Have never caught a salmon, any advice welcomed.

[Goodtimes]

I'm new to this forum and to salmon fishing. I used to limit out on bass in my home state of Nevada. But now I've been here in Oregon 10 years and finally have the time to get back on water. But salmon is a whole different fish. I could use a bit of advice on run timing, baits and lures. I have no boat so will be wading rivers. I have a 9' Shimano medium action pole with bait asking real currently spooked with 25lb mono.

I headed over to the N. fork of Nehalem river, on Saturday for the evening just downstream of a hatchery. Saw the coho salmon roiling in the river but couldn't interest them in a bite. The hatchery employee we talked to said this is the time if year they run, but by this point they are mostly interested in spawning. We tried spinners with pink beads, hearing scent, jigs, pink worms under floats, sand shrimp, gooey bobs.

The river was lowish with 2-3feet visibility, overcast with a few rain sprinkles but not drenching, warm too. All in all very nice day to be on a river, we had the spot to ourselves. But that tells me I may not be in the right place at the right time. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks

 

[troutdude]

Welcome to OFF. Sorry you didn't ink your tag.

In low/clear water, think small. OFFerings that are too large, will spook any fish...including Ho's. If you toss hardware (spoons/spinners) think dark: black, purple, dark blue.

BTW, the Nooks will now start their runs with the incoming rains. You'll do okay, with a medium action rod; but I'd suggest a medium heavy, or heavy, action. Using a lighter action rod would be akin, to trying to lift a hefty bucketmouth out of thick vegetation; with a 4 wt. fly rod. It ain't gonna happen.

Good luck.

 

[troutmasta]

I'm new to this forum and to salmon fishing. I used to limit out on bass in my home state of Nevada. But now I've been here in Oregon 10 years and finally have the time to get back on water. But salmon is a whole different fish. I could use a bit of advice on run timing, baits and lures. I have no boat so will be wading rivers. I have a 9' Shimano medium action pole with bait asking real currently spooked with 25lb mono.

I headed over to the N. fork of Nehalem river, on Saturday for the evening just downstream of a hatchery. Saw the coho salmon roiling in the river but couldn't interest them in a bite. The hatchery employee we talked to said this is the time if year they run, but by this point they are mostly interested in spawning. We tried spinners with pink beads, hearing scent, jigs, pink worms under floats, sand shrimp, gooey bobs.

The river was lowish with 2-3feet visibility, overcast with a few rain sprinkles but not drenching, warm too. All in all very nice day to be on a river, we had the spot to ourselves. But that tells me I may not be in the right place at the right time. Any advice is welcome.

Thanks

Hello, Welcome to OFF. One of the cool things about Oregon is that there is almost always some type of salmon or steelhead running. Right now its Fall Chinook! (the biggest), Coho (Yum), and late summer/early winter steel head.
Not sure where you live but I fish the Sandy river this time of year for coho and usually do fairly well. I like to use Bobber and eggs or pink spinners for coho, you can also free drift eggs on the bottom. For steelhead, any thing under a bobber: shrimp, jigs, eggs, yarn, or spinners of jigs.
PM me if youd like or have any particular Qs.

Good Luck! -TM

 

[Goodtimes]

Thanks for the tips. I've passed over the eggs for sale at Freddie's because they just look all dark and bloody. Where does one get quality eggs not having caught hem myself yet? Or will those eggs work to get me started. Thanks

 

[troutdude]

It's been a few years, since I've fished the Nehalem. And I don't where you're coming from; but the big sporting goods store in Tillamook used to have good eggs. I don't recall the name of the store. But, it's just a little south--as I recall--from the Cheese Factory.

 

[troutmasta]

Its called Tillimook Sporting Goods. Mixing it up eh. :lol: Any hoo-You can get generic ass eggs almost anywhere those will work but I recommend getting some cure, I like nates bait cure. or pro cure. then going and getting some eggs from a hen. Right now you can get coho, on spinners, pink worms, jigs, pretty much anything pink. The sandy is stacked, I even saw some fish in the clack. Once you cure your own eggs if you use them wisley you should be able to get more using them and so on till you got a freezer full off eggs and a pissed off wife. ENJOY!