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2024 Salmon Show OFF

Not super impressive but probably the first salmon I have tagged in recent memory, 10 #. I got it off the bank of the main Santiam on September 29 with that pink Steelee. I'd never seen that color but I snagged several at a tackle shop in Ketchikan when I was on a cruise. There was a little sign on them that said " humpy killers ". I thought, coho killer.

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Oregon Fall Bass Fishing

I hit the Columbia on Saturday the 26th and what a day! There was sun, rain, clouds, rainbows, low-flying planes and plenty of hungry bass! Just a great day to be living in the PNW!! The bite was great, 24 smallmouth and 3 pikiemninnows, but getting to fish in such beautiful conditions is just beyond expression. They say a picture is worth a 1000 words so here you go:

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Hagg Lake is like a box of chocolates...

... you never know what you are going to get! I hit Hagg on Saturday the 19th for a day of trolling for trout. I had not been to Hagg in a long time and was looking forward to battling some feisty trout. I was surprised how many folks were already there when I got there around first light. I remember usually arriving to an empty parking lot. I was hoping that meant the fishing was going to be on fire. The day started out according to plan. I quickly caught a 14" trout (before I turned on my vid

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Vernonia Lake Bass Fishing

Finally caught one of the fabled Vernonia lake 5+ lbers!!

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Upper Willamette system catfish

First post here on the forum, I see a lot of talk about channel catfish and how present they are in the upper willamette, recently found they are very present at my local fishing hole in good numbers, nothing giant but next summer I hope to tap into some bigger ones, they simply do not bite before sunset, and even if they do the squafish get to the bait before the catfish. If anyone has any bait suggestions for bigger catfish that would be much appreciated. All I’ve caught so far have been on...

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Caught my first smallmouth! Columbia river slough outside Clatskanie.

caught on a wacky rig. This was the only one I caught even though they were feeding like crazy, They were eating something on top of the water and didn’t really have any interest in the senko, anyone have any suggestions on a rig for when they are doing this? It was like they were taunting me.

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Wobblehead for the win!

I hit the Columbia out of Stevenson, WA on Saturday the 6th. The wind was forecast to be light - and it actually was! The only downside was the smoke from the wildfires was pretty terrible. I thought with all that smoke (like a heavy overcast all day long) that the bass would be shallow and eating topwater. I started out throwing my usual waking bait but did not get a sniff. I was really surprised. I switched over to a spinnerbait and picked up two small bass pretty quickly up shallow and...

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Non select salmon opener Garibaldi

Beautiful conditions for the non select, any two salmon opener. Plenty off fish off of Twin rocks from about 160 ‘to 220’. I caught a very large chinook which was released, it was dark, and had a hook nose. Todd and I each got two coho, Chris got one coho and one chinook.

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ODFW Research trip

I volunteered yesterday with the ODFW on a research trip out of Newport for Rockfish population survey. All fish are documented on size species and sex. All fish are released. Total was 236 with 7 different species. I hooked the biggest black I have ever got 53cm and 5 lbs,. Great day on the blue pond! HAVE FUN!

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Nothing gorge-ous about that wind...

There is a saying "There are liars, damn liars and statisticians". Well way below that are the folks predicting the wind :) I was really stoked to fish on the Sunday (the 1st) because the wind forecast looked good and had been looking good for several days. That is just the thing they do to lure you into the gorge and like a dumb monkey I can't resist that juicy banana and I fall right into their trap.

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Caught my first trout! Rock Creek in the NW zone!

I noticed the adipose fin is still present, was my first trout a native wild trout? Big thanks to this forum for the wisdom that helped me fish this area.

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Siltcoos Lake

Siltcoos lake. almost made 5 lb caught with weedless black jig n' worm.

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5lb pig of a smallmouth!

Hit the Columbia on Sunday the 25th and I caught a beast of a smallmouth. At 21.75" it was the longest smallmouth I have caught and it tipped the scales at 5lbs even (well short of my heaviest which was a 5lb 14oz bass from 2023). That was definitely the best summertime smallmouth I have ever caught. It really turned a somewhat mediocre day into a great one!!

