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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 25, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend February 5, 2004 Fishing and hunting report River Outlook ROGUE — Winter steelhead fishing is heating up river-wide as a strong run of fish has already spread itself out throughout the Rogue. The best bet is the middle Rogue, where water conditions and numbers of fish are about as good as anyone could hope for in early February. Flows at Grants Pass were 3,600 cubic feet per second Wednesday, and the 5 NTUs of clarity are fine. That makes fishing with roe and puffballs great from driftboats as well as the bank. Driftboaters are concentrating in the area near White Horse Park, double-dipping for Rogue steelhead as well as those bound for the Applegate. Bank fishermen are doing well near Rainie Falls, Finley Bend and Griffin Park. There is a good mix of large wild steelhead and schools of those 6-pound "cookie-cutter" hatchery fish. In the lower Rogue, anglers plunking with large Spin-Glo’s continue to intercept winter steelhead as they push upriver. Water conditions were high but still fishable. Plunkers working very close to shore can still hit a few steelhead, but look for catches to improve as water clarity improves. Advertisement In the lower Rogue Canyon, steelhead fishing has remained good amid very good fishing conditions. Winter trips through the canyon can be iffy because of the weather. But now is as good as it can get, provided the rains do not materialize this weekend. The entire Rogue is open to the harvest of up to one wild steelhead over 24 inches a day, and no more than five a year. The total daily limit is two fish. In the upper Rogue, catches of late-run summer steelhead and some early winter steelhead have occurred this past week, with very good water conditions throughout the upper Rogue. Roe is out-producing plugs, and fly-fishing has been good with egg flies and Ugly Bugs. Water conditions in the upper Rogue are very good, with only 1,826 cubic feet per second of 41-degree water released from Lost Creek Lake. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call (800)472-2434. APPLEGATE RIVER — Winter steelhead catches have been spotty throughout the river, with fish caught from the mouth to the deadline. However, the fish are fairly well spread out and it will take another storm to draw fresh fish in. Water flows into the reservoir were 406 cubic feet per second, and out-flows were a low 105 cfs Wednesday. In current water conditions, drift-fishing with roe is best, while worms and watermelon corkies are a good choice for rainy days. As the river drops and clears, consider fly-fishing with prince nymphs or single salmon-egg patterns. Spoon fishing is starting to pick up. No fishing from a floating device is allowed, and anglers should ask permission before fishing on private lands. The river is open to steelhead angling downstream of the deadline below Applegate Dam. The limit is two hatchery steelhead a day. All wild steelhead must be released unharmed. UMPQUA — Winter steelhead fishing is very good throughout the main-stem river as well as the South Umpqua, where bait and fly-fishing are good in the Canyonville area. Water conditions were improving this week after recent storms, and the river could be in very good shape for angling through the weekend. For main-stem anglers, plunking off the bank in 5 feet of water has been good around Elkton and Scottsburg. South Umpqua anglers are doing well all the way to the Myrtle Creek area, with roe and plugs working well. Conditions were high for fly- fishing. ELK/SIXES — Winter steelhead catches have been good amid very good angling conditions now in both the Elk and Sixes rivers. Bait has been out-producing plugs. Both rivers are now open to the harvest of one wild steelhead a day and up to five a year as part of the two-steelhead daily limit. COOS — Fishing for winter steelhead was very good recently in the Coos and Millicoma systems, with bait and corkies best and plug fishing very uncommon. COQUILLE — Winter steelhead fishing was very good in the South Fork downstream from Powers, where water conditions remained excellent. Bait is out-producing plugs. CHETCO — The river was dropping and clearing Wednesday and catches of fresh winter steelhead were very good throughout the system. The fish are well spread out, and most good catches came from driftboaters floating from Miller Bar to the Market take-out. Roe was out-producing plugs. A few spawned-out steelhead are starting to show up in the catch, but most fish remain fresh now. One wild steelhead may be kept as part of the two-steelhead bag limit. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — The lake is closed to all fishing. HYATT — The lake is closed to all fishing. DIAMOND — The lake is closed to all fishing. SILTCOOS — The lake is closed to angling for wild coho salmon. TAHKENITCH — The lake is now closed to angling for wild coho salmon. LOST CREEK — The lake continues to raise daily as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins the process of filling the reservoir, and that’s causing the trout to go off the bite at times. Pressure is light, and most of the effort is centered at the reservoir’s lower end. The lake is open year-round for trout and bass fishing, with trout anglers out-numbering bass anglers throughout the cold-weather months. Trolling for trout is good near the base of the dam. Water levels have risen enough that the ramp at Stewart State Park reaches the water. The lake’s surface temperature dropped to 42 degrees Wednesday. APPLEGATE — Few people are fishing for rainbow trout or bass, but good smallmouth fishing can be had on