View Full Version : Elk River surf fishing?
SalmonNilla
11-19-2003, 10:32 PM
Hello,
Has anyone done any surf fishing at the mouth of the Elk river? I read in Fishing in Oregon that it can be "fantastic". I visited Cape Blanco this summer and walked down the beach to the mouth and have been wanting to go back when the Salmon are there. Are the fish in the river yet? Any help or tips on what to use or when to go would be greatly appreciated. graemlins/1zhelp.gif
Thanks.
Well I hope not to dodge to many bullets on this one. Have a baraometer? A good investment is the wrist top computers that calculate elevationa barometric pressures.
What does this have to do with chinook and the mouth of the Elk? if you know a low is coming in, particiuliarly after a dry spell go down there before the pressuer starts to drop. I suggest variety of lures you can cast far and have a reliable action in the shallow water and surf. Fishing the outgoing and incoming is good in the surf, then the lagoon in late incoming through early outgoing, but carry your own rock, cause if can be cwrowded and I don't suggest you raise cane w/ the locals about law violations if you want to fish down there.
Time of year? Fish start trickling in in early October and strong bu the end if there is flows to accomidate passage into the lagoon at the mouth of the Elk. The peak of the run mid-December, so go fishing at the mouth is early and dependent on low-flows.
Bill Monroe
11-20-2003, 09:01 AM
The fish were there last week, but dunno how much rain they got...if it blew out, they'll all tumble upriver. As I recall from John Griffith, now a Coos County commissioner, it's best before the rain starts...He flyfishes the surf. So does Mark Freeman at the Mail Tribune...Mark was down there last week and had a field day...kinda like Alaska...
SalmonNilla
11-20-2003, 06:14 PM
Thanks for the great info. I'll post a report if I make it down there.
magic-rod
11-20-2003, 06:44 PM
Heard they pounded them out in the lower river this week, got some rain, and are supposed to be gettin some more, sounds like the river is plugged and will be for the next few weeks as they get more rain. Now is the time.
tailchaser
11-21-2003, 09:45 PM
The people that typically fish the surf are nothing but toothless snaggers. The fish try and make it up there are low tide and you can see their backs in the water. Typically the only lure they see are a large treble that's implanted in thier backs in short time. You can't honestly tell me that a fish coming in on a wave has time to snatch at a bait or any other lure you're throwing. I've been down there for a month now catching fish and it's an absolute zoo of people and illegal fishing. 5 of us watched a guy pull in a fish sideways and cut the gills right in front of us. We yelled at him for it, but what can you do, he's on one side, you're on the other and it's not worth a knife fight over. I was dreading the first post on here about the fishery down there because of the horrible overfishing that it sees and for that a few of us on here have withdrawn from even posting pictures. Which is sad, but a reality.
tc
Bill Monroe
11-22-2003, 02:56 AM
I can't imagine either Mark or John snagging fish, although both have said it's a problem down there.
Lepper
11-22-2003, 04:54 PM
I'd have to agree with TC on this one.. I've been fishing this the last month as well. I have seen NUMEROUS people bring the fish in sideways and hoot and hollar and BONK'EM on the head.
TC didn't say that everyone was like that down there.. but unfortunatly it seems like aroun 80% of the people are like that down there.
d
That area used to be unreal back bouncing water, we just hammered them from 101 down to the mouth . no boats fished it cause the land owners were butts, we would turn our heads and fish it anyway. It has become so crowded down there now I would hate to go fish it. The locals would yell at you while they snagged fish and try to tell you that motor boats weren't allowed in the river. If they only knew how good those fish would bite eggs they would quit snaggin.
Lepper
11-22-2003, 08:14 PM
motor boats aren't allowed in the river anymore...
tailchaser
11-22-2003, 09:17 PM
No flame was intended samonilla, but the problem is of enormous proportions with the snaggers down there. It's so disheartening to see. Basically 5% of the people know how to fish it and slaughter the fish legally. The other portion catches them occassionally and are more or less desperate to keep a fish. It lends itself to snagging and typically the people fishing just off of the surf are in that crew. Mostly because they're after fish that are in 12" of water, and have nothing but sand in thier face. They don't slow down and thier only goal is to get into the river. Can't see how you could ever catch one legally. There will be a day when the OSP will take notice, I just hope I'm there to see it when it happens. Just a tidbit of how bad it is, Lepper and I drifted it today and nailed a few fish on eggs, but as it turns out over 100 fish were in the back of three trucks that we saw on the riverbank coming from a treble hook. This info came from a guy who I know that had permission to fish there. Once the local crew showed up it was all over for legal fishing. When Dave and I floated by there were a lot of fish around but the only people were in trucks??? Didn't know why then, but I do now. Pretty sad.
tc
Tailchaser....
I feel your pain but, I think broad generalizations about conduct and the teeth are not approapriate.
Yes, when fish are fighting there way up when the tide is out and the water is low si a sad then when there are hammered by snaggers and even caught by hand, I ahve witnessed it!
But, If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.
All you can do is report the abuse and if you can't handle it don't fish down there.
If OSP doesn't enforce the rules and fishermen don't follow then there is nothin else you can do.
Those fish will stage in the surf and are quite cathable before they make runs onto the bar in the shallow water.
I have had numerous fish hit my legs when they are stacked in the surf and it can be quite exciting. It is even more of a thrill to hook fish legally in this area.
SSPey
11-23-2003, 06:49 AM
you'd think that if a Coos County commissioner was there and witnessing this violation, then something would be done about it. What's up with that? Hasn't OSP been notified? In this era of budget cuts, these "sure things" should be all more appealing as busts.
STGRule
11-23-2003, 08:24 AM
Then maybe its time for some ethical fishers to show up in their anti-snagging shirts with a few video cameras and show them how to fish instead of poach.
OSP has been there everyday for the last two weeks...
most people just don't realize they are there! :smile:
It is a fishery that is watched very closely, for good reasons!
No water this weekend.. not much coming either.... too bad!
Lepper,
You couldn't be farther from the truth.
You can use a 25 hp on the Elk as far up as the bulkhead boat launch. A proposal was passed two years ago to eliminate them but was amended to 25 hp. I would encourage anyone who likes to backbounce to put in at the bulkhead and go down at water levels 4.5 - 5.5 and you will have a hay day on chromers. The hole in front of Sweets house is a killer as well the two wing dams below. Be carefull of water levels below that or you may have a little trouble getting back to the ramp with out dragging it.
Don't let the locals scare you, this river belongs to EVERYONE.
Leppers coment about no motors was used on us for years, however we read the Marine Board synopsis and found out otherwise. Locals just don't want people seeing them snag all those fish. If its nice fish you are after these are them..
I quit fishing it because i don't have a 25 anymore, but when we used to go there it was nothing to hook 25-30 a day back bouncing and bobbers. You wont see any drift boats down there cause you only have the ocean to take out at, and if the tide is in you are screwed.