April 2006 Fish Reports

Hi Scott
Amy, Randy & I fished the South Umpqua today, Sunday 3/30/08. Weather was delightful, but not many steelhead were caught on our stretch of the river. Most boats had a fish; some none; one boat had two. Randy caught this native hen on eggs, which was promptly released after the photo. No bites on yarn balls today. I think I may be done with the winter fish, unless we get a good shot of rain pretty soon. The South Umpqua is getting low and clear. It was an OK year for us; 17 steelhead for 7 trips. Never had any really great days this winter, but only had one skunk I Guess we’ll have to wait and see if any Springers come up the Umpqua this year!
Take care,
Rod Lathrop

Hey folks, was sure glad to hear from you all. Glad to hear someone is still out there chasing the steelhead around and keeping them honest. I think you might be right though, about the winter run being at an end. All and all the Steelhead fishing was pretty productive for those folks who took the time to get out there and go after them this year. I guess we can start looking for Springers here before too much longer, I have heard whispers and rumors of a few being caught already. Sturgeon fishing should be getting up a head of steam soon as well, it's that time of year as well. Once again thanks for the report and the photo.

Hey Scott,
I went out off the North Jetty in the Coos Bay this morning for about 1.5 hours. I caught 2 larger sea trout and a good size black bottom fish. I was using about 2ouces of lead and sand shrimp. Had a lot of smaller bites that I missed, must have been a gob of small sea trout out and about this morning. Sorry I didn’t think to grab my camera it was a last minute trip before work.

Keep your tip up!

Shawn Chase

Hello Shawn, the reports have been pretty sparse this month, so yours was a welcome site. Sounds like a great way to start out your day. Goes to show that there are fish there to be caught if someone wants to spend the time. Sea run trout can produce some pretty nice action and are delicious on the table as well. I think this year we are going to have to improvise a bit if we want to do much fishing and it sounds like your on the right track. If the weather continues to cooperate and things start to warm up a bit we are all going to want to get out there and play on the water. Fishing for Sea run trout sounds like a fishing trip worth taking. Thanks for thinking of us.

Hello Scott: This is my friend Steve with a nice ling 1 of 4 taken out of Coos Bay on Monday. They had a nice trip with multiple whale sitings on the way. This fishery will end 4-1-2008. Fish on .

Hi Rick, been while since we heard from you, thanks for emailing your report and picture. Things have been pretty quite this month in terms of activity, I think both on the water and on the fish-works.com website. My last trip out long range provided me with a great opportunity to whale watch too. That alone always makes the venture worthwhile. I just hear they were getting ready to close it back down here pretty soon, so for those of you who still want to get in on the action, you had better get with it. Take care and keep those reports coming our way.

Robert

Hey there Robert, been a really slow month report wise, it hasn't been for lack of effort, I have received email from folks who have been giving a good effort, just not having much success. I was just starting to conclude that the winter steehead run was about at it's end and then you pop up with this report. As always, thanks for sharing the report and the photos.

Scott

The Lucky Duck went out for the first trip of the year. Our favorite spot out of Charleston. Caught 8 ling cod in less than 2 hours. The ocean was a little sporty early, but it laid down a little by 10:00. Pulled the crab pots and had over 30 keepers.
Great day
Scott, Mark, Kelly, Travis

Hey Scott, been a little while since we heard from you. I sounds like you and your crew had a great day out there. The ocean can be pretty rough this time of year, have to pick our days carefully. I'm glad that it finally settled down and allowed for you all to get out and back in without any problems. You can't go wrong with the ling cod, how were the crab?. Sure appreciate your sending us this report, it has been a bit of a dry spell the past week or so. It's always pretty slow reporting this time of year. I'll be crying no reports now and crying because I can't keep up later in the year. I'm a chronic malcontent. :). Thanks again.

HI Scott We took a run out to the old ling cod hole today and our customers and found these nice lings waiting for them. We landed these fish in about 340ft of water, the ocean was on the its good behavior most of the morning with a 15 knot wind and we had a good bar to come in on. All and all a great day out on the pond. We only have two days left on the over 40 fathom bottom fishing season, We will be out tracking down those Chinooks next week. Tight Lines

Captain Rick Mason
Salmon Harbor Charter Fishing
(541) 271-2010
www.salmonharborcharterfishing.com

Hello Captain Rick, glad you were able to squeeze in a few more day for the bottom fishing before they closed things down. I'm hoping the spring Chinook fishing proves to be a whole lot better this year than it was last year. We have got a couple of early reports on them, hopefully a sign of good things to come. Lets hope that Spring is cooperative this year and provides some nice days to chase fish. As always thanks for thinking of us and sending your report.

www.springersguideservice.com

Way to go " A King for Mrs. King" :). This is the first springer reported on Fish-Works for 2007, that should get some kind of prize or something, I guess she will have to settle for some prestige and bragging rights instead. Well second springer I guess but the first reported caught by someone that isn't a guide. The skipper caught one the other day while fishing with his high school chums. Nice job there Mrs. King!

