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CLOUDY Temp: 45 °F Wind: N at 4 mph Monday, April 21, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 10, 2003 FISHING AND HUNTING REPORT River Outlook ROGUE — The lower Rogue continues to be red-hot for spring chinook salmon now, as both bank anglers and boat fishermen are catching fish anywhere from the top end of tidewater all the way to Agness. The middle Rogue is starting to generate some spring chinook catches, and the upper Rogue is going fine for winter steelhead in the upper stretches where water conditions are better. The best bet is the lower Rogue, where one of the river’s best fishing seasons is beginning now in earnest. Bank fishermen and boat anglers are catching a few dozen spring chinook daily, with more than 70 percent of the catch hatchery fish. Boat anglers are anchoring in the Elephant Rock and John’s Hole area, with best success coming on anchovies with green-bladed spinners. Others are anchoring in shallow water 2-8 feet deep, intercepting the chinook as they migrate upstream. Bank anglers also are doing very well at places such as Huntley Park and Lobster Creek, with anchovies or gray ghost Spin-Glo’s the top choices. Use Spin-Glo sizes No. 0 or No. 2. In the middle Rogue, the flows are high but bank fishing for spring chinook is starting to heat up below Savage Rapids Dam. More fish are getting hooked than landed, in part because many of the fish are large and the strong flows hamper opportunities to slow down the fast-charging fish. A 33-pound hatchery buck was caught this past week at Savage Rapids Dam, according to Jim Broman at Jim’s Tackle in Grants Pass. Rainie Falls fishing was poor because the high water flows there have not forced the fish to stop below the falls. In the far upper Rogue, water releases from Lost Creek Lake were down to 1,650 cubic feet per second Wednesday. That left the upper Rogue in good fishable shape for winter steelhead. Most steelhead fishing has been concentrated on the upper Rogue upstream of Shady Cove. Catches have been good for bank anglers in the Hatchery Hole and boat anglers around the New Bridge Hole and waters near the Sand Hole. Bait is out- fishing plugs, but that’s because most anglers are bait-fishing and shying away from plugs in the high water. Through April 1, 1,634 adult winter steelhead have entered Cole Rivers Hatchery, indicating that the fish are well distributed now in the upper Rogue. Reduced flows out of Lost Creek Lake and some warmer days have improved midge fishing and leech fishing for trout in the "Holy Water" impoundment between the dam and Cole Rivers Hatchery. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, telephone 1-800-472-2434. Anglers can keep one wild steelhead over 24 inches as part of their two-fish daily limit throughout the Rogue through April 30. UMPQUA — Spring chinook fishing has been fair to good in the main-stem Umpqua around Scottsburg and Elkton, but only one spring chinook was counted at Winchester Dam through March 31. Steelhead fishing was fair in the all- angling section of the North Umpqua, and slow in the flies-only section. The Amacher Park area, however, has been good for winter steelhead. The South Umpqua is closed to angling. Lake Outlook LOST CREEK — Fishing for rainbow trout is improving now that a new complement of legal-sized rainbow trout have been released into the lake. The Lost Creek Lake Marina is in operation now, and more boaters are starting to use the facilities. The lake was about 7 feet from full Wednesday, and surface temperatures increased to almost 50 degrees. These are perfect trout-fishing conditions, especially for trolling either near the face of the dam or drift-fishing in the upper reaches of the lake. Trolling has been the most productive because it is the most common tactic used in the lake, while still-fishing with PowerBait and nightcrawlers, or casting Roostertails and other small spinners from the bank have worked well. No adult steelhead will be released into the lake this year over concerns about possibly contaminating lake water with viruses that could get into Cole Rivers Hatchery just downstream of the dam. The daily limit is five trout at least 8 inches long, but only one trout over 20 inches. For bass, the limit is five a day with no more than three over 15 inches long, but most bass fishing is catch and release. Angling is open year-round. APPLEGATE — About 500 adult winter steelhead were released into the lake last week, and these fish have since spread out. There are probably some still milling around Hart-Tish Park, but look for the catches to be best around Carberry Creek as the steelhead search for spawning grounds soon. Trout fishing is improving for those trolling points and coves, while the smallmouth bass bite remains just fair. Bass anglers are reminded that they cannot keep any bass between 12 inches and 15 inches, and just one bass longer than 15 inches can be part of the five-bass daily limit. The lake is open year-round. EMIGRANT — Fishing for legal-sized rainbow is good near the dam and in the upper arms, while early bass fishing is good for crankbaits fished near willows. Fishing has all but disappeared for the 3,500 adult summer steelhead transplanted last month into the lake, and most of them have spawned and died. All adult steelhead stocked into the lake are legally considered trout and can be kept as part of the regular trout bag limit of five a day, but only one of those can be over 20 inches long. The lake is open year-round. LAKE of the WOODS — The lake is open to angling, with improved effort now that the warmer temperatures have hit the region. Try trolling very slowly and very deep for the lake’s large