Oregon striper fishing

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Its been a life goal of mine to get into striper fishing.. i live between eugene and flowrence, ive always heard the umpqua and smith were the places to try for em and there not to far, but from all accounts ive heard and read, its not at all what it used to be.. its now very hit or miss? So i talked to my friends father that grew up in the area and he recomended a few beaches like horsefalls and bastendorff, and possibly the coquill and rogue rivers? Any input or knowledge you guys would like to share on where and how would be greatly apreciated.. ive been told large chunk hering and chicken livers are the way to go but ive also heard alotta lures are good hitters?

 

[TheKnigit]

This is something a buddy and I were talking about yesterday evening. I will share what I have learned over the past couple of years, but keep in mind this info is coming from a guy who has only ever hooked 1 on accident. So I am in the same boat that you are, and if anyone else has better advice than I do please feel free to chime in/correct me.

I am not sure how far north stripers range, but they don't ever seem to get above tidal water. They come into tidal water around March following the shad runs and this time of year they head back out to sea. I have been told that chicken livers work well, along with other smelly baits. Also casting or trolling larger Repalas during low tide. They have very hard mouths so make sure that any hooks you are using are extra and ultra sharp.

 

[4labs]

Never have seen them in Gold Beach but a few rumors of them being caught by perch fisherman along the beaches but no pics . The Coquille is #1 and then the Coos. I think Rodger and Whip are the ones to ask. Trolling the Coquille with Bombers and Rapalas like they do in the Sac. or Feather is the best shot, have seen guys bank fishing behind the mill in Coquille with sardine fillets when I was duck hunting. I'll give it a shot this spring since I use to do it on the Sac. Pretty simple trolling a Bomber with a white curl jig on the trailing hook and some Pro Cure Sardine gel.
Don Myers a guild in Roseburg posted a few pic of stripers he caught on the Smith during salmon season but nothing big.
Too bad ODFW stopped stocking them . Also Pete Heley had some pics early in the spring.

 

[C_Run]

The Coquille has been pretty good the last few years so I have heard.

 

[troutdude]

The Smith used to have a great run. My uncle caught a 40+ pounder. But that was in the mid-to-late 70's. I haven't even heard of anyone targeting them down there; for at least a couple of decades now. So I think the Smith is one which would not be worth the effort.

 

[C_Run]

I had a FB friend down there catch 8 last year plunking for steelhead on the Coquille and we saw one caught by another boat trolling for salmon last year. Heard rumors there are plenty now. The length limit has been done away with.

 

[troutdude]

I had a FB friend down there catch 8 last year plunking for steelhead on the Coquille and we saw one caught by another boat trolling for salmon last year. Heard rumors there are plenty now. The length limit has been done away with.

That's really good to hear. A comeback would be cool.

 

[C_Run]

That's really good to hear. A comeback would be cool.

My friend hates them because they eat smolts. He says that the smallmouth are also on the decline. He hates them, too. I wouldn't mind catching one but haven't had any time to try lately.

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

So night time to morning long range chunk on a beach like horsefall wouldnt be worth a try this time of year? Or not at all honestly? Haha i heard they used to eat alotta perch this time of year before moving up the rivers in feb? Idk if this is the case nowadays with the low returns but always wanted to try?

 

[plumbertom]

Stripers were a favorite of mine fishing in SoCal also the Colorado river and Sacto Delta.
I had great luck with sardine fillets kept on the hook with a little Magic Thread.
For trolling my go to rig was a 5 point umbrella with 2 teaser lures, 2 hooked lures directly on the umbrella swivels, and a third hooked lure from the umbrellas center point on an 18'' or so leader to give the appearance of a straggler. The strikes almost always came on the straggler.
The 2 teasers were there because CA has a three hook limit.
I preferred to use Sassy Shad Paddle tails in 3'' or 4'' and my color choice normally was pearl or white.

 

[Gulfstream]

I fished stripers most of my life in the S F bay and San Joaquin and Sacramento delta. There was a big up roar that they were hurting the salmon population, which is BULLS#$t. They have co existed with each other for hundreds of years. Water diversion caused the problems. The fishery is good, but the people in the know are tight lipped. I have caught them on Bullards while perch fishing and also plugging on the Coquille. Trolling works, but there are lots of lure stealers in the Coquille There are fish in the smith as well. Everyone says you need to fish at night, which is false . They are tidal related feeders and eat EVERYTHING. Swim baits, top water lures or crank baits work. I don't bait fish for them, but they will eat .Hope that helps. This is a good time of year to try

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Hey dude thank you that helps me out a lot, im deffinetly gonna go start tryn here soon. Thanks for all the info everyone anything else you can think of please let me know hah

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

And you mean a good time to try for surf and jetty or even tidal water in the coquile too?

 

[Gulfstream]

Both

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Right on man thank you dude

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Hows access to the river along bullards beach road?

 

[C_Run]

Hows access to the river along bullards beach road?

It's all State Park and you can walk across the fields to the river. Upstream is Rocky Point boat ramp and some more access. A guy I know caught them off the crabbing dock in Bandon at night throwing big plugs.

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

Ohhh i thought it was the road that paralleled the river.. hah i figured i would just park there and fish the river until sunrise and maybe go try the beach.. im thinkin of goin out tonight, i was thinkin big soft plastic swim baits and maybe some plugs. Also just trying hearing chunk with a 4oz sinker from the bottom

 

[CARPCOMMANDER]

So i left my house at 3:20am and got to bandon at 5:15, with high tide at about 5:25am. bottom fished chunk heering for an hour, then threw k17 plugs and casting spoons for an hour, and back and forth until about 8:30.. then moved up stream a lil ways to the bridge and did the same tactic until a few hours after lowtide and i had to leave.. i regret not hitting the beach but tryed my damndest haha any pointers or know how for the next trip? Hah thanks again

 

[Irishrover]

Used to fish for them on the Sacramento River back in the early 1970s. Also fished for sturgeon down there. Like the shad stripped bass are a non native species. They were introduced in 1879 and 1882. Those that made it up the Oregon coast came from the San Francisco plantings. It is their prodigy that return to the southern coast rivers. They have not faired quite as well as the shad which reach amazing number when the return to the river to spawn.