NorthWest Kayak Anglers
Regional Discussions => Oregon Kayak Fishing => Topic started by: rogerdodger on October 02, 2022, 07:05:29 AM
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Beautiful opening day at Siltcoos with mixed news but first, coming out from the launch, Pepper (about 11yo now) settled right into the 'splash zone'. This is our 5th year riding the new design Outback, still absolutely love it and still no issues with my MD180 drive.
(https://i.imgur.com/kWCkSwU.jpg)
we spent several hours roaming the west side of the lake, lots of Canada geese and various ducks for company, I was tuning several new Brad's Wigglers and tossing/trolling spinners, no sign of anadromous fish until I hooked something substantial that acted like a coho jack...
(https://i.imgur.com/Tk9K2f4.jpg)
then it quit fighting, a 1 jump dumbass 2# bass...
Siltcoos isn't as low as last year, 66F water temp, and decent visibility, no big algae bloom yet...
good news- the outlet river is connecting to the ocean and we got about 0.50" of rain last week to at least dampen the surrounding forest.
(https://i.imgur.com/Zf9Z7Gs.jpg)
bad news- no rain predicted for at least the next 10 days and warm/sunny days could mean algae.
so hopefully the coho are eating well in the ocean and we start getting decent rain by mid-October. I'll be out now and then, checking the lakes and posting updates once things get interesting. cheers, roger
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...no sign of anadromous fish until I hooked something substantial that acted like a coho jack...
then it quit fighting, a 1 jump dumbass 2# bass...
Happy to know it doesn't just happen to me.
Thank for the update, roger. Pepper's still looking good.
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Was having an early dinner and beers with my wife at Darlings overlooking the lake yesterday and talked of hoping to have an opportunity to fish the lakes this year, and then wake to see your post. Maybe it's a sign! Thanks for keeping an eye on it for us all. Maybe I'll see you on the water!
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I'd love to do that again with you n Pepper, Roger.
Was a blast last year!
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I am really looking forward to trying out this fishery this year!
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fished Siltcoos 5 hours on Oct.13, 3 rods from PB using plugs/spinners that have taken coho in previous years, no big fish observed or hooked, 65F water and more algae than back on Oct.1. Water level at the BL very low.
nice to see some rain predicted in about 10 days, hoping that forecast improves to lots and lots of rain. ;D
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Thanks rogerdodger! I look forward to your Siltcoos thread every year.
-Mark-
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rain, rain, rain....assuming we get enough, last weekend of October looking very shiny at the lakes.
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Sunny Siltcoos Sunday - launching 9am, 2 guys in a PB coming in with their coho, morning bite from some fish using the ladder, I call this 'might get lucky' time at the lakes.
I fished over to Maple arm, no jumps/rolls, no boats caught fish that I could see. 1pm back along westside, hooked what felt like a good one trolling a spinner close to shore, short fight but he dived into thick weeds and hook came loose.
62F water, more algae, lake level ~2 feet below where they normally open the dam. Early November still looking like when things should get fun.
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Any rain up your way over the past couple of days? We had a few squalls blow through down here.
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Any rain up your way over the past couple of days? We had a few squalls blow through down here.
rain yes. enough no. forest was so dry, so far it's soaking up most the rain.
using the Siuslaw flow as an indicator, I'm liking that bump coming Nov2-3, assuming it happens, for when we might get a big surge of, hopefully, big coho into the lakes.
(https://i.imgur.com/VDVh70r.jpg)
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Thanks, Roger. We had a falling mist for a few days, interrupted by sporadic 10- or 15-minute cloudbursts. Like you said: not enough.
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I worked down by the Siltcoos River today. Tried to keep my eye on the river for signs of fish. Didn't see a whole lot of activity...only four coho rolls on the incoming tide. A bunch of seals hanging out at the mouth. I think we need a significant amount of rain to really get things going.