brown trout. The lake is open year-round. The lake’s ice has disappeared and re-appeared three times since Christmas, and a cold snap could re-freeze it again. ALL SPORTS PARK — The ponds near Grants Pass are scheduled to be stocked this week with legal-sized trout. The lake is open year-round. SELMAC LAKE — The lake was stocked last week with legal-sized trout, and fishing was good with bait and lures. Bass fishing was good at the lake, with grubs fished near submerged vegetation a good first choice. WILLOW LAKE — The lake was recently stocked with legal-sized trout and catches were good but activity was light. Bass fishing was improving as the weather and water have warmed. The Willow Lake Resort is in operation after several years of being closed. LAKE BILLY CHINOOK —The entire reservoir is open to angling. Bull trout harvest is limited to one fish over 24 inches, but anglers are encouraged to catch and release. Anglers are reporting good numbers of bull trout present. Kokanee fishing is fair with most fish running 9-11 inches. Both Oregon state angling license and tribal angling permit are required in the Metolius Arm. Ocean Outlook Oregon beaches are closed to the harvest of all clam species. The harvest closure includes all beaches, ocean spits and jetties from the mouth of the Columbia River to the California border. All bays remain open for the harvest of clams except for the jetties at the entrances to the bays. Harvesting of mussels and scallops is allowed, but only the adductor muscle meat should be eaten from scallops. Crab do not concentrate domoic acid in the meat and are not affected by this closure. However, recreational harvesters are advised not to eat the crab viscera (guts) at this time. For more information, call the Oregon Department of Agriculture’s shellfish line at 1-503-986-4728 Ocean-fishing was fair amid sporadic storm fronts. Chinook fishing is open in the ocean from Humbug Mountain to Cape Falcon, and the fish are starting to congregate a little better nearer to shore. Catches so far have been somewhat light. Fishing for surf perch was good in the beaches near Brookings, Gold Beach and Port Orford, when the surf was lower, and look for those catches to improve again a day or two after the waves subside. Clam necks are the best bait. Crabbing from the public piers in Port Orford and Brookings should be good when ocean conditions are fair. Crab tend to be more active one hour before and one hour after high and low tides. The ocean is open for dungeness crab. Hunting Outlook ROGUE — Spring bear hunting is open locally, but harvest has been light. Orchards, stands of young timber and grasslands are good areas to check for bears now. Turkey hunting begins Tuesday, but now is a good time to start scouting flocks. Most of the birds are now on private lands scattered across the oak savannas and timber stands of Jackson and Josephine counties. But some good public land is open for turkey hunting in the Elk Creek and Trail Creek drainages, the areas near Butte Falls, Kerby and Grants Pass, and some areas near Lake Creek. It’s best not to use calls for turkeys in pre-season because the birds can become in tune to the fake calls. It’s best to look for turkey signs and watch where the birds roost. Cougars are secretive and difficult to hunt, but numbers are high in southwestern Oregon. The best method of finding cougars is by predator calls in areas with good deer numbers. PRINEVILLE — Coyote opportunities are good, with coyotes concentrating near deer and antelope on lower elevation winter ranges. While this can involve private lands, some ranchers provide access to hunters. Recent warm weather and rain have removed snow and made vehicle travel very difficult off of surfaced roads. Areas to consider include the Paulina Valley, upper Crooked and the South Fork of the John Day River, Camp Creek, South Fork of the Crooked River, and Bear Creek. Hunters are encouraged to carry a cougar tag as they also could be present. Ground squirrels have become active with the warmer spring weather. Lower elevation agriculture lands and crested wheat fields offer excellent hunting opportunities. Hunters are reminded to obtain permission from private landowners for access. Watchable Wildlife ROGUE — A covered viewing station on the Denman Wildlife Area provides a good opportunity to view waterfowl, egrets, raptors and songbirds. The structure was built by the Oregon Hunters Association and is accessed by a paved, wheelchair-accessible pathway. It is located on Whetstone Pond, just north of the ODFW office. KLAMATH — Viewing opportunities remain good throughout the Klamath Basin. A fair number of tundra swans still remain. Be sure to look for any trumpeter swans, which are larger than the tundra swans. More winter weather should improve viewing for bald eagles as they congregate in the Klamath Basin, most notably in the state line area near the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. Fair numbers of rough-legged hawks can be viewed in pastures and fields hunting for rodents. CENTRAL COAST — Gray whales are on their return migration from their calving grounds in Baja to their north Pacific range. High viewpoints along the coast and the jetties near Florence provide good vantage points for viewing them as they pass by. Whale watching cruises from port cities also provide good viewing opportunities SUMMER LAKE — Since hunting seasons are closed, many species will be easier to view. Fair numbers of wintering waterfowl are scattered throughout the Summer Lake Wildlife Area now, and early breeding species such as Canada geese and mallards are beginning to pair up and search for territories. 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