Striped bass and cutthroat trout

Fin Chaser · Dec 4, 2022

I've been trying to find information on catching ocean run striped bass and cutthroat in Oregon, but not much luck. Does anyone have any suggestions on where to find information?

Thanks
Dan

Papa J. · Dec 5, 2022

Haven't caught any stripers in the surf, yet. Mostly fishing from the bank along the Smith or the Umpqua is where I have my best luck. They make the best fish tacos. On a good night it's cast, catch, cook, repeat. The most popular spot is on the Smith, known as "the guardrail". You can also get the local scoop at the Ace Hardware in Reedsport on where the action is. During shad runs in spring it picks up. Fish for shad by day and use them for bait at night for stripers.....BTW spell check kept changing stripers to strippers, so if I missed one, oops.

Casting Call · Dec 5, 2022

Winchester Bay is the only striper run that I know of. It's a very small window for the seasonal run. Don't know much more. Best tasting cod fish, I know. Imported from the state of Maine or Mass.? Tony

Papa J. · Dec 5, 2022

Some ultra wealthy guy who moved from the east coast had them imported as a "better sporting fish". He had roughly 370 (+/-) smolts released in the Smith/Umpqua confluence in the late 40's. They started breeding and had minimal natural enemies, making them the Apex predator in the rivers. Since their release they have had a negative impact on other fish in the system (salmon, steelhead, cutthroat, shad). That is why there is no limit on stripers.
Johnny

Papa J. · Dec 5, 2022

The biggest run is late March through late June, they feed on the shad runs. There are some random stripers year round, some big ones. Not worth the overnight during the winter.
Hope this helps you Dan

Irishrover · Dec 5, 2022

Stripers and shad are east coast fish that were introduced to the west coast back in the 1800s. The shad population exploded and now the biggest of the herring family is all over the west coast. They make great crab bait! The stripers did not populate as well as the shade. They did not move as far north and are more often found in in the rivers on the southern coast and in California. The Sacramento River used to have quite a few.

https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/striped-bass

Never fished much for coastal cutthroat but her is some information.

https://myodfw.com/fishing/species/coastal-resident-cutthroat-trout

Papa J. · Dec 5, 2022

Now that we've covered stripers, cutty people can chime in.

plumbertom · Dec 5, 2022

Along here for stripers?https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#boating@13&key=cxuiGnqhtV

Casting Call · Dec 5, 2022

plumbertom said:
Along here for stripers?https://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#boating@13&key=cxuiGnqhtV

That was an excellent read (map)booked a weeks' time for some crabbing and striper fishing in March 2023. if anybody want to do a ride along as a deckhand and have a fun day pm me. Tony

troutdude · Dec 5, 2022

Smith River does spit out some striper brutes. My uncle caught a 40 pounder in the mid 70’s. Made my cousins 17 incher look like a minnow, in a side by side pic.

troutdude · Dec 5, 2022

For Bluebacks (sea run curries) the Alsea and Siletz has nice ones. The legendary Borden Special and/or small brown Rooster Tails are the ticket.

The Blueback season typically begins in July in Tidewater (a trolling show). Then they move upstream when Fall rains raise the freshwater levels. However they hang out in estuaries year round—if you have a boat.

At this time of the year the coastal streams are a Fall Salmon (nearly over now) and a Winter Steelhead show (until Spring).

P.S. Would be better to have 2 different threads for 2 vastly different species.

C_Run · Dec 5, 2022

Stripers exist in the Umpqua/Smith Rivers, the Coquille, and Coos Bay. Sometimes they are caught in salt water by surf perch fishermen. There is a Facebook group with some information but not a lot of posts https://www.facebook.com/groups/797357044233495. A few years ago one was seen going through the fish ladder at Bonneville Dam but was caught in a tribal gill net later that year.

troutdude · Dec 7, 2022

@Fin Chaser

Incidentally ALL trout fishing is currently CLOSED on ALL Coastal streams. So it's illegal to angle for them for now anyway. The season opens again May 22nd 2023.

Fin Chaser · Dec 7, 2022

Awesome. It gives me a place to start obtaining information. I know they aren't native (but either are most of the species in Oregon) but I thought it would be fun to target something different every now and then. I can start making my 2023 plans!!!

Fin Chaser · Dec 7, 2022

troutdude said:
@Fin Chaser

Incidentally ALL trout fishing is currently CLOSED on ALL Coastal streams. So it's illegal to angle for them for now anyway. The season opens again May 22nd 2023.

That's only partly true. While the rivers, streams and tributaries are closed, the lakes are not. Perhaps there are some ocean run fish that enter Coastal lakes. Those I can fish for year-round unless special regulation prohibits it. Or am I missing something? I never said I was only fishing streams.

troutdude · Dec 7, 2022

I just wanted to be sure that you knew that streams are closed. And Bluebacks are stream and estuary fish. There is only one lake that I know have a blueback spawning run through it. But it’s on private land and only open the month of November.

kemfish · Dec 7, 2022

I think they run through Siltcoos and Tahkenitch (maybe 10 mile too) or are those resident fish? Both maybe. I've caught cutthroat in both, but wouldn't know how to tell a sea run from a coastal resident.

Eazy-E · Dec 8, 2022

hey @troutdude, i took a pic of one of those beauties a couple weeks ago:

a lot different looking than your typical coastal resident

Casting Call · Dec 8, 2022

Now that's a blueback! If I had the original photo, I would blow it up in size and frame the pic. Tony

troutdude · Dec 8, 2022

kemfish said:
I think they run through Siltcoos and Tahkenitch (maybe 10 mile too) or are those resident fish? Both maybe. I've caught cutthroat in both, but wouldn't know how to tell a sea run from a coastal resident.

I forgot about Siltcoos. Not sure about the others. But @rogerdodger may know.

Striped bass and cutthroat trout

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