Hello Capt Rick, glad to hear that you managed to put a few on the boat before the weather turned. No sense it trying to stay out there and take a beating with the weather turning. It was sure nice the past couple of days, I was wondering if you had managed a trip out or not. Thanks as always for thinking of all of us here at Fish-Works.com and sending in your report and photos. Spring seems to be steadily moving in and the good days should start to outweigh the bad ones from here on out. Lots of good fishing ahead.

Hi Scott,
Long time not reports. I saw the report Steve put in, so I thought I
would follow up. Steve and his friend Brady brought their fathers
up to fish the Willamette with me. The March fishing for Sturgeon has
been epic. Most days we catch more fish then people expect. These are a
few pictures from trips this far. The fishing slowed this weekend
because of wrong tides and the high water on the Columbia. The current
slowed so much in the Willamette the fish were suspended most of
the day. The bite picked up in the afternoon, but all we could find was
shorts. Next weekend looks good. Enjoy the pictures. If anybody is
interested in fishing for Sturgeon up North, please check my site out
at www.finsandfeathersguides.com

Thanks

Craig Augustynovich, Owner Guide
Fins and Feathers Guide Service

Hello Craig,
thanks for sending in your report and photos. I will post it on the new Willamette page as well. Fishing reports from you folks up on the Willamette are always welcome here at Fish-Works and our readership is growing every day. A lot of our readers come here to see where the fishing is hot and who to go fishing with if they are not rigged up to go by themselves. Fish-Works is opening up to reports on all the major rivers and bays on the Oregon coast this year, you can find your way there by using the new drop down menu at the top of the page.

Hi Mike, thanks for the report and photo. It's like pulling teeth to get them in at time of year. In a few weeks I'll be trying to keep up with all the reports that are coming in instead. That really is a beautiful fish. If more high school reunions would include a fishing trip on the Umpqua as part of it's itinerary, you would probably have a whole lot more of us guys showing up for them.

Wow what a season it has been for steelhead this year. The Umpqua got blown out several times but in between when it has been fishable it has been great. Our steelhead team won the Roseburg tourney with eleven fish in two days. Since then I have boated 5 others floating from Cleveland rapids to Osprey. But this last weekend was the best. We fished above river-forks and limited out. I have enclosed a picture of my nine year olds first Steelhead after clearing out a great batch of eggs she still weighed 9.2lbs. I also enclosed my buddies 23lb buck caught today. Oh yeah Lorry Coons you should of come.

Hi Brad, thanks for sending your great report. It's always fun to read about kids catching their first Salmon or Steelhead. I get as much pleasure watching the excitement of that moment for a kid than I do landing a big one myself. It sounds like everyone had a great time and caught lots of fish. Your right about the Steelhead season, when it is has been hot it's been really hot, and when it wasn't it really wasn't. All in all it has been a really productive Steelhead run this year. Congratulations on your tournament standings.

Scott & Larry, here is a picture taken yesterday. The ocean was like a lake!! I think everyone out there caught limits......no problem. The fishermen are Ron Salwasser, Jim Cook, and Bob and Peggy Cobb.........Fun day!!

Hello Bob and Peggy Cobb, it's sure nice to hear from you folks, if I didn't know better I would think it was summer time on the Oregon coast from the blue skies and shorts. The weather sure has been great, almost as great as the bottom fishing. Take care and thanks again for remembering all your friends here at fish-works.

Hi Scott and everyone at fish-works We started off our 2007 fishing season with a full fish box today! The ocean was like a lake and our customers were back at the dock and we were tied up by 9:30 am this morning, blue bird weather as you can see in the photograph this is 10 miles offshore. Scott we have been very busy this winter getting ready the new Windy Bay Crab Depot building which will open around the 1st of April along with the tackle store. Salmon Harbor Charters wishes everyone at fish-works a great Salmon and Halibut fishing season for 2007 we will follow up with offshore reports during the season.

