NED HICKSON , SPORTS EDITOR
❘ 541-902-3523 ❘
SPORTS @ THESIUSLAWNEWS . COM
WEDNESDAY EDITION
❘ MARCH 7, 2018 ❘
SECTION B
Siuslaw News
Sports & Recreation
S PORTS
On the
Bite
Calendar
• MARCH 14
A
SHS/MHS BASEBALL
WEEKLY
FISHING REPORT FOR
HOSTS P. HILL
THE LOCAL REGION
4 P.M.
SHS TRACK
www.dfw.state.or.us/RR
AT P. HILL
3 P.M.
S ALMON :
In May/June start think-
ing spring Chinook in rivers
and basins from Tillamook
south to the Siletz. By
August attention turns to
fall Chinook and coho.
There is a rare opportunity
to fish for chum salmon
(catch-and-release only) on
the Kilchis and Miami
rivers beginning in mid-
September.
• MARCH 16
SHS SOFTBALL
HOSTS SUTHERLIN
4 P . M .
• APRIL 6
MHS TRACK
AMJ INVITE
S TEELHEAD :
4 P.M.
COURTESY IMAGES
T IDE T ABLE
Entrance Siuslaw River
High Tide
Low Tide
March 3
12:54am / 7.8
12:52pm / 8.0
6:55am / 0.9
7:17pm / -0.3
There will be 24 different “Whale Spoken Here” locations along the Oregon coast from March 24-31.
R EADY
FOR WHALE TAILS
B Y N ED H ICKSON
March 4
1:32am / 7.8
1:40pm/ 7.5
7:41am / 0.7
7:56pm/ 0.4
March 5
2:09am / 7.7
2:28pm / 6.9
8:28am / 0.7
8:34pm / 1.1
March 6
2:47am / 7.5
3:19pm / 6.2
9:17am / 0.9
9:14pm / 1.8
March 7
3:26am / 7.2
4:17Pm / 5.7
10:09am / 1.1
9:58pm / 2.6
March 8
4:10am / 6.9
5:24pm / 5.3
11:07am / 1.2
10:49pm / 3.2
March 9
5:00am / 6.6
6:43Pm / 5.1
12:12am / 1.4
11:56pm / 3.6
S IUSLAW
N EWS
148 Maple St.
Florence
541-997-3441
Siuslaw News
I
n a few weeks, Oregon’s coastline
will draw visitors both on land and
in the sea as people flock to view-
points along the coast for a chance to
spot the annual spring gray whale
northern migration from Mexico to
Alaska.
Approximately
18,000 gray
whales make the return trek from the
warm-water lagoons in Baja
California that serve as breeding
grounds and nurseries from January
through March, back to their feeding
grounds in the Bering and Chukchi
seas around Alaska.
While the southern trip to Mexico is
at a more frantic pace, their return
north is more leisurely, with the
majestic mammals staying within a
half mile of the shoreline with their
young. Approximately 200 of these
whales remain part-time residents off
the Oregon coast between June and
November. Of those, approximately
40 linger between Lincoln City and
Newport.
During the peak migration time,
which is from March 24-31 this sea-
son, hundreds of Whale Watching
Spoken Here (WWSH) volunteers will
man 26 sites along the coast from
Ilwaco, Wash., to Crescent City,
Calif., assisting visitors in spotting
gray whales and answering questions.
WWSH locations within a relatively
short distance of Florence include:
The Cape Perpetua Visitor’s Center,
Cook’s Chasm Turnout, Sea Lion
Caves Turnout, Umpqua Lighthouse
(Umpqua Lighthouse State Park) and
The Whale Watching Center in Depoe
Bay.
A complete map of Whale Watching
Spoken Here” viewpoints is available
online at www.whalespoken.org.
According to data compiled by
Oregon State Parks since 2013,
Cape Perpetua is the
fourth-best location to spot whales
according to a ratio of whales-to-
sightings as reported by WWSH vol-
unteers. Sea Lions Caves was fifth,
with the No. 1 location, according to
statistics, is Umpqua Lighthouse State
Park.
WHALE FACTS
Gray whales are baleen whales,
See
WHALES 4B
Entire Oregon coast now open for crabbing
SALEM — The Oregon Department
of Agriculture and the Oregon
Department of Fish and Wildlife
announce that recreational and com-
mercial crabbing is now open from
Cape Blanco, north of Port Orford, to
the California border. Crab samples
taken from the area indicate that levels
of the marine biotoxin domoic acid
have dropped below the alert level.
As a result, the entire Oregon coast is
now open for recreational and commer-
cial crabbing, free of restrictions.
For commercial crabbing, ODA and
ODFW have lifted the requirement that
A drop in the domoic acid level
throughout the coast prompted the
ODA and ODFW decision.
all crab harvested from Cape Blanco to
the California border be eviscerated
(gutted).
It is still always recommended that
crab be eviscerated and the guts or but-
ter discarded prior to cooking. When
whole crab are cooked in liquid,
domoic acid may leach into the cooking
See
These ocean-going rain-
bow trout are divided into
two runs: winter and sum-
mer. For those that prefer
frost bite to sunburn, winter
steelhead begin entering
area rivers and streams
from
November
and
December (depending on
the timing of the fall rains)
and runs can continue
through April.
Summer
steelhead
returns begin in early April
to early June in the
Nestucca, Siletz, Trask and
Wilson rivers. Summer fish
will continue to arrive
through late summer and
early fall, sometimes over-
lapping with winter return-
ing fish.
T ROUT :
Cutthroat trout live in
these coastal rivers and
streams. Although resident
fish may be small, they are
feisty and fun to catch.
Fishing these cool, shaded
waters also can provide a
welcome respite from the
summer heat. In late sum-
mer, look for sea-run cut-
throat to migrate from the
estuaries back to freshwater
to spawn. These can be
large, hard-fighting fish.
Dozens of lakes and
ponds throughout the zone
are stocked with rainbow
trout
from
February
through May and, for some,
again in October.
Tenmile Lakes located
north of Coos Bay is
renowned for its crappie
and trophy bass fisheries,
and the site of bass tourna-
ments. Anglers should also
try one of the many smaller
lakes
scattered
along
Highway 101 and through-
out the coastal dunes area,
or Triangle Lake closer to
the Willamette Valley.
T ENMILE L AKES :
North and South Tenmile
Lake provide some of the
finest warmwater fishing on
the Oregon coast. Located
on the east side of Hwy 101
mid-way between
CRABBING 3B
See
FISHING 4B
COURTESY PHOTO
GEM IN THE ROUGH!
1889 2-story home in Skunk Hollow. This 1280 sqft home has great
bones with solid foundation & garage with extra storage. The main
floor has newer kitchen appliances & maple flooring. Living room has
high ceilings & custom woodworking which continues thru thru-out.
There’s an extra storage area, nice bathroom & large utility room. Up-
stairs are 2 bedrooms & an area for clothes hanging. Builder owned in
great condition. Sold ‘as-is’
$190,000
Lynnette Wikstrom
Broker
Cell: 541.999.0786
CBC#11274/MLS#16002568
lynnette@cbcoast.com
100 Hwy. 101, Florence, OR • 541.997.7777
“We’re next to the Bridge.”
COAST REAL ESTATE