SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2015
3 B
Coastal wild salmon seasons open Sept. 15
SALEM — Wild coho sea-
sons on many coastal rivers and
bays will open beginning Sept.
15. This year rivers in 11 basins
on Oregon’s coast will be open
for wild coho harvest including
Tillamook Bay, Nestucca Bay,
Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea, Beaver
Creek, Siuslaw, Umpqua,
Coos, Coquille and Floras
Creek and New River.
In
addition,
Tenmile,
Siltcoos and Tahkenitch lakes
will have wild coho seasons.
Fishery managers are pre-
dicting there will be 206,600
Fishing
from 1B
fishery is fair in the mainstem
and in some of the large tribu-
taries. With the low and warm
river conditions the best
opportunities will be in the
early morning when water
temperatures are the coolest.
Small spinners are typically
productive as wells as small
spoons or fly fishing with
nymphs or streamers.
SILETZ RIVER: Steelhead,
adult wild coho in the ocean
this summer, most of which
will return to Oregon’s coastal
rivers and streams.
This is slightly below last
year’s predicted return, and sig-
nificantly lower than the 2014
actual return of 359,624 fish.
“Unlike recent years, this
year’s projections are not as
consistent up and down the
coast, resulting in shorter sea-
sons on some rivers, while oth-
ers are very similar to last
year,” said Mike Gray, ODFW
fish biologist in Charleston.
On the North Coast, there
will be shortened seasons in the
Tillamook and Nestucca basins
and, due to poorer forecasted
status, the Nehalem will not
open for wild coho at all
(though it remains open for
hatchery coho).
“Our North Coast seasons
are more conservative this year
than 2013-2014, but we still
have opportunity for harvest,”
said Chris Knutsen, ODFW
fish biologist in Tillamook.
Seasons on the Alsea and
Siuslaw also will be shortened
compared to 2014, while the
Umpqua will join many other
basins that have been moved
away from specific harvest
quotas. Instead biologists are
implementing a fixed season
length.
River-specific seasons, quo-
tas, bag limits and closed areas
can be found on the ODFW
website at www.dfw.state.or.us
/resources/fishing/coastal_salm
on_seasons.asp .
While 2015 is the seventh
year in a row that Oregon’s
coastal rivers will open to the
harvest of wild coho, fishery
managers are sounding a cau-
tionary note for the near future.
“We’re coming off some
very robust years for wild coho,
but based on what we’re seeing
with ocean conditions, anglers
should begin preparing for
smaller wild coho returns and
reduced harvest opportunities
in upcoming years,” said Chris
Kern, ODFW fish division
deputy administrator.
cutthroat trout
Summer steelhead fishing is
fair in the upper river. Low
flows and warming river tem-
peratures are making new fish
race up into the cooler holding
waters of the gorge area. New
fish will continually be mov-
ing into the river through the
summer and early fall. River
flows are much lower than
normal for this time of year so
think small and subtle presen-
tations.
Typical steelhead tactics
apply such as bobber and jig /
bait, or casting spoons or spin-
ners. Cutthroat trout are now
also open to harvest and can
be found throughout the main
stem river and many large trib-
utaries.
WILSON RIVER: Steelhead,
Chinook, cutthroat
Summer steelhead fishing is
slow. Fishing for cutthroat
trout should be fair. Use
lighter gear for best results as
the water is extremely low and
clear. Spring Chinook fishing
is closed. All angling is closed
after 2 p.m. above tidewater
until further notice.
rise. The mainstem South
Umpqua upstream to Jackson
Creek Bridge is open to fish-
ing, with trout fishing being
strictly catch and release.
Catch and release trout fishing
in South Umpqua tributaries
below Jackson Creek Bridge is
also open, with fishing restrict-
ed to the use of artificial flies
and lures.
Smallmouth bass fishing,
which remains open under nor-
mal rules, should be produc-
tive especially in the morning
and late afternoon/early
evening.
been good outside of Coos
Bay and Winchester Bay.
Recreational ocean salmon
season from Cape Falcon to
Humbug Mt. is open for
Chinook salmon. The non-
selective coho season opened
Sept. 4. The bag limit is two
salmon per day, and a mini-
mum size for Chinook salmon
at 24 inches or larger. Fishing
for Chinook from Bandon to
Winchester Bay has been slow.
Tuna fishing along the south
coast was spotty. Some boats
did very well with most fish
caught 20-30 miles off shore.
The nearshore halibut sea-
son opened on July 1. The
fishery is open 7 days per
week inside the 40-fathom
line. Anglers have been catch-
ing a few halibut near Bandon
inside 40-fathoms.
The Summer All-Depth hal-
ibut season opened this past
weekend and will be open
every other Friday-Saturday
until the quota of 43,908
pounds is met.
Fishing for bottom fish is
restricted to inside the 30 fath-
om curve.
• SALMON
Much of the Oregon coast
(Cape Falcon to the OR/CA
border) is open for all salmon,
including coho as of Sept. 4
for non-selective coho salmon
season from Cape Falcon to
Humbug Mt.
