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With ODFW's huge overreach and overreaction with their blanket stream closures, and the hot weather pushing more people to the lakes and rivers - even during mid week when most should be working - how has this effected your fishing? Have you changed your target species, or find yourself hunting different locales?
One of the things I love about living in Forest Grove is our proximity to Hagg. But my boat still ain't done, and I swore the place off until the weather cools because the last time I tried going out with the family, you had to bring your own parking spot, and your own rock to stand on. We literally couldn't find a place to park and fish - $6 wasted for the entry fee, we went home. The splash & giggle crowd was out in maximum force, by mid morning on a Wednesday. I got to pick my days off at work and specifically chose mid week for my weekends because it typically means the fewest people on the water or in the woods. Our unusually warm summer has shot this plan all to hell.
We've resorted to heading coastward almost weekly now for the last month and a half - mostly jetty fishing although that hasn't been great. Of late we've been focusing on some of the lakes and instead of targeting trout, salmon, steelhead or bass - when we're not fishing the salt we're targeting smaller fish like perch and bluegill just to put a bend in the rod.
The July weather was like August in overdrive and most of the lakes and ponds have lower water, higher weeds, and lethargic fish. I haven't tangled with a bass since our last actual outing to Hagg which was back in June around Father's Day. I fished the Wilson River the Wednesday before ODFW put the ban hammer down on afternoon fishing. Never encountered water that wasn't in the 50's at most all day - and I fish until damn near dark when I go. Had lots of fun getting to know a new fiberglass fly rod I got as a father's day gift (a Cabela's Prime one piece 5 weight for those who are curious) - had lots of fun catching hearty native cutthroats on dry flies and streamers. Saw a pod of steelhead holding in one of my favorite deeper pools - beautiful beasts. Fun to watch.
Tomorrow we're headed coastward again, the target quarry will be yellow perch and anything else which might fall prey to our little soft plastic jigs. My boy had a hell of a time last time catching perch. They're small but scrappy. We're not fishing for food - don't think I'd want to keep any this time of year unless I was seriously hungry anyway. I found that in the warmest time of year the fish have more parasites in their flesh. Nasty. I hate filleting small fish too. I hate cleaning fish in general - so I usually only keep larger species, and only when we want a fresh fish dinner.
Maybe if our perch species got as big as they do in Europe - they are a tasty fish for sure, just too damn small and bony for me to want to clean.
I'm counting on September to bring some cooler weather, some rain, and with school kicking back in in 2 weeks - fewer weekday warriors trying to beat the heat. I've only been stream fishing once or twice this year, and there's a few streams I really want to hit before they close in October, and we were going to try a week long camping trip at Detroit again this year - we had a lot of family fun there last year. But then, there was water in the lake last year
I generally hate winter and especially hate snow - having to work outside and exposed to the elements is no fun, but dealing with the dumbass ignorant dangerous morons that think because they own a Subaru they can still safely drive the posted speed limit on their bald, crappy all-weather or summer tires and no traction devices truly sucks beyond words and there've been too many close calls while working in the icy snowy stuff - but despite all of that I am praying for a terribly wet, snowy winter (at least in the mountains!) to hopefully mitigate next year's spring and summer and keep some water in the reservoirs and streams. At least our newer truck is 4wd...
I think I'm going to be doing a bit more jetty / rock fishing on the coast this winter and maybe even some winter bass and trout fishing on some of those coastal lakes that are currently bathtubs with lots of weeds. At least when the roads are passable
One of the things I love about living in Forest Grove is our proximity to Hagg. But my boat still ain't done, and I swore the place off until the weather cools because the last time I tried going out with the family, you had to bring your own parking spot, and your own rock to stand on. We literally couldn't find a place to park and fish - $6 wasted for the entry fee, we went home. The splash & giggle crowd was out in maximum force, by mid morning on a Wednesday. I got to pick my days off at work and specifically chose mid week for my weekends because it typically means the fewest people on the water or in the woods. Our unusually warm summer has shot this plan all to hell.
We've resorted to heading coastward almost weekly now for the last month and a half - mostly jetty fishing although that hasn't been great. Of late we've been focusing on some of the lakes and instead of targeting trout, salmon, steelhead or bass - when we're not fishing the salt we're targeting smaller fish like perch and bluegill just to put a bend in the rod.
The July weather was like August in overdrive and most of the lakes and ponds have lower water, higher weeds, and lethargic fish. I haven't tangled with a bass since our last actual outing to Hagg which was back in June around Father's Day. I fished the Wilson River the Wednesday before ODFW put the ban hammer down on afternoon fishing. Never encountered water that wasn't in the 50's at most all day - and I fish until damn near dark when I go. Had lots of fun getting to know a new fiberglass fly rod I got as a father's day gift (a Cabela's Prime one piece 5 weight for those who are curious) - had lots of fun catching hearty native cutthroats on dry flies and streamers. Saw a pod of steelhead holding in one of my favorite deeper pools - beautiful beasts. Fun to watch.
Tomorrow we're headed coastward again, the target quarry will be yellow perch and anything else which might fall prey to our little soft plastic jigs. My boy had a hell of a time last time catching perch. They're small but scrappy. We're not fishing for food - don't think I'd want to keep any this time of year unless I was seriously hungry anyway. I found that in the warmest time of year the fish have more parasites in their flesh. Nasty. I hate filleting small fish too. I hate cleaning fish in general - so I usually only keep larger species, and only when we want a fresh fish dinner.
Maybe if our perch species got as big as they do in Europe - they are a tasty fish for sure, just too damn small and bony for me to want to clean.
I'm counting on September to bring some cooler weather, some rain, and with school kicking back in in 2 weeks - fewer weekday warriors trying to beat the heat. I've only been stream fishing once or twice this year, and there's a few streams I really want to hit before they close in October, and we were going to try a week long camping trip at Detroit again this year - we had a lot of family fun there last year. But then, there was water in the lake last year
I generally hate winter and especially hate snow - having to work outside and exposed to the elements is no fun, but dealing with the dumbass ignorant dangerous morons that think because they own a Subaru they can still safely drive the posted speed limit on their bald, crappy all-weather or summer tires and no traction devices truly sucks beyond words and there've been too many close calls while working in the icy snowy stuff - but despite all of that I am praying for a terribly wet, snowy winter (at least in the mountains!) to hopefully mitigate next year's spring and summer and keep some water in the reservoirs and streams. At least our newer truck is 4wd...
I think I'm going to be doing a bit more jetty / rock fishing on the coast this winter and maybe even some winter bass and trout fishing on some of those coastal lakes that are currently bathtubs with lots of weeds. At least when the roads are passable
Don't forget the agenda opposed to Gold Mining as well. Oregon is shutting down recreational Gold Mining with a 5 year Moratorium starting January 2016 ! 
No evidence whatsoever has been found or proven, and in fact Fisheries Biologist's have stated it causes no harm to the fish and aquatic sub-species. 
I am going to bet that Fisherman
are next on the list, there will be so many BS Rules and Laws to follow just like they are doing now , that people will become Outlaw's for just going Fishing ! 
