Okiedrifter
05-02-2000, 04:52 AM
Hello, even though I now live in Oklahoma, I plan on getting back home as soon as I recover from this horrible back surgery. Can anyone give me information on my old home waters at Winchester Bay? I know you guys are a little farther north, but this is the best page I have been able to find for information. Keep up the good work and tight lines to all.
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okiedrifter
Ramstrong
05-02-2000, 09:40 AM
Okie,
I grew up in Lakeside, been a while since I fished Winchester Bay, but Last year was the first year in forever that the silver fishery in the ocean was open. It's going to be open again this year. From Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain in July, anglers can retain two chinook, or two fin-clipped coho, or one of each salmon per day until 20,000 fin-clipped coho are harvested. Fishing is closed Mondays and Fridays during the month of July. From April 1 to June 30 and August 1 to October 31, the chinook season is open to retention of two chinook per day and no retention of coho. Special gear restrictions are in place in this area. As far as catch statistics, i have them for 1985 to 1997. 1993 was last year for coho, and 5,299 were caught. Not many compared to 46,678 2 years earlier. In 96 and 97 around 400 Chinook were caught out of Winchester. From what I hear sturgeon fishing is still pretty good, but Stripers have fallen on some hard times. Smith river still has a few though. I remember catching a bunch of tomcod and some flounder in the harbor when I was a kid, I guess they haven't been around for a while either. Well the #'s don't lie. It isn't nearly as good as it used to be, but you should still be able to find fish.