JUNE 10 Fishing Report
Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2011 4:35 pm
The big news for this coming weekend is that it’s Oregon’s “Free Fishing Weekend”. Not only do anglers not need a fishing license to fish on June 11th and 12th, they also do not need the usual tag required for fishing for salmon, steelhead, halibut or sturgeon. People seeking crabs or clams also do not need the usual shellfish license and anglers can even fish with two rods (as if fishing with one rod isn’t difficult enough and it is hard to come up with a valid reason to do so) in waters where it is legal to do so. Even better, virtually every lake that receives trout plants will receive them this week prior to the Free Fishing Weekend.
Statewide, there are numerous fishing clinics designed to educate and entertain youthful anglers. This Saturday at Tugman Park on Eel Lake, beginning at 9 am and running until 2:30 pm, a fishing clinic will be held where, at different stations, kids can learn how to identify fish, tie knots and practice casting while also learning fishing courtesty and water safety. Kids also get a chance to catch trout out of a net pen and receive a free lunch and fishing tackle gift bag.
This Sunday, at Lake Marie, there will be a fishing clinic held. Officially referred to as Lake Marie Kid’s Fishing Adventure, it is open to kids age 14 and under. Registration begins at 9 am and the event lasts until 1 pm. Besides being absolutely free, besides fishing, included activities include a tackle raffle, casting contest, a litter pick-up bounty and assistance for first-time anglers. Even better, every registered kid also gets a free soda pop and hotdog. More information can be obtained by calling Mike Northrop at 271-6045 or Jerry Smith at 271-4118.
In an attempt to sort of even things out, there is an adult flyfishing class slated to be held on Saturday, June 11th in the day use area of Laverne Park (15 miles north of Coquille on Highway 42). The cost per person is $40 and pre-registration is required. The cost includes the use of all necessary equipment, instruction/materials and lunch. For more information, call Mark Newell at (503) 947-6018 or [email protected].
Unfortunately, the Umpqua has been quite muddy and most likely will not be a lot better by the time you read this. Continued good weather may keep the Umpqua high and muddy for some time if snow melt is much of a factor, but rainfall effects, the most likely cause of the muddy water, can dissapite in less than a week. However, should the river even slightly clear, spring chinook fishing will resume being an angling option. There were some good salmon catche last week and the high, cool water should keep algae and weeds from making spring salmon fishing almost impossible.
On Saturday afternoon, one sport angler reported hooking and landing two chinooks within 90 minutes of finally being able to cross the Umpqua River Bar. He trolled south in 120 feet of water with his bait 20 feet above the bottom.
The high muddy water has made crabbing tough for both dockbound and boat crabbers in the lower Umpqua, but an increasing number of boats are crabbing in the ocean, when possible, and enjoying much better success. The morning minus tides have inspired some clammers to give it a try, but most of them are going to Charleston to do so. Last Saturday, local guide Tim Abraham, of Scottsburg, took four people to Charleston and ended up with four limits of clams (gapers) as well as four limits of dungeness crabs.
Bottomfish anglers fishing the South Jetty-Triangle area fishing near high tide on the Umpqua River side, which allows for less current and less muddy water. The water is somewhat less turbid inside the Triangle and on the south side of the Triangle where the somewhat clearer ocean water dominates. Some sizable striped surfperch have been caught recently.
While Umpqua River shad fishing remains inconsistent, there has been some very good catches made over the last couple of weeks. Almost all of these catches have been made in the late afternoons after most shad anglers have quite fishing and gone home.
Bassfishing is improving statewide. While almost all the largemouth bass on the coast have yet to spawn, the largemouths are in various stages of actually spawning in many of the waters in the Willamette Valley and between Roseburg and Medford. One can reasonably expect the more shallow lakes to have more active fish than the deeper lakes and reservoirs that are slower to respond to warmer air temperatures. At any rate, with the possible exception of bluegills, fishing for bass and panfish should be much improved for the next several weeks.
