Nehalem report 8/9/08

Finally got to spend some time on the water fishing for summer chinook in the Nehalem.  Was a bit of a comedy of errors getting out of PDX, and when I finally arrived at Wheeler around 2:00 the tide was just changing, and the incoming had begun.

Weather was pretty snotty, raining off and on, strong winds (10-15 mph or so, with gusts a little higher), temps around 60.  I took the OK Big Game, which proved to be a handful in the wind and current.  My shoulders are going to feel it tomorrow!  I put in about 4 hours on the water, mostly by myself.  Only a handful of power boat anglers fished the incoming, and the 3 who did only put out around the beginning of high slack.

Marked a couple of fish, but no takers.  I started off with brined herring I had left over from the spring, only to find it had been freezer burned and turned to mush in the water.  Oh well, works for crab bait.  Fished a chartreuse/red/white spinner all afternoon.  While I caught no salmon, I did hook up with some small, unfortunate fish.  Rod throbbed a couple times, I waited, waited, yanked, reeled in, had a tiny eyeball stuck on the treble, with the nerve cord attached.  Pretty gross, but I left it on for scent.

I needed to get back to Portland by 9 to maintain Wife Approval Factor (WAF) points, so I took out right in the meat of high slack.  On the way home I scoped things out at the Highway 101 ramp.  Saw a number of recreational kayakers taking out there, and noted one power boat trolling for salmon.  The water there is quite a bit more sheltered from the wind, so it might be a better spot when the weather is really uncooperative.  I drove around a little bit looking for a road that would take me to the boat ramp on the south shore of Nehalem Bay, right at the confluence of the North and South Forks.  I noted it when I was putzing around the N. Fork Nehalem last fall, and it seems like a very kayak-friendly spot.  Nothing obvious, and I was running late so I didn't have time to break out the atlas.

Though I had no takers and saw no fish boated, I chatted with the owner of the Wheeler Marina a bit and he reported there was a good bite on Friday, with 5 or 6 fish boated.  We talked a bit about kayak fishing (they rent Necky recreational kayaks).  He was quite familiar with our board member from Seattle who fishes down there.

I'd like to give it another try tomorrow, but my wife may have other plans.   

Thanks for the report 3w. Salmon are a tough bunch to crack. Good on ya for getting out there.

Z

I got no luck in getting a WAF pass for Sunday... but I did get approval for a $80 Eagle Cuda 242 to install in her Prowler 13.  Same transducer as my Eagle 250, and it was almost as cheap as the transducer by itself.  I will be fishing again next weekend, either at Nehalem or somewhere in the Cascades.  If I head out to battle the wind and the tides again, I may give the P-13 a test drive.

Nehalem is really a kayak friendly spot, with much smaller water and much less pressure than Tillamook.  Summer chinook should be there throughout August and early September, then the N. Fork Nehalem's hatchery coho should begin showing.  I aim to put in a few hours there this fall. 

I've fished from the pier in Wheeler and fly fished way up above and below the hatchery. I really love this estuary and plan on fishing it a lot for kings. I'm looking forward to using my FF (when I get it). I'm keeping an eye out for a great deal on a Cuda 250 (tides or not).

Jay

ppppppssssttt!!Jay; sportsmans warehouse online flyers show the humminbird 525 b&w screened FF on sale for $129.00

The Nehalem is one of my favorite rivers to fish from in my kayak, I fish it about 30 time a year. For this summer run, you just have to put your time in to get a fish. You might hook into a fish on your first attempt or your tenth or not at all, regardless it's a great place to spend the day paddling.

Sportsmans has the Cuda 242 for $80.  About the same fish finder as the 250, minus the GPS (though I highly recommend the GPS).

Yep, I'm looking for the GPS too...although the 242 is awfullllllly inexpensive.

Jay

For coho, any idea when they are likely to show up in the Nehalem?  How do you target them?

After catching that last chinook, I could have stayed to fish for coho but I had no clue an I didn't want to chance another chinook bite and injure the fish.

Jay