Alright Captain Rick, you saved the day with a fishing report, they have been far and few in between this month. I'm glad to see you back on the job. What a great way to kick off the 2007 season with a limit all around. Don't you wish every trip went like it did today. The weather was perfect. I think the Windy Bay Crab Depot is a great idea and will be a really nice addition to the Winchester Bay businesses. I know the bottom fishing season is a short one this year so if any of you plan on chartering a trip, you better make your reservations soon.

Well we still didn't get any fresh reports in the email today, so nothing new to report on the fishing scene. I did want to personally thank all of you that took the time to write and submit your letter of support for Captain Rich Oba this month.

More than 70 letters have been submitted so far to his attorney for presentation to the Judge prior to his upcoming sentencing. It's still not to late to send your letter if you haven't gotten it in already, the courts have rescheduled his appearance from April 2nd to April 31st, 2007.

Richard and his wife Sidney have also asked me to express their heart felt gratitude to all of you that have been there for them throughout this ordeal. Your compassion, support and understanding have helped them a great deal in facing and coping with this difficult time in their lives.

Hello everybody, it's been a little quiet around here for a few days now. I was looking back through last years reports and it was about the same then too. I thought I should post a quick reminder that if you have gotten out to do some fishing, don't forget all your friends here at Fish-Work's and remember to send us your report.

I also wanted to take a minute to thank everyone for taking time to email, call or visit with Larry Moore this past week. He asked me to thank everyone for all their encouragement and support through this difficult time in his life. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

I am making pretty good headway on the new website layout for Fish-Works.com, It should be ready to go here in the next few days, so if you think you have gone to the wrong page the next time you visit, don't panic, we have just made a few changes in our layout to accommodate reports for more rivers and bays on the Oregon coast this year.

Well that's about it for now. I'll keep an eye out for new reports and get them posted as soon as they show up. Thanks for visiting Fish-Works and we hope to see you again soon.

Congratulation on your getting married there Larry. Sounds like your getting things started off on the right foot, by going fishing on your honeymoon. I told my wife over 25 years ago not to ever ask me to choose between her and my fishing because I would really miss her :). All kidding aside we wish you all the happiness in the world. Fishing reports here on the coast have been a bit scarce the past few days but with all the sunshine and blue skies the past couple of days I figure we should start getting a bunch in this week.

Hello Rod. I was sure glad to see your report show up in my email this morning, we haven't had any the past few days. The weather has been pretty rainy, windy and chilly over here on the coast the past week or so and a lot of folks are hiding out indoors waiting for it to warm back up a bit. That is usually when the fishing pressure is low and the action is good. It sounds like you all stayed plenty busy reeling them in and managed a few keepers to boot.

Reduced ocean salmon season would give in-river fisheries big boost

By Andy Martin / F&H News editor
NEWPORT - Ocean salmon anglers will find out in early April how long of an offshore Chinook and Coho season they will get this spring and summer. At best, seasons will be similar to last year, but anglers also face potential closures or short seasons.
Anglers on the North Coast are expected to get the best opportunity. Final seasons will be announced after the Pacific Fishery Management Council meets April 3-7 in Sacramento, Calif.

Good news for rivers: While commercial fishermen in California and Southern Oregon are expected to see the most restricted seasons, anglers who fish bays and rivers may see significant increases in run sizes because of the reduced ocean take. "It could be the best fishing we have seen in the last 50 years on the fall stocks," says Trey Carskadon, president of the Northwest Sport fishing Industry Association. "There is going to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 300,000 to 500,000 surplus Chinook show up along the coast."

Last year, commercial salmon trollers in California landed 340,473 Chinook, while Oregon commercial trollers took 250,730 kings. California sport anglers landed another 171,901 Chinook and Oregon's recreational fleet brought in 27,952 kings and 13,709 silvers. With severely restricted commercial salmon seasons in California and Oregon this year, salmon normally caught during offshore fisheries will return in greater numbers to Oregon rivers.
"For the first time in our lifetimes, we are going to see first-hand what the impact of that commercial harvest has been," Carskadon says. "You are going to see an incredible return of fish."

While many West Coast salmon runs are in good shape, the Klamath River fall Chinook run has struggled in recent years with die-offs of spawners and more recently, smolts migrating to the ocean. To reduce or eliminate impacts on Klamath fish in the ocean, fisheries in Oregon and California - especially commercial seasons - are expected to be cut back this year.
When salmon return to rivers this fall, big, fat kings are possible. "Last year in the spring we had horrible ocean conditions," says Eric Schindler of ODFW in Newport. "The weather patterns we are seeing this year is more normal. Commercial fishermen are reporting some feed - not a lot of feed - but are seeing some feed. There is a good potential we are going to see a good, productive ocean." More baitfish generally show up off the Oregon coast in late spring and summer, Schindler says.

