10-06-2002, 05:20 PM
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[/center]The Big Ones That Didn’t Get Away —
Last year’s catch of large salmon and steelhead, weighing-in far and above average weights, made many a proud angler, broke several Washington records, and kept taxidermist shops busy throughout Oregon and Washington. Now, with recent landings of numerous healthy sized fall chinook and summer steelhead, 2002 is shaping up to be another fine year for those looking to match wits with that once in a lifetime wall hanger.
This month The Local Fisherman News chronicles “The big ones that didn’t get away” with photographs (pages 1, 10, 11 and 17) and true to life stories of the skilled, and/or lucky, anglers who landed them. Also, some interesting thoughts and comments from Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife biologists Joe Hymer and Patrick Frazer.
Joe Hymer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Vancouver, said that already this season he has heard several reports of chinook salmon breaking the 50-pound mark. One, a 50-pound-plus fall chinook, was caught by a fellow WDFW employee in late August at the buoy 10 fishery. Hymer says that more recently he has also seen a photo of a large 50-pound fall fish that a local angler had landed while fishing the lower mainstem Columbia.
“During the week of September 27, samplers recorded a 26 pound hatchery steelhead that was caught by an angler fishing the mouth of the Cowlitz,” Joe said.
Joe says that he has heard rumors of a 60-pound chinook being caught near Longview, but he has not seen any proof of that catch.
“Seeing as many big fish as we did during the early part of the year, in the 30-and 40-pound class, we (WDFW biologists) were convinced early on that this was going to be a year that anglers would have a better than average chance at a 50 pounder.”
With water temperatures remaining more in the optimum range, and good numbers of chinook salmon available, the catch has been excellent. According to Hymer, during the first nine days of September anglers participating in the lower Columbia River sport fishery caught about 10,000 adult chinook salmon.
“This was highest recorded number of fall chinook caught during any lower Columbia River sports fishery ever. And most of these fish were landed within a very short time frame of a little more than a week, September 1 thru September 9,” Joe said.
From August 1 through September 9 an estimated 70,000 anglers participated in the Columbia River, Bonneville Dam to Tongue Point, fall fishery. It was estimated that these anglers landed total of 16,000 adult chinook salmon during this time.
“In contrast, during previous years of large fall salmon returns like those experienced in 88’ and 89’, sports anglers catch only averaged about 3,500 to 4,500 fish.” (Creel sampling began on the Columbia River in about 1969).
Joe says that water temperatures, as measured at Bonneville Dam, have remained fairly cool, not exceeding 70°F, which likely has played a big part in this years above average catch. During September water temperatures decreased even farther dropping from 67°F during September 1-5, to 65°F during September 9-10.
“Although this years buoy 10 fishery was somewhat disappointing as far as overall chinook catch numbers, the size of fish that were intercepted was certainly impressive,” said Jimmy Watts, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“This seasons mainstem catch (Tongue point to Bonneville Dam) is going to be a record for chinook by a factor of at lease two,” said Watts.
In other good news, he said the second highest catch on recorded was about 10,000 fish, but they are currently looking at a catch this year of between 20,000 to 30,000 chinook.
“I think the cooler water had something to do with the above average catch.”
Also, Jim said there seems to be an abundance of smaller fish around which points to a good fall chinook fishery again next year.
At the buoy 10 fishery anglers experienced an on again off again bite. It seemed the peak came early this year at the buoy 10 fishery with a lot of fish being tule chinook. Overall, the tules also appeared to be a bit darker than usual this season.
Good numbers of chinook salmon were available at buoy 10 fishery this year, but with large numbers of bait fish also in the area anglers had to work a lot harder to entice salmon to bite.
Catch rates of about 3/4 of a chinook per rod, the best of the season, were recorded on August 14 and 15. Then, to the surprise of both anglers and biologists during the third week of August, typically the peak of the buoy 10 fishery, catch rates dropped to around 1/4 to 1/3 of a fish per rod. The following week catch rates improved slightly to about 1/2 a fish per rod.
Several large chinook were landed in the ocean and at the buoy 10 fishery this year. One, a 55 pound plus chinook, as you may remember, graced the cover of our July issue. The brute was caught in the ocean outside the Columbia River mouth by Patrick Henry of St. Helens. He hooked the fish while trolling between the #3 and #4 buoys on June 15, 2002.
On the lower Rogue River, a spokeswoman at Jot’s Resort said that more than 750 salmon heavier than 30 pounds have been weighed in at the resort since mid-July. A total of sixteen have tipped the scales at over 50 pounds each. A 60 pounder caught by Steve Perry on August 31, 2002 (photo page 10), was the first 60-pounder taken from the Rogue since the early 1970’s.
In 1987 a 70-pound chinook was caught in Tillamook Bay by fishing guide Bob Toman of Carver. The current Oregon record for chinook is 83 pounds caught in the Umpqua River in 1910 by Richard Weber. The current Oregon record for coho salmon is 25-pounds 5-ounces, caught by Howard Morgan in Siltcoos lake in November 1966.
Many believe that with improving ocean conditions breeding such large salmon that the coho record, which is a bit more within reach than the current chinook record, could fall in the very near future.
