Chehalis River Salmon Fishing in
Lower Section - 1
The legal WDFW description of the Chehalis
River is that it starts at the upper boundary of Grays Harbor bay, which is the
Hiway 101 bridge at Aberdeen. This fishery will be for Chinook & Coho Salmon &
will usually be centered around the waters from Cosmopolis to Montesano.
However be sure to read the WDFW regulations as some years the Chinook retention
is closed if there appears to be not enough returning wild fish for natural
spawning escapement.
This article will cover from the Hiway 101
bridge up to the Montesano launch
As stated in the 2005 WDFW regulations "All Salmon required
to be released may not be totally removed from the water, except anglers fishing
from boats 30 feet or longer as listed on either their state or Coast Guard
registration are exempt" from this rule.
There are 3 launches in this area. Here is the spot to use your car-topper or
small 12-14' boat & a 7 1/2hp motor, as compared to your 22' ocean fishing
machine. You are upriver enough and protected by the surrounding land that
even a mild wind does not effect the water that much.
Most of the fishing here will be from boats,
as bank access is limited, & just the conditions of tidewater banks is not
conducive to bank fishing unless you get upriver & use the facilities at Friends
Landing or above the Montesano launch.
(1) Weyerhaeuser Boat Launch - Chehalis River-- Cosmopolis
In Cosmopolis, turn east at 'F' Street, ( between the gas station & the
police station) go 2 blocks to end of street & the parking lot.
Single lane blacktop ramp, with an extra wide gravel side extension on
upstream side, ample parking.
No fee. No restrooms but no restrictions as to size of boat or
tides.
|
Weyerhaeuser Boat Launch at
high tide - Cosmopolis |
Weyerhaeuser Boat Launch at
moderate tide |
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(2) Friends Landing - Trout Unlimited
From Montesano, Chehalis River,-- West 1 mi on US 12; R & over Hiway,
then (south) on Devonshire Rd, go 1.1 miles South on Katon Rd 1.4 miles to
launch/recreation area. Single lane concrete ramp, $2.00 launch fee, large
gravel parking lot, portable restrooms with picnic areas, & public fishing
shacks & docks. There is a groundskeeper & camping areas available.
|
Friends Landing launch, during
a high tide, & after heavy rains |
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(3) South Montesano (WDFW) - Chehalis River
From Montesano, South on SR 107 .8 mile Left at "Public Fishing" sign, go
past the lumber mill, thru their parking lot & .2 mile to end of Rd under
bridge. No Fee. Triple lane concrete ramp, lots of gravel parking, but the
ramps can be a problem at low tide with a drop off on the downstream ramp. & a
mound of sand built up on the upstream ramp.
|
South Montesano launch at low tide |
South Monte launch at high tide |
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When--
This fishery usually starts October 1st when the season opens & runs thru
November, depending on the rains, which govern the fish's migration. Ideally
we will get 1/2" or so of rain a day spread over 2 or 3 days & then drop down
to 1/8" for a couple of days. This will be ideal in it starts the fish into
the river but not enough to allow them to migrate far upriver. This kind of
holds them in the fishing areas accessible in the lower river for a while until
the next rain.
Also the weather will dictate IF you can
fish. You may not be as concerned with the weather itself, but if we get RAIN
enough that raises the rivers to the point you are plowing mud. Or the water
is high enough that it is near a mild flood stage that logs & other debris are
coming down the river. These conditions put fishing out of the equation for a
few days until things calm down.
Tides--
The tides here do not seem to be as critical to fishing as in the lower part
of the river, as the fish have moved into this area & are making their way
upriver. However most fishermen do try to fish the incoming tide.
Where--This
fishery is still in tidewater and the water will
have some turbidity, with more on the high tide & especially one that has a high
run-off. In this lower section of the Chehalis, the effects of upper tidewater
ends at just below the mouth of the Satsop River. Most of the
trolling will be in the section from the estuary up to the Montesano boat
launch. Above that, you should consider a jet sled as at low tide, rocky bars &
submerged logs tend chew up props for the newby to the area (been there-done
that). The casters from boats also tend to fish this same area. While the bank
fishermen will be found where ever they can gain access. However you will catch
the fish where the fish are, so if you do not connect in one location, move to
another.
A suggestion here if possible is to use a depthfinder that has a sidefinder
option. This will allow you to "look" into an area of the water without
spooking them in this shallow water. Here is the ideal location to use that
Bottomline Fishing Buddy unit you got for Christmas. With it you can scan a
likely looking area for fish, if there is none, then move on to another.
The bend above the Montesano launch is about
as far upriver you will want to go at low tide with a prop boat at anything
other than high tide, as the river starts to get some shallow gravel bars & down
trees in the river. The water is murky enough that you can not see the gravel
bars, so you have to either run aground a few times or soon learn how to read
the water. Don't think that how the river was a year ago is what it will be
today, as winter floodwaters can change things
Here the bank fishermen use the rip-rap
northwest bank just above the sawmill. They park at the parking lot at the old
log yard next to the freeway & walk the 100 yards to this area or pull into the
next road & drive right to the rivers edge..
When you limit out on Salmon, or they are not in this area at
the time you try, you can always anchor up & sturgeon fish, as this area is also
good in this respect.
Hooks--
The law says single barbless hooks, so if you are using some of your
old spinners or you just bought a spinner with triple hooks you are going to
have to replace them with a siwash hook in size 3 to 4. And remember to pinch
the barb down to make it a barbless to be in WDFW compliance.
2 different types of
fishing-- You will probably see more
trollers here than casters, but both can be effective. Many trollers will
change to casting as the tide passes high & starts to recede.
