Fishing Reports News

Chetco estuary Chinook

It can’t be hidden any more. It’s that time of year when Chetco Chinook really start showing up in the Chetco estuary. Large Chinook are now being caught fairly regularly. But that’s not out of the ordinary for the Chetco in mid-September. The fishery is so dependable you can set your watch by it.

The first fish to show up are always the jacks, or the 2-year-old males. They start showing up in Morris Hole and Tide Rock around the beginning of September. But just like clockwork, following close on the heels of the jacks, come the 3-, 4- and 5-year-old monsters.

Last week’s excitement began when Jim Day caught a couple of nice kings while trolling in the bay. Then, on Tuesday, I got the phone call. Mike Ramsay from Sporthaven Marina could hardly contain himself.

“Larry, you gotta get down here NOW! Dee Shurtleff’s here with a monster salmon!”

Now, as the saying goes, “Fishermen are all liars, except you and me.” Of course we all know that the aforementioned statement contains no validity whatsoever. Fishermen have, however, been known to occasionally spin a yarn, unintentionally convey a slight falsehood, or perhaps just stretch the truth from time to time. But not this time.

When I arrived at Sporthaven Marina 20 minutes later, Dee Shurtleff had two humongous Chinook in his driftboat. One salmon weighed 26 pounds while the other tipped the scales at 33 pounds.

Now, here’s the rub. Dee had invited me to go fishing with him that day, but I had to decline due to other arrangements, so in my place, Dee took Brian Gagnon with him instead. Brian got skunked.

Brian wasn’t bitter. He was glad to be a part of netting two monstrous toads for his friend. In fact, the last statement Brian made to me was that he would just have to one-up Dee the next time.

Twenty-four hours later, I got another phone call, again from Mike Ramsay.

“Larry, you gotta get down here NOW! Dee Shurtleff’s here with a monster salmon!”

Déja vu. It was kind of like watching the movie, “Groundhog Day,” you know, where Bill Murray keeps waking up and relives the same day over and over.

However, I don’t mind waking up to those kinds of days. Only this one had a twist. Along with Brian, Dee invited another fishing buddy, Neil Rodgers. There were four chromers in the ice chest and one bright hawg on the scale weighing 43 pounds. Who caught the big one? This time the trophy belonged to Brian.

Brian’s semi-retired and has only been fishing for five years. Most people who have fished all their lives have never caught a salmon near this size. But when you go fishing with Dee, the fact of the matter is, somebody’s going to catch fish and this time everyone got ‘em.

Bobber fishing the

Chetco

One of the most effective ways of catching salmon in the Chetco is bobber fishing. Bobber fishing immediately conjures up images of children catching bluegill with cane poles.

Fishing for salmon with bobbers in the Pacific Northwest, however, is more sophisticated and requires knowledge and finesse. The price of admission is patience, but the dividends pay off royally in the form of fillets in your freezer.

Now is prime time to use bobbers. The bobber fishery will last until the first fall rains raise the river. The fishery concentrates in the first few holes of lower tidewater. Here’s how to rig up.

Run your main line through the slip bobber and then slide a one-quarter-ounce egg sinker through the line. Tie your main line to a barrel swivel.

Now tie a number 4 hook to the end of a 24-inch leader using an egg-loop knot. Some people slide very light egg sinkers or a snippet of pencil lead down the leader. Tie your leader to the other end of the barrel swivel and you’re good to go.

Most people use spinning reels when bobber fishing. You will need to adjust the depth of your leader. You can do this by either buying pre-made bobber stoppers or tying an overhand knot using a piece of 8-pound test. Adjust the depth of your bobber by sliding the bobber stopper or piece of line up or down the main line, according to where the fish are.

The best bait is usually a sand-shrimp tagged with a piece of roe, also known as a shrimp cocktail.

When you see your bobber disappear, point your rod toward the water and reel as fast as you can until you feel tension, and then yard on him.

The October ocean

trophy season

Your last chance at nabbing a Chinook in the ocean will happen between October 1 and 12 when the Chetco Terminal fishery gets underway. It’s everyone’s best shot at bagging a trophy king in the ocean. The large fish being caught in the Chetco bay are indicators that it should be a fantastic fishery.

Every year in October, salmon start stacking up fairly close to the mouth of the Chetco, awaiting fall rains to signal them upriver.

It is a state-run fishery, out of PFMC jurisdiction. The boundaries are from Twin Rocks to the Oregon/California border and out 3 nautical miles.

You don’t have to travel far to get into these fish. Many fish are caught between the jaws, the bell and the whistle buoy. Others are caught along salmon alley or trolling alongside Sporthaven Beach.

Some anglers will be using standard downriggers or divers. Others will be using a spreader bar with a 4-foot dropper and a sinker ranging between 8 and 12-ounces. Use 8-foot leaders with large plug-cut herring employing a slow wobble.

If this season is half as good as the last one, there will be lots of anglers grinning ear to ear.

The limit is one Chinook per day; four per season; minimum size 20 inches.