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So I have a friend staying with me starting on the 23rd for about a week or a little more. Told me he's always wanted to fish up a salmon. I'm in SW Portland. How would we go about making that happen? Is it a good time of the year? I know very little about fishing. :-/
 
Before I moved to Oregon I thought you could just spear them from the side of a small waterfall. When you find out let me know, maybe we can carpool! aboriginal-spearing-salmon-in-the-bulkey-river-in-british-columbia-a6nxf3.jpg
 
ODFW is talking about closing the salmon fishery on the Willamette River due to the lack of fish going over the Oregon City dam.
Try finding a guide that operates on the coast as that will be the only salmon fishery that's open.
Tillamook Bay/Trask River would be your best bet.
 
Get a charter out of illwaco, or some other sort of guide. Perfect for you guys. They provide the gear and licensing. You'll be helping their local economy, if that matters. If you fail to catch any, I doubt you will, at least you'll be able to enjoy fresh seafood. You'll probably never fish for them again, or you will and can eventually learn. Some guys go out and fish 20 years never catching a salmon. Depends on your luck and knowledge really. Maybe this is late, but maybe next time?
 
So I have a friend staying with me starting on the 23rd for about a week or a little more. Told me he's always wanted to fish up a salmon. I'm in SW Portland. How would we go about making that happen? Is it a good time of the year? I know very little about fishing. :-/

So I know a guy that has been out of Illwaco on party boats for salmon in the ocean, I don't know which one though. He took his wife and they really liked it. Ocean salmon opens on 6/24 out of Illwaco. You also have the option of going to www.ifish.net and asking, or looking, at their guides list. A party boat will most likely be somewhat less expensive that a professional guide. If you're going to do this you need to get on the horn NOW so you can get a date that suites you and your buddy.

http://seabreezecharters.net/

http://pacificsalmoncharters.com/salmon/

Best Fishing charter in Ilwaco, WA - Yelp

Come back with some pictures for us!
 
Since moving to Oregon 4 years ago, I've taken my son out of Depoe Bay every year.
We've gone both Cod and Salmon fishing, and have limited on all of our trips.
Generally, it's about $90 pp, plus a daily license for a 5 hour trip.
We tip the deckhands, and pay for fish cleaning ($1-2 per fish) when we return.
Dockside will also vacuum seal your cleaned catch for a couple of bucks more - the wife really appreciates this option, so all she has to do is reach into the freezer when she wants fish for dinner.

I would definitely recommend dressing in several layers, since the temps on the ocean can vary wildly, and take along an empty cooler to transport your catch back home.

Salmon Season opens on the 24th, but I'd read the Daily Fishing Reports:

Dockside Charters - Oregon coast fishing report

From the Dockside Charters website:
Fishing Report:
06/05/2017 All-depth Halibut fishing really produced Friday and Saturday. We had limits of fish for all (even the crews) and were home by 11:00 AM both days. The in-shore Halibut fishery has not produced yet but it is still quite early in the season and Sunday was the first day we put any effort into it.

We still have spots available for the all-depth Halibut for Thursday and Friday, call us to make your reservation. 541-765-2545

Rockfish and Ling Cod continues to be good with most trips producing limits of Rockfish and decent numbers of Ling Cod. Crabbing is also pretty good, we are definitely having to cull out soft crab but are coming home with 4-5 crab per person.

Salmon (Coho) quotas have been set for the central coast.

Starting June 24th the fin clipped season starts for a quota of 18,000 fish or until July 31st or when the quota has been caught.

There will be a non-selective (Coho) season of 6,500 fish starting Sept. 2nd and ending Sept. 30th or when the quota has been caught.

We are planning reasonably priced excursions for the Total Eclipse Event coming up on the 21st of August and we are making reservations at this time. Call us for details.
 
I highly recommend taking some over the counter anti nausea medicine before going out on the ocean for the first time.
Nothing ruins a good time faster then puking over the side of a boat for hours.
I would take a light dose of Dramamine a day or two ahead of the trip so it's already in your system.
Don't wait till that morning, it won't work fast enough.
One really rough trip out over the Columbia Bar, only the captain and I weren't sick. The whole boat load of passengers, plus the bait boy were chumming over the side rails.
Once we arrived and started trolling the fishing was fantastic. I had to bait all the hooks and reel in all the fish all while the boats stern was rolling and heaving all over the place.
It was so fast and furious that I lost count and over fished the quota.
The captain of the boat had to punch his and the bait boys tags to keep things legal.
 
I don't see any ocean reports on Salmonuniversity.com. Means its probably closed on the coast. July 1 is the usual opener but there are sometimes early seasons for kings. You could take him to the bonneville dam and catch some shad. They are a hoot on light tackle.
Is that stretch of the Columbia open? I get so confused. Whatever you do read the regs ONLINE for the most current restrictions. Don't want a huge ticket.
 
Dad about 35 years ago chartered a small pro fisher out of Brookings Oregon. He said it was worth every $penny$. Caught and released some big fish. Caught and kept a nice big salmon. Did I mention huge? He paid some more big bucks to have the fish processed into fresh, frozen, dried and canned product. We ate Salmon for months. One fish! Extraordinarily good eating.

Then he wrote a small piece for Western Outdoors Magazine. A pulp. They ran the story.
 
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Your best bet would be to hire a charter. They usually don't start offering Salmon charters until July in WA, but Oregon may be different and this year the WA regs look to allow fishing in the Ocean earlier. Pm me and I can offer some names of some good 6 pack outfits which I recommend over the cattle boats.
 
Dad about 35 years ago chartered a small pro fisher out of Brookings Oregon. He said it was worth every $penny$. Caught and released some big fish. Caught and kept a nice big salmon. Did I mention huge? He paid some more big bucks to have the fish processed into fresh, frozen, dried and canned product. We ate Salmon for months. One fish! Extraordinarily good eating.

Well, my comment is not on-topic for the OP... But I lived in Brookings from 1987-1993. The fishing was sooooooo good. I caught my first salmon at the jetty on an old old rod and casting reel after a guy at the sporting goods store told me what to use... an anchovie, a heavy sinker, and a cork float. Big chinook, loved the fight and loved how it tasted... you won't like fish from the store after eating fresh. Squared for tuna. Anyway, I bought a small ocean vessel, fished for bottom fish (fabulous ling cod), bought some salmon poles and fished for Coho in June trolling with shallow divers. Then I put some downriggers on and caught kings in July/August. Bought a drift boat and trolled the bay and estuary. Then drifted the Chetco Sept-December for chinook, Nov-Jan for steelhead. What a dream come true!!!!

I don't know what fishing is like on the Southern coast anymore, but if you ever get to Brookings, check to see if the fish & chips restaurant is still at Sporthaven Marina. If so, you will get fresh "catch of the day" fish lunch. Also check to see if the "Tea Room" is in business for the absolute best clam chowder you have ever had!!

To the OP... a guided trip is the way to go for newbies wanting success. Ocean trips are less expensive and if the salmon aren't biting, you can always get a few rockfish or crab. Yummmmmmm!!
 
Your best bet would be to hire a charter. They usually don't start offering Salmon charters until July in WA, but Oregon may be different and this year the WA regs look to allow fishing in the Ocean earlier. Pm me and I can offer some names of some good 6 pack outfits which I recommend over the cattle boats.
Now when you say six pack, do you mean passengers or beer?
 
Well the max number of clients is what I meant. As a former charter captain myself I can say I allowed clients to drink moderately but excessive consumption was frowned upon as it was too much of a liability.
 

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