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I worked down by the Siltcoos River today. Tried to keep my eye on the river for signs of fish. Didn't see a whole lot of activity...only four coho rolls on the incoming tide. A bunch of seals hanging out at the mouth. I think we need a significant amount of rain to really get things going.
that matches what I saw at Siltcoos yesterday and Tahk Mallard arm today. based on talking to several people both days, there seems to have been an initial burp of coho into each lake over the weekend but no evidence yet of any holding in the lakes. Better water visibility in Tahk for sure but it is really really low. My highlight today was spending several minutes alongside a romp of 5 river otters. They were close enough that Pepper became concerned they might be cats.
top of Mallard arm:
(https://i.imgur.com/4tgUUHg.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/9Bf0eSH.jpg)
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I like the flat-ass calm you found back in the Mallard Arm. Nice picture!
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Tried Siltcoos today.
Not much to report. Saw one fish roll about 100' off the launch ramp, and another in the vicinity of the river mouth.
Trolled all the way to the Maple arm terminus and back.
Then, mostly for sight seeing and exploring sake, went most if the way down Siltcoos river. Not one roll or jump witnessed, nothing on the finder. Quite stagnant green water. Only the fish ladder on the dam was open, but a lady living on the river said she heard they might open the dam tomorrow.
Didn't see any fish caught, or talk to anyone who had.
I did get one drive by, but guessing it was a bass or trout.
Was a beautiful peaceful morning, with mist rising off the water, and loons calling.
More rain this weekend....
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Interesting. Thanks for that report. I
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Thanks for the reports!
If the weather forecasts hold, Vets Day weekend could be the game-changer for these fisheries.
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Thanks for the reports!
If the weather forecasts hold, Vets Day weekend could be the game-changer for these fisheries.
(https://i.imgur.com/myaziHK.jpg?1)
Checked the lakes Friday 2:30pm: Tahk dam closed up tight. Siltcoos outlet not moving, algae really bad, large boat launch at the Tyee exit totally empty, not even one car or trailer in it. On the upside, it has been raining all day, need plenty more.
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Twas a lovely, albeit chilly day, on Tahkenitch's Mallard arm.
Our group of 3 kayaks, and maybe five or six powerboats.
I managed a 13" largemouth, and a 13" cutthroat. Got both on a trolled orange wiggler. One member of our group lost a nice jack at the boat, but that was the only evidence of salmon we saw the whole day.
Hopefully next week. Great seeing you n Pepper, Roger!
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heavy rain coming Friday and Sunday, should get both outlet rivers moving, looking forward to fishing next week during breaks in the weather. hopefully also start improving visibility in Siltcoos.
Friday 10am update: both dams closed up tight. boat launches at both lakes approaching where they usually start letting water out, up another foot for sure the dams get opened. Water at Siltcoos looks much better, algae bloom might be behind us, water at Tahk yesterday was 57F.
today and Sunday are absolutely 'stay off the lakes' days according to the forecast but next week is looking like light and scattered rain...fingers crossed the wind takes the week off.
here's 11yo Pepper in her cold water kit and she knows what to do just before launching on a 6 hour search for salmon. lol
(https://i.imgur.com/lQArv1S.jpg)
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in case anyone is curious about who controls the dams at Siltcoos and Tahk, it is this large industrial property near Reedsport that is about to go to auction:
https://nbc16.com/news/local/hundreds-of-acres-of-industrial-property-with-water-rights-up-for-auction-in-gardiner
several years ago I had a discussion with an ODFW biologist and as I recall, the dam owners are required, for the protection of houses and docks on both lakes, to keep the lakes between a defined 'low' and 'high' water level, that is it.
there is a small dam at the south end of Tahk Mallard arm that can be opened to drain water down to the industrial property (I assume there is a connection between Siltcoos ahd Tahk to move water between the lakes) but the top requirement is not let the lakes get too low or high. ODFW doesn't control the dams for the benefit of the coho runs or fishermen.
