Posted by Webmaster on Aug 27, 2010 in
General The Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby is approaching, and tickets are on sale now.
The derby kicks off from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10, with a barbecue and silent auction to be held for contestants and ticket holders at Menasha Forest Products Corporation, 1515 Sheridan Ave., North Bend.
The derby, which runs that Saturday and Sunday, raises money for local fisheries projects, as well as children’s fishery educational programs.
Tickets for the derby can be purchased for $20 each from Englund Marine, Y-Marina, Coos Bay Marine, The Bite’s On Bait and Tackle Shop and Butlers Pronto Print, all in Coos Bay, and North Bend Lanes in North Bend. Tickets are also available for purchase at the following boat ramps the day of the derby: Eastside Ramp in Coos Bay, California Street Ramp in North Bend, Doris Ramp, the Millicoma and Myrtle Tree Ramp and the Coos River.
Read more…
Tags: Coos Bay, fishing, salmon, Salmon Derby
Posted by Webmaster on Aug 23, 2010 in
Fishing 
Five tuna caught by one of the teams in the Oregon Tuna Classic are ready to be weighed Saturday afternoon on the dock at The Mill Casino-Hotel. The teams fished off the coast from the Charleston Marina.
The Oregon Tuna Classic reeled in thousands of pounds of tuna last weekend, producing happy fishermen along with happy food banks.
Thirty-seven teams caught 4,045 pounds of tuna last Saturday during the third leg of the tournament in Charleston, and food banks along the South Coast can also expect an additional 2,100 pounds of fish that were donated.
With great crowds and decent weather to greet the fishermen, Charleston Port Manager Jim Pex thought the tournament went well.
“Outstanding, actually. It was a pretty booming event,” he said. “There were people all up and down the boat basin.
“The weather wasn’t perfect, but it was fishable.”
He added that it was a great time for the fishermen, with some traveling from as far as Washington, Idaho and Utah to compete.
“They love coming to Charleston. They (spectators) treat them like little celebrities,” Pex said. “Fishermen love that.”
The winner last Saturday was team Wildcat, which reeled in 131.10 pounds of tuna, along with the biggest fish, which weighed in at 33 pounds. Chillabit came in second with 124.15 pounds, followed by Gales Creek Tuna Gafers with 118.45 pounds.
Read more…
Tags: Charleston, fishing, offshore fishing, Oregon Tuna Classic, tournament, tuna
Posted by William on Aug 15, 2010 in
General My fellow clam diggers, I will get straight to the point. There is absolute no reason for clam diggers to accept the posting of inaccurate reports on the Shellfish Hotline or the ODFW Recreational Report’s websites.
The postings on both the Shellfish Hotline and on the Recreational Reports during the last series of low tides were so misleading and confusing we emailed the Shellfish Program Manager, Leslee Parr and telephoned the Department of Agriculture requesting clarification. Sadly none was forthcoming. So we emailed ODFW Director Elicker for clarification, again our request was ignored.
The conflicting statements remain. The Department of Agriculture Hotline states that the harvest of razor clams is closed from Bandon to Cascade Head and the ODFW Recreational report for the Southwest Zone states that the harvest of razor clams is closed from Bandon to Tillamook Head. The Shellfish Hotline website also states that Domoic acid results are above the alert level from Bandon north to Tillamook Head.
The Department of Agriculture’s website states, “The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s shellfish safety hotline is toll free and provides the most current information regarding shellfish safety closures. The ODA Web pages may not be updated as quickly as the shellfish safety hotline. Please call the shellfish safety hotline before harvesting.” How do you inspire confidence in the program with statements like this? If you cannot trust the information on the ODA and ODFW websites then why post the information at all.
ODFW does not fair any better when it comes to getting it right. This is not the first time these agencies have failed the clam digging public. In the past the ODA and ODFW actually declared shellfish safe for consumption when it was not. .
Loss of recreational opportunity is the best case scenario for the posting of misleading statements while illness or loss of life represents the alternative. We are requesting the ODA and ODFW eliminate the posting of shellfish closures on their websites if they can not assure shellfish harvesters of the accuracy of their reports.
As always good digging, Bill For the CDAO
Posted by Webmaster on Jul 29, 2010 in
General SALEM (AP) — The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will close sport fishing for chinook on the Snake River just before midnight on Aug. 4.
Biologists from Idaho and Oregon cooperatively manage the fishery.
They recommended the closure because the harvest quota of 2,000 hatchery chinook has been met.
