Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
For more information call 800-720-6339 (ODFW) or 503-947-6002
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us


For immediate release
Monday, August 9 , 2004


Many ocean sport fishing opportunities remain available

NEWPORT – The recent closing of t he sport rockfish fishery still leaves sport anglers with many fishing opportunities in coastal Oregon .

The closure went into effect Friday, Sept. 3, and includes all rockfish, lingcod and greenling. Fishing for cabezon closed earlier in August.

“The Columbia River salmon fishery continues to be good this year,” said Curt Melcher, a salmon fisheries biologist for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. “The Buoy 10 fishery, which has been good fishing this year, will remain open for adipose fin-clipped coho and steelhead through December and will be open for chinook retention through Labor Day. The main stem of the Columbia River from Tongue Point to Bonneville Dam also is open for salmon and steelhead, and likely will remain open through September.”

“Ocean salmon angling has been good this year,” said Eric Schindler, a fisheries biologist for ODFW based in Newport . Opportunities in ocean waters are:

Leadbetter Point to Tillamook Head is open for all salmon except non-adipose fin clipped coho. The season is expected to last until Sept. 30.
Cape Falcon to Humbug Mountain is open for chinook through Oct. 31.
Humbug Mountain to the Oregon/California border is open for chinook through Sept. 12.
There also are excellent chinook fishing opportunities in coastal estuaries.

The saltwater fishing opportunities don’t end with salmon.

Pacific halibut opportunities include:

Between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mountain the fishery is scheduled in all-depth waters for Sept. 17 and 18, and Oct. 1, 2, 15, 16, 29 and 30. Additional fishing days may be set. The fishery in the same area is open seven days a week inside the 40-fathom line through Oct. 31.
South of Humbug Mountain the fishery is open in all-depth waters through Oct. 31.
“The albacore tuna fishing should remain good through most of September and some fish should be available into October,” said Don Bodenmiller, project leader for marine recreational groundfish fisheries for ODFW. “The ocean remains open for tuna and other pelagic species like mackerel.”

Other marine species remain open as well. There are plenty of opportunities to fish for a variety of flatfish species such as starry flounder, Pacific sanddab and sand sole. Flatfish are found primarily over sand or gravel bottoms. To fish for these species, anglers should use smaller baited hooks and make sure to fish on the bottom.

surfperch angling also remains open with several popular species available in the estuaries and along sandy beaches. Anglers fishing for surfperch in the estuaries should look for areas with structure such as pilings. Anglers fishing the surf should cast into about the third line of breakers and target areas of the beach with deeper pockets. Surfperch usually are caught using bait on smaller hooks, but some anglers use lures or flyfish using artificial baits that resemble shrimp.

There are numerous shellfish opportunities in coastal estuaries, such as Dungeness crab and bay clams. Shellfish enthusiasts are reminded that razor clams are scheduled to open north of Tillamook Head Oct. 1.

Anglers are reminded to consult with local ODFW or OSP offices for emergency angling regulation changes.

Anglers are reminded that salmon and halibut require a harvest card and all fishing requires a license. Harvesting shellfish requires a shellfish license. Those under 14 don’t need a license.




 

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