SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 2017
3 B
ODFW to ‘harrass’ cormorants and protect young fish
Harassment, or “hazing,” of
double-crested cormorants is
set to begin soon in several
areas along the Oregon Coast
in an effort to improve survival
of juvenile salmon.
Double-crested cormorants
are fish-eating waterbirds that
occur throughout the state. The
species is an Oregon native,
and is particularly prevalent on
the state’s estuaries during
April through October.
Research indicates cor-
morants can consume signifi-
cant numbers of juvenile
salmon during this time period.
To reduce the threat to young
fish, the Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is
Fishing
from 1B
the Wilson should be dropping
into prime shape by mid-week
working with several nonprofit
and local governmental organi-
zations to haze cor-
morants on six coastal
estuaries over the next
two to four months.
Hazing will involve
driving the birds from
locations where juvenile
salmon are seasonally
concentrated,
toward
areas where non-salmon
fish species are more
abundant.
Workers will use boats and,
on some estuaries, small
pyrotechnics, to accomplish the
task.
Hazing is intended to
increase the survival of both
wild-spawned and hatchery
salmon juveniles as they
and into the weekend, and
there are plenty of hatchery
and wild fish throughout the
system.
It’s always a good idea to
check the river levels before
heading out. There are still
some big fish coming off the
Wilson this year. All the usual
techniques such as side drift-
ing, float fishing, drift fishing,
or pulling plugs or divers and
bait should be effective.
During high water use brighter
colors and larger presentations.
ODFW has coordinated the
cormorant hazing project for
the last eight years, although
cormorant hazing in some form
has occurred at some Oregon
estuaries intermittently since
1988.
Hazing
will
continue
through May 31 on the
Nehalem,
Nestucca,
and
Coquille river estuaries, and on
Tillamook and Alsea bays.
The program will continue
through at least July 31 on the
lower Columbia River, where
hazing will occur at a variety of
locations, including Young’s
Bay, Blind Slough, and Tongue
Point.
PONDS: trout
perch, crab
Recreational crabbing is
open along the entire Oregon
coast.
Bottom fishing has been
good when the ocean condi-
tions allow. Fishing for bottom
fish is restricted to inside of
the 30-fathom curve.
Recreational harvest of
razor clams is closed on the
entire Oregon coast due to ele-
vated levels of domoic acid.
The recreational harvest of
mussels is closed from Cape
Arago (south of Coos Bay) to
the California border. Before
any shellfish harvest trip,
make sure to check the Oregon
Department of Agriculture
website for any updates.
Surf perch fishing has been
good when ocean swells are
small. Surf perch anglers will
do the best fishing with sand
shrimp or Berkely Gulp sand
worms.
O CEAN S ALMON :
The ocean recreational
Chinook salmon fishery off
Oregon is currently open from
Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt.
fthrough April 30.
Fishing effort and catch
have been slow so far.
Ocean salmon fishing sea-
sons for 2017 are still being
developed. Look for updates
on the 2017 seasons.
B OTTOM F ISHING :
When the weather allows,
fishing in the winter months
for lingcod and rockfish can be
fun and successful. The ocean
fishing is good, private boats
had about 5 rockfish per angler
and near limits of lingcod for
everyone.
Charters had near limits of
rockfish and at least one ling-
cod per angler.
R EMINDERS :
• Bottomfish is restricted to
shoreward of the 30 fathom
line (defined by waypoints).
• Cabezon season is closed;
it will reopen July 1.
M USSELS :
The recreational harvest of
mussels is open coastwide.
R AZOR C LAMS :
Razor clams remain closed
along the entire Oregon coast
due to elevated levels of
domoic acid. This includes all
beaches and bays.
B AY C LAMS :
Bay clamming is open along
the entire Oregon Coast from
the Columbia River to the
California border. Check the
ODFW Shellfish website for
where and when to harvest
your favorite bivalves.
C RABBING :
Ocean and bay crabbing is
open coastwide. Bay crabbing
has slowed down as it typical-
ly does this time of the year.
Recent reports are about 2-3
crab per person in the ocean.
Hazing will involve
driving the birds from
locations where juvenile
salmon are seasonally
concentrated
migrate to the ocean.
Some of these spring
migrants represent species that
are experiencing conditions of
conservation risk, including
coho salmon, which is federal-
YAQUINA RIVER:
HUGE ESTATE SALE
Fri./Sat, 4/7-4/8
10am-3pm
1655 W. 15th.
Aunt’s large estate was
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her home. Contents include NEW
clothes, kitchenware, misc.
Household Items, & décor. Lots of
brand new items. Items are sold
AS IS & CASH ONLY!
ly threatened in Oregon under
the Endangered Species Act.