Tags: Chinook, closure, salmon, snake river
Posted by William on Jul 25, 2010 in
General My grandsons and I had a great time crabbing from the Old Coast Guard pier on Friday afternoon using 2 Crab Max crab traps. Our catch mostly females and short males mirrored the catch of most of the other crabbers on the dock. However, one crabber caught an exceptionally large Dungeness crab and two boys had so many crabs in their crab pot they could not lift the crab pot onto the dock without help. Their catch included 2 male keeper sized crabs. The old Coast Guard Pier is in a state of decline. If it is not repaired soon it will be closed. Click on the following link to view the crabbing action. I stopped by the Stockade Market and Pete Heley reports crabbers in boats are taking some limits from the lower bay, however, they are having to work through a lot of female and short males to take upward toward a limit. Click on the following link to view the crabbing action Crabbing at the Coast Guard Pier Winchester Bay
Posted by William on Jul 17, 2010 in
General Clam Diggers complained about the danger posed to boaters at the Gardiner boat ramp. A clam digger who used the ramp this week as a meeting point for his family and friends brought the threat that the build up of soft sediment poses to boaters and children to the attention of the CDAO. The depth of the sediment was source of his complaint and he felt it was deep enough to cover a child or small person.
The Clam Diggers Association questions the safety of the boat ramp at Gardiner. The boat launch at Gardiner is unusable at low tide. The amount of silt built up at the boat is a threat to the safety to those who use the boat ramp.
Conditions at the Gardiner boat ramp notwithstanding, clam digging in Umpqua River Estuary is renowned for some of the largest softshell clams found in any of Oregon’s bays. The most productive clam beds are associated with Bolon and Steamboat Islands from the communities of Reedsport and Gardiner down river to The Point. ODFW’s map of the softshell clam beds show a population of softshell clams on the north shore of the river located below The Point, however, the population has declined and the clams are no longer common in this area. In addition to softshell clams the sand beach within the triangle produces the largest gaper clams dug in any of Oregon’s bays but a clam die off occurs when excessive rainfall floods the area for an extended period of time.
Posted by Webmaster on Jul 7, 2010 in
Fishing
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will host an educational event for saltwater anglers from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 10, near the public boat ramp in Gold Beach.
One participant will win a free four-hour bottom fishing trip donated by Five Star Charters. The trip is for one person and must be used by the end of August. To enter, you must complete the fish identification part of the open house.
The event is geared toward beginning and advanced saltwater anglers alike.
Tags: fishing, Five Star Charters, gold beach
Posted by William on Jul 2, 2010 in
General Learn to dig clams or take crabs at the ODFW Seminar listed on the flyer
Posted by William on Jun 15, 2010 in
General Recreational crabbing in the Ocean has been great since the season opened on 12/01 but rough ocean conditions have kept most crabbers at home. Dungeness Crabs are common to areas of the ocean with a sandy bottom and in areas with extensive eel grass beds. Crabbing conditions inside of Oregon’s estuaries this spring have been less than ideal with the continuous rainfall keeping river levels high and the estuaries full of freshwater, but conditions are changing.
Crabbing conditions in Oregon’s Bays have begun to improve with some keeper sized male Dungeness crabs moving into the bays, but the males have begun to molt. Crabs grow by molting and the crabs this spring that where just a little too short to keep this Spring will molt into the crabs you can keep this Fall. Look for crabbing to continue to improve as we move through the summer months and with the arrival of fall we look forward to some great crabbing inside of Oregon’s estuaries.
I would like to take this opportunity to discuss the common practice of retaining softshell male crabs. Even though the retention of legal sized softshell male crabs is allowed we ask you to be a better crabber and return softshell crabs to the water. Keeper sized softshell crabs contain very little meat when compared to hard shelled crabs. If every crabber released softshell crabs we all would have more hard shelled crabs to keep when it really counts in September, October and November. Raise the bar and set the standard for all to fallow by releasing softshell crabs. Thanks Bill
Posted by Webmaster on Jun 8, 2010 in
Fishing
POWERS – The 20th annual Kids Fishing Derby will be held at the Powers County Park on Saturday.
Registration will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Blue Shelter, and an awards ceremony will follow the derby.
The derby is open to kids 16 years and under. Prizes donated by local businesses will be awarded to anglers with the largest fish in several age categories, as well as anglers who visit all of the educational booths.
All young anglers will take home something. Adults are also welcome to fish. No fishing license is required in the state of Oregon this weekend.
This event is being hosted by the U.S. Forest Service, in cooperation with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Coquille Watershed Association, Coquille Indian Tribe, Coquille STEP, and local businesses and user groups. It’s part of National Fishing and Boating Week.
For more information, call the Powers Ranger District at (541)439-6200.
Tags: derby, kids, Powers
