08-10-2002, 06:07 PM
This is Dennis Dobson at Oregon Outdoors with your north coast fishing report for the week beginning Thursday,August 8, 2002.<br>General Conditions<br>Pressure at Buoy 10 piocked up noticably this week as did catch numbers. The ocean salmon bite off the north coast is ranging from excellent to outrageous. Most anglers are limiting early with the catch ratio running right at 50/50 chinook versus coho. Please be aware that while barbed hooks are allowed in the river, the ocean remains barbless.<br>Salmon<br>While angler pressure increased at Buoy 10 this week, and I expect to see even more anglers this weekend, catches remain spotty in the river. Water temperature is still too high to encourage either large numbers of fish to enter the main river or provoke a real bite. This said, many anglers are reporting good to excellent catches. The trick seems to be moving around a lot until you find active fish. The ocean is still producing excellent catches across the board. As water temps in the river begin to drop, expecially on the upcoming series of minus tides, expect the river bite to improve radically.<br>I expect, based on guide and charter bookings and the amount of pre-ordered bait local shops are reporting, to see a big jump in the number of Buoy 10 anglers this weekend. If you are headed this way be sure to get here early as lines at Hammond and Ilwaco aree likely to be long. Also, if you intend to bring an RV or tent camp this weekend and you don’t already have a space reserved at one of the local state parks or RV camps don’t be surprised if you can’t find a place to camp. Amost, if not all, of the available spaces would appear to be already spoken for.<br>Steelhead<br>There are still good numbers of steelies in local rivers. However, low, warm summer rivers are making the fish difficult to catch. Work early and late, while it is still fairly cool and there is no direct sunlight on the water and extend your leader length. It will also help to downsize both your bait and the pound-test you fish with. Persistent steelheaders are still taking good numbers of summer run fish however and numbers of available fish are good enough to justify making the effort.<br>Sturgeon<br>ODFW has announced that, effective July 25, sturgeon fishing on the lower Columbia River will become catch-and-release ONLY. While anglers can no longer keep sturgeon on the lower river there are still huge numbers of fresh fish present and the fishing itself is great. The lower Columbia River, from the mouth of the John Day River east of Astoria to Clatsop Spit, has been producing good catches consistently. Fish are, however, scattered. Don’t be surprised if you have to “shoot and scoot” to find them. <br>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. For accurate info on the lower Columbia fishery contact Corkey or Jo at Corkey’s Four Corners Store in Hammond. Their number is 503-861-2088.<br>Trout<br>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.<br>The stocking schedule is now available on the internet at www.dfw.or.us. AND at www.localfishermannews.com.<br>Ocean <br>Ocean salmon sport catches are still excellent. Trolled herring, whole or plug-cut, anchovies and even spoons are all taking consistent limits. The ocean is still closed on Fridays and Saturdays until August 15.Charter and commercial fishermen are reporting that both coho and chinook numbers appear to be higher than ODFW predicted. All indications are we should have a great Bouy 10 season later this summer. Bottom fishing, from Winchester to Tillamook, is still excellent. <br>Crabbing and Shellfish<br>Crabbing ranged from good to excellent last week. Tides this week remain good for crabbing. Wind and weather permitting all local bays should continue to produce fair to 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.<br>Summer fishing special: Fill all four seats for just $125 per seat. A savings of $100 per day… enough to cover your motel room and meals. 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.<br>Ask Us<br>If you’d like to ask about local river conditions or book a trip you can reach us by phone at 503-815-2766, cell phone at 503-801-1843 or via e-mail at oreoutdd@pacifier.com<br> And be sure to visit our web site at www.oregonoutdoors.org. Just follow the link to the homepage. Please sign our Guest Book … we always enjoy seeing who is visiting us.<br>GIFT CERTIFICATES for the angler in your life (you?) are always available.<br>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. <br> Until next week, have a great time and go catch some fish. <br><br>