Cannon Beach trip planned for Feb. What to do?

[thelibrarian]

I've been lurking here for a while. I'm getting back into fishing after many many years away from it. I'm interested in clamming, crabbing, shore fishing, anything salt water, but as I'm from Southern California originally I grew up fishing off of piers and docks.

I have a family trip planned to Cannon Beach from Feb 12-15 and am looking for some ideas of how to spend my mornings while the rest of the fam sleeps in. I don't have a boat. Anybody have suggestions for me based on what is happening during this time of the season and the location I'll be at?

 

[GraphiteZen]

If it were legal to fish here:

Google Maps

...that's where I would be!!

 

[thelibrarian]

...so that means it is not legal?

 

[GraphiteZen]

That means I'm not really sure haha... Sorry. It looks to be in a public park. During my last visit to Newport I attempted to fish in a similar area, was stopped at the gate and informed that I was intent on committing a pretty serious infraction in a state park and should skedaddle.

There are some other places to the south that look inviting. With boulders of the size that can be seen from the maps I bet the surf fishing is GREAT!

 

[Fish Fight]

There are no clam tides so that's out. Garibaldi has a jetty that you can fish from.

There is surf fishing for perch but you need to wear waders to do it. Fish the incoming tide.

There's a casting crab trap that you use with a rod and reel, you can go to Lincoln City and crab at Siletz Bay.

Winter Steelhead fishing at the trask, wilson, salmon or any of the many coastal rivers

Nehalem Bay and Netarts Bay has boat and crab trap rentals

 

[halibuthitman]

the necanicum is about 15 minutes from cannon beach, you also have the nehalem system... the lakes through the Rockaway beach have bass or so Ive been told. You can rent a boat at nehalem to crab from, they also have crabbing docks. the odf stocking report will tell you of every recently stocked lake on the north coast, go to the site and request e-mail updates of the area, they will be stocking lakes by then, at least with recycled steelhead. have fun.

 

[fishtales]

What do you mean no clam tides? Bay clams are still in season.

 

[GraphiteZen]

Maybe a "clam" tide is a high ratio change that exposes large amounts of sand at the low point?

 

[fishtales]

You lost me. Did I miss something?

 

[Fish Fight]

A clam tide is a minus tide. Look in a tide table for the minus tides, they usually only come around a couple of days a month. In the winter they happen at night and in the spring during the day. In the winter you go razor clamming with a lantern and during the spring you can also rake steamers or dig for gapers.

Razors are on the beach and sreamers, gapers and cockles are in the bay where you want daylight that way you can see the tide so you don't get cut off from land when it starts to come in. At least that's how I do it.

It takes a minus tide to expose the clams

 

[GraphiteZen]

Yeah that probably wasn't the best explanation. What I meant was an abnormally low ebb tide which would allow more square area to clam on.

 

[fishtales]

Don't exclude the bay clams if the timing is right.

 

[halibuthitman]

Maybe a "clam" tide is a high ratio change that exposes large amounts of sand at the low point?

:lol::lol: you should write the descriptions for odf in the pamplet!:lol:

 

[thelibrarian]

Thanks for all the ideas! I'll be watching the weather. I like the boat/trap rental idea. Maybe drop some traps and then cast a few from the boat while I wait!

Thanks again everybody. Keep 'em coming!

 

[Born2Fish55]

North of Haystack....

North of Haystack....

If you have a good long rod... walk the beach North of Haystack (keep about 500' away from the rock), look for tongues of incoming water (holes when the tide is out) and fish them with a long cast into the surf just beyond the breaking waves. Fight the urge to try and reach the open blue water, as the fish you are after are in the whitewater of the surf. Use a 'fish-finder setup' and any bait of choice (clam necks, mussels, ghost shrimp, or kelp worms) that you collect from the sands along the beach. Or you can try flinging jig heads with white grubs.
If you are willing, buy some of the 'GULP' bait... it seems to work well from my testing to date.
If you have questions about the type of gear or rigging I speak of, just type in the key words into 'Google' and go from there.

 

[skunk]

This may be a little late but if you look on that map that was just posted hit the first rock outcrop on the north end of the beach there at cannon beach. There is an access trail just south of it you can park just of the street and hike down to the beach. I just hike the face of the rock on an outgoing tide, so I don't get stranded and cast off the end of the rock. I use plastic grubs, jig them like for bass. Just watch the big waves, stay back so they don't wash you. It's not part of Ecola state park at that point. Also if you have questions on what's open just read the synopsis in the fishing regs. They close some areas for tidal research and such. The rest of the beach front in oregon is open I do believe for the most part. Also if you look at the regs, most marine gardens are closed to shellfish and marine invertebrates, not marine fish. Have fun!!!