Document text
Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Since We Asked Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Readers Choice 2006 Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Our Valley Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend July 13, 2006 Hunting and Fishing Report River Outlook ROGUE — Interest in fall chinook salmon will rise sharply Saturday in the lower Rogue with the return of wild chinook harvest, while upper Rogue anglers continue to turn their focus on early run summer steelhead. But the best bet for the weekend is the lower Rogue bay, where trolling for fall chinook will get the lion's share of Rogue fishing attention. Wild chinook harvest opens Saturday from Whiskey Creek downstream to the mouth, but most of the fishing will be in the bay. Fresh chinook are washing into the bay with each incoming tide, but few of the fish are heading upstream. Effort is light, primarily because the all-wild fall run means anything caught must be released under the current emergency rules meant to help survival rates of this year's dismal wild spring chinook run. Troll the bay with large anchovies behind gold blades. Early July has sported a strong early return of summer steelhead, with more than 100 crossing Gold Ray Dam daily. The run through July 5 is 2,034 summer steelhead, which is excellent for this time of year. These early runs often contain steelhead pushing the 10-pound range and they are very aggressive biters. Crayfish plugs or black-and-silver Wee Warts are good choices for boat anglers, who also can side-drift worms, roe, fake eggs and pink rubber worms for them as well. These fish are best found in fast water next to rocks or other structures and in long glides. The upper Rogue remains open for spring chinook fishing upstream of Rogue Elk Park, and effort continues to be lighter than normal. Through July 5, just 8,253 springers have been counted over Gold Ray Dam. Advertisement Bank fishermen in the Hatchery Hole are faring best, hooking the highest percentage of hatchery fish than anywhere on the river. Early morning fishing is best, with glow-in-the-dark corkies the top choice. Upper Rogue flows are high, but steady. Releases from Lost Creek Lake were 2,703 cubic feet per second Wednesday, and release temperatures were 51.5 degrees — ideal for driftboat fishing for steelhead, but a little tough for fly-fishermen who fare better when flows are about one-third or one-half of that. All chinook fishing is closed from Rogue Elk Park downstream to Gold Ray Dam, while fishing downstream of the dam is open for chinook. However, all wild chinook must be released unharmed. A few summer steelhead have been caught in the middle Rogue around Grants Pass, but fishing effort is light. The middle Rogue from Whiskey Creek to Hog Creek does not open for wild chinook harvest until Aug. 1. Legal trout fishing is open in the main-stem Rogue below Lost Creek dam, and mid-day fly-fishing has been good. The salmon fly hatch remains light, but fish are rising to adult salmon flies on the river, with dusk best. Also, fresh legal-sized trout were scheduled for stock this week in the Union Creek and Prospect area. For daily flow reports out of Lost Creek Lake, call 800-472-2434. UMPQUA — Shad fishing is tapering off in the Yellow Creek and Sawyers Rapids areas, while late-run spring chinook fishing has been slow in the main-stem. Smallmouth bass fishing has picked up in the Scottsburg area. The North Umpqua remains spotty for spring chinook, while summer steelhead fishing is starting to improve thanks to warming water conditions. COOS — Shad fishing has started to slow down in the tidewater areas. Sunny afternoons remain best, with shad darts or bright flies working well. COQUILLE — Shad fishing is slowed to fair on sunny days with shad darts. Striped bass have been caught during evenings as far up as Arago. Shrimp is the bait of choice, but large smolt-like plugs work best. Lake Outlook HOWARD PRAIRIE — Trolling for rainbow trout remains good in the mornings and evenings about 20 feet below the surface. Tazmanian Devils or Wedding Ring spinners with a night crawler are good choices. Still-fishing with worms or PowerBait is good throughout the day in deeper water. The Red Rock and Buck Island areas are best. Bass fishing has picked up amid warmer water and air temperatures. The lake's limit remains five trout more than 8 inches long per day, but only one of those trout can be more than 20 inches long. HYATT — Evening trolling remains steady for larger rainbow trout cruising the weed lines. Start with Tazmanian Devils or Triple Teasers, trolling slowly in zig-zag fashion. A