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dams closed Sat. 10am, both lakes up about 1 foot, finally seeing coho jumping in the lower Siltcoos river as they slowly head for the dam, this next week looks really good, as does next weekend.
I did not see any fish in the pool below the Tahk dam, it still might have very limited connection to the ocean, once that dam opens, I expect good fishing there.
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Thanks for the update, Roger!
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I don't know much about fishing either lake other than the dams being open or closed have a lot to do with the ability for coho to enter the lake. Are they stacked up between the dam and the ocean in the outlet rivers? Is it legal to fish there?
I hope this rain helps you guys out.
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I don't know much about fishing either lake other than the dams being open or closed have a lot to do with the ability for coho to enter the lake. Are they stacked up between the dam and the ocean in the outlet rivers? Is it legal to fish there?
I hope this rain helps you guys out.
Can't fish below the dams anymore. Both of the dams have ladders, but coho only seem to trickle through them. For Siltcoos, it may have something to do with the lack of attraction flow. The river below the dam is tidally influenced, so the ladder only has adequate attraction flow at lower tides. Tahkenitch outlet is basically a tiny creek at base flows.
I think it was 2019 when it was crazy dry through most of November. Coho started stacking up below the Siltcoos dam, and the pinnipeds were having a heyday on them. Didn't get any decent rains til December that year.
Opening the dam gates is what really gets these fisheries going. It allows all sorts of fish to swim into the lakes. That's why every now and then, someone hooks into a sturgeon or striper in Siltcoos. They swim up when the gates are open. With the amount of rain we received last night and what's expected to come tomorrow, it should bring up the lakes enough to open the gates and produce good fishing. I'm sticking with what I said over a week ago: Vets Day weekend is lookin' good 8).
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Clayman's correct, the fishing deadline is the 101 bridge over each lakes outlet, no fishing below that. Tahk dam is right there, close to 101. Siltcoss dam is in the forest, 1/4mile west of 101, about 1/2mile from there is the ocean, its basically the top of tidewater.
with the spillways closed, both just have water flowing through the fish ladders. I've been told that opening the dams does several things- cuts a larger/deeper channel through the beach into the ocean (in the past there were times they used dynamite to connect the outlet to ocean) and sends a signal to the fish out there in the ocean. Another thing is that it makes it easy for any fish holding below the dam to just swim right through. Once the dams are cracked open, it seems like good sized groups of coho will come in on the high tides and just blow right into the lakes, leading to many happy fishermen.
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I'll be camping at Tahkenitch Landing on Wed night (Nov 9th), and fishing Wed n Thur.
Not sure which lake on which day yet.
Anyway, anyone welcome to join, no cost to you.
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Sunday 10am- absolutely pouring rain, both lake levels higher, both dams closed, anticipation growing....I'm really expecting to see both dams open on Monday.
Siltcoos launch, 10am water level check the last 3 days...
(https://i.imgur.com/IOjwfjo.jpg)
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Excellent! I will be making a run down next Friday.
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Monday 9:30am: dams are open. Tahk just a little (plus lots of water flowing down the fish ladder now), Siltcoos river really moving plus a big high tide at 11am and 10' surf. Based on previous years, the next week or 2 will be the main runs and catching, with some fish coming in right through December.
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Woo-hoo! Tear em up Roger! Thanks for the update!
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Good news with weather to fill up the rivers and lakes for the coho run. What typical lures are used for the coho in the lake? If all goes well I am scheduling to fish for two days (Fri/Sat) of this week.
What are the possibilities to connect for these two days?
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Good news with weather to fill up the rivers and lakes for the coho run. What typical lures are used for the coho in the lake? If all goes well I am scheduling to fish for two days (Fri/Sat) of this week.