The last regularly scheduled three day opener for halibut is slated for the 10th, 11th and 12th and if ocean conditions allow it, fishing should be good. It seems that when the ocean isn’t too rough, anglers do quite well - most likely because they are able to fish better and usually fish longer. If the spring halibut quota of 115,578 pounds has not been met, additional three day openers are slated for June 23-25, July 7-9 and July 21-23 until the quota is met. For the upcoming summer halibut season, which begins August 5th and 6th, each opener will only be two days (Friday and Saturdays). The summer halibut quota is dependent upon how the actual spring catch compares with the spring quota.
Statewide, there are numerous fishing clinics designed to educate and entertain youthful anglers. This Saturday at Tugman Park on Eel Lake, beginning at 9 am and running until 2:30 pm, a fishing clinic will be held where, at different stations, kids can learn how to identify fish, tie knots and practice casting while also learning fishing courtesty and water safety. Kids also get a chance to catch trout out of a net pen and receive a free lunch and fishing tackle gift bag.
This Sunday, at Lake Marie, there will be a fishing clinic held. Officially referred to as Lake Marie Kid’s Fishing Adventure, it is open to kids age 14 and under. Registration begins at 9 am and the event lasts until 1 pm. Besides being absolutely free, besides fishing, included activities include a tackle raffle, casting contest, a litter pick-up bounty and assistance for first-time anglers. Even better, every registered kid also gets a free soda pop and hotdog. More information can be obtained by calling Mike Northrop at 271-6045 or Jerry Smith at 271-4118.
In an attempt to sort of even things out, there is an adult flyfishing class slated to be held on Saturday, June 11th in the day use area of Laverne Park (15 miles north of Coquille on Highway 42). The cost per person is $40 and pre-registration is required. The cost includes the use of all necessary equipment, instruction/materials and lunch. For more information, call Mark Newell at (503) 947-6018 or [email protected].
Unfortunately, the Umpqua has been quite muddy and most likely will not be a lot better by the time you read this. Continued good weather may keep the Umpqua high and muddy for some time if snow melt is much of a factor, but rainfall effects, the most likely cause of the muddy water, can dissapite in less than a week. However, should the river even slightly clear, spring chinook fishing will resume being an angling option. There were some good salmon catche last week and the high, cool water should keep algae and weeds from making spring salmon fishing almost impossible.
On Saturday afternoon, one sport angler reported hooking and landing two chinooks within 90 minutes of finally being able to cross the Umpqua River Bar. He trolled south in 120 feet of water with his bait 20 feet above the bottom.
The high muddy water has made crabbing tough for both dockbound and boat crabbers in the lower Umpqua, but an increasing number of boats are crabbing in the ocean, when possible, and enjoying much better success. The morning minus tides have inspired some clammers to give it a try, but most of them are going to Charleston to do so. Last Saturday, local guide Tim Abraham, of Scottsburg, took four people to Charleston and ended up with four limits of clams (gapers) as well as four limits of dungeness crabs.
Bottomfish anglers fishing the South Jetty-Triangle area fishing near high tide on the Umpqua River side, which allows for less current and less muddy water. The water is somewhat less turbid inside the Triangle and on the south side of the Triangle where the somewhat clearer ocean water dominates. Some sizable striped surfperch have been caught recently.
While Umpqua River shad fishing remains inconsistent, there has been some very good catches made over the last couple of weeks. Almost all of these catches have been made in the late afternoons after most shad anglers have quite fishing and gone home.
Bassfishing is improving statewide. While almost all the largemouth bass on the coast have yet to spawn, the largemouths are in various stages of actually spawning in many of the waters in the Willamette Valley and between Roseburg and Medford. One can reasonably expect the more shallow lakes to have more active fish than the deeper lakes and reservoirs that are slower to respond to warmer air temperatures. At any rate, with the possible exception of bluegills, fishing for bass and panfish should be much improved for the next several weeks.
The last regularly scheduled three day opener for halibut is slated for the 10th, 11th and 12th and if ocean conditions allow it, fishing should be good. It seems that when the ocean isn’t too rough, anglers do quite well - most likely because they are able to fish better and usually fish longer. If the spring halibut quota of 115,578 pounds has not been met, additional three day openers are slated for June 23-25, July 7-9 and July 21-23 until the quota is met. For the upcoming summer halibut season, which begins August 5th and 6th, each opener will only be two days (Friday and Saturdays). The summer halibut quota is dependent upon how the actual spring catch compares with the spring quota.
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