Category Archives: fishing

Halibut All Depth Day Open June 20 – 22

17 Monday Jun 2013

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Oregon anglers are getting another weekend of Halibut fishing that is open to all depths. Ports up and down the coast will be busy June 22 – 22 if the weather holds well and the seas are calm fisherman should have an excellent opportunity to catch a halibut and with the warming weather coming even possibly go a little further and catch an early summer albacore tuna.

Here is the latest release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Game
June 13, 2013

NEWPORT – Fishery managers added three more days to the popular all-depth sport halibut fishery off the central Oregon coast. Fishing for Pacific halibut will be open Thursday, June 20, Friday, June 21, and Saturday, June 22, at all depths.
The spring all-depth season for the central coast area – from Cape Falcon (30 miles south of the Columbia River) to Humbug Mountain (south of Port Orford) – opened May 9 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It could have closed as early as June 8 if anglers caught the entire 120,947-pound quota.

“After the June 20-22 opening, fisheries managers will again look at the catch and see if there is enough quota remaining for additional back-up dates,” said Lynn Mattes, halibut project leader for ODFW.

Subsequent decisions on open dates will be posted on the ODFW Marine Resources Program Web site at: www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/ and sent out on the Halibut News Bulletin. To sign up go to http://dfw.state.or.us/MRP/bulletins/index.asp and enter your phone for text alerts and e-mail information to subscribe to email updates. Future dates will also be on the National Marine Fisheries Service hotline (1-800-662-9825).

Potential dates for additional fishery openings include: July 4-6 and July 18-20, until the quota is met.

The summer season for the central coast all-depth fishery opens Aug. 2 and is scheduled to be open every other Friday and Saturday until the combined spring and summer season all-depth quota of 168,942 pounds is taken or Oct. 26, whichever comes first.

descending devices when rockfish are released, to increase the survival rate. The closed area of Stonewall Bank is defined by latitude and longitude waypoints, which are available on the Marine Resources Program Web site: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/regulations/sport_fishing/docs/stonewall.pdf

The daily bag limit for Pacific halibut is one fish and there is no minimum length requirement. The possession limit is one daily limit at sea and three daily limits on land. The annual limit per angler is six fish.

Sport anglers are reminded that possession of groundfish is not allowed north of Humbug Mountain when a Pacific halibut is aboard their vessel during all-depth Pacific halibut dates. The exceptions are Pacific cod (true cod, not lingcod) and sablefish (black cod) which may be retained with halibut between Humbug Mountain and Cape Falcon. Other non-groundfish species (such as tuna and salmon) may be possessed with halibut on open all-depth Pacific halibut days (as long as such species are taken during authorized seasons and caught with legal gear).

More details on regulations can be found at: http://www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/finfish/halibut/index.asp or in the booklet 2013 Oregon Sport Ocean Regulations for Salmon, Halibut and other Marine Species. General regulations can be found in the 2013 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations booklet.

Oregon Halibut Fishing 2013 Season

04 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in fishing, garibaldi, Newport

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Halibut fishing has been one of the most rewarding and productive types of fishing in the North Pacific. Most of the time, it serves as a race and a form of entertainment to the anglers involved seeing who can get fish in the box the fastest. First to gain the most number of pounds in a limited given time wins. Although there are certain rules that they should follow such as not catching any halibut below 30 inches or 76 cm. One of the problems faced by fisherman is the weather. When the weather is bad, it becomes dangerous to go to sea.

izik, CC-BY, Via Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/izik/220648048/

izik, CC-BY, Via Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/izik/220648048/

In Oregon, the fishing trip would generally take about 12 hours and a limit of one halibut per person with no length limit is given. However, this type of fishing is not recommended for children below 12 years old, because this giant flatfish has great strength and it is very difficult to bring in a huge 70 to 100 pound fish.

This kind of fishing is said to be so much fun due to the challenge of catching the big and heavy fish and being able to put it on deck. It is hard to find another fish that fights like a halibut. This fish tends to push and pull back and forth making the catch feel like you are dragging more than what you are getting.
According to The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, they will be deciding the fishing seasons in Salem on the 26th of April. The proposed dates are from the Department of Fish and Wildlife staff and the Pacific Halibut Commission.

Below are the dates for the seasons for Halibut fishing:
May 9-11, May 16-18, May 30, June 1, June 6-8 (All-depth seasons along the central Oregon coast as recommended by the staff.)
June 20-22, July 4-6, July 18-20 (Back up weekends)
August 2 and 3 then every other Friday and Saturday (Summer all-depth)
May 3 and every other Friday to Sunday (when the area of the mouth of the Columbia River opens)
August 2 (Summer season)
If there would be in season changes to open dates, they will be announced on the NMFS Hotline (1-800-662-9825; #5; #1) and posted at www.dfw.state.or.us/MRP/
Give Garibaldi Charters or JB and Water Sportfishing a call, if you are looking to go out for these bottom dwelling fish out at Halibut hill around 20 miles past the Tillamook Bay bar near the Garibaldi marina.
Find Oregon fishing guides here.

