Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Chronicle : Creswell & Cottage Grove. (Creswell, Ore.) 2019-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2019)
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2019 THE CHRONICLE — 25 ANGLER’S LOG COMMUNITY Fall storms sink any fishing success bout every condition that works against angling is at the top of this week’s fi shing report. No way to fl ower this up, folks, but a series of fall storms that began to reach FRANK the Lane County coast early ARMENDARIZ last week fl at-out shut down ANGLER'S LOG most of the fi shing opportu- nities from west to east. The wind and rain at the coast and in the valley, plus snow in the Cascades, made fi shing and travel diffi - cult at best. But the bad weather has passed and a forecasted dry spell is on the way. Last week, a 20-foot sea and waves to 25 feet crashed onto central Oregon beaches and jetties, making beach fi shing and bar crossings impossi- ble for several days. This weekend could see the trend change and this time of year the ocean is rich with possibilities. If by chance that prediction holds, the south of Cape Falcon zone is open to the most species of bottom fi sh, including halibut. Dependably, the bottom fi shery has been consis- tently productive whenever accessible this season. Also, any break in the seas could present the last opportunity to fi sh for tuna this year. Ocean water in the 60-degree range still persists offshore, but the warm-water bubble that brings the tuna close enough to the Oregon coast to fi sh for them has begun to drift southward. Winchester is still a good bet for captains who can boat far offshore (30 to 40 miles), or seek a charter operator for a guided trip. More than eight inches of rain fell in the Siuslaw drainage in September and the Siuslaw River has been running higher and at levels more like November since then. The average rainfall for September is 2.5 inches. The wet trend continued into October and the lower river above tidewater has been navigable on many days since mid-September, too. For folks still trolling the bay, the Chinook salmon fi shing pressure has shifted far up the estuary this week, much earlier than in past seasons. The trollers are still working around Tiernan Landing, but a lot of anglers are focusing their attention on the lower river from Mapleton upstream to the deadline at Lake Creek. The good news here is that the heavy rains that fell last week pushed fresh fi sh up the river A and most of those fish are still very bright. The river downstream from Rain Rock is easily run in a pontoon or drift boat, and they have hit the lower Siuslaw in fair numbers. For bank anglers, there are several points to access the river on foot; with a couple of landings and a short hike, plenty of other salmon holes are reach- able. The chinook are in the river and should be around into November, though the quality of the meat will decline much sooner as the fi sh begin to spawn. Bobber and salmon eggs or sand shrimp account for the most number of hookups on fresh fall chinook in the river. For anglers with limited mobility, reaching the water is always a challenge, and I like sharing if it gets more folks a chance at overcoming obstacles and catching a good fi sh. There are modest excep- tions: Junction City ponds and the Alton Baker canal are reasonably accessible for trout fi shers, but they are highly urbanized fi sheries and offer little of the aesthetics that anglers love. Bender Landing and County Park, on the North Fork Siuslaw, is another one of those diamonds. About fi ve miles up the North Fork Siuslaw River Road from Highway 126. Bender has a boat landing and an accessible fi sh- ing dock for folks with mobility issues. Restrooms, a large parking lot that accommodates both single vehicles and trailers, and picnic benches add to the convenience in a beautiful setting. Chinook salmon return to the North Fork in late October and November and the fi shing dock is the perfect place to cast a line. In January and February, it’s also an idea location to plunk for winter steelhead. Now go fi shing. Take your kids or a friend. Those will become some of the best memories of your life. Chronicle news services Changes for Columbia f i s h i n g: O r ego n a n d Washington fi sheries manag- ers have reopened the main- stem Columbia to retention of coho salmon through Oct. 31, from the Tongue Point/Rocky Point line upstream to The Dalles Dam. The daily adult bag limit is two coho. Only hatchery coho may be retained downstream of the Hood River Bridge. All steel- head and all salmon except coho must be released. All other permanent regulations remain in effect, including retention rules for coho jacks. Also PHOTOS BY FRANK ARMENDARIZ/ THE CHRONICLE From top: Fifteen-foot waves were breaking across the Siuslaw River bar last week, forcing a mandatory closure of boats crossing the Siuslaw and most other river bars in the state. Bar closures will be more common as we move toward winter. Jacob King of Eugene enjoys surf fi shing, a year- round opportunity in Oregon. Here, a 2.5-foot surf was good enough to turn out a few surf anglers; the next day, the surf grew to near seven feet. The quality of bait can make all the difference for fall chinook. These salmon eggs were cured by Matt Danz, of Danz Outdoors in Springfi eld. I trust Matt to always have fresh baits. Open Tues.-Sat. • 10am-6pm 147 W. Oregon Ave. • 541-895-2666 Visit our website www.emeraldvalleyarmory.com From helping the ag industry get their equipment up and running to working with families who love to ride. Royce and his team can work on about everything! Bobcat released into wild Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife officials safely released a male juve- nile bobcat into the wild last week. Based on its teeth, the bobcat was at least six months old; it was released on BLM land in Lane County. ODFW’s evaluation of the bobcat showed it to be healthy. It had no signs of active infection or injury. It is not known if two bobcats found earlier in the week at Oak Hill School were orphaned, abandoned by their mother, or naturally dispers- ing. Young bobcats may start to disperse away from their mother as early as six months old, so a bobcat born early in the spring could naturally disperse in the fall. You can reach Frank Armendariz at frank@ rivertrailoutfi tters.com. The number of fi shermen trolling the bays dropped off considerably this last weekend. A few fi sh were caught but early rains pushed most salmon upriver. NOTEBOOK Pick-up and delivery • ATVs service available • Motorcycles Sales, Parts, • Lawnmowers • Generators Consultations • Small power tools and More! Hunting seasons are in full swing and the recent cold, wet weather should improve many hunts. General season coast buck and Cascade buck are open; the cool, wet weather should have bucks moving around more. Cold and wet are preferred conditions for duck hunting, which is open statewide. Goose hunters also can plan to spend a day in the fi eld this weekend. Upland bird seasons – pheasant, quail, forest grouse, chukar and partridge – are open across the state. The number of grouse tails and wings being deposited in west- side collection barrels suggest a strong season is underway. • Class III Dealer • Standard Builds • Handguns • Rifles • Shotguns • Ammunition • Accessories • Classes • Basic Repair ATV & Small Engine Repair 195 N Mill Street #1 Creswell , OR 97426 541-515-1822
