[ODFW-News] Still many opportunities for marine sport anglers

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
For more information call 800-720-6339 (ODFW) or 541-867-0300, Ext.
226	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  


For immediate release	Wednesday, September 1, 2004

Still many opportunities for marine sport anglers

NEWPORT - The closing this week of the sport rockfish fishery still
leaves sport anglers with many fishing opportunities in coastal Oregon.

The closure goes into effect on Friday, Sept. 3, and includes all
rockfish, lingcod and greenling. Fishing for cabezon closed earlier in
August.

"The Columbia River salmon fishery continues to be good this year,"
said Curt Melcher, a salmon fisheries biologist for Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife. "The Buoy 10 fishery, which has been good fishing
this year, will remain open for adipose fin-clipped coho and steelhead
through December and will be open for chinook retention through Labor
Day. The main stem of the Columbia River from Tongue Point to Bonneville
Dam is also open for salmon and steelhead and will likely remain open
through September."

 "Ocean salmon angling has been good this year," according to Eric
Schindler, a fisheries biologist for ODFW based in Newport.
Opportunities in ocean waters are:
* Leadbetter Pt. to Tillamook Head is open for all salmon except
non-adipose fin clipped coho. The season is expected to last until Sept.
30.
* Cape Falcon to Humbug Mt. is open for chinook through Oct. 31.
* Humbug Mt. to the Oregon/California Border is open for chinook
through Sept. 12.

There are also excellent chinook fishing opportunities in coastal
estuaries.

The saltwater fishing opportunities don't end with salmon.
 
Pacific halibut opportunities include:
* Between Cape Falcon and Humbug Mt. the fishery is scheduled in
all-depth waters for Sept. 3, 4, 17 and 18 and Oct. 1, 2, 15, 16, 29 and
30.  Additional fishing days may be set.  The fishery in the same area
is open seven days a week inside the 40-fathom line through October 31.
* South of Humbug Mt. the fishery is open in all-depth waters through
October 31.
 
"The albacore tuna fishing should remain good through most of September
and some fish should be available into October," said Don Bodenmiller,
project leader for marine recreational groundfish fisheries for ODFW.
"The ocean remains open for tuna and other pelagic species like
mackerel."

Other marine species remain open as well. There are plenty of
opportunities to fish for a variety of flatfish species such as starry
flounder, Pacific sanddab, and sand sole.  Flatfish are found primarily
over sand or gravel bottoms.  To fish for these species, anglers should
use smaller baited hooks and make sure to fish on the bottom.

Also surfperch angling remains open with several popular species
available in the estuaries and along sandy beaches.  Anglers fishing for
surfperch in the estuaries should look for areas with structure such as
pilings.  Anglers fishing the surf should cast into about the third line
of breakers and target areas of the beach with deeper pockets. 
Surfperch are usually caught using bait on smaller hooks. But some
anglers use lures or flyfish using artificial baits that resemble
shrimp.

There are numerous shellfish opportunities in coastal estuaries, such
as Dungeness crab and bay clams. Shellfish enthusiasts are reminded that
razor clams are scheduled to open north of Tillamook Head on Oct. 1.
 
Anglers are reminded to consult with local ODFW or OSP offices for
emergency angling regulation changes.

Anglers are reminded that salmon and halibut require a harvest card and
all fishing requires a license. Harvesting shellfish requires a
shellfish license. Those under 14 don't need a license.


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