Ocean Salmon...

[Lured In]

I have been enjoying this board for awhile, although I haven't fished in the salt since I was young. I am interested in the upcoming Chinook season above Cape Falcon that starts on May 25.

1. Is this a good fishery?
2. Where do you put in and how far out do you need to go to get into fish?
3. Assuming I have applied much of the recommended outfitting in the Hali posts, will my 19' NR sportster make the trip in decent seas?

My primary interests are in where to launch and where to fish, if you don't mind sharing. I am competent with my GPS, so GPS coordinates will work. I am definitely open for following someone and/or hosting someone who knows what they are doing. Any other info and recommendations would be appreciated. I thought I had heard in the past that most of this fishery was within 5 miles of the shore, am I wrong?

Thanks in advance.

[ 05-15-2002, 11:09 AM: Message edited by: Lured In ]

[Pilar]

I think you are talking about the Columbia River bar and the fishery around the sparkplug or CR bouy. Let me go check out the regs and get back to you.

Out of my mind .. :grin: .. back in a few minutes.

[Pilar]

Lured in ... The season is 7 days starting May 25. I would launch in Ilwaco or Hammond and fish off the CR bar. The fish hang around the CR bouy and in the waters all around the mouth of the Columbia. You can expect about 20 - 25 miles transit each way as you must run the CR bar and follow the 'S' in the river at the mouth.

I look for deeper than 200 ft and troll at 100 ft. with a big flasher and a downrigger. Real early in the morning the fish can be found right at the surface. Make sure you follow the gear restrictions and release all Coho until that season opens later in the summer.

Last comment is that this area is very sensitive to tide Vs. ocean conditions. Do not run the bar on the Ebb tide. Plan your trip to begin and end on the flood tide. Or cross the bar on a minimal tide change at high slack and return after low slack. Just realize that crossing CR bar on an ebb tide can be very dicey. If you get in trouble, you will have to wait for the tide to flood before returning on most days.

Reference the many post on this area and have fun. There are GPS #'s, gear recommendations and many sea stories.

[Lured In]

Pilar what I saw was on the ODFW website that said' "from the US/Canada Border to Cape Falcon, May 25-June 19."

Am I off my rocker?

Maybe I should start with what are the Ocean Salmon seasons, and which fishes best within 5-10 miles of the coast?

[ 05-15-2002, 07:20 PM: Message edited by: Lured In ]

[Lured In]

Okay now I am really confused. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

I just looked at the newly published Ocean Salmon regs (May) at http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/...ceansalmon.pdf

1. Page 9: US/Canada Border to Cape Falcon: Open May 25 through earlier of June 16 or 20,000 chinook quota. Open 7 days per week. Just outside the CZ is the fishing any good?

2. Page 9: Cape Falcon to Humbug Mtn: April 1 - Oct. 31 except as noted for the Selective Coho Fishery. Okay so finclipped nooks only inside the Tillamook Triangle Zone Until July 31st. What about in the Tillamook Terminal Zone outside the Triangle Zone? So basically if i go a little farther out I can keep any nook, but inside the Triangle its finclipped only?

3. How is the fishing in the Tillamook Terminal Area outside the Triangle? When does it get good?

4. Is the Columbia CZ ever open?

Any help would be appreciated.

[AngleThis]

Pilar...what about the rock pile off Newport? Chinook are there and it is open, yes?

[Fishplay]

Quite a few very nice fish were caught in the Seal Rock area by mooching last year. I did not fish there so I don't know specifics but I did see some of the fish and talked breifly with a fella who had a DANDY! Maybe 35lbs!!
Something to look into aye.

[Beer Waggin]

Lured,
When you say CZ, I'm assuming your talking about the "Control Zone"? If you are, I believe it's never open. This way the CG doesn't need to worry about picking lonely fisherman out of the rough water the bar produces. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]
Not saying YOUR stupid, just saying it's not the safest place to fish, and the CG/State Police will let you know that if they catch you in the CZ.
I may be out there the first weekend in June, if I can figure out if it's open. Think I'll make a call to clarify.

[Pilar]

The fish are off Garibaldi and Newport. In Garibaldi go out to the 30 fathom line and troll deep. At Newport you can drift mooch at the Rockpile or troll deep.

Read #2 above, yes it is open.