Rec. Salmon to Open March 15 Comm Season Cancelled

Threemuch · 03-10-2006, 12:38 PM

From the ODFW Website

3/10/06 ACTION NOTICE: The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) voted late this morning to cancel the scheduled commercial troll salmon fishery scheduled to open March 15. This fishery was originally scheduled to run from March 15 through April 30 from Cape Falcon to the Oregon/California border.

Due to concerns over an extremely low abundance forecast for Klamath River fall chinook, the National Marine Fisheries Service has stated that no fishing can be allowed, and the Pacific Fishery Management Council's action was taken with respect to that guidance.

Note: The Oregon recreational ocean salmon fishery which is also scheduled to open March 15, will continue as scheduled for March and April.

Threemuch · 03-10-2006, 12:41 PM

Interesting, but I have never done much salmon in Oregon in March and April. I assume the fish are deep. It will be tough for any rec anglers to find them without the commercial troll fleet to bracket them in.

puffins crew · 03-10-2006, 12:44 PM

Thanks for the heads up, Kurt.

Peace, Tom

5 Salt · 03-10-2006, 12:47 PM

Perhaps the ocean conditions will cooperate 15Mar and beyond.

So far March has been less than calm.

Threemuch · 03-10-2006, 02:26 PM

They just shut down the April 1 opener for CA. None of this makes sense. I am guessing they are letting Oregon fish the early salt because we don't get many fish in the early season.

Mark Mc · 03-10-2006, 02:37 PM

Kurt, for the last 3 years in a row there was very good fishing out in the deep....basically the 70 - 100 fathom line from Heceta & north 30 miles.

Fish are right near the bottom....commercial guys using 50 - 70 lb leads....some big scores week after week.

Just need to mooch with 20 lb spectra, waaaaaay down.

corrirod · 03-10-2006, 02:40 PM

Get'em while you can boys and girls!

I hadn't ever fished the March fishery until I commercialled. There are a few fish out there but as Kurt suggested they are "usually" pretty deep.

Here's my suggestion, fish the same old haunts you usually do.....just fish'em deep. Get as close to the bottom as you can with your riggers. If those spots don't work then continue moving out farther.

As Kurt mentioned, without the ******* scouting them out it'll be tougher to find them but they are out there. I did catch some pretty close to the beach too(28 fathoms) but most were caught in the deep water(40-80 fathoms).

With the crappy seas and weather it'll be even tougher than normal.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE be careful if you go out there this time of year! I learned really, really fast just how quick Spring season oceans change for the worst. It only takes a few minutes for 3ft. chop to turn to 6ft. chop. As soon as conditions start to deteriorate I highly recommend heading in. Do not wait around to see if they improve!

Threemuch · 03-10-2006, 02:54 PM

I have mooched the edge of Monterey canyon down to about 300 feet, but 100 fathoms? I guess you could do it with a 2.5 pound ball and a sinker release, or maybe a rig like you described, 16 oz bannana sinker and a bunch of 20 pound spectra...

Mark Mc · 03-10-2006, 03:00 PM

Kurt as you can imagine, it's all about the thin line, and the drift. As long as there is a slow drift, with 15 or 20 lb spectra, 8 ounces is plenty, even in 100 fathoms.

If there is more than about 8 knots of breeze, forget about even trying (in that deep anyways).

Threemuch · 03-10-2006, 03:09 PM

If you have a full transom boat and a low swell, you could back into it with 8kts breeze and still make bottom.

South Paw · 03-13-2006, 07:29 AM

Time to break out the 24oz mooching leads.

Bstnwaler · 03-13-2006, 03:38 PM

Kurt...Found a way to back into a pretty steep swell with a low transom boat (ANGELA C) we just put the fishermen in the forward section,raises the stern way up..worked great on squid,4-5 chop,15knts wind and 1300 feet..stayed straight up n down and bilge stayed fairly dry...

Threemuch · 03-13-2006, 04:06 PM

Which is fine if you are in your whaler, just don't do it in a sinker. Plus make sure that cowling is above water. You don't want your outboard taking a drink.

wthr4d · 03-13-2006, 08:33 PM

Last March or was it April Ron M took me out on the silverfish for a little crab and salmon action and we boated one or two nice ones and brought home a few crab all without going more than a couple hundred feet deep.

Paul

ron m · 03-14-2006, 02:53 PM

Paul, it was the first of May. The first week or 10 days in may last year the boat had a couple of salmon form 200 ft or less. Didn't get any before the first of may.

I'm a little worried that if we get salmon out in 100 fathoms or so that some of them may be KR fish with nose tags and that could hurt our season later in the year. Course, we're not likely to get a whole lot of fish our there so maybe i shouldn't be concerned.
ron m