Coquille, Charleston/CoosBay or Umpqua?

My son and I are heading up to do some crabbing out of our yaks this Labor Day up in the Coquille, Charleston/CoosBay or Umpqua area. Wondering if there is any chance of salmon? Neither one of us have caught any salt water fish yet, so if the salmon are not running, does anyone have any suggestions for the best spot to fish and crab? Might want to just get out on a tuna boat. Any suggestions for a good one? Many thanks!

My son and I are heading up to do some crabbing out of our yaks this Labor Day up in the Coquille, Charleston/CoosBay or Umpqua area. Wondering if there is any chance of salmon? Neither one of us have caught any salt water fish yet, so if the salmon are not running, does anyone have any suggestions for the best spot to fish and crab? Might want to just get out on a tuna boat. Any suggestions for a good one? Many thanks!

That is prime Salmon season here!!!!

All three rivers should be chock full of big shiny fish. It is possible that the Coquille could still be open for wild Coho as well as chinook. There will be a Salmon Derby going on the Umpqua.

If conditions are good Launch at Sunset bay crab just outside the entrance rock in 25-30 feet of water, then fish the outside while the pots soak.

There's tons of options right now, about prime time for everything here!!

You gonna be here all weekend? Would be best to try for Coho early, opens the 1st and the quota is only 1500.

I'll be fishing in the Umpqua Salmon Derby most likely all three days.

We are heading up Friday night and want to get a jump onto the water Saturday morning. We will be up all weekend. Hoping to fish Monday morning as well, and then heading back down home Monday late afternoon. We are going to stop in Medford on the way up and pick up whatever tackle we need, so we can wake up and go out at first light. Can you suggest what bait/lures to use to troll around for the salmon. Is this the most productive way to catch them? Spinner? Are the deep? We may try Coquille on Saturday for Coho and crab. Winchester Bay on Sunday and Charleston or Coos Bay on Monday. What do you think? Is there better spots than others in these areas? Perhaps we will see each other out on the water. If it sounds like we are newbies...oh yea.. have not caught a saltwater fish yet. Thank you for the advice.

Your plan seems solid. The conditions look marginal at Sunset until sunday. Maybe Monday it will calm down more and you'll get a day on the salt.

You gonna have two vehicles? heres what i would do for Saturday if you did. Park one at Bullards Beach ramp then go launch at Rocky point at about 8 AM and float up river with the tide then back past Rocky point to bullards. you could stop for a pee break at rocky on the way back. would be about a 4-41/2 hour trip i figure. You could just launch earlier and do a float back to same launch. Don't launch too early unless you don't mind a long day....

You can Troll a #6 blue fox or similar behind a banana weight and a flasher or without a flasher if the water is clear and clean. if there's junk in the water i like to use a flasher and short dropper weight with a spreader. It will catch some of the grass and keep the spinner spinning. Troll a little faster for proper presentation in about middle depth.

You could also troll a cut plug a little deeper and slower to possible get a chinook or a coho also.

Sunday at Winchester is good too. You can launch at the crabbing dock off the beach and fish/crab. Possible Salmon trolling around the entrance to the harbor, Salmon swim up that little creek.Bottom fish at the jetties.

Lots of opportunities right now!

For gear. Rotating flashers, spreaders or sliders, cannon ball and banana weights in 1-4 ounces, mooching rigs, or artificials like brads cut plug, bait(sardines and Herring). Good swivels and bead chains. large spinners, maybe an apex.

Thanks for the info. Tell you what, it's all I can think about this week. We will have one car. Man, sounds like some great options. Now to decide the best choices. That is one huge fish you got today! Must be nice to live up there and fish daily. My wife and I dream of getting out of CA! Years ago, BK (Before kids) my buddies and I would fish a local creek down out of Paradise, then it was legal for one chinook a day, those fish were as bright as a dime... those were the days... now I would love to hook my 16 year (birthday this month) son onto one in salt (bay counts). Are there crabs all the way down were you caught that fish? What boat ramp is that? Looks nice! Hope to see out there. Thanks again.

My son and I had to get out of the heat of Redding and head up to Bandon and Charleston for Labor Day. Great father/son time. Fished and crabbed out of Bandon on Saturday. Put the traps in bad spot. Ended up with two crabs and zip on the salmon. We only saw a few hook ups; however, none landed. We went up the river in the evening. Wind was a bear. No fish. We saw no salmon hook ups; however, did see a few at cleaning station over the next two days. We got skunked. Went to Charleston on Sunday. Threw in some crab traps and each pulled out a limit. Half are already eaten and the rest will be gone by tomorrow night. Zip on the salmon. One boat had a few hook ups...none landed. The winds came up and made the water nasty. We pulled the traps asap and got in just as the wind waves were doing crazy stuff. We were beat so we headed home stinking of crab. We are still zip for salt water fish, but loving the jouneys. :smt001

Glad you had a great father son trip. Salmon are tuff, that's for sure, just when you think your getting the hang of it, you get skunked for another week.

Maybe next time i will be available to fish with ya.

Thanks for the offer...we may have to take you up on the offer sometime. Good luck for those salmon!

Wow, that's a nice stack o' crabs! Sure takes the sting out of the salmon skunkaroo, eh?