Salem Chapter North West Steelheaders Newsletter for April 2020
We hope you all are doing well, if you got the bug, hope you are getting better. Trout season in the Santiam River opens on 22 May. I hope.
The chapter meeting for April is canceled due to the COVID-19 virus, and the closing of the Keizer City Hall.
The May meeting with the Kokanee Kid, as prospective speaker is still pending. We will let you know as soon as we can.
The ODFW Family Fishing Days, Youth Outdoor Day, CCA Banquet and all other events which involve getting groups together have been canceled. If they are rescheduled, we will pass the information along to you. Our chapter picnic is still in the planning stage.
Chapter Presidents Corner: Fishing report: Spring Chinook fishing is well underway all through the lower Willamette. Fishermen have been reporting success from the lower Multnomah Channel all the way up to Oregon City. Techniques really depend on where in the river you are fishing. In the lower harbor and Multnomah Channel, fishermen are typically trolling herring, prawn spinners, small 3.5 spinners or even plugs. These fish will typically be suspended up off of the bottom, so staggering your depths until you find where they are can pay dividends. Folks that are up near the falls target these fish in a lot of different ways. You will find people vertically jigging, back bouncing, bobber fishing, back trolling, anchor fishing and in some areas, trolling herring o_r spinners. Often the Spring Chinook on the Willamette really like to bite during tide changes. So be mindful of when in the day that happens and look for a flurry of biters.
The winter steelhead season has definitely been winding down. Now, some folks have still been finding some quality fish around as well as some summer steelhead. These early summer fish are typically great biters. A lot of the time they are not very picky and will strike most presentations. With this warm weather we’ve been having, the water temps are getting warmer and hardware or plugs will start to become extremely effective bait choices. Not to mention that you may very well pick up an aggressive Spring Chinook with both of these techniques.
Catch and release Sturgeon fishing in the lower Willamette is still a viable option. These giants love the slow flows of the Portland Harbor area and you can typically find sturgeon congregated in the deeper areas between the St. Johns bridge and Fred’s Marina. Sand shrimp, Smelt, Herring and Squid are all great bait choices right now.
Trout fishing has been good for those that have been poking around the local ponds and lakes that surround the Portland Metro area. ODFW is still withholding when and where they are stocking trout to keep the crowds down and allow social distancing. With that being said, there are always hold over trout from the previous stocking and popular lakes are continuing to get stocked like they regularly would be. These fish are going to be quite aggressive and willing participants. Folks Fishing from their boats will find great success trolling Maglips, Flatfish, Wedding rings or small spinners. A good plan of attack is to parallel the shoreline of your favorite lake and try to stay just outside of whatever weed beds there are. Fishermen that will be fishing off the bank will find success casting spinners, spoons, bobbers and bait, or, fishing Night-crawlers or Power-bait off of the bottom.
From Eric F.—- I got out on Monday 4/13 to try my luck with trout up at Detroit Lake off the dam. Had a pretty productive afternoon with about 20 or so caught between 2:30 and 5 pm. Largest was around 13 inches and took home 5 for the frying pan.
I’m looking at the possibility of having some kind for Zoom meeting for the board and possibly the chapter. If you would be interested in still checking in this way, please drop me note to my email, [email protected].
Using Zoom is relatively easy right now as long as you are able to download the file to your computer or portable device.(Tablet or smartphone) I will drop the directions for how to do this below if it may be of interest to you. I have even used it to keep in contact with family members that I couldn’t see before.
Note: This is not mandatory. This is just a potential tool in your toolbox for staying engaged during these odd and uncertain times.
Download Zoom on your computer here (use the first download button): https://zoom.us/download
You can download Zoom on your phone as well, just search for it in the app store. Note: you can use cellular data on a Zoom call (meaning you don’t need wifi), but it may use quite a bit of data.
1.Watch this video to learn how to join a Zoom meeting https://www.youtube.com/embed/hIkCmbvAHQQ?rel=0&autoplay=1&cc_load_policy=1
I hope that all of you are safe and spending some good time social distancing but enjoying the outdoors as well. Eric Foley
Fishing Line Recycle: Time to clean and reline the old and new reels for the new season. Keep the used line. ODFW has a program that collects and recycles old used fishing line. If you find some fishing line at the boat ramp or on the river bank please put it in the ODFW tubes or bring it to the next general meeting and give it to Bob J.
Membership is the blood of the chapter. Without members and their support, we would not have a chapter. We have received a new listing from the association for the month of March. We have some new members, and a few others have paid their “Past Due” bills. We have more past due members than paid up members. I agree that notification of renewal date from the association has not been timely. “SO,” I am sending this newsletter to each member with your individual renewal date noted and a renewal form for members past due. Please take a few minutes to fill out the form and send it in with a check or credit card information for the new renewal amount the association address noted on the form. Thank you.
Your membership expires or expired on: You should be good for a while, Thank You for your help and support.
Chapter web page Fish Pictures? If you have any recent pictures of fish you have caught or places you have fished, send the pictures to our website at: [email protected] with a short description of who is in the picture and what you have caught. Our chapter also has a Facebook page with lots of pictures and current info. Just search for “Salem NW Steelheaders” on Facebook and “like” our page. You can also see current info and pictures at our website: https://salemnwsteelheaders.org/
Chapter Secretary: The chapter needs someone to step forward and take this office for the chapter. We will train you; some computer skills would be very helpful. Please.
If you know someone who has joined this chapter and is not getting the newsletter, please have them contact Bob J. We’ve got a new listing so hopefully; we’ll be able to get in contact with all of our membership.
Submitted: Approved:
Bob Johnston Eric Foley
Sec. Ret. President
UPDATE: Just got this from a new member;
My name is Dylan and I am a new member to the Salem chapter, and a new member to NW Steelheaders in general.
Upper north Santiam has some fish throughout, also this is the best time of year to observe big wild fish getting ready to spawn at the base of Big Cliff dam. Just yesterday (4/20) I saw 10+ steelhead in the first main tailout below the dam. There a few opportunities below the deadline that they like to stack in. Beads, swung flies, jigs, all seem to do the trick.
Three Rivers still has some decent fishing, a few bright fish around (mostly wild) but mostly re-bright fish and spawners. Thanks, Look forward to meeting everyone and the next chapter meeting. Tight lines! Dylan.