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Waiting for a 60-pound chinook on the Rogue
Oregon fishing map feature
By Dusty Routh
Fishing and Hunting News
GOLD BEACH, Ore. — For the average Oregon salmon angler, a 20-pound fish in the
boat is cause for unabashed joy.
Such fish invoke extreme boyish exhilaration, waves of adrenaline, showers of admiration from onlookers and self-respect. After all, a 20-pounder will give you lots of fight. Great pictures. Plenty of fillets for the grill, or thick steaks for the smoker. But imagine a fish that requires two guys to heft it up in a net. Imagine a fish that goes 35 pounds. Or 40. Or even 55. And if your imagination is vivid enough, try to picture doing battle with a 60-pound Chinook fresh from the sea and mad as hell.
The comfortable, relatively placid summer months of August and September not only give us rainless fishing, but on the lower Rogue River these two golden months give anglers — including those in small boats — an incredibly rich opportunity to catch the salmon of a lifetime. "I've seen multiple 55s this season," said Jim Carrey from the Rogue Outdoor Store (541-247-7142). "I'm just waiting for our first 60-pounder. I haven't seen it yet, but I know it will happen." In addition to a number of mid-50-pound fish, Carrey reports many in the 40-pound range and so many in the 30s that people don't even pay attention when one is brought in. Big-fish time Sam Waller from Jot's Resort (541-247-6676) guides on the Rogue. He underscores the big fish phenomenon of this particular run of salmon. "We're catching a lot of big fish this year," he said. "Yesterday there were two 49s, and we've seen fish well over 50 pounds. The size is phenomenal for us." To make his point, Waller describes the "buttons" he awards to anglers. "You get a bronze for anything over 30 pounds, silver for over 40, and gold for over 50. Last year we awarded clients with 167 buttons. This year we've given out 250 already." The best part of this wonderful fishery is that the lower Rogue is just now coming into season. "It's steadily increasing, but it's still just starting," said Waller. Most all of the action is down in the lower river within the first mile to 11?2 miles of the mouth. This fishery should be hot by the end of August, red-hot in September and remain respectable until the first freshets hit in October. "Once October dumps some rain, the fish in the bay and the lower river shoot upstream," said Waller. "They'll be completely gone by the end of October." Even though the fish are big and at times the fishing can be steady, the early part of the season is characterized by frustrating inconsistency. "Seems we have tough water conditions," at times, said Waller. "Had a bunch of fish in today," said Carrey. "Then for no reason, no change, the fish left and went on up the river. So then it's been hard. We'll have two to three days in a row where it'll be tough fishing." Boat requirement Most anglers troll the lower 2 miles of the river in sleds. If the wind's not too bad, however, this can be perfect small boat water. "You can go out there with a 6-horsepower motor and a 10-foot 'V'-hull," said Carrey, "provided the wind's cooperating." The lower Rogue can get crowded on the weekends, so if you can sneak away during the week you'll have more elbow room. Carrey estimates up to 125 boats out on the weekends versus 65 boats on a weekday.
Rigging' up "You'll find that 90 percent of the boats out there are using anchovy with a few beads and a spinner in front of it," said Waller. "You can also use a straight-line spinner like a Clearwater Flash. Chartreuse, green and gold in any combination works." Waller favors 20-pound test mainline and 25-pound test leader. Use a spreader running 18 inches to a 2-ounce weight. Use up to 50 inches on the leader, slightly shorter if you're not using bait. Luhr-Jensen's Rogue Bait Rig is made specifically for this fishery, so make sure you have a box. These fish are big, aggressive and fresh from the ocean, so be absolutely certain your equipment is ready for them. Lube and inspect your reel, make sure you've got lots of fresh line, check that all your rod guides are functional and get a strong net. This is no time to suffer bad equipment. Tide influence "Look for the incoming tide, that's the best," said Waller. "But any movement of water is good." As the tide is going out, fish closer to the bottom and closer to the mouth. As the tide is coming in, fish higher in the water column and higher up in the bay and river. Average depth in the bay is around 14 feet, but there are deeper holes and if you find one, fish it hard. You won't encounter too many dogfish but there are sculpin to contend with. Carrey said some anglers are venturing over the bar to fish in the ocean, but the wind can be a real factor. He recommends hitting Netter's Hole to just in front of Lex's Landing at high tide for your best shot at a big fish. Rules & Regs You're allowed two Chinook per day per person over 24 inches. Anything under 24 inches is considered a jack, and you can keep five jacks. There's a closed area around the Isaac Patterson bridge due to construction, but it's well posted. Those famous half-pounders August and September are optimum times for the Rogue's massive run of 1/2-pound steelhead. With the huge salmon lurking in the lower river, metalheads are playing second fiddle this year. But the run is expected to be a good one if you can tear yourself away to sample it on the upper river. Carrey said dark-tinted flies are excellent for these fish. He recommends a Green-butted Skunk, Silver Hilton or Black Rogue. For bait, toss nightcrawlers through fast riffles into pools. A Mepp's French Blade or in-line Panther Martin are like candy to these teenage fish. "This should be a strong year, for excellent quality fish," said Carrey.
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Copyright © 2007 Last Modified 8-21-07
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