What are the possibilities to connect for these two days?
the most popular/productive plug to troll, near shore or in travel lane, is a Brad's Wiggler (not the Wee or Magnum, must the regular sized Wiggler), 2 mph about 50' back, no weight.
spinners of various colors (depending on weather/sun), 1/2 to 3/4oz (Blue Fox 4 or 5), with or without hoochie, cast near shore or trolled in coho travel lanes (scattered PBs will show you those), some people troll small flasher with spinner behind but I just troll them bare so that I can cast and troll with the same rod. my trick to minimize weed cleaning is to cast my spinner back while moving and drop the rod into holder, "spin-trolling" is what I call this.
12# test leader and good hooks, state record coho 26# was caught in Siltcoos, I'm expecting some big ones (15#+) in there this year.
not a bait fishery, lots of weeds and shallow, max depth 20', end of the week there should be lots of coho up in the spawning arms, Maple creek (NE corner) and Fiddle creek (SE) corner.
I'm fishing the lakes Tue-Thur but switching to CoosBay Friday to chase lingcod and grab some winter crabs, probably resting Saturday to watch my Cougs get bowl eligible. lol
good luck, post pictures!
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Hope to get down there after my Tioga elk hunt. I’ve fished Tahkenitch for the past several years, but never Siltcoos. I’ve dropped crayfish traps in Fiddle Creek, while camping at Tahkenitch in the past, and caught some large signal crawdads. Really love that area, and wish it wasn’t a 4 hour drive from where I live in NW Portland.
Thanks for all the great info!
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not as many fresh fish in as I expected but we saw lots caught up the Maple arm, 27" hen for me casting a spinner after I saw her roll, really nice eggs for my winter steelheading and nice orange flesh. Siltcoos is full, they should be opening the dam more.
(https://i.imgur.com/u7HubCV.jpg)
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Shoot, I worked towards booth island and up to the Fiddle creek trestle and back with two rainbow trout (not big) to show for my effort. Guess I should have gone over to the Maple Creek arms instead. Oh well I'll try again in a week or so.
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Last year I learned that I cannot cover Siltcoos Lake in one day on a kayak … or a pb for that matter. It’s too big.
Tomorrow AM I plan to launch from the ramp off 101 and cover the west side of the lake past booth island. Then I’ll return to the ramp, load up and … move to Ada, launch, fish Maple Arm then sleep overnight.
Thursday AM is still undecided. It could be Maple Arm or Tahkenitch Five Mile, or Tahkenitch Creek to the dam, or a reverse of Wednesday.
Hmmm. Suggestions?
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Last year I learned that I cannot cover Siltcoos Lake in one day on a kayak … or a pb for that matter. It’s too big.
Tomorrow AM I plan to launch from the ramp off 101 and cover the west side of the lake past booth island. Then I’ll return to the ramp, load up and … move to Ada, launch, fish Maple Arm then sleep overnight.
Thursday AM is still undecided. It could be Maple Arm or Tahkenitch Five Mile, or Tahkenitch Creek to the dam, or a reverse of Wednesday.
Hmmm. Suggestions?
these are big lakes, if I am doing all of Siltcoos, including both arms, I go counterclockwise- west shoreline, past Booth Island, over to ADA resort, then jump up Fiddle arm (only fishing the top of arm), jump to east shoreline (trolling that side past the RR bridges), up Maple arm, jump west to to Arrowhead Pt, troll past Jernigan Island and to the outlet marina, fish west shore a bit, go home, rest the next day. lol
Tahk creek starts at the 101 bridge (fishing deadline), dam is just below that, so no creek to fish at Tahk. The small marina area just east of 101 occasionally has fish rolling on their way through when the dam is open but I've never hooked one there. 5 mile arm is closest to the 2 boat launches by 101, start fishing past the RR bridge. Mallard arm is way far from the BLs but same thing, get past the RR bridge and fish.
