03-12-2011, 06:44 PM
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Willamette Valley/Metro - Salmon fishing effort is picking up on the lower Columbia where boats fishing above the influence of the Willamette River are intercepting fair numbers of fish for this early in the season. Larger, 5-year old fish make up a significant portion of the catch this time of year with a few fish over 20 pounds reported recently. As water temperatures warm, so should the bite. Effort will likely intensify as well as the season is forecasted to only last through April 4th.[/size][/font]
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[size 2]Just as the waters of the lower Willamette had started to clear early this week, additional rainfall will roil it yet again. Good for sturgeon fishing but not so much for springers. An alternate quarry might be catfish, however, as a 30 pound channel cat was landed last week.[/size]
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[size 2]Sturgeon anglers on the lower Willamette tallied 137 keepers in the last 3-day retention period. Approximately another 500 keepers remain before the 2,550 guideline is reached. It likely won’t last into April.[/size]
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[size 2]Willamette Valley rivers will be on the rise this week, the least desirable situation for steelheading. This is a good time to prepare tackle, sharpen hooks and hone a good game plan to implement when the local waters begin to clear. With such a prolonged period of high water, fishing should be fantastic when systems do drop.[/size]
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[size 2]The 2011 Northwest Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo will take place March 11th & 12th at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon.[/size]
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[size 2]High water is a good time to take the kids (or yourself) trout fishing. St. Paul Ponds are producing limits and Henry Hagg Lake opened for the season on Saturday, March 5th.[/size]
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[size 2][font "Tahoma"]Also scheduled for stocking this week are Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Reservoir and Creswell Pond.
Northwest – Wilson River anglers experienced epic fishing on Saturday with many boats posting double-digit results for late run steelhead. It was the first opportunity in several days for anglers to fish ideal conditions when the run is in its peak.[/font][/size]
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[font "Tahoma"]The Nestucca also fished well early in the week but another round of rain is expected to take these two most productive hatchery steelhead streams out of commission in the coming days. They may fish again by the weekend, barring any large amounts of precipitation.[/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]Wild fish catches on smaller streams should produce fair results until the larger systems come into shape. The mainstem Nehalem should be peaking this month as well but given the immense size of the watershed, it’s been running silty with little exception.[/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]Sturgeon effort remains light on Tillamook Bay but fair morning tides may produce some catches in the West Channel and at Bay City. [/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]Reports of good crabbing are still coming from the lower Columbia River. A soft afternoon incoming tide should produce good catches through the weekend.[/font]
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[font "Tahoma"]Combined seas will likely keep ocean going vessels in port through the weekend. Bottomfishing should be good when conditions allow.[/font]
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[size 2]Southwest – South coast beaches are producing fair to good surf perch numbers with catches improving through March.[/size]
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[size 2]Offshore bottom fishers are not restricted by depth limits through March but restrictions will begin once again on April 1st.[/size]
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[size 2]Crabbing is fair to good in Winchester Bay. Spring chinook will soon be in catches here. The best chance for winter steelhead will be on the South Umpqua although the predicted stellar returns of hatchery fish have yet to materialize.[/size]
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[size 2]While the Coquille has been crowded at times this season, winter steelhead catches have made the effort worthwhile. Look for this one to continue producing when the water drops and clears.
Pro guide Curtis Palmer (541-870-9451) reports the Coquille as having provided and excellent fishery this season.[/size]
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[size 2]The Elk and Sixes rivers have been productive whenever levels are falling and water is sufficiently clear for steelhead to see offerings.[/size]
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[size 2]Plug-pullers have taken fair catches of winter steelhead on the lower Rogue in marginal water conditions. Four spring chinook were confirmed over the past week. The middle river has been most consistent but storms moving through will create challenging conditions. The upper river is slow.[/size]
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[size 2]Nearshore fishing out of the Port of Brookings is producing good catches of rockfish and ling cod. Forecasts for the coming week look too rough for crossing the bar, however. The Chetco level is forecast to be fluctuating over the coming week, a less than optimum situation for fishing success. Plunkers will do best as it drops between storm fronts.
