Oceanside Salmon Report

[Tinman]

Yesterday the chop layed down and I launched out of Netarts Bay at about 3:30. I found lots of salmon, Coho and Chinook, in 200 feet of water directly in front of Oceanside. The first fish was a 20 # Chinook just 13 feet down on a downrigger, flasher and green hootchie...but it spit the hook at boatside. Next I saw lots of fish on the meter at 30 to 35 feet, and started fishing deeper. Two more lost Chinook (not my day!), and a couple of native Coho that I had to return. All this happened in under two hours...there were lots of fish out there, especially under the birds. Near shore the water temperature was 58, but out where the fish were it was 56.

[seasquid]

Wow,

You don't hear or see many people going out of Netarts -- my favorite bay of all -- I have taken my share of crab and clams out of there.

I noticed the last time I was up there -- it looks like what channel there is, moved to the north.

I have been over once -- with a Boston Whaler dealer many moons ago.

ss

[Tinman]

Seasquid: I don't go over the Netarts bar often, only when the surf is really tiny. And about half the time I decide to land right on the beach on the way in, instead of running the bar. Then I walk the boat down the beach in the shallows to the mouth, hop aboard and motor to the ramp. Still, I don't recommend it unless you have lots of surf-launch experience. I wear a full wetsuit, life jacket and swim fins when I cross, just in case.

But damn, it is sooo fun to shoot that bar on a calm day. I can fish Cape Lookout for bottom fish and salmon where few other boats reach. My boat is a 15 foot aluminum skiff with a high bow like a dory, so it works pretty well.

[Miss B Haven]

Actually, a fair number of boats do go across the beach (not sure I'd even call it a bar) at Netarts. Most of them are crabbers with dead motors or people who just don't know what they are doing. [img]graemlins/stupid.gif[/img]
Not many get a second chance at that crossing. :depressed: