to catch sturgeon is the couple of hours bracketing a low tide. Your best baits are mud and sand shrimp and smelt. The lower Columbia River, from the mouth of the John Day River east of Astoria to Clatsop Spit, saw a big jump in sturgeon numbers vcaught this week. Expect this fishery to get better almost daily through July. If you want to wet a line this coming week I’d suggest you call either Ron Byrd at Nestucca Valley Sporting Goods (503-392-4269) for up-to-date info on the Nestucca and Three Rivers or Dennis and Marie Will at Tillamook Bait Company (503-842-5031) for the latest word on the Trask, Wilson and Tillamook Bay. Kelly and Janice at The Jetty Fishery can give you all of the up-to-date info you need on the fishing at Nehalem. They can be reached at 503-368-5746. Trout Trout fishing in most coastal streams opened on May 25. All north coast streams north of Neskowin Creek are catch and release only. Be sure to check the regs for the specific river or stream you want to fish as many have closures and bait restrictions. The stocking schedule is now available on the internet at www.dfw.or.us. AND at www.localfishermannews.com. Ocean Bottom fishing has been excellent when boats can get across the bar. Ocean salmon seasons got off to a rocky start with some areas producing really well and others poorly. The mid-coast, from Garibaldi to Yaquina, seems to have been producing the best bite so far. Catch numbers along the north coast, from Garibladi to the Columbia River, will increase as fish beging congregating to start up the big river a little later this summer. Crabbing and Shellfish Crabbing ranged from good to excellent all week. Wind and weather permitting all local bays should continue to produce good catches of crab. For the latest info on beach closures, call the Shellfish Hotline at 503-986-4728 or go to www.oda.state.or.us on the web for updates. Although we have already begun booking seats for this summer’s sturgeon and salmon fishing on the lower Columbia River, seats are filling fast. Sturgeon season: June 1 through August 1 (primetime is June 1 through July 15). Chinook and Coho (Silver) season at Buoy 10: August 1 through the second or third week of September (we don’t know yet when ODFW will close the season). Primetime is the second week of August through the middle of September. Remember, the sooner you email or call us the better your chances of getting the date(s) you want. Our new subscription-only website, Oregon Outdoors Fishing Report is now up and running. Simply go to www.oregonoutdoors.org and click on the appropriate hotlink. You will find a sample publication, complete with a weekly report, monthly forecast, an “Ask The Pro’s” section and discounts on bait, tackle, guides, charters and motels. To subscribe, simply fill out the subscription form and email it to us or call 503-815-2766. Ask Us If you’d like to ask about local river conditions or book a trip you can reach us by phone at 503-815-2766 or via e-mail at oreoutdd@pacifier.com And be sure to visit our web site at oregonoutdoors.org. Just follow the link to the homepage. Please sign our Guest Book … we always enjoy seeing who is visiting us. GIFT CERTIFICATES for the angler in your life (you?) are always available. CREDIT AND DEBIT CARDS: We can now accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express credit cards and any major bank debit card for payment. Please call us to complete the transaction. We choose to do this over the phone so you won’t have to send important personal financial information over the internet. Until next week, have a great time and go catch some fish.

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