Winchester Bay report

Salmon Stryker · 07-15-2002, 06:17 AM

Well I went down to Winchester this weekend for my first time at some south coast fishing. Winchester Bay is a great little fishing town and there is a lot to do!!!
Saturday am the bar was closed to boats under 26 feet but no problem for me because I had booked a charter on a 44ft boat for my first morning out right? Wrong. On the way out the engine overheated and the captain turned around and took us back. I got my 60 bucks back and went and launched my boat.
It was a minus 1.4 low tide when I launched so I threw the crab pots out and found a beach where some people were clamming. I got a hand full of gapers and a few crab. Then they opened up the bar and everyone started heading out. When I say everyone I mean about 200 other boats, it was almost like bouy 10 out there. Ocean wasn't bad probably 5-6 foot swells but the only chop was from all the other boats racing out. I fished for three hours before finally hooking up with a native coho and releasing it. Another hour and I had hooked a big chinook just outside the jetty. I was horsing on him trying to get him in before I drifted in to other boats or the jetty and he broke loose :depressed: My fault I didn't really have it all together at that point. You know how a fish can sometimes suprise you and catch you off gaurd? Anyway, I fished for another hour and then headed in.
Recent winds have spread the baitfish around thus the salmon are more scattered then they were a week ago was the report I kept hearing from everyone I talked too. Still there were a lot of fish being caught and a lot of boats limiting.
Sunday I did a little better, hooked three fish 1 native coho, 1 hatchery coho inside the jaws of the jetty (had to let it go can't keep coho in the river until Aug 1.) and finally just as I was gonna give up a 10 pound chinook took my bait and all my work paid off.
There was a lot of people that did better than me (almost everyone in fact) but I think I did okay for my first trip south and for being by myself. Here's the tally for the weekend 9 crabs, 8 clams, 5 fish hooked, 4 landed, 1 I could eat

, and a bucket full of herring that I caught from my camp site in Salmon Harbor that I will be using next month at bouy 10. :smile:

Lepper · 07-15-2002, 06:51 AM

hey next time don't go by your self! give me a call!!!!!!!! i live in bandon and ALWAYS need a fishing partner......
dave

avid · 07-15-2002, 07:34 AM

How did you catch the herring? I have watched people jigging off the old Coast Guard pier but they aren't getting bucketfuls.<g> I am going out tuna fishing with Pacific Pioneer charters as my ship doesn't come in until fiscal year 2003.

Salmon Stryker · 07-15-2002, 10:28 AM

Sorry Lepper Dave. When I get some more experience I will start posting when I have open seats. I am 26 years old and have only been fishing for the big boys for about two years and have only had a boat that long as well. (Just trout fishing before then) Any way I just don't feel comfortable inviting others yet. Afraid you might laugh at me

or worse I might drown you :depressed: or even worse than that I might knock your fish off with the net

Avid, I was just sitting on the rocks in the tent camping area in Salmon Harbor RV park. The new section. I was just using a six hook herring jig (yellow and white threads). The herring were in there jumping and rolling all over right at dark on Saturday night. Okay the bucket was a 2.5 gallon bucket and it was only about two thirds full. I fished for them for about two hours just casting and retrieve with the ocassional jerk. Usually brought in two at a time but I got a couple of quads. Good size too like green to purple label size.

TH · 07-15-2002, 12:12 PM

I'm glad you made it down.. the SC is a great place in July! (every month for that matter)
I just wish the ocean would settle down a bit.. but the is high pressure in july!

Lepper · 07-15-2002, 12:18 PM

hey don't worry about it, i'm 27yr old, with just about the same amount of expericen... but I have had a boat since I was 12.... that is the only difference.... I only trout fished before I moved to the coast.........

tailchaser · 07-15-2002, 12:47 PM

Hey TH have you got any news on the Rogue?? I hear it's hoppn' pretty good for some big fish right now. I know you have connections down there, give up the info. man. Do I need to bait it with a beer??

tc

avid · 07-15-2002, 08:25 PM

Salmon Stryker,

Still quite impressive results even if it was a 2.5 gallon bucket. Thanks for getting back to me. Did you do any crabbing?

avid

Lepper · 07-15-2002, 09:35 PM

no I don't know who bar cat is....... he is bandon here?

tailchaser · 07-15-2002, 11:03 PM

Not to fret lepper, next time I have a seat I'll hollar your way. Maybe even this weekend if you're around. I'm in Coos Bay so it's a short poke for ya. Bar Cat emails me once in a while from down there, have you met him?? I'll give ya his email if not.

tc

Wet_Willy · 07-16-2002, 07:18 AM

SS,
Had a different experience on Monday out of Winchester. Trip from last week was postponed and we headed out Monday morning. The bar had pretty good chop but we made it out. Swells got progressively worse and they closed the bar to all boats under 40 feet. I'm not a veteran of the salt so this all stressed me out. Luckily for me the owner of the 20' sled had been in this type of water before and kept the 4 of us fishing, while I chummed on the side of the boat in the morning :depressed: We had one take down only! Marked a lot of fish sw of the bar and there weren't very many boats that made it out before they shut down the bar. Conditions only got worse and frankly, I may have been cured of ever wanting to go out in anything but the best conditions again. Over the VHF we heard all kinds of reports of anywhere from 4-10' swells with heavy chop and they didn't allow us in until a little after noon (7 hrs in that was enough for me). We were all lined up ready to head in and when they finally opened it up for us to go in it was a wild ride in the 20 foot Northriver...0 for our boat and the ODFW checker had counted 1 fish caught when we were rinsing the gear off. I saw one other nook from another boat...I guess for every hot day, there is a not so hot day, I just got unlucky. Just happy to be on dry land again.

Bill

tailchaser · 07-16-2002, 07:58 AM

Yeah lepper he's in Bandon, I'll see if I can scrounge up his email. He keeps tabs on this site sometimes, but doesn't post much. He drops me a note every now and then to check in on the fishing this way.

Sounds like wet willy had a fun ride out of winchester. I've had a few white knuckling experiences out of there also. Thank god I'm a local and can pick some better days to fish. Ahh the memories of looking down on the jetties as I was praying to the almighty on full throttle.

TH · 07-16-2002, 03:02 PM

boy tailchaser, a beer would be great...

the rogue bay is smoookin.. I can't stand it anymore.. my people are saying "get here!"
someone boated the first 50+ pounder this week...
I'm heading down tomorrow and again Friday and every other day until I have to go back to work..Aug. 5 :smile:

Last year in nine trips we only brought one fish back under 25 pounds.. 14 big ones...

That's not the norm, but a great nine trips..

Lepper · 07-16-2002, 08:27 PM

they just trolling for them with a plug cut down on the rogue???? and where is the boat ramp down there? I might have to go....
dave

tailchaser · 07-17-2002, 06:24 AM

Hey lepper, bar cat's email is diazr1@earthlink.net and he's there in bandon. This Rogue report from TH is almost more than I can stand. The ocean is looking so-so right now, so it might be the ticket. Herring and Anchovies are the baits of choice down there. Once in a while one is plucked using a spinner also. If I make a run I'll let you know. TH, what channel do you monitor down there?? I'll give you a shout.

tc