Port Orford clueless

[Tinker]

Born in Oregon, moved when I was a kid. Just got back.

And wow! I know how to fish the Mid-west and southern Ontario, but am completely unprepared for salmon and steelhead in SW Oregon. They aren't bass (or pike or muskie) are they?

I'm right here with two of the great slmon and steelhead rivers within 10 minutes of my door, and don't even know where to start.

Is there forum for terminal tackle and tactics for completely clueless newbies? God, I need it...

 

[grampa ron]

You might want to go to the nearest tackle shop

 

[jamisonace]

John gross of roaring fork guide service lives down there part of the year and guides those rivers. I hired him 3 or 4 times and he taught me everything I needed to know. It's been a longtime since I've been skunked on those rivers thanks to him. I'd hire him once or twice if I were in your position. He'll do the elk and sixes in one day.

 

[madasahab]

I may be able to offer some basics to get you started...
The best bet for a newbie is bobber fishing. Pole no less than 8'6"(I fish lamiglas and would use one of these models for an all around rod: LX 90 XHC
LX 86 HC
G 1314-T
X 106 MHC
X 90 HC

Once you get into it, you will own many rods and reels for different fish and techniques, but this is a good start. The first two are cheapest, but let me say they are nice rods! don't let some Loomis nazi tell you different. The second is a bit more spendy, but perhaps a little better quality. The last two probably cost the most, but are worth it and still don't cost as much as an Adolph Loomis!!!
For a levelwind reel, I use abu garcia c3 5500 a c4 is also good.
Use braid for float fishing. Power pro. No less than 50lb.
For mono, p line cxx or maxima ultragreen for your leaders. The strength test depends on your target fish.
A basic slip bobber set up: bobber stop(multi packs are fairly cheap), small bead(usually comes with multi packs of stops), bobber( I like the beau mac bobbers), bead, sinker(match the weight to the bobber) and leader with bait or maybe jig.
Hope this helps. There's a lot to know, but when you hook your first chromer, it's all worth it!!!
You won't be doing much fishing for salmon or steelhead in that area until late into October-March, however, it can be awesome from what I have heard ( I need to go!!!).

 

[C_Run]

Steelhead season ended at the end of March on your rivers and you've got a wait until next season. Don't overlook the other great fisheries there like the Rogue and salt water.

 

[Tinker]

Thanks! You understand that the closest tackle shop is fifty-two miles away from Port Orford, North or South, same distance... I've been to three, and got a lot of information about fishing the Columbia and the Rogue, some about the Umpqua and a bit about the Coquille. They're all much bigger rivers.

 

[Tinker]

Yes, it ended March 31st, and since then, I've been getting somewhat notorious with surf perch...

I'm trying to learn effective tactics for when the rivers reopen towards the end of May. I've been a (licensed) legal resident for 8 months and I'd have been happy if I could've gotten so much as a strike; just a nibble. Temporarily happy, at least, until I could cast again.

 

[Tinker]

Thank you. madashab! I have a Lamiglas Norwest Special that I used for muskie and walleye, and I'm pretty pleased with it for the moment. I'm concerned that it could be a bit light for salmon, but it should be suit me for steelhead next season. After (if) I figure out what I'm doing, I expect to change gear. I haven't seen or held a Loomis but they seem a might spendy to me. I tend to not believe that the rods and reels catch fish, but what do I know? I haven't yet hooked or caught a freshwater fish in Oregon...

I have some P-Line CXX and just picked up some Yo-Zuri Extra Soft, but haven't used them yet. Getting used to Maxima when fishing in the surf - it's a lot more stiff than I'm used to, but Trilene seems to get weak when it's been in the sea too long and I don't think I'm ready to trust it in the rivers. I tried PowerPro Super 8 Slick and had mixed feelings and a couple of serious overruns with lures that were too light or when the wind was too strong.

Thanks for telling me about using a slip-bobber set up. I've run across Thill bobers but not Beau Mac, although I picked up a few Beau Mac jigs last weekend.

I appreciate your thoughts and your help. Thanks.

 

[Tinker]

Thank you, jamisonace. I am within a hair's breadth of hiring a guide, but there's this ego thing still hanging me up. In forty years, I've never been skunked before and I should be able to figure this out. But my wiser angels tell me to stop being a potato head and find a teacher. I've bookmarked John's page. I believe I'll give him a call. Whether I blunder along or hire him, it can't hurt to say "Hi!"

 

[eugene1]

Nothing wrong with going for a guided trip, kind of like treating yourself to some expert know how and a nice day on the water. $ well spent and I've only been out with 2 guides although I wish I would have went with more when I was up in OR. You can figure it out on your own, but it takes time.

Best,

Thank you, jamisonace. I am within a hair's breadth of hiring a guide, but there's this ego thing still hanging me up. In forty years, I've never been skunked before and I should be able to figure this out. But my wiser angels tell me to stop being a potato head and find a teacher. I've bookmarked John's page. I believe I'll give him a call. Whether I blunder along or hire him, it can't hurt to say "Hi!"

