Winter kayak fishing

Well as the warm temps cross over to cold and those daylight hours dwindle what are your plans for the winter fishery? Are you still going to be kayak fishing?

Me? One thing I love to do in winter is switch over to fly fishing the sound for resident salmon. It's easier to get out at first light and there's little to no crowds. Nothing like casting that fly rod to a rolling salmon on a mirror smooth Puget Sound morning.

Z

I'll be hitting the Willy for sturgeon on the kayak (too much fun so close to home) and I'll probably hit some local lakes for stocked trout with my son.  Other than that, I'm hoping to finally get a steelhead drift fishing (non-kayak) this winter.  If I can figure out a decent stretch of river to get a steelhead in the kayak that would be even better.  Any steelhead experts out there willing to take me under their wing this winter?

Brian

Almost forgot.. I also plan on doing some crabbing.

Pretty much what Bsteve's said for me as well....

I'm planning on hitting up the Willamette a lot though, possibly every weekend since it's just down the street from me.  Once I finally get out and get a handle on sturgeon fishing.

Crabbing sounds fun too...

I'll be hitting the local lakes when weather permits. I was out at Woahink with the furkids yesterday and today, and saw a diehard boat fisherman anchored in the same spot both days(in the rain and wind). I am thinking that he must be in a nice perch hole. Woahink is known for it's abundance of large Yellow Perch, and the winter is usually when fishing for these guys is best. They hang out on the bottom in 50ft to 70ft of water.

Also, I want to try fishing along the Siuslaw river jettys. Kim's brother was diving next to the north jetty last weekend, in a place he calls the crab hole. He managed 8 keeper crab, and said there were lots of big perch and greenling swimming around. I am sure that using a small grub jig would be productive. It's hard to fish from the jettys themselves because of all the snags, but from a yak, it would be easy to work the structure. Walking on the jetty itself isn't much fun, and can be dangerous.

When conditions permit, I would like to travel south to Sunset Bay again. Fishing with Roy and Ralph is a lot of fun, and the fishing there can be really good. I am also interested in trying Seal Rock. It looks like a nice protected entry when the seas are calm. Usually the winter time has some of the calmest days of the year. Summer is always the windiest.

A fellow worker went fishing a ways up the North Fork of the Siuslaw last week, and said the cutthroats were slamming his blue fox. He didn't catch any salmon, which was what he was fishing for, but caught a nice 20in cutthroat. I'll have to check the regs about keeping trout, but this too sounds like a nice place to C&R fish.

Dave

As Brian said, I'll be learning the dino tricks for a yak!!! I'll also get back to my first fishing love (2 years now), coastal steelhead on a fly.

Jay

Steelhead!  Bank/Yak, whatevah.

I'll be out there hitting the local lakes once or twice a month until just before the bass spawn when it will return to an every weekend affair.

I may give in and try more trout fishing this winter.  I am at least going to give it a shot at Beaver this Saturday and see what I think.

Also, I want to try fishing along the Siuslaw river jettys. Kim's brother was diving next to the north jetty last weekend, in a place he calls the crab hole. He managed 8 keeper crab, and said there were lots of big perch and greenling swimming around. I am sure that using a small grub jig would be productive. It's hard to fish from the jettys themselves because of all the snags, but from a yak, it would be easy to work the structure.

When conditions permit, I would like to travel south to Sunset Bay again. Fishing with Roy and Ralph is a lot of fun, and the fishing there can be really good. I am also interested in trying Seal Rock. It looks like a nice protected entry when the seas are calm. Usually the winter time has some of the calmest days of the year. Summer is always the windiest.

Dave

I'll kayak fish every chance I get. I've caught alot of perch, greenling & Dungeness off jetties over the years. Fish out of Sunset alot, usually by myself. Fished with Roy & Ralph once. It's good to have company.

Also want to learn sturgeon fishing on the Willamette.

Paul

If you keep your eye on the ocean there are some really flat days that happen every so often.  Generally its a small window but I went a couple times last year in January and February.

I will make it a point to get a trip on the clackamass for steelhead with the yaks for anybody interested (early next year when the fish are in).  I have yet to try it with the yak but I fish it almost every weekend from dec-june out of my sled. According to my boat log 68 steelhead were landed (natives released of course)  by myself and others who fished with me (highly suggest you keep a fishing log, it can help you learn tons).  There is lots of great soft water that would be fine for yaks and I would be happy to help folks with steelhead "issues" get the hang of it.

After Thanskgiving, I fish for steelhead until the springers start showing up in march. I usually bank fish or use the drift boat.  I want to try some drifts with the kayak this year too.

I'll be hitting the Willy for sturgeon on the kayak (too much fun so close to home) and I'll probably hit some local lakes for stocked trout with my son.  Other than that, I'm hoping to finally get a steelhead drift fishing (non-kayak) this winter.  If I can figure out a decent stretch of river to get a steelhead in the kayak that would be even better.  Any steelhead experts out there willing to take me under their wing this winter?

Brian

If you're looking for a good steelhead river the Kalama is pretty good and you're not too far from it. I plan on going down there several times this winter to get my steelhead thing on. I grew up down there and used to do alot of fishing on that river.

After Thanskgiving, I fish for steelhead until the springers start showing up in march. I usually bank fish or use the drift boat.  I want to try some drifts with the kayak this year too.

Me Too!  Alsea and Siletz winter steelhead are just around the corner!

Today's a flat day here at Beverly Beach.  Nice enough to get out but the ocean's pretty surgy so fish will still be tucked away in their hideaways.

Summer? Winter? There's a difference?

Ohhhh, you mean those 65 degree days!
(both of them)

guess I'll have to put on a jacket.

 

Summer? Winter? There's a difference?

Ohhhh, you mean those 65 degree days!
(both of them)

guess I'll have to put on a jacket.

 

From all of us, a collective "BITE ME" right back at ya!

Z