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Cheadle lake in Lebanon. Caught on chatter bait.

Only bite we had in 2 hours.

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Bucket List Fish

Turned a work trip into a late night fishing trip, got this one to the boat after losing one last year. Really have to set the hook hard on these fish, very fun fight!

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Hello everyone!

I found these at the lake I fish for bass at, im started fishing recently and have only used a wacky rig which seems like a Jack of all trades type thing. Any tips for using these lures?

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Garibaldi salmon and crab

Dropped 3 crab pots 3/4 of the way to Twin Rocks, in about 50’ of water, had them baited with some tuna carcasses from our recent tuna trip. Proceeded to about 160’ a little south of Twin Rocks, and started fishing. We had about a 50/50 mix of hatchery to natives, and after getting our 4th coho, went and pulled the pots. A lot of females and smaller crabs, but still 20 keepers. Some were a little soft, but both the numbers and quality of crab are improving...

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Frustrated but hopeful, seeking generous OR advice

I’m hoping you can help a confused Coloradoan with general, not specific info. I realize I’m not a contributor here and haven’t earned anything but am asking guidance from anyone willing. I know this is gonna be long, I apologize in advance. I’ve been fly fishing wild trout streams in Colorado and elsewhere for 45 years. I love small to medium streams and rivers and wade fishing with dry flies, primarily. In Colorado, every little creek in elevation has wild brookies, browns, bows or cutties.

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Oregon Steelhead 2024

I got one on Monday and one today.

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Caught my first bass!

At the millpond in vernonia on a wacky rig. Started fishing this week! Wanting to to try for trout !

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I played hooky this week

I took off this week from work and ended up going fishing on Wednesday due to the nice wind forecast for the gorge. Man, what a difference a week and a half makes. Last trip out the bass were chasing bait (smolts) until noon. The bass were schooling and busting bait until at least noon. The river felt alive and thick with life. Gulls and osprey everywhere. This week the river was dead quiet. I guess the smolt have out-migrated and nary a ripple disturbed the surface for most of the day...

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Trout fishing South Santiam

I went trout fishing on the South Santiam river today for some trout. I used worms and theres a bunch of tiny 6 inch rainbows there. Anyways I saw 3 huge fish I think one was a pikeminnow I tried to catch but wasn't biting. I casted onto some whote water and caught a nice ten inch hatchery trout and kept it and my dad caught a wild trout and we released it. I reccomend going in the morning when the sun isn't as strong and colder when trout bite more find fast moving water with deep holes and dri

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Fall Bear ‘24

Anyone else rip roaring ready to hunt? Or get out today (opening day)? I won’t be out until Sunday morning but I’ll be hunting hard. Hopefully relocate a giant jet black I saw last summer before fire season locked me out. Wouldn’t mind connecting with the chocolate color phase I saw a couple weeks ago either. Good luck fellas

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Thread 'Hot fishing on a hot day!'

I met up with my regular fishing buddy on the 20th (Saturday). We had not fished together yet this year. Sadly, he has been inflicted with a bad case of steelhead-itis and there is no known cure :) Anyway it was just really exciting to be back on the water with him again and we definitely made a good go of our chance to fish together. Between the two of us we caught over 70 bass. I did a little better on numbers but he had the two biggest (17.5" and 18.5"). The best I could manage was a...

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Thread 'Now That's How You Celebrate the 4th!!'

I hit the Columbia out of Stevenson, WA on the 4th. The day did not start out well. The day before when I loaded my kayak into my truck I decided I wanted to reorganize some things. Well I stupidly forgot to strap my kayak down into my truck while being thus distracted. I have to tell you I may not have been too awake when I pulled out of my street at 3:30 in the morning but when I had the BANG and saw my kayak on the street that definitely shocked me full awake. Let me tell you that the...

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