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Oregon Coast Fishing Season Hits High Gear, Especially in Newport |
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Covering 180 miles of Oregon coast travel: Astoria, Seaside, Cannon Beach, Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler, Rockaway, Garibaldi, Tillamook, Oceanside, Pacific City, Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Newport, Wadport, Yachats & Florence.
4/03/07
Secrets of the Season |
Oregon Coast Fishing Season Hits High Gear, Especially in Newport
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| Yaquina Bay |
(Newport,
Oregon) – The central Oregon coast resort town of Newport is big
on a lot of things, preferring to do nothing small. It has one of the
biggest bays on the coast, the most outdoor restaurants of the entire
coastline, more indoor attractions, it has two lighthouses, and it certainly
has the largest sport fishing industry on these shores.
While many fish can be caught all year, March is when most of the fishing seasons start because the weather lets up, allowing visitors to Newport to hook perch, rockfish, ling cod, herring, sturgeon, ocean various ocean salmon and halibut, as well as go clamming and crabbing – all within the confines of one town. There are a wide range of charter fishing businesses serving Newport’s Yaquina Bay, numerous public docks and jetties from which to cast a line, and plenty of beaches and lots of room on the bay for crabbing and clamming.
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It’s also one of the coast’s favorite family activities.
Brandon Ford, Public Information Representative for Newport’s Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife office, said many species of fish are allowed to be caught all year long, but improved weather is what really brings out the fishing enthusiasts and fires up the season.
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| Depoe Bay, also where lots of charter boat businesses dwell |
Crab season is open all year in Yaquina Bay, but closed August 15 to November 30 in the ocean. All forms of clamming are open year-round, unless state officials impose a health closure because of algal toxins.
Fishing for chinook salmon and steelhead at least 20 inches long opens March 15 and runs through Oct. 31. The limit is two salmon per day. Coho salmon may only be retained off the central Oregon coast during a special season – one that will be announced later. All coho salmon must have a healed adipose fin clip (hatchery fish) to be retained.
Ocean salmon season along the central Oregon coast depends on various quota factors as set by the Pacific Fisheries Management Council in April, and the opening of halibut season is just around the corner.
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“You can fish for tuna all year, but they only show up in the summer usually in early July and leave around September or October,” Ford said. “The charter boat captains know when and where they are - usually about 30 to 50 miles out.”
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| The bustling bay and its many docks |
Ford said halibut fishing was good last year and bottom fishing is pretty consistent.
The vast number of fishing, crabbing and clamming options in Newport is what sets the area apart from the rest of the coast.
There are the north and south jetties for catching rockfish. Herring is best caught from public docks around the bay. Ford said bank fishing for sturgeon is prime January through May near markers 25 and 37 (north shore) and markers 38 and 42 (south shore).
Nearby rivers also provide plenty of angling opportunities. Later in the year, bank fishing for salmon along the river, from Elk City to Toledo, is perfect for September through early November.
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The South Beach Marina has numerous public fishing docks, crab - pot rentals and a boat ramp. There’s even a wheelchair-accessible dock on the north shore, along with RV hook-ups and tent sites, and wheelchair-accessible restrooms with showers, a playground, and picnic tables perfect for munching on the day’s catch.
Ford
suggested to crab off the public dock at South Beach, and dig for clams
downstream of the Hwy. 101 Bridge, as well as off the Hatfield Marine
Science Center parking lot.
There are about half a dozen charter businesses which take visitors out to sea for fishing or whale watching, while Newport and South Beach host many fishing supply stores.
The season schedule for halibut depends on a variety of things, Ford said, including where you’re fishing. For the central Oregon coast, the area is Cape Falcon (by Manzanita) to Humbug Mountain, on the south coast. There, the nearshore fishery inside of 40 fathoms opens May1 and is open seven days a week. The all-depth fishery off the central coast is May 10-12, 17-19, 24-26, 31 and June 1-2, 7-9 (Thursday - Saturdays). If the quota remains, the fishery will resume on June 21-23, and July 5-7 and 19-21. The summer season opens August 3 and is scheduled to be open every other Friday - Sunday until the season all-depth quota is taken or October 28. For more info visit www.discovernewport.com
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Tradewinds Motel, Rockaway Beach. All rooms are immaculate and have TV’s, VCR’s and in-room phones with data ports. Oceanfronts all have a queen bed, a double hide-a-bed, kitchen, cozy firelog fireplace and a private deck. Both types sleep up to four people. Others are appointed for a two-person romantic getaway, yet still perfect for those on a budget. Elaborate oceanfront Jacuzzi suite has two bedrooms, kitchen, double hide-a-bed, fireplace and private deck, sleeping as many as six. For family reunions or large gatherings such as weddings, some rooms can connect to create two-room and three-room suites. Some rooms are pet friendly.523 N. Pacific St., Rockaway Beach. (503) 355-2112 - 1-800-824-0938. www.tradewinds-motel.com |
 Inn
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