One thing for sure, anglers fishing for salmon this year should be prepared and gear up accordingly, using only top quality equipment including the best line and strongest hooks you can buy. You just never know when one of those monster fish is going to pay you a visit, stretching your skills and the strength of your tackle to its absolute limits.ô
To view photos of many of the 50-pound plus salmon caught in Oregon in September visit [url "http://www.localfishermannews.com"]www.localfishermannews.com[/url]
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[/center]The Big Ones That Didn’t Get Away — Last year’s catch of large salmon and steelhead, weighing-in far and above average weights, made many a proud angler, broke several Washington records, and kept taxidermist shops busy throughout Oregon and Washington. Now, with recent landings of numerous healthy sized fall chinook and summer steelhead, 2002 is shaping up to be another fine year for those looking to match wits with that once in a lifetime wall hanger.
This month The Local Fisherman News chronicles “The big ones that didn’t get away” with photographs (pages 1, 10, 11 and 17) and true to life stories of the skilled, and/or lucky, anglers who landed them. Also, some interesting thoughts and comments from Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife biologists Joe Hymer and Patrick Frazer.
Joe Hymer, a Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist in Vancouver, said that already this season he has heard several reports of chinook salmon breaking the 50-pound mark. One, a 50-pound-plus fall chinook, was caught by a fellow WDFW employee in late August at the buoy 10 fishery. Hymer says that more recently he has also seen a photo of a large 50-pound fall fish that a local angler had landed while fishing the lower mainstem Columbia.
“During the week of September 27, samplers recorded a 26 pound hatchery steelhead that was caught by an angler fishing the mouth of the Cowlitz,” Joe said.
Joe says that he has heard rumors of a 60-pound chinook being caught near Longview, but he has not seen any proof of that catch.
“Seeing as many big fish as we did during the early part of the year, in the 30-and 40-pound class, we (WDFW biologists) were convinced early on that this was going to be a year that anglers would have a better than average chance at a 50 pounder.”
With water temperatures remaining more in the optimum range, and good numbers of chinook salmon available, the catch has been excellent. According to Hymer, during the first nine days of September anglers participating in the lower Columbia River sport fishery caught about 10,000 adult chinook salmon.
“This was highest recorded number of fall chinook caught during any lower Columbia River sports fishery ever. And most of these fish were landed within a very short time frame of a little more than a week, September 1 thru September 9,” Joe said.
From August 1 through September 9 an estimated 70,000 anglers participated in the Columbia River, Bonneville Dam to Tongue Point, fall fishery. It was estimated that these anglers landed total of 16,000 adult chinook salmon during this time.
“In contrast, during previous years of large fall salmon returns like those experienced in 88’ and 89’, sports anglers catch only averaged about 3,500 to 4,500 fish.” (Creel sampling began on the Columbia River in about 1969).
Joe says that water temperatures, as measured at Bonneville Dam, have remained fairly cool, not exceeding 70°F, which likely has played a big part in this years above average catch. During September water temperatures decreased even farther dropping from 67°F during September 1-5, to 65°F during September 9-10.
“Although this years buoy 10 fishery was somewhat disappointing as far as overall chinook catch numbers, the size of fish that were intercepted was certainly impressive,” said Jimmy Watts, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“This seasons mainstem catch (Tongue point to Bonneville Dam) is going to be a record for chinook by a factor of at lease two,” said Watts.
In other good news, he said the second highest catch on recorded was about 10,000 fish, but they are currently looking at a catch this year of between 20,000 to 30,000 chinook.
“I think the cooler water had something to do with the above average catch.”
Also, Jim said there seems to be an abundance of smaller fish around which points to a good fall chinook fishery again next year.
At the buoy 10 fishery anglers experienced an on again off again bite. It seemed the peak came early this year at the buoy 10 fishery with a lot of fish being tule chinook. Overall, the tules also appeared to be a bit darker than usual this season.
Good numbers of chinook salmon were available at buoy 10 fishery this year, but with large numbers of bait fish also in the area anglers had to work a lot harder to entice salmon to bite.
Catch rates of about 3/4 of a chinook per rod, the best of the season, were recorded on August 14 and 15. Then, to the surprise of both anglers and biologists during the third week of August, typically the peak of the buoy 10 fishery, catch rates dropped to around 1/4 to 1/3 of a fish per rod. The following week catch rates improved slightly to about 1/2 a fish per rod.
Several large chinook were landed in the ocean and at the buoy 10 fishery this year. One, a 55 pound plus chinook, as you may remember, graced the cover of our July issue. The brute was caught in the ocean outside the Columbia River mouth by Patrick Henry of St. Helens. He hooked the fish while trolling between the #3 and #4 buoys on June 15, 2002.
On the lower Rogue River, a spokeswoman at Jot’s Resort said that more than 750 salmon heavier than 30 pounds have been weighed in at the resort since mid-July. A total of sixteen have tipped the scales at over 50 pounds each. A 60 pounder caught by Steve Perry on August 31, 2002 (photo page 10), was the first 60-pounder taken from the Rogue since the early 1970’s.
In 1987 a 70-pound chinook was caught in Tillamook Bay by fishing guide Bob Toman of Carver. The current Oregon record for chinook is 83 pounds caught in the Umpqua River in 1910 by Richard Weber. The current Oregon record for coho salmon is 25-pounds 5-ounces, caught by Howard Morgan in Siltcoos lake in November 1966.
Many believe that with improving ocean conditions breeding such large salmon that the coho record, which is a bit more within reach than the current chinook record, could fall in the very near future.
One thing for sure, anglers fishing for salmon this year should be prepared and gear up accordingly, using only top quality equipment including the best line and strongest hooks you can buy. You just never know when one of those monster fish is going to pay you a visit, stretching your skills and the strength of your tackle to its absolute limits.ô
To view photos of many of the 50-pound plus salmon caught in Oregon in September visit [url "http://www.localfishermannews.com"]www.localfishermannews.com[/url]
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