Tillamook Bay Opens to Wild Coho Fishing
Common sense management leads to more fishing on Tillamook Bay.
My how far we’ve come. There was a time when the thought of keeping a native coho wasn’t something anybody thought would ever be a possible. The ODFW were allowing commercial fishermen to harvest up to 85% of the runs and it’s no wonder stocks were depleted over time. Coho were “listed” as threatened, commercial fishing curtailed and in very short order, stocks have recovered.
The retention of native coho began on a limited basis a few years ago and today, with continued strong returns, the opportunity remains. So this year’s wild coho fishery will be open Fridays and Saturdays only, with the first open day Friday, Sept. 20. There is a 500 wild coho quota this year, which will afford many of you with opportunities to retain these beauties on many of our charters this year.
I’ll start in Tillamook on October 10th this year and fish through the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. October is focused in the bay and tidewater while November is typically reserved for the rivers in my power or drift boat.
Email or call 503.680.6809, it’s a great time to be Salmon fishing!
Thanks and tight lines,
Lance