NED HICKSON , SPORTS EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3523 ❘
SPORTS @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
SATURDAY EDITION
❘ DECEMBER 5, 2015 ❘
SECTION B
Siuslaw News
Sports & Recreation
S PORTS
O REGON COAST TO BE
‘S PEAKING W HALE ’
Calendar
Dec. 5
• MHS GIRLS BB
MID COAST LAKES
• SHS BOYS BB
P HOENIX
2 P . M .
• SHS BOYS BB
AT
P HOENIX
3:30 P . M .
Dec. 8
• SHS GIRLS BB
HOST
COURTESY PHOTO
N EWPORT
6:30 P . M .
The tail of a migrating gray whale appears off the coast near Cape Perpetua.
Annual winter gray whale migration will draw thousands to the coast.
• SHS BOYS BB
HOST
N EWPORT
6:30 P . M .
F
or the holiday season, share
the gift of whale watching on
the Oregon coast. From Dec.
27 through 31, Winter Whale
Watch Week is one of the best times
of the year to spot gray whales off the
stormy Oregon coastal shores.
Approximately 18,000 whales will
travel 12,000 miles south to Mexico,
where they will give birth to their
calves.
There are nearly 40 different vol-
unteer staffed locations where you
can spot gray whales on the Oregon
Coast, including the 10th floor of the
prestigious Inn at Spanish Head in
Lincoln City.
From the top floor, visitors can
spot these creatures nearly every hour
in late December as they make their
journey.
For a more up-close and personal
view, Dockside Charters in Depoe Bay
offers daily whale watching excursions
starting in mid-December.
Just 8 miles south of Lincoln City,
Depoe Bay is considered the “Whale
Watching Capital of the Oregon Coast”
and is also home to the Oregon State
Parks Whale Watching Center.
“We offer 90-minute whale watch-
ing excursions for the winter,” says
Loren Goddard, one of the owners of
Dockside Charters. “Typically our
excursions are an hour long, but
T IDE T ABLE
Entrance Siuslaw River
High Tide
Low Tide
Dec. 5
7:33am / 6.9
8:07pm / 5.3
12:59am / 2.2
2:21pm / 2.0
Dec. 6
8:14pm / 7.2
9:08pm / 5.5
1:52am / 2.5
3:09pm / 1.4
Dec. 7
8:53am / 7.4
10:01pm/ 5.8
2:41am / 2.7
3:51pm/ 0.9
FISHING REPORT FOR
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR
B ROOKINGS
2:30 P . M .
AT
WEEKLY
THE LOCAL REGION
B ROOKINGS
1 P . M .
• MHS BOYS BB
HOST
A
Dec. 8
9:30pm / 7.7 3:26am / 2.9
10:47pm / 6.0 4:29pm / 0.4
Dec. 9
10:06am / 7.9 4:08am / 3.0
11:29pm/ 6.2 5:06pm/ 0.0
Last year, U of O student Job
Chen and his wife, Manchi
Chor, spent Chen’s 29th
birthday whalewatching.
visitors spot the mighty mam-
mals.
Its “Whale Watching Spoken
Here” signs identify the volun-
teers. They will point out spe-
cial behaviors such as spy hop-
ping, breaching, and spouting,
as well as discuss whale feed-
ing, courtship and migration
patterns.
Just a few years ago, the
NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS
whale population dipped to
1,800 making them “commer-
because the whales are moving fast to
Mexico, we have to accommodate for cially extinct.”
Today, under the protection of the
that. We recommend that visitors make
reservations early because the winter Mexican and US governments, the
population has grown to more than
excursions are very popular.”
Goddard says what makes the trips 20,000 whales.
Gray whales can grow up to 45 feet
so popular is that "Visitors are curious
about whales on the coast. And the in length (13.7 meters) — longer than
whales are just as curious about us as a city bus — and weigh more than 45
we are of them,” Goddard explains. tons (41,000 kg).
