Lower Nehalem sea-run cutts?

[Azeal]

Hi folks,

I've never really done much fishing for sea run cutts, but I was thinking of taking my canoe over to the Lower Nehalem and launching at the Highway 101 bridge, then paddling upstream as far as I can to fish for cutts.

I know sea runs are generally in tidewater this time of year... this sound like a reasonable plan? Should I be fishing surface patterns or streamers/spruce flies?

Also, I'm thinking about bringing along a chinook rod and drift fishing my way back down w/ bobber and eggs. Anyone hear of any chinook reports from tidewater?

[Navigator]

I am not familiar with tidewater, but when the summer chinook go upriver in September and start forming redds above tidewater in the lower river, that is the time to fish for searuns in the tailouts below the redds. Anything bright will work. Put all that dead drifting, mending stuff away - just swing the pattern and let in "hang" below you in the surface in the tailout. Then hang on :yay:!

Be careful wading - avoid harrassing the spawning salmon and the redds - look for bedrock crossings.

[garyk]

Given wind, current etc. in a canoe you'll have more fun putting in at the ramp at Aldervale, which is on the N. Fk. Nehalem. There's lots of holes, pilings and sort of habitat that tidewater cutts like. Check the tides and plan accordingly.

[DuckFan]

When is the best time to fish for sea runs-when the tide is coming in, or going out?

[Azeal]

I got up Saturday morning to roasting heat and a dog who looked at me with a "you must be joking" expression when I drank my coffee and looked at the canoe. I decided to spend the day doing "Honey Do's" instead.

Thanks for the suggestion on floating down instead of doing the upstream thing.

I don't know about tides, but from what I've read you want to target areas where the sun is off the water. Once the sun hits them, the cutts move on.

[garyk]

Thanks for the suggestion on floating down instead of doing the upstream thing.



I wasn't clear. Sorry. What I meant was to put in at Aldervale timing the tide so you could go up or downstream, then when the tide reverses, follow it back to the ramp. I used to put in a pram there and fish that way for silvers.