Dropping gear down slowly so not to have it tangle is the key to catching salmon at the famed Buoy 10. Sure, there are a few other things, but if you do not put the gear into the water correctly all the rest that follows does not matter. It was a skill that I learned years ago while fishing on an August day just outside of Astoria’s East Mooring Basin. I use cannonball weights from 8 to 16-onces on a short dropper and slider, to an in-line flasher trailing a plug cut herring pierced with super sharp hooks. From the weight to the herring is nearly 4-feet of what could be a tangled mess, so it is best to slowly drop the gear into the water. Once you hit bottom, do a half crank up on the reel and then put it into the rod holder, and put your hands into your pockets.
A few years ago, we started the day just like this and before my son could warm his fingers in his pockets, the rod doubled over and stayed down. This meant a big fish was on, and just as quickly as we had put out our gear, Ryan was lifting the rod and reeling. A battle that ensued much longer than we had already been fishing, and twenty minutes later an 18-pound Upriver Bright, or URB, came to the net. It was a hot fish with sea lice, and not even completely out of the ocean, with the incoming pushing tide bringing brackish water as far upriver as Portland, Oregon.
This is Buoy 10 and though we are still several weeks away from the river opening, you need to get the gear, boat, and plans ready now. Start with motel or camping accommodations. By now about every motel, hotel, and VRBO will be full with no vacancy. The best you can do is get on a standby list. Camping is always an option, but that does not mean it will be close by. Most campgrounds and state parks will be full as well. Even if you venture to the outlying areas such as Ilwaco, Long Beach, Seaside, and other towns, the motels, hotels, and campgrounds will be full. Another option is to call some fishing friends who had the forethought to get accommodations already and see if you can join them, or if they decide to cut their trip short, then take the rest of their reservation. If you are willing to travel a bit further, then look to Longview and even Kelso. It will add a few hours to your trip, but you can find places to stay. Two years ago, we spent the first night in Longview and made the trip to the boat ramp that morning, but we were jumping in with Jason Hambley of Pro-Cure, so we did not need to launch a boat as he was at the dock and waiting for us.
Once you hit the water, be sure to look at the tides, as this will determine where to fish. With each incoming tide, more fish push up into the river. The tides here are so strong that when it is at high tide the fish will be facing downriver, as that is where the current is coming from. Do not think that you always must troll in one direction, and let the tides tell you which way to point the bow of the boat.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge is the starting point for most anglers. Here, most of the fishing is done on the east side of the bridge, or “above the bridge”. This is because of the shipping channel on the south side of the river in front of Astoria, as well as a deep slot on the north side of the river near the Washington side. The middle is a big sand flat and be sure to be careful when crossing, as you could be in 10-feet of water one minute and the next in 6-inches of water. Again, know the tides, and if you cross at high tide, you might not be able to cross at that same place on low tide.
Just downriver from the bridge is the church hole, aptly named for a church that can be seen along the shoreline. Keep going down the river towards the ocean and you will find other well-known spots, such as the checkboard and the jetties, until you find yourself at the Buoy 10 deadline. From there you are out in the open ocean, but do make the mistake of thinking Buoy 10 is protected water. About anything from the church hole downriver gets to be big water, and depending on winds and tides, it can turn quickly.
As the tides start going out, the river returns to its normal course, and you fish it as such. The area above the Astoria bridge is good about any time, but it can be better during specific times such as the tide change, as the fish will once again be facing upriver and resting before pushing on when the water starts to slow with the onset of the incoming tide. The waters on the south side of the river by East Mooring Basin are similar. Here you will see large cargo ships anchored up, and it is easy to tell which way the tide is flowing by looking at the ships which will swing with the tide.
When it comes to gear, leave the downriggers at home. Everyone here uses a dropper weight and trolling set up. The standard is a cannonball on a slider, and the weight will vary depending on the tides and current as well as how many rods you are fishing. Rods at the front of the boat need heavier weights so they do not drag back into the rear rods.
The set-up can differ a bit depending on what terminal gear you plan to use. One of the most popular set-ups includes a triangle flasher such as the Big Al’s Fish Flash from Yakima Bait Company or the UV Triangle Scent Flash from Mack’s Lure. The advantage of the UV Scent Flash is the ability to add extra scent. A brined herring that has soaked overnight in Pro-Cure’s Brine-n-Bite keeps the baits solid in warm and fast running currents. It also as increases their shine, and that little bit of extra flash helps the salmon locate the bait, as the waters can be a bit murky. Some anglers also choose to dye the herring to a bright chartreuse color or blue, with Pro-Cure’s Bad Azz Bait Dye or their Brine-N-Bite Complete in chartreuse or blue making it a one-step curing and dyeing process.
If you do not know how to properly plug cut herring or do not want to mess with bait, then you have a few other options. One being the Simon Cut Plug, which resembles a plug cut herring and is solid, but has a scent chamber that also holds a miniature chem-light that makes it more visible. Brad’s Cut Plugs are also popular here because you can stuff them with bait and scent. Just be sure to check on this lure regularly as it is secured with a rubber band, and any missed bite means the lure could have been opened. Yakima Bait Company came out with the SpinFish a few years ago, and they have become popular at Buoy 10. The larger sizes mimic a wounded baitfish, while the small 2.0 and 2.5 sizes work much like a spinner but can be filled with bait and scent. Spinners are another option.
When fishing spinners, small SpinFish, and the kokanee size Brad’s Cut Plugs, most anglers switch to a 360 flasher. These are the standard 11-inch flashers that saltwater anglers use. The flasher makes a large rotation, and using a short and stout leader of 40-pound monofilament, the spinner or small lure kicks out. Add in the spinning blade or action of the lure and it creates an impulse bite, where a salmon reacts to it and grabs it out of instinct as the prey tries to get away.
The advantage to using spinners or spinning lures is that if you miss a bite then there is no worry if it not working. You can leave it in the rod holder and keep fishing. With bait you need pull it in and use a new bait every time you get a bite, or every hour or two without bites. With the scent holding lures it is best to add more scent every few hours as well.
The bite can be very tide and water temperature dependent. When the water is warm, such as during low tide, and the only water flowing is the summer Columbia River runoff, then the bite can turn off. The incoming tide pushes colder water into the tidal zone, and this helps with the bite as well as pushing in fresh fish. For days with a low tide swing, anglers often head to waters closer to the ocean where the fish will mill around before committing to the journey upriver. If the salmon fishing is slow, then be sure to toss a few crab pots out near Ilwaco: just be sure to use heavy weights to keep them from being pulled out to the ocean. You can also fish for other species if you decide not to salmon fish. Bottom fish such as black sea bass and lingcod lurk along the jetties. This makes a multi-day and multi-species fishery option for those that want to make it a vacation. This year, there will be a few days in late August where salmon fishing is closed, to help with chinook escapement. If you find yourself at Buoy 10 during this time in August, then maybe spend a day or two out crabbing and bottom fishing.
Be sure to check for in-season updates and know the rules. Either Washington or Oregon fishing licenses work, but the catch codes of the record cards are different depending on which license you have. This year both chinook and coho must be clipped (hatchery only) below Puget Island, and there is a two-salmon daily limit with only one being a chinook. Once September rolls, around the chinook fishing will be closed but the coho fishing gets good and the daily limit is increased. Buoy 10 is almost here, and now is the time to plan and prepare.