the fish I saw caught yesterday (about 10) looked to have been in the Siltcoos tidewater (ocean to dam) for a while, reddish bucks (including about a 16pounder) and off-chrome hens (like mine). The 'chrome' run that usually comes in after the dam has been opened and lots of fresh water is flowing into the ocean has yet to make much of an appearance this year, hoping to see it soon. ;D
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I'm going to say the lake coho run is well underway, fish being caught in areas and hopefully lots more coming, especially at Tahk, water level seems very high, more dam opening likely soon...
just a stellar 29" hen for me today, other boats were catching fish today but seems like only at certain times in a few locations. close by, SD2OR released one not long after mine and I'm not sure he located another after that. Been there, done that. lol
(https://i.imgur.com/MC8G0No.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/fiCI3Ba.jpg)
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Thanks for the update! I will be at Tahkenitch at first light tomorrow - grey/dune 2018 hobie revo. I'll be in an orange dry suit (staying both dry and warm, hopefully). Hope to see some of y'all out there. --Steve
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I plan on fishing the Mallard Creek arm Saturday.
Is there going to be an issue parking or is that fiasco more at the boat launches?
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As Roger said, caught a 26", slightly dark hen in Maple arm Siltcoos yesterday, and released it, hoping for bigger. I later regretted it, cause I was only able to manage a 14" cutthroat afterward.
I had two other salmon on breifly,, and one drive by. Saw at least 8-10 caught, and lots of boats headed in early, that I assume limited.
Only took me about 20 mins this morning to get a cutty and a 29.75" buck. Was quite red, but cut surprisingly well. Got it within sight of the launch at Tahk's Mallard arm. Was a beautiful misty morning.
Always a pleasure fishing with ya Roger!
Sounds like a number of people will be hitting Tahk tomorrow, good luck to you all.
Forgot to mention, last night at about sunset, there were a ton of fish, both below and above Tahkenitch dam, including some really big ones. You guys should do well tomorrow.
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I plan on fishing the Mallard Creek arm Saturday.
Is there going to be an issue parking or is that fiasco more at the boat launches?
there seems to be plenty of parking along the gravel road at Mallard creek.
sounds like some NWKA folks were there today and had some fun, I'm planning to fish it Friday early.
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Yesterday I spent nearly six hours on the CCW tour of Siltcoos from West Lake. It was a nice day for a boat ride. I got to chat with some nice folks and I got to see some nice fish caught ... but I got skunked.
This morning I launched from Nightingales at about 9:30. At 10:15 I was heading back to the dock with a shiny 27" hen ... she succumbed to the local trolling recipe and a spicy cayenne/black Brad's wiggler. She went on ice.
By 12:15 I was on the water at the Tahkenitch/Mallard Water Hole. It was a beautiful afternoon with only two PBs in the search. After three hours I found no fish and I headed for the barn.
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Way to go T.
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Pretty certain we're only allowed one coho a day down there, doesn't matter if it's a different lake.
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Thanks SD2OR, looks like you are correct. The “wild coho aggregate bag limit” reads to be for the NW zone and above any particular water body direction or exemption.
Not sure what I was thinking.
Tom
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Sure thing! Better to hear it from me than a sheriff!
I thought about lake hopping too, before I was informed of the rules.
Just gotta camp down there, and hit it a couple days, make the drive more worth it.
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Thanks SD2OR, looks like you are correct. The “wild coho aggregate bag limit” reads to be for the NW zone and above any particular water body direction or exemption.
Not sure what I was thinking.
Tom
outstanding hen! and that's an easy regs detail to miss, I can confirm the Mallard arm was very very slow today. mostly. lol
(https://i.imgur.com/LDqWEuW.jpg)
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I can also confirm it was slow - i never saw or marked a salmon, but I did catch a cutie, rainbow, and bonus bass. I froze my butt off, but it was still fun, plus I got to meet Roger and Pepper. Looking forward to going back in the spring to catch bass.
