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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 2016)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 2016 3 B Watershed Council to discuss salmon survival The Siuslaw Watershed Council will hold its next meeting Wednesday, March 30, in the Siuslaw Public Library’s Bromley Room. Doors at 6 p.m., with meet- ings lasting from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dr. Rebecca Flitcroft will give a presentation titled: “Survival in times of change: climate and salmon of the Oregon Coast Range.” Flitcroft is a research fish biologist with the USDA Forest Service at the Pacific Northwest Research Station in Corvallis. Native aquatic species are adapted to survive in the range of environmental conditions present in their natural habitats. Fishing from 1B How salmon adapt to their changing environment will be the main topic at next week’s SWC meeting. NED HICKSON/SIUSLAW NEWS This adaptation reflects past survival and reproduction by members of the population. In the Pacific Northwest, few species have such diverse behaviors as salmonids. This where flows are softer while the water is high. but most anglers have put away their gear for the season. Anglers are catching steelhead drift fishing corkies or eggs. Jigs fished under a bobber area also catching several steel- head. Anglers fishing the South Fork Coos River above Dellwood will need a permit from Weyerhaeuser, which they can pick up at the Dellwood office. TENMILE BASIN: Trout, steelhead Streams in the Tenmile Basin are now closed for trout fishing until May 22. Tenmile Lakes is open all year for trout but trout fishing has been slow. Steelhead angling is open in the Tenmile Basin until April 30. Steelhead fishing has been slow in Tenmile Creek and Eel Creek. The best fishing has been near the mouth of Saunders Creek and Eel Creek. In the Tenmile Basin 1 additional hatchery steelhead may be retained per day for a total aggregate of 3 adult fish har- vested daily. YAQUINA RIVER: lower clear flows, it’s better to focus efforts in the mid to lower river sections. Casting spinners / spoons, or floating bait or a jig are good options. SALMON RIVER: Steelhead Winter steelhead fishing is fair and fish can be found throughout the mainstem as river conditions allow. Casting lures, bouncing the bottom or drifting jigs or bait under a bobber are good techniques to consider. SILETZ RIVER: Steelhead Winter steelhead fishing fair for both bank and boat anglers. Forecasted rains this week should help to move in some new fish and spread out the run. Side drifting, bouncing bottom or bobber fishing can be productive. WILSON RIVER: Steelhead, Steelhead angling should be good when conditions are favorable. Fish are spread out through the system. The river should be fishable by mid- week. Fish larger, brighter offerings slowly in areas Steelhead The winter steelhead fishery is slow in the Big Elk. Casting lures or bobbers fishing are the best techniques for this river. COOS COUNTY LAKES PONDS: Trout AND Empire Lakes is scheduled for stocking this week with legal size rainbow trout. Empire Lakes has already been stocked with legal size trout this month along with Johnson Mill Pond, Powers Pond, Bradley Lake, and Saunders Lakes. The daily trout bag limit in these lakes is five trout per day with only one trout over 20 inches. Anglers are catching trout on spinners or by fishing Powerbait. COOS RIVER BASIN: Dungeness crab, steelhead, bay clams Steelhead angling is open in the Coos Basin until April 30. Currently the water levels in the Coos Basin steelhead rivers are up and muddy. There are still a few steelhead around UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH: reflects the complexity of their genetic lineage and allows them to survive in remarkably variable and dynamic stream conditions. One question scientists are asking is how well salmonids will survive under future cli- mates that may affect their habitats, from small headwater streams to salty tidal channels. In this talk, Flitcroft will dis- cuss the development and adaptation of Pacific salmon to Northwest stream environ- ments, and some of the changes Steelhead The South Umpqua is cur- rently open to adipose fin- clipped steelhead harvest, and winter steelhead fishing will improve as water levels recede. There are still excel- lent hatchery steelhead harvest opportunities on the South Umpqua especially around Stanton Park in Canyonville. WINCHESTER BAY: Bottomfish, perch Fishing for bottomfish in the Triangle and South jetty has been successful. PACIFIC OCEAN AND BEACHES: Bottomfish, Dungeness