Proposed seasons: Several options were drafted by the PFMC at its March meeting in Seattle for this year's ocean seasons. The PFMC will meet in Sacramento the first week of April to select which options to recommend to NOAA Fisheries. Under the best scenario, recreational salmon fishermen out of Depoe Bay and Newport, two saltwater Coho hot spots, will be allowed to fish for silvers July 17-Aug. 31 with a 35,000-fish quota. Chinook season would run March 15-Oct. 31.

Hello Mike, thanks for the fishing update, I was just thinking the same thing the other day and made a note of it in our new weblog. I figure it might hurt things a little for the local businesses that are depending on the charter business to help them have a successful season to. I think once the word gets out on how hot the fishing is on the rivers they will get plenty of fishermen and women over here chasing them up and down the river. I look forward to getting fishing updates and photos from you as we get under way with a great 2006 fishing season in spite of the Government!

Hey there Doug it's good to hear from you. That is a pretty darn nice fish you're fishing buddy is holding on to there. Keep them pictures and reports coming. Oh yeah leave a few in the river for the rest of us. "Tight Lines" Scott.

Hello, hey just a reminder for all the recreational fishermen/ladies also, we have three ocean options to be "presented" in the final process in I believe Sacramento, anyway in California this next week. The final conclusion as well as our season for 2006, will be released to the public I believe on the date of April 10th the following Monday. Two of the options are decent and resemble our seasons of the past couple of years. One is a total closure after May 1st for ocean recreational fishing'. OUCH! Lots of financial impacts big time!
Please take a moment of our busy schedules and reinforce how important a viable recreational ocean fishery is to all communities and the state of Oregon and California. WRITE/CALL CONTACT all O.D.F.W commissioners, all of our local State and US representatives and all salmon federal folks with P.F.M.C and N.M.F.S NOW!!! It has to be done this week.....
Please do what you can and do it ASAP!
Thank YOU!!!

Gary Sellers

I fished today with Dave and Greg over at the coast and the fishing was really good we hooked 13 and landed 11 all but one was a good upriver fish I am back at it tomorrow but I am not sure where...

Sounds like you guys had a pretty busy day and got to take home some really nice looking fish there. Thanks for the report hope you have as much success today as you did yesterday.

Now is the time to make your reservations with your favorite guide. don't wait till the last minute. most guides fill up fast. springers , sturgeon, smallmouth bass, shad , stripers are all about to turn on. If you are a guide or charter fishing the Umpqua River system, get your business listed here at www.fish-works.com by becoming a site sponsor. Email reports@fish-works.com and get started today!

Hi Doug. thank you for the report and picture. sure glad to see someone is catching fish. looks like the weather is going to improve and that will make fishing a little more enjoyable. have a great year. keep those reports coming.

3-18-2006.

Larry, here are a few pictures of fish we let go today on the Umpqua. We ended up getting a limit of hatchery fish but I wont bore you with the pictures I would rather send some of our stud Umpqua natives...Good Fishing!!! Brent www.umpquafishingguide.Com

Hi Brent. thank you for the pictures and report. glad to see that you and your clients still have the touch at hooking the big ones.. hard to beat fishing like that. "tight lines"

3-16-2006.

Hi Larry! A wonderful day on the Umpqua today with my brother Randy fishing with Brent Lamm. We caught nine, and lost three others. Not a bad day. All side drifting bait. Got to love this late season winter steelhead fishing! Take Care, Rod

Hi rod thank you for your report and pictures. sounds and looks to me like you guys had a good day on the river. those are going to look good on the grill. by the way where is Amy ?? you picked a great guide Brent lamb he has been around a long time. www.umpquafishingguide.Com

3-11-2006

Hi Larry, what a difference a day makes. Yesterday, with hail, sleet, and snow......we landed two nice Sturgeon. Here is a picture of Mike Hagen with His 47" catch. His partner Marc Hodder landed and released a 62". We also had a couple other take downs that didn't stick with it. Today with sunshine and blue skies...........we never got bit!! We talked with other boats and they pretty much had the same sad story. The water temp had dropped several degrees, and debris was far worse. Tomorrow I am back on Steelhead.....wish me luck.....Bob www.cobbreelfish.com

Well hello there mister Cobb. thank you for your report and picture. smile mike !! one sturgeon is a lot better then no sturgeon at all. yesterday in the miserable weather you caught fish today the sun is shining and nothing. one can never tell what tomorrow may bring. at least you know that there are fish there to be had. good luck tomorrow and "tight lines"