Trolling--
Early October right after the first rain.
It is suggested that you at least make a run in your intended fishing area at
low tide & get some mental or digital pictures of underwater logs, debris etc.
This will give you an edge as to know where to find the fish & also where to
avoid if it looks like a place that you will loose lures often.
The most productive areas will generally NOT
be in the center of the river. For one, this is where all the boat traffic is,
this can spook the fish. These fish will tend to stay close to anything that
they can feel secure near, as piling, logs, etc. This then equates to fishing
near the piling & or shore lines. The water depths hear in the main part of the
river will vary from 25' to 60', but you may encounter some underwater debris &
logs in some of this section.
Troll in shallower water, (deeper water also dilutes your bait's saturation), in
16' of water, your lure is covering more fishable water than if it was in 40'.
This is not to say that don't fish the deeper water, but if you do, have one
person fish deep & if another person is aboard, have them fish shallower. Here
in this section of the river, you will have to be ever observant of underwater
possible snags. If you are fishing near the bottom, it is best to NOT use rod
holders, so you can raise the rod tip to clear underwater snags as soon as they
are felt by your sinker dropper.
Use a lighter leader (12-15#) as a sinker dropper so WHEN it hangs up, this
lighter leader will break before you loose your other gear. Have many 18"
droppers pre-tied. Use lighter sinkers (4 to 6oz cannon balls) here as compared
to the John's River fishery. The water is not usually running as fast & the
lighter sinker allows you to fish slightly higher off the bottom, & at a longer
line angle therefore cutting down on possible snag-ups as the sinker dropper
will slide up & over easier than if at a steeper angle. You can change the
sinker weight as the current changes with the tide.
Many fishermen will concentrate below the Montesano ramp down to the first
bend above Friends Landing. It appears they are targeting a possible slight
concentration of fish off the mouth of the Wynoochee River, which is below the
launch about 300 yards. Also, other fishermen use the Friends Landing launch
downstream a couple of miles, so the river is pretty well covered.
If you see fish jumping or rolling & there appears to be a "bite" going on,
FOLLOW this school of migrating fish UPSTREAM. Do not simply troll back &
forth where they were a half hour before, as they have usually traveled upstream
& out of your location with the high tide.
You will see many different lures used here. Trolled Wriggle Warts are used a
lot, color mostly an orange or red. It has been tried to use a small sinker
about 4' above this lure, but it tends to reduce the action. Other gear you
will also see may be trolling a saltwater mooching rig with a cutplug herring.
Another setup could be using a rudder about 24" ahead of a sinker & then another
36" to a spinner.
You will see sardine wrapped Kwik-Fish being used, also herring behind a Fish
Flash, even a Spin-N-Glo behind the Fish Flash. When using a Fish Flash, it is
best to add a section of mainline about 18' long ahead of it & attach your
dropper to the sinker at the end of the mainline, to separate the sinker & avoid
possible entanglement of the sinker in the Fish Flash. Colors of the Fish
Flash seem to not be that important. You will see light green or red, even
blue used mostly, but color is usually what appeals to the fisherman.
The trolling speed will usually be slow. If
the tide is running hard, you might want to search out a outside bend where the
current is not quite as fast.
Casting--This
method usually will be what is used for Coho & will entail tying up to a piling
or anchoring near some piling & casting toward and around these piling with a
spinner or eggs.
The size & color of the lure is dependent on the turbidity of
the water. If the water is clearer, then a spinner in the #3 or #4 in gold or
copper or chartreuse, or a medium Wriggle Wart will suffice. Once the water
color comes up, then a #5 or #6 Vibrex (the best) in flame orange with the blade
a silver, or a magnum Wriggle Wart in the brighter colors of fire tiger or
red/chrome will be needed. These plugs may have to be tuned to get them to run
true & straight when retrieved. On the spinners replace all factory hooks with a
#3 Gamakatsu Siwash hook.
Biggest mistake probably is, fishing to FAST & to HIGH in the
water column.
Use a spinning rod & retrieve SLOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT, so that the
blade just flutters, not rotate fast. You cast, let it sink & then twitch it
to activate the blade. you may need to place a rubber twist sinker on the
mainline about 18" to 24" above a spinner to get more depth. Fish DEEP, just
off the bottom but above the snags. Don't be fooled in thinking that since the
fish are jumping or rolling that you need to fish the top water. It sometimes
helps if there is lots of snags to add a beadchain keel sinker about 18" ahead
of the spinner to allow you to feel the snag & then let the spinner to climb
over it.
You don't need a long rod, a 8'6" will work, but a 7' rod is better. The rod
needs to have a sensitive tip, but a heavy butt section, so that you do not need
to use much effort to set the hook.
15# mainline is enough for this fishery.
Use butter type scent (Smelly Jelly) on lures.
A slack tide is easiest to fish as you can cast toward shore, but when the
tide starts coming in, & to keep the belly out of the line when retrieving, move
to near the shore & cast upstream. Keep the rod tip DOWN & keep
retrieving right up to the boat, as many hits will be within 8-10' of the boat,
when the lure starts to rise off the bottom.
As the incoming tide's current increases, especially when using a plug, cast
downstream & SLOWLY reel up into the fish zone. Continue to reel in thru the
likely looking fish zone.
Casting has been productive near the piling across the river
from the Cosmopolis launch & upriver to the first bend & Max slough to the left.
Weeds--
Weeds are not usually the problem here as compared to farther
downriver. However you will encounter floating sticks of all sizes more often
here.
Copyright © 2004-2006 LeeRoy Wisner All Rights Reserved
Last updated 01-28-2006
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