crab, surf perch Recreational harvest of crab is open along the entire Oregon Coast. It is still recom- mended you discard the crab viscera (guts/butter) before cooking. A few anglers fishing the beaches near Coos Bay have been catching redtail surf perch. The ocean has been very rough lately so picking days with lower swells is key to catching fish. Sand shrimp or Berkley Gulp sand worms have been working the best for bait. Recreational ocean salmon fishing from Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. runs through April 30. The season is open for all salmon except coho salmon. Anglers are allowed two salmon per day with a mini- mum size for Chinook at 24 inches or larger. Fishing for bottom fish is open to fishing at all-depths. Fishing for black rockfish and lingcod continues to be very good from Charleston to Bandon when the ocean is calm enough for anglers to get out on the water. The marine fish daily bag limit is seven fish and a sepa- rate daily limit for lingcod (two). Anglers can only keep 3 blue rockfish and 1 canary rockfish as part of their daily limit and there will be no har- vest of China, quillback, or copper rockfish. Dunes from 1B and knowledge gained from living and playing within the Oregon Dunes. Participants will learn the origins, shapes and future of the Oregon Dunes. The Cape Perpetua Winter Discovery Series is an oppor- tunity to explore topics and resources relevant to the Stephanie Matt Cameran Jack Honesty • Quality • Integrity Pest Tech Inc. is locally owned and operated. We are dedicated to providing professional pest management solutions. We service the greater Florence area, Central Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon. Our team of friendly certifi ed technicians have the experience and knowledge needed to help our customers with their pest control needs. Give us a call to learn how we can help protect your home or business. Give us a call today. we may expect to see in the future. Flitcroft’s research focuses on aquatic systems from the headwaters to the ocean. She uses both statistical and physi- cal representations of stream networks and estuaries in analysis and monitoring to more realistically represent system complexity and connec- tivity for aquatic species. In her work, Flitcroft has collaborated with federal, state, private and nonprofit organiza- tions. John Spangler, a Fisheries Biologist with the ODFW field office in Newport, will present on the results of the winter spawning surveys, focusing on coho salmon. Retention of cabezon is pro- hibited through June 30. PACIFIC HALIBUT Recommended dates for the sport halibut fishery are avail- able on the ODFW sport hal- ibut webpage. Dates will be finalized by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission dates at its meeting on April 22. SURFPERCH This is a diverse group of fish that provides a variety of angling opportunities. Spring is traditionally the time when marine perch species like Pile Perch and Walleye Perch are found in numbers in Oregon estuaries; Striped Seaperch are found year-round in rocky areas like jetties; and ocean surf is the place to find Redtail Surfperch and Silver Perch. For details on how to catch these guys, see Surfperch Fishing (pdf). The bag limit for surfperch is generous at 15 per day. However, a lot remains unknown about the status of surfperch populations off the Oregon Coast, so, as usual, take only what you will use. SHELLFISH A couple of regulations were inadvertently left out of the 2016 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulation booklet. 1) The daily bag limit for shrimp (edible) is 20 lb. in the shell; may be taken by traps, pots or rings. 2) Each digger of razor clams (as with all clams) must have his or her own container, must dig his or her own clams, and may not possess more than one limit of clams while in the digging area (except under an Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit). Current shellfish harvest closures in the ocean and bays due to elevated levels of domoic acid as of Mar. 7: Razor clams: Closed south of Tillamook Head Bay clams: Open coast- wide Crabs: Open coastwide Mussels: Open coastwide Oregon Coast during the off- season months between November and March. All presentations and events are free, but a Northwest Forest Pass, Oregon Coast Passport, federal recreation pass or $5 day-use fee is required within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. For more information, con- tact the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center at 541-547-3289. Siuslaw News 541-997-3781 509 Hwy. 101, Florence PestTechInc.com www.shoppelocal.biz