To schedule a whale-watching trip,
“The best part is when they come right
up to the boat. Seeing these mammals contact Dockside Charters at 541-765-
up-close is a very special experience.” 2545. To learn more about the winter
During the winter and spring and spring whale-watching seasons,
months, Oregon State Parks posts contact the Depoe Bay Whale
trained volunteers at prime viewing Watching Center at 800-551-6949.
points along the Oregon Coast to help
The coho salmon fish-
eries in Siltcoos and
Tahkenitch lakes are just
getting going. With some
recent rain and big tide
series fresh coho should be
migrating into the lakes.
Look to fish near the lake
outlet and by the major
tributaries that enter the
lakes.
Casting or trolling spin-
ners or various plugs can
be effective.
Fishing for the various
warmwater fish species is
fair to good. There are
numerous lakes in the
Florence area that can pro-
vide good opportunity and
have both boat and bank
access.
SIUSLAW RIVER:
Chinook, cutthroat trout
Fall Chinook fishing is
producing fair results with
a lot of fish moving to the
upper tide water reaches
and above. Trolling her-
ring, spinners or bobber
fishing can all be produc-
tive.
The wild coho fishery is
closed for the season.
ALSEA RIVER:
Chinook, cutthroat trout
The fall Chinook fishery
is producing fair to good
results for both bank and
boat anglers. Recent rains
have helped to move a lot
of chinook into the good
river bank access sections.
Casting lures or bobber
fishing is producing
depending on the section
and conditions.
The wild coho fishery is
closed for the season.
SALMON RIVER:
Chinook, cutthroat trout
The fall Chinook fishery
See
FISHING 3B
Dec. 10
10:42am / 8.1 4:48am / 3.0
5:42pm / 8.1
New regulations, licenses available for 2016 outdoor season
Dec. 11
12:09am / 6.4 5:28am / 3.1
11:17pm/ 8.2 6:18pm/ -0.7
SALEM — Oregon’s 2016 hunting
and fishing licenses are on sale now
and make great holiday gifts, espe-
cially a new youth license for kids that
permits fishing, hunting and shellfish-
ing all year for just $10.
The new 2016 Sport Fishing and
Big Game Regulations will also be in
stores this week. Hunters and anglers
will notice a new look to the regula-
tions this year.
“We’ve heard from sportsmen that
the regulations can be confusing,”
said
Rick
Hargrave,
ODFW
Information
and
Education
Administrator. “We’ve made an effort
S IUSLAW
N EWS
148 Maple St.
Florence
541-997-3441
&
SHEET METAL, INC.
“Your Local Independent Trane Dealer”
Florence’s Oldest
& Largest Heating
Contractor
CCB#64
to simplify them and hope they are
easier to understand.”
The effort included contracting
with a different publisher, J.F. Griffin,
to produce the regulations. A new
searchable web version of the regula-
tions will be available next week at
ODFW’s regulations webpages online
at
www.dfw.state.or.us/
resources/licenses_regs. In the mean-
time, PDF copies of 2016 regulations
are posted at the hunting and fishing
regulations web page.
Prices for adult licenses and tags
increase for 2016, the first fee
increase since 2010.
However, ODFW will continue to
charge lower prices for youth to keep
fishing and hunting affordable for
families. The popular Juvenile Sports
Pac is still just $55 in 2016 and prices
will be lower than in 2015 for some
youth sportsmen.
A new combination youth license
means all kids age 12-17 (nonresi-
dents, too) can fish, hunt, crab and
clam all year long for $10.
This license includes the Columbia
River Endorsement; add a Youth
Combined Angling Tag for just $5.
(Previously, costs for youth were:
hunting license $14.50, fishing license
$9 or $18.75 with Columbia River
Endorsement for ages 14-17, com-
bined angling tag $8.50 for ages 14-
17, shellfish license $7 for ages 14
and over.)
New license types are also avail-
able, including Premium Hunts. These
are Oregon’s new two or three month
any-weapon deer, elk and pronghorn
hunts.
Premium Hunts are similar to the
auction and raffle tags people pay
thousands for, but they cost the same
as a regular tag and are an additional
See
OUTDOOR 3B
• Heating Systems
• Heat Pumps
• Sales / Service
• Ductless Heat Pumps
1645 Kingwood ~ Florence
(541)
997-2422
www.trane.com
Bill Easton, Teahna Wilkins,
Steve Wolford & Krystal Wolford
CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK
HOST
On the
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