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I took 2 friends down to Tak today. Beautiful scenery. Fairly. Hilly in the fairly constant rain. One friend caught one trout. Good to meet Roger and Pepper. Saw a number of otters. Pretty cute!
No need to clean any smelly fish today.
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Seems I could just cut and paste somebody else’s report from Tahk yesterday :). Cold, rainy, no salmon, and would do it again in a heartbeat. Caught one Crappie and cutthroat. Neither was much bigger than the plug I was using. Oh, and a handful of Chanterelles while up in the woods taking care of some business. Good to fish alongside others with the same passion. See you out there!
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We left early (Pepper got cold) and I was really hoping, because it has happened to me on the lakes several times, that a pod of coho would move in for an afternoon of fun for everyone still out there. Really cool to see so many kayakers out enjoying the lake.
Full disclosure on my fish- I was short trolling a spinner in the channel, staying between the tall weeds on each side, and took home a beautiful 19" jack coho that doesn't take up a tag space. These are so good baked whole and full of mushroom-onion-breadcrumb stuffing. These lake jack coho do not lose their table quality nearly as quickly as adults can, this is a really good one especially being just short of the 20" cutoff. Two adults and a jack this week on the same spinner.
(https://i.imgur.com/uK0KznW.jpg)
Big show yesterday was the groups of river otters (on land a ROMP, on the water a RAFT), the extended cold rain was bugging Pepper and an otter fight on a log near us set her off, she was not happy and ignored all her training about center of gravity on kayak, got up high trying to climb over me...
Pepper: "River Otters my ass, those are cats!"
(https://i.imgur.com/qaRiivI.jpg)
Video is mostly otters and the jack fight/netting.
https://youtu.be/fafyPa_lPos
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Sunday 9am- dam closed (3 otters in the pool above the dam) and just 3 trailers at the 101 Tahk launch, doesn't scream "hot coho fishing" to me however the water level is slightly lower that my last check on Wednesday afternoon. So they probably opened the dam on Thur or Friday and new fish had not reached the arms while lots of us were fishing on Friday.
Siltcoos launch almost full at 9am, maybe 5 spots left, not sure what that says about Saturdays fishing there but it seems positive.
I'm planning to fish Mon and Tue, not sure which lake yet, appreciate any intel from over the weekend. cheers, roger
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Fished Tahk Mallard Arm on Saturday. Caught a bright and beautiful 19.5in Jack at 9:30 and that was it for the day. Monkeyfist also caught a Jack. Didn’t see a single adult netted. Fished Siltcoos Sunday from 7-1. Nothing! Saw one roll at 7:30 and that was it. There were a lot of boats on the water and a lot of nets stuck in their holders. Talked to a few people and heard of one take down.
One boat asked me if I was Roger! I said, “I wish. If I was Roger I’d have a fish in the yak”
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I'm going to play a hunch that the dams were opened last Monday, maybe they will open them again this Monday. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Going with a later Siltcoos outing, 10am to 5pm, my hope is a whole pod of coho come swimming in during the afternoon and the marina/outlet area lights up. But who knows, it's going to be a sunny + no wind week, fingers crossed.
I like hearing more jacks being caught, they usually are earlier in the run, so that's encouraging.
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Anyone want to pool resources and buy the dams?
https://www.rmnw-auctions.com/property/101-water-rights-and-distribution-system-on-tahkenitch-and-siltcoos-lakes-two-dams-on-70-acres-in-douglas-and-lane-counties/
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Too bad none of us won that recent Powerball!
Hoping whoever buys it, manages things well.
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Checked the Tahk dam at 9am and I am now thinking they have opened the spillways a little, trying to match the incoming water with outflow. There should be pods of fish coming in on the high tides now.
Fished Siltcoos in strong/gusty wind from the east (bad wind direction) so I fished down the west side of Booth island and released a 15" chrome buck. At the south end, I landed an adult buck trolling a wiggler, based on my 22" legal lingcod marks on the bow, it was about 24", so I released it.