North of Cape Falcon, the
fin-clipped coho fishery
remains open and has been
very good to anglers. Anglers
fishing in this area are remind-
ed that no more than one
Chinook is allowed in the
daily limit of two salmon.
The Columbia River
Control Zone is closed.
• PACIFIC HALIBUT
The Columbia River
Subarea (Cape Falcon north to
Leadbetter Point, Wash.)
nearshore fishery is open daily
until Sept. 30 or the quota has
been met; fishing has been
slow.
The all-depth Pacific halibut
fishery in this subarea is
closed for the remainder of
2015.
• TUNA
Recreational albacore catch-
es picked up last week. South
coast anglers averaged four per
person, and landings elsewhere
were good if perhaps spotty.
By most accounts, fish were
cruising 30-40 miles offshore.
• BAY CLAMS
Coos Bay, Yaquina Bay,
Netarts Bay, and Tillamook
Bay are four bays where bay
clams, like gaper clams, butter
clams and cockles, can be
taken if not affected by shell-
fish safety closures. Recent
stock assessments have
revealed abundant populations
and that current harvest levels
are sustainable.
• CRABBING
Ocean crabbing is very
good
Limits in places; Some ani-
mals still have soft shells. A
soft shell indicates the meat
will be watery and disappoint-
ing. Crabs with hard shells or
that have not recently molted
— look for barnacles on the
shell — are a better option for
the crab kettle.
YAQUINA RIVER:
Cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout fishing is
slow to fair. The best opportu-
nities are coming in the early
mornings when river tempera-
tures are the coolest. River
conditions are very low and
warm for this time of year. The
mainstem Yaquina and Big Elk
Creek are good places to try
casting small spinners or
spoons as well as bait fishing
near the head of tide.
S e e J i m f o r y o u r
A u t o S a l e s N e e d s !
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH:
Steelhead
The South Umpqua River,
including all tributaries, is
closed to fishing for trout,
steelhead, and salmon from 2
p.m. until an hour before sun-
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HOLIDAY BOWL Where Everyone is Welcome
Sat.9/5
8am.-4pm.
1515 Xylo St.
Mult-Family, kids clothes,
toys & all age misc.
Fri. 9/4 & Sat. 9/5,
9am-1pm,
1940 23rd Street.
Multi Family Sale, books,
jewelry, collectables, pet stuff, &
much, much more.
Sat.9/5
9am.-3pm.
1425 Xylo St.
Twin beds, lamps, tables & RV
supplies. Cash only.
bass, bluegills
Fishing for largemouth bass
and bluegills has been good in
many of the Coos County
lakes. Fishing for bass will be
best in the mornings and late
evenings. Fish for bluegills
around structure like sub-
merged logs and weed lines.
TENMILE BASIN: Trout,
largemouth bass, yellow perch
Streams in the Tenmile
Basin are open for trout
although there is a 2 p.m. fish-
ing closure for trout, salmon
and steelhead in streams above
tidewater. Most of the larger
rivers will be too warm for
trout and the water level in
many of the smaller streams is
extremely low. Fishing is
restricted to artificial flies and
lures in streams above tidewa-
ter.
The water level in Tenmile
Lakes is extremely low and
boat anglers should use cau-
tion when boating in the lakes.
Tenmile Lakes is open all year
for trout but trout fishing has
been slow.
Bass anglers have been
catching several largemouth
bass in Tenmile Lakes. Bass
can be found this time of the
year in shallow water near
structure like logs or weed
lines.
WINCHESTER BAY:
Bottomfish, perch
Fishing for bottomfish in the
Triangle and South jetty has
been successful. Perch fishing
has been productive in the bay,
and it was reported that good
size striped perch were being
caught along the jetty.
Crabbing has been improv-
ing, and there have been
reports of coho and Chinook
being caught in the ocean off
of Winchester Bay.
PACIFIC OCEAN and
BEACHES: Bottomfish,
27 th and Hwy. 101 • Florence • 541-997-3332
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ESTATE SALE
Sat.9/5
9AM-1PM
5294 Darr Rd.
Directions: Hwy. 101
north, left on Darr Rd.
Tools, 2 nearly new Sealy
queen beds, front loading
W/D, electric FP, lots of
quality household goods
and lovely home decor.
Credit cards, cash, & local
checks accepted. Sale
conducted by Cindy Wobbe.
Online photos at
www.CindyWobbeEstates
.com
COOS COUNTY
LAKES/PONDS: Largemouth
salmon, Dungeness crab, tuna
The ocean is open for har-
vest of Dungeness crab and it’s
Sat. 9/5/15,
8am-4pm,
85324 Armstrong Way,
2-family combined ,
clothes, misc. appliances, W/D,
furniture & lots more.
Fri.9/4-Sat.9/5
8am.-?
4636 Pacific Ave.
Dunes City
Moving Sale- Craftsman
lawn mower & household
furnishings.
Sat.9/5
9am.-4:30pm.
2283 17th St.
corner of 17th & Vine.
Unique finds, art & collectables,
books, toys , games & more.
Sat. 9/5 & Sun.9/6
7am-5pm,
101 Mini Storage
FREE
garage sale signs
541-997-3441
with your ad
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releases are Mondays and
Thursdays by noon.
Email them to:
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