calm and sunny afternoons near the dam. Worms, small crankbaits and grubs all work. Trolling for stocked coho is slow. The lake is open year-round, but most of the reservoir is muddy. EMIGRANT — Fishing for stocked winter steelhead has slowed as most fish have moved out of the lake and into tributaries, mostly on private land. Water levels are low and somewhat muddy, so catches and effort remain light. The lake is open year-round to angling. Ocean Outlook The ocean out of Brookings was smooth and fishing was very good Wednesday, but it was the first day of calm water in close to a week and very few anglers took advantage of it Wednesday. Jigging for black and blue rockfish was excellent, as were catches of lingcod. The coast is open to the harvest of shellfish, with no species limited by health risks. Crabbing picked up again at Brookings, Port Orford and Charleston after river flows into the estuaries dropped and salinity levels increased to more favorable conditions for crabs. Deep-water bays like Coos Bay sport the best estuary opportunities because they hold their good salinity levels longer than shallow estuaries. Remember, a shellfish license is now needed for crabbing and clamming. Hunting Outlook ROGUE — Waterfowl seasons are over. The year-round cougar season remains open, but effort and harvest is light. Most hunting opportunities are over until the spring bear season. BAKER — Deep snow and cold temperatures started around Christmas. A brief thaw and rain caused crusted snow at lower elevations, which will cause stress to deer and game birds. Cougar populations continue to increase. Tracking and calling should be good around concentrations of deer. This technique should work especially well after snow covers the winter ranges. Coyote hunting is good this time of year. The use of predator calls is an effective technique. Good hunting can be found throughout the county especially on winter deer ranges. Be sure to ask permission to hunt on private property. KLAMATH — Most hunting seasons are closed, and significant snow accumulation has made access to most areas difficult. Several road closures are in effect. These closures are important for protecting wintering wildlife and habitat. Please respect the closures, and report violators to the Oregon State Police. Cougars are harvested either by tracking in the snow, using predator calls, setting on kills or a combination of these techniques. Recent snowfall has improved cougar hunting conditions. Cougars are available throughout the county but will concentrate in areas with wintering deer. Coyote hunting is good this time of year. The use of predator calls is an effective technique. Good hunting can be found throughout the county except at the highest elevations. Don’t overlook the forested areas, but be prepared for closer shots than are typical in open country. SUMMER LAKE — Waterfowl seasons are over. 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 on Whetstone Pond, just north of the ODFW office. WILLAMETTE — Snowshoe rabbits are found in both the coast range mountains and in the Cascade mountain areas. In the coast range, these rabbits are brownish in color all year. In the Cascade mountains and throughout the rest of their range, these rabbits turn white in the winter. They are very conspicuous during years when winter snows are late in arriving and they have already molted into their white winter coat. These rabbits can be observed by driving slowly on logging roads early in the morning or by following tracks in fresh snow to where they are hiding. NORTHWEST — Brown pelicans are common along the northern Oregon coast in the fall. They can be seen roosting along the south jetty of the Columbia River, and on many offshore rocks along the coast. They are also frequently seen feeding in estuaries. Great egrets are tall, white heron-like birds that can be seen along the northeastern portions of Tillamook Bay, especially Larson’s and Miami coves. They often are seen feeding on the mud flats at low tide, but sometimes roost in trees along the edge of the bay. Peregrine falcons have finished nesting, but still can be seen along the coast feeding on seabirds and waterfowl. They sometimes can be spotted resting on nearshore rocks, such as Three Arch Rocks. KLAMATH — Viewing opportunities for migratory birds are excellent. Bald eagle concentrations peak in February. Tundra swans and Canada geese are a common sight in the Klamath Basin. Snow geese and white-fronted geese have begun moving back into the area and will remain until spring. Good viewing opportunities exist on the Klamath Wildlife Area and the Lower Klamath Wildlife Refuge. SUMMER LAKE — Viewing opportunities will improve as winter fades and spring nears. A few hardy waterfowl species are beginning their northward migration. White-fronted geese and some duck species have returned to the area. Tundra swan numbers are beginning to increase as well. Raptors remain well represented and as migrant waterfowl return, viewers can expect to see more bald eagles. Wintering passerine species can still be found in good numbers at the headquarters, Summer Lake Rest Area, homestead sites and shelterbreak plantings at the north end of the area, where they are attracted to the tree and shrub cover found at those locations. Sparrows are fairly numerous now. The major dike roads (Bullgate, Windbreak and Work Road) are once again open to motor vehicle traffic. They will remain open until March 15, when they will be closed to reduce disturbance to early nesting and migrant waterfowl. The Viewing Loop is now open and will remain that way until next fall. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! 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