Three fish species for action-packed summer fishing adventures

Dominic Aiello Special to the Statesman Journal

Published 1:00 p.m. UTC Aug 25, 2018

Salmon or steelhead might be the most popular species that come to mind when thinking about fishing in Oregon, but if you’re looking for a fun day on the water with consistent action you’re chasing the wrong fish.

That’s why I recently chatted with two popular fishing guides about the most action-packed species to pursue this summer!

Edward Chin, two-time Oregon bass champion and national contender, says if you’re looking for an adventure, there’s nothing better than catch and release sturgeon.

“When you hook a sturgeon it can initially feel like a trout bite, but then that rod bends and the power they exert is comparable to a Marlin, and they’ll tire you out,” Chin says.

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You can catch fish in the 2 to 10-foot range, although 10-foot fish are less common, and the fight can be as short as two-to-three minutes or as long as 30 minutes.

“When you get one of the bigger fish, your adrenaline is rushing, you’re getting tired, and it can feel like they’re going to win," Chin says. "However, watching them get airborne and then finally putting your hands on that fish, are incredible moments that make it worth it.”

According to Chin, the best setups are large round salmon style reels with 20-60 pound test line, on a large 10-12 ounce rod. For bait, he recommends anchovies, sand shrimp, or shad on a 2-foot leader.

If fighting large fish until you’re exhausted is your cup of tea, a much smaller fish with a Napoleon complex might be! Smallmouth bass are non-native to Oregon but they can be found all along the Columbia and Willamette rivers and in local lakes like Green Peter Reservoir, Fern Ridge Reservoir and Hagg Lake.

Chin says the advantage to smallmouth bass is their accessibility, it’s a more family-friendly activity, they bite the bait and fight very aggressively, and on a good day, you can catch 10 to 20 fish.

To bass fish, you’ll want a 6.5-foot or 7-foot spinning rod with 6 to 10-pound test line and soft plastics like tubes, single tail grub or crawfish in a natural food color such as brown or green. Search for fish along rocky bottoms in 5-15 feet of water on the edges of habitat while bouncing your plastic off the bottom and very slowly reeling in.

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Now, if you’re looking to take home one of Oregon’s most delightful wild proteins, look no further than Columbia River walleye. Walleye, like bass, are not native to Oregon. However, fishing guide Brandon Kellogg says he considers Walleye better than salmon or steelhead.

Kellogg says to fish for walleye you can troll up or down the river on the Columbia.

“You’ll want to use a similar rod and reel combo to a steelhead. I use 7-9 foot light action bait casting setups.”

Despite similar rod and reel setups to steelhead, Kellogg says that’s where the similarities stop.

“When I troll downriver I’m using a .5 to 3-ounce bottom walker with a 3-4 foot leader and worm harness with a nightcrawler.”

He says he starts in shallow water in the morning and as the day progressive goes deeper, but will always be within the 18 to 40-foot depth and is looking for flats with good current.

Kellogg added a couple final keys to successfully trolling, “First, remember that you need to be bouncing off the bottom. Additionally, unlike bass or fall chinook, they don’t bite very hard. They’ll often grab the bait and swim with it, if you aggressively set the hook you will frequently yank it right out of their mouth.”

The average angler, once experienced in catching Walleye, can expect 10-20 fish per day, according to Kellogg.

Once the fun is over, the meal prep begins, and Kellogg says he likes to fillet, skin and debone the fish before frying them for fish tacos.

If you’re interested in learning more about these opportunities or would like to book a guided trip, you can reach Edward Chin at 503-781-6473 or Brandon Kellogg at 541-377-0733.

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