Here is what it is like to go fishing on a charter for Pacific Butts off the Oregon Coast.

Tillamook Bay – Ghost Hole

26 Friday Oct 2012

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The Ghost Hole is a very popular salmon fishing location on Tillamook Bay. Located right near the Oregon Coast 101 Highway in between the towns of Bay City and Garibaldi. It is only accessible via the water and while there is a large turn out and bay viewpoint with parking access, it is not fishable from shore due to the long distance required to cast from shore to reach the productive water and the number of boats that will be trolling nearby when the fish are running. The most popular methods for fishing the Ghost Hole are trolling cut plug herring and trolling large spinners. The typical weight used by most anglers in the Ghost Hole area is between 4 and 8oz due to the relative shallow nature of this spot on the bay and the strong tides that are often present throughout Tillamook Bay. When the fish are in the bay you are likely to see anywhere between a dozen or so boats on a rainy day to well over a hundred on a sunny weekend day fishing the area. You can get to this location by launching a boat from the Garibaldi marina and fish can be found anywhere between the large rocky point where the road turns up towards the Miami River and all the way out to Bay City, with the most productive areas being within eyesight of the floating bathrooms.

Here is the Ghost Hole Location and below is a map with the main channel outlined. When fishing the area just get in line with the other trollers and observe the boat traffic, it is much better to try and conform to the pattern of boats versus going against the grain and upsetting other boaters. This is not a place to drop anchor and fish you will want to be trolling otherwise you will quickly upset others that are also trying to enjoy the salmon fishery of Tillamook Bay.


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Fall Fishing and Crabbing

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

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Fishing and crabbing along the Oregon Coast during the fall season has been a favorite activity for generations. The large runs of Chinook Salmon begin to get moving into the coastal estuaries in August and are in the prime during the months of October and November. Whether you are out fishing in the ocean, inside the bays or up a coastal river the fishing can be fantastic this time of year. One of the other special treats is the Dungenness crab that are available in the Ocean and the bays in really good numbers and quality from September to December. This combination of big salmon and crabs makes the fall season a favorite of most Oregonians that like to engage fishing these sustainable fisheries. Most of the streams and rivers along the coasts have relatively healthy numbers of wild Chinook and coho as well as hatchery supported fish to increase the numbers of available fish for people to catch and keep for dinner. The crab fishery is also very healthy with a large population and it is possible for each person to keep up to 12 of the Male Dungeness Crab per day over the size of 5 and 3/4 inches.

A Great Fishing Day at the Oregon Coast

Whether you own your own boat or just fish from shore there are places up and down the Oregon coast to get on the action. If you do not have a boat there are several public access areas on the major rivers that have healthy populations of fish that are catch able as well as some public piers that are easy to crab from.

The primary methods of catching fall Chinook include trolling a mooching rig with a cut plug herring, trolling a big spinner or from the bank in the river system using a bobber and egg. All three of these methods will catch salmon. For crabbing it is good to have a few crab traps or crab rings and bait them with either fish carcasses or chicken from the discount section at the local market. Let the traps soak for an hour or longer and pull up a bounty of crabs for a seafood feast.

Get out and enjoy the beautiful weather and scenery this fall and catch a salmon or a few crab before the storms and rain of winter are upon us.

Albacore Tuna Fishing in Oregon

15 Saturday Sep 2012

Posted by in Astoria, Coos Bay, Depoe Bay, fishing, General, Newport

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Fishing for albacore tuna off the Oregon coast is an awesome Oregon adventure, depending on the year the season varies but generally between the late spring to early fall is when Albacore tuna can be caught within a couple hours off shore. There are many certified charter guidess that pursue these pelagic fish that you can fish with and they run out of all the major harbors from the Columbia River, Garibaldi, Depoe Bay, Newport, and Charleston. If you have your own boat that is ocean worthy then all you need are a few tuna fishing lures and boat full gas and ice and you can run off shore and get into these tasty fish as well. Most anglers will do a combination of trolling and bait stops in order to plug the boat with tuna. These fish make the reels scream as they bite the lures and make big hard runs and fight like no other fish found off the coast of Oregon. If you have only experienced salmon or halibut fishing offshore in the Pacific Ocean then you are in for a treat as even a small albacore can wear your arms out in a hurry.

Check out some fish catching action.

Here are a few of the well known Tuna charters and individual guides that are available by the various ports.
Astoria (Columbia River Estuary)
Tiki Charters
They do it all from salmon fishing to bottom fish for sea bass to halibut and of course TUNA!

Garibaldi (Tillamook Bay)
JB & Water Sport Fishing
JB charters two boats one for salmon fishing and another larger 35′ boat fully equipped for deep halibut and Tuna fishing.

Garibaldi Charters – is a long standing charter operation out of the Port of Garibaldi that provides a party boat experience for Tuna fishing. If you and a dozen friends want to have a great time together this is a great outfit to go with.

Depoe Bay
Tradewinds Charters
Tradewinds Charters has a large fleet of different vessels including boats that are fully equipped for Tuna fishing. Regardless of the type of fishing you are looking to experience on the Central oregon Coast Tradewinds charters has a boat, skipper, and crew ready to get you out on the water for a good time.

