Coos Bay Fishing Reports 2018-2020

[rogerdodger]

frosty, cold and sunny Thursday with a really strong high tide (8.9') at 11am and light wind, so we launched at first light, heading across the bay during the peak incoming tide, hoping to get 12C and 2L before the tide started ripping out after the high.

Crabbing was smooth and steady, 1 or 2 solid keepers in each pot, couple of blanks, then a 4 keeper pot about 10:30am to top off my limit, tossed back several keepers that were a bit soft, those I kept were all solid.



There is more kelp now at the sunken jetty, great fish habitat but it presents some challenges to fishing near the reef, especially when some of the kelp is hovering a foot below the surface. I destroyed 2 of my bait squid getting caught up on kelp, then caught a pair of teal lings (26" and 24") on the same squid over about a 20 minute span. It was a "move close to the reef trying to stay between kelp, gently bounce the bottom, fish on, back out of the kelp fast and don't mess around as there were a few large pinnipeds paying very close attention to what I was doing. Sonar was showing schools of rockfish in the area several times, probably some greenlings too, but I was targeting lings.

"I do not like blue fish with teeth, please send it right back to the reef...". Pepper absolutely did not like this fish, the first lingcod we have caught together, and she let me know it.



Heading back right at high tide...



did I mention it was sunny? cheers, roger

 

[Admin]

nice )

 

[69198]

Yes, very nice Funny that Pepper didn't like the ling, any guesses as to why?

What rig were you using for the ling?

 

[O. mykiss]

Nice work! Glad to see lingcod fishing is picking up. I’m going to try Newport tomorrow.

 

[rogerdodger]

Yes, very nice Funny that Pepper didn't like the ling, any guesses as to why?

What rig were you using for the ling?

squid from BiMart on a mooching rig, 8oz cannoball on an 18" dropper to tap the bottom with, just gentle up and down

 

[GaryP1958]

Nice fish in the bay or out in the blue?

 

[hobster]

Very nice buddy, productive day fo sho. Crab and Ling, does it get any better? Not in my book :thumb: mmmmm tasty!

 

[rogerdodger]

Yes, very nice Funny that Pepper didn't like the ling, any guesses as to why?

it isn't like she hasn't been around big fish before, on the other hand, lingcod are messed up, but I didn't expect her to react the way she did.

 

[4labs]

Great report and pics. Wish I was there instead of Cabela's spending money on things I don't need.

 

[Bo Peep]

Great report sounds like great time.

 

[plumbertom]

Be out dropping trap about 9:30 in the cribs area then a bit of rock fishing if the fish will play along.
I just hope I can remember to take a few pics. Usually get too busy to do so.

 

[rogerdodger]

Pepper and I ran into team 'plumbertom' out on the water Monday, a bit of a bumpy day but the sun was nice. I suspect the area got crabbed and fished real hard over the weekend, I ended up doing better out in the main channel once the tide flow eased. Ended up with 9 keepers including some real tanks. I worked hard trying to find at least one lingcod but no luck.

 

[plumbertom]

Nice day weather wise yesterday.
Rather large swell breaking over the downstream end of the submerged jetty as far up as where the two split.
That seems to have contributed to a faster current than the coefficient indicated.
Crabbed just upstream of the #7 channel marker tower.
6 traps 5 hours 7 legal dungies and a fair sized red.
Procure soaked chicken for bait.
Not a great day but at least it was sunny and warm out on the water.
First time I've seen a sea lion eating chicken.
As we tossed out the bait from our traps getting ready to go in. A large rather fearless Sea lion came to the boat, within 10' or less and followed us around eating the chicken we tossed. Maybe it was the procure that made it palatable for him but he acted like it wasn't the first time.
At times I thought he was gonna try and get in the boat with us."
Also harvested a couple of greenling and a single black rockfish, none of great size.
As Rodger mentioned we were fishing pretty much the same area.

 

[rogerdodger]

your traps were covering an excellent area, usually real good in there. My quick pot checks in that area led me to believe it had been cleaned out real good over the weekend. Could be full of crab again by later this week...

 

[4labs]

Saw on facebook a acquaintance of ours put 47 legal crabs sat in their sled. Said they were at Empire.

 

[plumbertom]

Saw on facebook a acquaintance of ours put 47 legal crabs sat in their sled. Said they were at Empire.

I've never tried crabbing that far up the bay.
Maybe next trip I will give it a go and fish around the RR bridge.

 

[plumbertom]

your traps were covering an excellent area, usually real good in there. My quick pot checks in that area led me to believe it had been cleaned out real good over the weekend. Could be full of crab again by later this week...

Yeah, we usually do much better crabbing that area.
I wanted to wait until Tuesday to go, giving a day to allow replenishment of the weekend harvest but my partner had other things taking up his Tuesday, and the weather didn't look promising for later in the week.
We had already been forced to lay off for over a month due to medical problems and were anxious to get out as soon as possible.

By the way. Just in case you didn't know, after our greeting there on the water, I wasn't being rude when you were speaking. Mitchel answered you mostly because I am quite deaf. Even with my Cochlear implant I still have difficulty understanding what's being said if I can't actually see you talking.

 

[rogerdodger]

I've never tried crabbing that far up the bay.
Maybe next trip I will give it a go and fish around the RR bridge.

I'm guessing they were below Empire and a bit above the cribs on the west side, can't remember what that area is called. RR bridge is way up and I have only found legal dungies up that high in the middle of summer.

 

[plumbertom]

About that Rear Light "A" tower.
Do you know what tilted it in such a fashion?
Last time we were out there it wasn't in that condition.
I know last week there were strong winds and rough wave conditions but to tilt it so it seems as if something must have rammed it.

 

[plumbertom]

I'm guessing they were below Empire and a bit above the cribs on the west side, can't remember what that area is called. RR bridge is way up and I have only found legal dungies up that high in the middle of summer.

Isn't that what they call Clam Island?