Was planning to fish the marina/outlet area into the late afternoon, so headed that way. With the waves rocking us from the side, I was short trolling the gold/orange spinner along the west shoreline, tossing it back 20', very close to shore, keeping the rod in my hand and steering with the other, ticking a weed now and maybe 3' from the reeds, it stops dead, hook set, quick turn, pull reverse and back away from shore with waves now coming over the stern (unhappy Pepper but she stayed down the whole time).
big shiny buck. 29.5", 9#
(https://i.imgur.com/Qm3Baww.jpg)
None of the PB that were trolling the travel lanes hooked anything I could see, not sure what was going on up the spawning arms today. That's 4 on my tag, planning to fish Tahk tomorrow.
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Just checking in so you know I still have a pulse. I did not make it to the lakes, it's too far for a day trip for me. I've done it before. I did make it to Beaver Creek, the Lincoln County one, on Thursday as it also had a wild coho retention season from Nov1.-Nov 15. Really slow there, I saw one fish roll in 7 hours and caught a couple of cutties. I did hook one and had it in my lap briefly, but, as I was reaching for my bonker it made one last heroic leap and bounced off my paddle leash to freedom. It left some scales as a remembrance, though. It was either a jack or a small legal. There was light fishing pressure and nobody I talked to caught any either but had lost a few. I think it was the first time Beaver Cr. has been open in six or seven years.
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excellent, great you could check in C-run.
nothing good today from Tahk Mallard arm, a large bag of chanterelles softened the skunk. Also, the Mallard arm was basically an Outback and Compass, light wind and whole bunch of ducks. there is value in solitude. (my guess is PB have been focusing on 5 mile arm).
this next rain event is important, these lakes are like a short river system, Nestucca and Elk/Sixes come to mind, odds are that I'll get #5 after the holiday.
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Found two jacks today up in the Maple arm. Lots of boats working the arm and the east shoreline. There were a ton of trailers at the ramp so I guessing even more were up the fiddler arm. No one working the inlet to booth island paths like they were last week after the rain. From listening to a few boats talking it sounds like a couple people managed fish, but not a lot.
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Tried the Maple Arm today and finally caught an adult salmon. Not had much success with the salmon this year, but finally have one on the tag. 25", 5lb, buck. Fair number of boats trolling in circles from Nightingales down along the east shoreline. Really didn't seem like much was happening. It'd be nice if some rain or these big tides could push some more fish into the lake. I'd love another shot at one.
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Excellent, nice Siltcoos buck!
Fish trickling through the lake between rain events is normal, I'm expecting this next set of storms through about Dec.1 to bring in the last good fishing this year.
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Saturday, tried the Mallard arm on Tahk. Made a couple laps, saw three other boats, caught one nice cutthroat
Today, hit the Maple arm on Siltcoos. Beautiful day mostly except for a short rain and hail shower (weird, although when I got back to Eugene it looks like they had some slush on the road so maybe just one crazy storm moving through). One other boat in the arm, could see two or three moving around the main lake. Caught a 23/24" coho that looked pretty scraggly so let it go, Kept a nice looking jack, and lost something that could have been either.
Might try once more later in the week depending on the weather. This fishery seems to be winding down. Sure is a tight window to get on fish. I'd be out of luck without Rodger's reports.
Thanks
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Thanks for the report sir!
This is only my second year trying this fishery, but thinking and hoping this storm system will bring some good action, before it's done for the year.
Roger seems to be the authority in matters of the costal lakes, and his intel is usually what I base my decision to make the drive or not on.
Really appreciate your leg work and posts Roger n Pepper!
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Thanks for the report Kemfish! This year's lack of substantial rain is similar to 2019. Once the lake levels rise and the dam gates are opened, there should be another shot of bright coho coming through. I caught some dimes on Siltcoos that year in mid-December. This week's set of storms look promising.