Dave Pitts (Salmon Trout and Steelhead.com)[/size][size 2] reports, "Once again it held true, within five weeks of the Blue Backs showing the Chetco season is slowly coming to an end.[/size]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Eastern – Pro Guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688)[/size][/font][font "Tahoma"][size 2] reports, "The cold and ice have cleared out of the Grande Ronde River, the water level has stabilized this week and steelhead fishing is excellent.”[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]While the Deschutes is producing redsides all day long, mid-day remains most productive. Results are fair with caddis and Blue-Winged-Olives the patterns of note but March Browns will start appearing soon.[/size][/font]
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[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Late season steelheading on the Umatilla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers has been good lately. Anglers also averaged 4.1 hours per steelhead on the Wallowa River over the weekend.[/size][/font]
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[size 2]SW Washington – Steelhead catches on the Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers did improve as flows dropped but district rivers are forecasted to rise again this week, further putting systems out of reach until late in the weekend.[/size]
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[size 2]Overall, steelhead action has been fair at best with most anglers concentrating on spring chinook in the Vancouver area. Spring chinook will start to show in greater numbers by early April on the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis systems.[/size]
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[size 2]Anglers should note several stream closures on March 15th including the Washougal and East Fork Lewis to protect late run wild fish.[/size]
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[font "Tahoma"][size 2] [/size][/font]
[size 2]Just as the waters of the lower Willamette had started to clear early this week, additional rainfall will roil it yet again. Good for sturgeon fishing but not so much for springers. An alternate quarry might be catfish, however, as a 30 pound channel cat was landed last week.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Sturgeon anglers on the lower Willamette tallied 137 keepers in the last 3-day retention period. Approximately another 500 keepers remain before the 2,550 guideline is reached. It likely won’t last into April.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Willamette Valley rivers will be on the rise this week, the least desirable situation for steelheading. This is a good time to prepare tackle, sharpen hooks and hone a good game plan to implement when the local waters begin to clear. With such a prolonged period of high water, fishing should be fantastic when systems do drop.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]The 2011 Northwest Fly Tyer & Fly Fishing Expo will take place March 11th & 12th at the Linn County Expo Center in Albany, Oregon.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]High water is a good time to take the kids (or yourself) trout fishing. St. Paul Ponds are producing limits and Henry Hagg Lake opened for the season on Saturday, March 5th.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2][font "Tahoma"]Also scheduled for stocking this week are Alton Baker Canal, Cottage Grove Reservoir and Creswell Pond.
Northwest – Wilson River anglers experienced epic fishing on Saturday with many boats posting double-digit results for late run steelhead. It was the first opportunity in several days for anglers to fish ideal conditions when the run is in its peak.[/font][/size]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]The Nestucca also fished well early in the week but another round of rain is expected to take these two most productive hatchery steelhead streams out of commission in the coming days. They may fish again by the weekend, barring any large amounts of precipitation.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]Wild fish catches on smaller streams should produce fair results until the larger systems come into shape. The mainstem Nehalem should be peaking this month as well but given the immense size of the watershed, it’s been running silty with little exception.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]Sturgeon effort remains light on Tillamook Bay but fair morning tides may produce some catches in the West Channel and at Bay City. [/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]Reports of good crabbing are still coming from the lower Columbia River. A soft afternoon incoming tide should produce good catches through the weekend.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[font "Tahoma"]Combined seas will likely keep ocean going vessels in port through the weekend. Bottomfishing should be good when conditions allow.[/font]
[font "Tahoma"] [/font]
[size 2]Southwest – South coast beaches are producing fair to good surf perch numbers with catches improving through March.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Offshore bottom fishers are not restricted by depth limits through March but restrictions will begin once again on April 1st.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Crabbing is fair to good in Winchester Bay. Spring chinook will soon be in catches here. The best chance for winter steelhead will be on the South Umpqua although the predicted stellar returns of hatchery fish have yet to materialize.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]While the Coquille has been crowded at times this season, winter steelhead catches have made the effort worthwhile. Look for this one to continue producing when the water drops and clears.
Pro guide Curtis Palmer (541-870-9451) reports the Coquille as having provided and excellent fishery this season.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]The Elk and Sixes rivers have been productive whenever levels are falling and water is sufficiently clear for steelhead to see offerings.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Plug-pullers have taken fair catches of winter steelhead on the lower Rogue in marginal water conditions. Four spring chinook were confirmed over the past week. The middle river has been most consistent but storms moving through will create challenging conditions. The upper river is slow.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Nearshore fishing out of the Port of Brookings is producing good catches of rockfish and ling cod. Forecasts for the coming week look too rough for crossing the bar, however. The Chetco level is forecast to be fluctuating over the coming week, a less than optimum situation for fishing success. Plunkers will do best as it drops between storm fronts.
Dave Pitts (Salmon Trout and Steelhead.com)[/size][size 2] reports, "Once again it held true, within five weeks of the Blue Backs showing the Chetco season is slowly coming to an end.[/size]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Eastern – Pro Guide Mac Huff (800-940-3688)[/size][/font][font "Tahoma"][size 2] reports, "The cold and ice have cleared out of the Grande Ronde River, the water level has stabilized this week and steelhead fishing is excellent.”[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]While the Deschutes is producing redsides all day long, mid-day remains most productive. Results are fair with caddis and Blue-Winged-Olives the patterns of note but March Browns will start appearing soon.[/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2] [/size][/font]
[font "Tahoma"][size 2]Late season steelheading on the Umatilla, Grande Ronde and Imnaha Rivers has been good lately. Anglers also averaged 4.1 hours per steelhead on the Wallowa River over the weekend.[/size][/font]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]SW Washington – Steelhead catches on the Cowlitz and Kalama Rivers did improve as flows dropped but district rivers are forecasted to rise again this week, further putting systems out of reach until late in the weekend.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Overall, steelhead action has been fair at best with most anglers concentrating on spring chinook in the Vancouver area. Spring chinook will start to show in greater numbers by early April on the Cowlitz, Kalama and Lewis systems.[/size]
[size 2] [/size]
[size 2]Anglers should note several stream closures on March 15th including the Washougal and East Fork Lewis to protect late run wild fish.[/size]
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