Hazing workers are
being provided by the
Clatsop
County
Fisheries Project, Port
of Nehalem, Port of
Bandon, North Coast
Salmon and Steelhead
Enhancement Fund
and
the
Alsea
S p o r t s m e n ’s
Association.
ODFW will provide
a portion of the funding and
program oversight, and will
conduct some hazing opera-
tions itself to protect hatchery
releases on the lower Columbia
River.
Fri.,/Sat., 4/7-4/8
9am-3pm
88038 Windy Leaf Way,
Moving must downsize, jewelry,
furniture, tools, household &
misc. Items.
FREE
garage sale signs
541-997-3441
with your ad
Steelhead
The Yaquina River and Big
Elk Cr. are open for steelhead.
Fishing is fair. Wild winter
steelhead can be retained on
Big Elk Cr. with a daily and
annual bag limit of 1/day and
3/year. The Yaquina River is
open for hatchery winter steel-
head. Casting spinners, drifting
bait or using a bobber and jig
can be effective.
COOS COUNTY LAKES and
Do your part and
volunteer today
to help support
these local
non-proft
organizations in
our community!
Volunteer•Get involved•Donate
Florence Food Share
Ask us about volunteer opportunities.
2190 Spruce Street • P.O.Box 2514
Florence, Oregon 97439
(541) 997-9110
info@fl orencefoodshare.org
Food Backpack for Kids
Together, No Child Will Go Hungry
Your tax deductible donations helped
us feed 84 Florence/ Mapleton area children in March
Mail donations to: PO Box 3347 Florence, OR 97439.
Call 541-997-2497 for more information.
Helping Hands Coalition
Assisting those in need in our Community.
Free Hot Meals Mon-Wed-Fri: 11:30 AM - 1 PM
NEW LOCATION SOON
United Methodist Church, 333 Kingwood, Florence
Call 541-997-5057 to Volunteer
Meals on Wheels and Cafe 60
Meals on Wheels are available to people over the age of 60
who cannot get out much due to illness or advanced age and
who are not eating properly, regardless of income. Cafe 60 is
available for those who prefer to make new friends in a dining
room setting.
1570 Kingwood
PO Box 2313, Florence
541-997-5673
laneseniormeals.org
Peace Harbor Volunteers
Join the Peace Harbor Hospital Volunteers, you will fi nd an area
of interest in a caring organization.
400 9th Street, Florence
541-997-8412 ext. 209
Us Too Florence
Saving men one PSA test at a time. “Someone to talk to...who
understands!”
541-997-6626
maribob@oregonfast.net
www.ustoofl orence.org
To include your organization
in this directory, please call us
@ 541-997-3441
Excess hatchery steelhead
have been stocked into
Saunders Lake, Middle
Empire, and Lower Empire
lakes. Fishing regulations for
these stocked steelhead in
Empire Lakes and Saunders
Lake are just like the trout reg-
ulations: anglers can keep 1
fish over 20-inches per day
and only need their fishing
license.
Trophy trout were stocked
last week in Bradley Lake,
Empire lakes, and Johnson
Mill Pond.
Fishing for trophy trout was
good in Empire Lakes this past
week for anglers using small
spinners or using Powerbait.
ODFW is implementing a
tag reward trout study on
Empire Lakes for 2017 in
which anglers will be asked to
report tagged trout that are
caught. Anglers can report tags
on the ODFW website.
TENMILE BASIN: Trout,
bass, steelhead
Trout fishing in the streams
of the Tenmile Basin are
closed until May 22. Trout
fishing in Tenmile Lakes, Eel
Lake, Saunders Lake are open
all year.
Steelhead season is open in
Tenmile Creek and Eel Creek
until April 30. Steelhead fish-
ing has been very slow in the
Tenmile Basin. In the Tenmile
Basin, one additional hatchery
steelhead may be retained per
day for a total aggregate of
three adult fish harvested
daily.
Largemouth bass fishing has
been slow but will be picking
up as the water temperatures
warm up. Anglers are catching
bass near structure or on the
deep end of the weed lines
using jigs or rubber worms.
UMPQUA RIVER, SOUTH :
Steelhead
Good numbers of steelhead
are being caught up to and
above Canyonville and anglers
are hooking into a few hatch-
ery fish. Pay attention to river
gages for the South as it has
been high and unfishable a
large portion of the time this
season.
The South Umpqua will
likely be a little high for most
anglers this weekend.
WINCHESTER BAY:
Bottomfish, perch
Fishing for bottom fish in
the Triangle and South jetty
has been successful.
PACIFIC OCEAN and
BEACHES: Bottomfish, surf
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