First off, I must confess that I have lagged on posting updates on fishing since the fall of 2019. It was a very busy and also a very successful season to say the least. I will definently make a greater effort in keeping updated on all the info that will be happening for the remainder of the 2020 season.
As we all know, things have been put on pause in Washington and Oregon since March due to the Corona virus outbreak. We all stayed in our homes to stop the spread of covid 19 and it appears it is working. This has been a very challenging time for all of us and definitely the longest month and a half of my life! As restrictions are starting to slowly relax, it’s time for me to let you guys know what’s going on with the upcoming seasons. The guiding community has been hit extremely hard by these shut downs and we are very eager to get our customers back on the water asap.
Fishing in Washington has been closed since March, but on May 5th recreational fishing will reaume to household members only for now. I anticipate guiding will resume sometime between late May – late June. Unfortunately the Spring Chinook season will have came and gone by then but other opportunities will be plenty for the rest of the summer through winter.
The first species of fish we will be targeting when guiding reopens are Kokanee salmon. Aka landlocked sockeye salmon. This is one of my favorite fisheries we have! Limits are the norm and the action is non stop until the boats limit is obtained. We typically catch Kokanee through early July before we move on to summer steelhead. Summer steelhead fishing is a blast in the tributaries of the Columbia River year after year! We target summer steelhead with light tackle while drifting down the river fishing from one spot to the next. Summer steelhead are hard fighters and often are very acrobatic making the fight that much more exciting when they get hooked.
After summer steelheading slows down, I plan on moving my operation to Astoria Oregon to start targeting bottom fish such as Ling Cod and Black bass among many other species that we typically hook while bottom fishing. Bottom fishing is a great way to fill the freezer with delicious white meated fish and limits are very typical during this fishery.
Our Salmon season in Astoria will be a bit different this year regarding when we start fishing, and when the season ends. This year we will start our Fall Chinook season on August 15th and it will run until August 27th. The Astoria fishery is also known worldwide as the Buoy 10 fishery. People travel from far reaches to participate in this fishery year after year due to it’s high probability of catching their limits of both Coho and Fall Chinook.
Fall Chinook and Coho salmon are coming fresh out of the ocean to start their migration up the Columbia River to the final destination to spawn. We follow these fish from the ocean all the way to the tributaries of the Columbia every year catching great numbers of fish on the daily. Another season we will participate in will be catch and release and also catch and keep Sturgeon fishing. The Columbia River sturgeon are some of the meatiest fish in the entire US and we are so lucky to have them.
After the August Buoy 10 fishery is over, fishing for salmon remains strong all the way into November making for a very long season to get the opportunity to catch them. September and October are dynamite for fall chinook fishing on the Columbia and its tributaries with nice weather and tons of fish to catch!
As we fight through this virus that has gripped our country, one thing has remained true through the entire thing. We as humans need to recreate and connect with the great outdoors and fishing is one of the best ways to do so. I’m so very looking forward to seeing all my old customers and meet new ones into 2020. If you have any questions or just want to talk fishing please give me a call and we’ll chat about what’s going on in the great northwest fishing scene. 360 910 0612. Looking forward to a great fishing season with you! Continue Reading