worm on a Wedding Ring spinner also is a good choice. The water is warming and the bass catches are picking up during sunny days. DIAMOND — The lake is open with its 20-trout daily limit, and fishing has fallen off during recent warm weather. A few 18-inchers were caught recently near the resort, but none of the remaining Williamson River trout have been caught yet. Catches also have been good at the lake's south end on bait. LOST CREEK — A bloom of blue-green algae has triggered a public-health advisory, warning people from contact with lake water containing algae. The advisory warns particularly against contact with water around Stewart State Park, the Takelma Ramp and Catfish Cove, which sports the highest concentration of the toxic algae. However, some fishing has remained, with a few stocked salmon caught upstream of Peyton Bridge by wind-drifting worms. The lake is 20 feet from full and the surface temperature has dipped a bit this week from 76 degrees to 72 degrees. That still favors bass fishing and sends the trout deep. EMIGRANT — Fishing has slowed in the reservoir for trout thanks to a spike in water temperatures over the past week and dirty water around the lake's rim. Bass, bluegill and perch fishing is best, with the upper lake's willows still the hot-spot of activity. FISH — Trolling for trout is better in deeper water now that an algae bloom has diminished the lake's clarity. Still-fishing in 10-15 feet of water also is good. The lake was recently stocked with legal-sized rainbows. APPLEGATE — Trout fishing has remained good for both legal-sized rainbow trout and stocked salmon, which tend to school at rocky points. Trolling is better than still-fishing, but bait fishing remains good off the water intake tower with worms or single salmon eggs. The Seattle Bar area is falling out of favor for trout and bass fishing because the lake has dropped to just short of 10 feet from full. Bass fishing has been good in the mornings and evenings, with many of the fish holding off rocky points. The Hart-Tish boat ramp and store are open. Anglers can keep up to five rainbow trout or stocked salmon a day, but only one fish can be more than 20 inches long. Also, no bass between 12 and 15 inches can be kept, and only one bass larger than 15 inches can be kept. LAKE of the WOODS — The lake is warming and fishing for kokanee trout remains steady for anglers trolling small flashers with worms or salmon eggs. Focus on the lake's western side, primarily 20 feet of water. Rainbow trout and brown trout catches have been good at dusk for trollers as well as bait anglers. Perch catches are good all day on worms. WILLOW — A few large bass have been caught this past week on spinners and bait. Fishing for legal-sized rainbow trout remains good for still fishermen and trollers alike. Crappie angling has held on thanks to warm water. WHETSTONE — The pond at the Denman Wildlife Area was improving for bass and hot weather has stressed the trout stocked there earlier this year. Adults and kids can fish the pond. Catch these trout with worms, small spinners and PowerBait. SELMAC — Largemouth bass fishing has been very good recently on grubs and crankbaits. Trout fishing has slowed due to warming water temperatures. Panfish angling remains good. KLAMATH/ AGENCY LAKES — Fishing for large Klamath trout is picking up near the mouths of the Wood and Williamson rivers as well as the springs around Rocky Point. Ocean Outlook Salmon fishing is closed south of Humbug Mountain. Ocean conditions were ideal Wednesday for bottomfishing, with plenty of rockfish and lingcod in the catch recently. Albacore have been caught this week as close as 13 miles off Port Orford and 20 miles west of Coos Bay. They remain 40-45 miles off Brookings. Razor clam harvest at Myers Creek and Bailey beaches was still good during low tides, but the best clam beds are not accessible due to current tides. Surf perch fishing has been good on the beaches and off the sand spit near the Gold Beach jetties. Silver Castmaster lures have worked exceptionally well. Hunting Outlook JACKSON/JOSEPHINE — Cougar hunters can expect an average year and will find greatest success using a predator call in areas that have good deer numbers. When snowfall occurs, hunters should look for fresh cougar tracks and pursue. Good cougar hunting opportunities exist throughout southwest Oregon. 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. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems California Casinos Men's Clothing Southern Oregon Loans --> GMAT Prep Fundraisers Send Flowers Entertainment Guide --> Casinos Canada Trunks, Footlocker Online Casino Reviews Advertisement s