July 7th column

[Pete Heley]

The wild coho regulations for Oregon rivers, which still needs final federal approval, appear rather weak quota-wise. It seems that the rivers and lakes that do have a wild coho quota only allow one wild coho per day with some fisheries allowing a seasonal limit of five wild coho and others only two. Although it is written rather vaguely, the intent is for the total wild coho taken this year by an angler to be only five fish, no matter how many wild coho waters that angler fishes and no more than two of those fish to come from any wild coho spots with a seasonal limit of two wild cohos.

Certain to cause further confusion, is the fact that the Umpqua River allows fishing for fin-clipped cohos the year around or anytime chinook salmon are legal angling fare. The wild coho season will start on September 15th and run through November 30th or when the Umpqua’s seasonal quota of 1,300 wild cohos has been reached. Despite the two wild coho seasonal limit, the Umpqua River has the largest seasonal quota of wild cohos. The Nehalem River has the same limits and a seasonal quota of 1,200 wild cohos. The Tillamook Bay rivers have a seasonal quota of only one wild coho per angler and a year total of 600 wild cohos. The Nestucca has a one wild coho daily and seasonal limit and a quota of only 200 fish. Waters with a one wild coho daily limit and a five wild coho yearly limit include: Siletz River (700 quota), Yaquina River (575 quota), Alsea River (675 quota), Siuslaw River (900 quota), Coos River (1,200 quota). It appears that the quotas for Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes have not been decided yet, but Tenmile Lakes has a quota of 875 salmon.

As for ocean fishing for finclipped coho, the opening weekend was disappointing. The best catches were of chinooks taken more than ten miles out and more than 150 feet deep. The week prior to the coho opener, the cohos were fairly numerous in water less than 300 feet deep and fishing will undoubtedly pick up when ocean conditions allow anglers to do more exploring.

The upriver surfperch angling over the last weekend was about as good as it has ever been. There were numerous limits and the fish finally kept biting past very early morning. Lots of anglers plan their upriver surfperch angling by the tides, but the people that have been catching the perch most consistently have been fishing at daybreak, or very shortly thereafter. Sand shrimp is, by far, the most popular bait.

Tuna weighing as much as 40 pounds have been caught recently less than 25 miles straight out from Winchester Bay over the last ten days.

Fishing for bottomfish off the South Jetty remains productive, but somewhat ignored over the last couple of weeks. Fishing for surfperch in the surf remains productive for those who actually try it. Nightfishing for striped bass has been fairly productive and some of the stripers do not seem to have yet spawned. Spring halibut fishing is over and the summer season will start on Fridays and Saturdays in early August.

Trout anglers need to try the larger lakes that are less dependent upon trout plants, since there has been no local trout plants since early June. Largemouth bass and panfish angling can be productive, but they are not holding in water as shallow as they usually do.

Smallmouth bass angling on the Umpqua River from about eight miles above Reedsport up is picking up rapidly. The river is still higher than normal and sightfishing for these cooperative fish is a little tougher than it normally is for this time of year.