Netarts Bay

[roblosey]

Along with being a user of this bulletin board, I also happen to spend my time doing archaeology on the northern OR coast. As part of my dissertation work I have excavated the last two summers at Netarts and Nehalem bays and have come up with some questions I thought some of you might be able to answer. First, what do you know about starry flounder? Do any of you fish for them in either of the two bays? They tend to be fairly abundant at both sites I am working at. Also, what salmonid species have been known to spend time in Netarts Bay? I have heard that there used to be a good run of chum around November. What about steelhead? How about other species? Thanks for your help. Let me know if you have any questions. Glad to share information.

[garyk]

Historically, Whiskey Creek's run of wild chum may have been the most abundant run in the bay. They tried to supplement the run further by building Whiskey Cr. Hatchery. Then the whole run collapsed. There is still a remnant run that we're hoping will rebound.

Steelhead use the upper bay stream(s) that flow through the park.

Coho are in the bay through the summer feeding and we often mark what would appear to be chinook.

For more detailed info on the Bay's natural history, I recomend Jim Mundell of Netarts (he's in the phone book). A really great guy
he's happy to share with anyone interested and I believe he'll find your excavations of interest to him.

garyk

[Mr. Fisherman]

I've read about stary flounder and would like to fish for them (they swim right )
What di I need to know to target them and can you point me to a good area?

I'll keep you posted on how I do.

Thanks for your reply,

Mr. F


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Live to Fish
Fish to Live

[roblosey]

Another question for you guys: do any of you fish Netarts Bay for other species? I know that all salmon/steelheading is closed but what about sturgeon? What time of the year are they in the bay? Have any of you ever caught hake in Tillamook or Netarts bays? I am finding lots of them in the archaeological samples from Netarts. Thanks for the info.

[MoJet Driver]

Roblosey,

In reference to the hake: According to the book Coastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest,
hake are generally a deep water fish by day but they may frequent shallow inlets or bays by night. Deep is defined down to 3,280 feet and there is no definition for shallow. At one time the bar may have been deeper and they came in. Suggest you carbon date your samples and try and get some historical and geological data. Perhaps it was a whole different coastline back then. It also sounds like they come in shallow in the summer time, usually around wharfs.

Netarts has been known for surf perch and I have caught small black seabass and kelp greenling before. Don't know about sturgeon in the bay.



[This message has been edited by MoJet Driver (edited 11-10-2000).]

[garyk]

IN '99, one summer day while fishing for surf perch out of a boat by the eel grass beds, we had pretty good sport with a fish called a "Top Smelt". They are 10" to 12" or so and oily, so we kept them for crab bait.