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that's what I'm looking for, one of those late fall dimes. great to hear other folks are still chasing them.
planning to fish Mallard tomorrow (mostly to get some mushrooms...lol), then Thursday and Sunday are looking good, that's when I really expect to see fresh ones in the lakes, assuming I don't get one tomorrow.
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Tuesday- really nice day at Mallard arm but not any coho wanted to play. chilly but almost no wind, which makes for a really nice day on the water, river otters twice and a large bald eagle making multiple dives nearby. 2 of us say just 3 total coho jump/rolls and none hit a lure. nice bag of late chanterelles, worth the effort to find then. and my first ever Matsutake! wow, that smell and flavor.
NOAA hourly is showing really nice low (not gusty) wind days coming up- Thur, Sat. and Sun. This late in the year, if the storms/dam/tides/whatever bring a pod of fish in, it can make for a very nice day of fishing.
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colder than expected and an extended snow/sleet/hail storm made adding a layer to both Pepper and I a good decision.
no sign of fish on the west or east side to top of Maple arm (slightly brown water up there) but the outlet river was moving at 4pm (when I fished the hell out of it hoping from a fresh one coming in...).
my experience with canine in outdoor situations like this, if you keep their core mostly dry and warm, they will do just fine. Pepper made it clear this was a 50% increase in treats day.
(https://i.imgur.com/QGlC69S.jpg)
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I'm planning on one more go out of Nightengale's on Sunday. Looks like a weather window in the late morning through early afternoon, which is when I tend to hit the water anyway.
Going to get that 20lber that is late to the show cause she was fattening up in the ocean.
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Fished a couple hours, saw one fish surface didn't catch anything or even have a bite. Few power boats still working the east shore. Maybe a few fish still around.
Saw Pepper as I was leaving. Said the guy in her kayak may have had a bite.
Keith
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Went South and all the way up into Fiddle arm today. Didn't see one fish jump or roll. Weather was super indecisive, but nice at times. Once the rain got steady, started heading for the launch, and just as I was about to call it quits, had a strong take down on a wiggler, halfway between the outlet and the ramp. Took a bunch of line, then got off. Only action for the day for me.
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long day at Siltcoos, I think there were as many kayaks out coho fishing as PBs. there were a few PB out duck hunting, they had some success, people fishing not so much.
Hobster and I headed south at 10am and didn't find any action at the south bay, with 3 kayaks already up the Fiddle Arm and not reporting fish, we decided to fish across the east side RR trestles and into Maple arm. Just before Nightingale's, I was spin trolling along the shoreline/reeds, 20' back, rod in hand, big coho stopped my spinner dead, big roll, pulled some drag, huge head shake and loose. Bent the spinner shaft good.
after an hour fishing all over the Maple arm, seeing 1 fish roll, heading out we got hit by a nasty wind/rain cell, took shelter in the marina for 20minutes, got soaked, headed across, fished the west shoreline one more time and back to the launch at 4:30pm.
That's it for me, tough year due to the dry summer, not enough October rain, strange dam operations (perhaps due to sale of that property).
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It was nice being out and getting skunked with everyone else. I think it’s time for me to shift from not catching coho to not catching steelhead.
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Brand new to the forum and figured i'd post here even though it seems the fishery is about done for the year. Broke it the brand new Compass with Roger at Siltcoos/Tahkenitch this year and had an absolute blast! This is my first kayak and it is just amazing. I love the design and simplicity! Unfortunately I only hooked a couple of coho and was skunked in my 5 outings on the lakes. I got to meet some cool people on this forum and look forward to next year! One thing on my mind now................winter steelhead!! :)
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Launched from Nightengales about 10am and fished from there down to the first trestle. Beautiful glassy water and partly sunny. Way better than last week when I was covered in 1inch of hail and sleet. Absolutely nothing until about 3:30 when I hooked what felt like a decent fish only to lose it after a short fight. Wonder how many came in last week with the dam opening?