Nalu Charters is another excellent option from this port. If you own your own sport fishing vessel that is ocean ready, but you have never experienced Tuna fishing before Nalu Charters may be the right option as you will get the experience of fishing for Tuna from a 4 pack boat versus some of the larger vessels which sometimes fish over a dozen people, learn the techniques that you will need to get out on the big pond by yourself and catch fish.

Newport (Yaquina Bay)

Yaquina Bay Charters – keeps a very active blog with available trips and activities and is worth checking out if you are looking for awesome salmon, bottom fish, or tuna action leaving out of Newport.

Charleston (Coos Bay)

Betty Kay Charters based out of Charleston runs a 12 hour Tuna trip in season at only $190.00 per person which is very reasonable for a Tuna fishing experience.

Hope you get the chance to get out there and catch some of these awesome hard fighting and delicious fish. Fresh tuna medallions on the grill and fresh canned tuna is phenomenal. Albacore tuna is also rated as a sustainable fishery and can be harvested in large numbers off the Oregon coast by sports anglers without having any effect on the population of fish that make the Oregon coast there home during the summer months.

Garibaldi Charters – Ocean Fishing Charter – Garibaldi, Oregon

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

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If you are looking for a charter guide service for ocean fishing or sight seeing along the Oregon coast out of the port of Garibaldi then you should give the folks at Garibaldi Charters a call. They run a couple of really nice large charter boats the D&D and the Norwester, both captained by skilled Coast Guard approved skippers and deckhands with extensive local knowledge and fish catching skills. These charter boats are large and make even large seas comfortable to fish in, so they are perfect options for a first time ocean fishing adventure or taking the kids out for a new fishing experience.

Garibaldi Charters specializes in fishing trips for bottom fish which include Ling Cod, Rock Bass, and several other species that live on the rocky bottoms near shore and off shore on the deep reefs when the season permits fishing the deeper waters. They also conduct Halibut, Salmon, and Tuna charter trips depending on the season, so call to see what types of fishing adventures will be available when you are thinking of fishing. Other activities such as whale watching and scenic excursions are also available from this outfit at certain times during the year, so if catching fish is not your thing, but you still want to get out on the Oregon ocean there is activities you can enjoy with Garibaldi Charters.

Trip Rates are currently advertised as of June 19, 2012 as:

Bottom fishing – $95 Children 7-13yrs old – $75
Deep Reef Bottom Fishing Oct 1st – March 31st – $105
Coho Salmon – $105
Fall Chinook Salmon – $150
Combo Trip – Coho and Bottom Fishing – $175
Tuna – $275
Halibut – $185
For full details and contact information check out the website – http://www.garibaldicharters.com/

A picture of a happy group of anglers aboard the Norwester

Make sure to bring your lunch, rain gear, and a camera and be ready to have a good time fishing the bountiful Oregon ocean.

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Jetty Fishing in Oregon

08 Sunday Apr 2012

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Fishing off the jetties in Oregon whether you are fishing at the Columbia, Nehalem, Tillamook / Garibaldi, Newport, or Florence are great places along the coast to catch salt water fish from shore. Whether you are fishing with traditional sinkers and bait or using a jig and grub / swimbait you have the chance of hooking into some saltwater fish such as ling cod, cabezon, rock bass, greenlings, and others including the chance for a salmon at the right time of year. There are so many successful jetty fishing techniques, so if you are unsure of how to catch fish in a specific location check with the local tackle shops or just ask around while on a walk on the Jetty and you are likely to get all the details you will need to have the opportunity to catch a fish. The jetties are a platform made of rocks that extend well out into the ocean at the mouths of estuaries in order to eliminate the build up of sand and silt that traditionally would create large bars that could be impossible to cross. The jetties are a potentially dangerous place to fish and are not the places to take the kids to play around as the rocks can be slippery and the current in these areas is treacherous. However the fishing at times can be incredible when the fish are biting so for the hardcore angler the jetties are the right place to wet a line in hopes of setting the hook on a monster salty fish.

Make sure that you have a tide table book and know how to read it for the area you are fishing. Most tackle shops and even the grocery stores in the local areas will have one and it is essential as the best times to go fish off the jetty are around the high tide. Anywhere between 2 hours before or after the high slack tide are the best times to catch a fish. Also evening and night time can be very productive especially for species such as the bass that inhabit these waters as they get the most of their feeding done during the day.

Here is a few of the most popular jetty fishing locations to check out in Oregon.

Columbia River South Jetty

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Nehalem Bay North and South Jetties

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Tillamook Bay North Jetty – Barview Jetty County Park

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Newoport – Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site and South Beach State Park

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Florence – Harbor Vista County Park and South Jetty County Park

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Bandon South Jetty County Park

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Remember to be safe and have a blast fishing the Oregon coast jetties for saltwater fish that are not only fun to catch, but really tasty as well, whether you fry them up, bake’em, or grill’em these fish are excellent table fair and a special treat to enjoy on your next adventure to the Oregon coast for a weekend of fishing.