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

In forty years, I've never been skunked before and I should be able to figure this out. "

Good luck then! Salmon and Steelhead are tricky fish to catch, especially consistently. Best advice if you want to learn it on your own is go down to some popular holes when the fish are in and observer what others are using and strike up conversations with them. Hiring a guide will help a lot. It will also get your desires up to by a boat. Tight Lines... And dont forget we have bass over here too!

 

[Tinker]

Thank you all (finally noticed "Reply to Thread"). I woke up this morning thinking that I'm either going to work with a guide or I'll need to get used to the idea that it'll take a decade of stumbling around on my own...

A couple of things I ought have said: I'm pretty geared-up, although the stuff I brought with me when I moved back is probably too light for our rivers. I've always been a light line kind of a guy, even with trophy-sized Muskies, and my lures and terminal tackle (and mind set) are probably all too small to be effective. I'm coming to understand that my idea of "heavy line" is at least 75% too light... fine for flat water, but should I ever hook and want to release a wild fish, it's marginal at best.

And I'm trying not to buy a boat. When we decided to move back, I built this really strong mental picture of fishing while walking the smaller rivers like I'd been doing when fishing for smallmouth. Admittedly, when I clamped on to that image, I didn't know that people are allowed to own and control even the skinniest river banks between a road and a river - that's rare back East - and I'll have to get used to it. A boat may be the only way to reach all of a stretch of river, but the extra layer of logistics is daunting to someone who's gotten fat and lazy from motoring out and coming back to the same landing.

I'll keep reading the threads and see what I knowledge I can pick up. I've got six weeks until the rivers open up again and maybe something will manage to sink in.

 

[C_Run]

Thanks! You understand that the closest tackle shop is fifty-two miles away from Port Orford, North or South, same distance... I've been to three, and got a lot of information about fishing the Columbia and the Rogue, some about the Umpqua and a bit about the Coquille. They're all much bigger rivers.

There are two tackle shops in Bandon by the port and at least one I know of in Gold Beach just south of the bridge, 25 miles either direction. There are a couple of places in Port Orford that have sparse but adequate selections of basic tackle.

 

[Tinker]

Yeah, C_Run but they've only had limited and very local knowledge. I learned some things about the Rogue down in Gold Beach and about the Coquille up in Bandon. Port Orford has a small tackle section in the hardware store and there's a display case with some offshore tackle in the restaurant on the dock. I use the hardware store a lot for line, weights and hooks, but there's scant knowledge about the rivers available there. I've only found one shop in Bandon, down on the boardwalk, and it, too, is very, very small and has some solid information about the Coquille and the shoreline, but not much else.

I'm not dis-ing any of them, and every one of them has among the nicest people I've been lucky enough to meet, and they try to be as helpful as they can, but I can't give them glowing marks on helping me understand the rivers I'm targeting, or the types of lures, bait or tackle I should be thinking about for those smaller, shallower, rivers.

Knowing how to fish but not knowing how to fish HERE, is more confusing than I expected.

 

[C_Run]

Since you've got quite a bit of time until next season, just study up what you can off forums and the folks you meet. Subscribe to Salmon Trout Steelheader mag. I have roots in your area and visit there often. The tactics that work on other small rivers elsewhere will do just fine there. Float fishing, hardware, drift fishing are all going to be fine. Save the eggs from your salmon and learn how to cure them for salmon and steelhead bait. Then you can do like me and just carefully study what everyone else is doing when you are out on the river and copy. Then just put in your time.

I have to disagree about the Bandon tackle shops. I have gotten excellent, current, and up to date information from them about fisheries where I am also clueless, things like rigging, timing , locations, tides etc. They are very helpful and have gotten me into fish.

 

[Lamiglas]

Think "mouth". The mouth of the elk river is a great way to get your feet wet with salmon in that area. It can be crowded but on good days everyone's rod is bent over. Maybe not everyone's but you get the point! Keep your eye on this website when October and November are near.

 

[Tinker]

I just read through a thread by jamisonace about father and sons on the Sixes and the Elk, and his excellent account on MyFishingBuddy. It's the first time anyone mentioned using a KwikFish lure. Thank you, jamisonace.

The only takle shop in Bandon that everyone directs me to is on the south end of the boardwalk. I have to be in Bandon tomorrow and I'll see if I can locate the second shop up there. I didn't mean to imply that the shop I have found had no information - the clerk has been a wealth of information, just not about the Sixes and Elk - and I hope I don't owe anyone an apology.

I just heard about Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine last weekend, watching a cable channel. Have their website bookmarked, but at first glance, the site didn't seem targeted at someone as clueless as me. I think I'll go ahead and subscribe since you've recommended it.

I keep an eye on fishportorford.com, but not too often. Their last report was in January, just before Winter steelhead picked up, but as recommended, maybe it will get more active later this year.

I'll keep an eye on the Elk in salmon season. There's lots of folk who fish under the 101 bridge and I've kicked myself a hundred times over for not having stopped and asked them questions. It's good to be reminded to take a moment and talk with everyone who'll talk back.

You're all giving me a lot of your time and I appreciate it. Thanks.