Hows your the Salmon season been so far?

[Oregonhunter]

Well here in Oregon its been the worst Springer season in the past 50 years (or so they tell us) It's been tough this year, the Spring run is coming to an end but it does not feel like it ever got started!
 
I hope the fall run will be better but I am not going to hold my breath, The steelhead season has been pretty slow as well but a bit better than the Salmon run. I was curious to hear how you folks up north did this spring and if the fall outlook is good?
 
Take care All,
 
Oregon

[chromage]

Well, I am not north but I am in the midwest. Our steelie season was about average. People say it was a bad one but what I saw it wasn't all that bad. Some rivers barely got any runs but that will happen from year to year.
 
As far as salmon season, it's just starting, but out in the lakes. We won't get our first run of fish in the little manistee til 4th of july. There is always a few messed in the head salmon running around from hear on out but they won't start piling in the little m til august. I can't wait to hook my first chinny of the year.
 
We have been having some problems though in the great lakes. Our bait fish in lake huron is gone as of last year. However, some bait is starting to show up and the salmon being caught in lake huron are much healthiar this year.  Hopefully this is a good sign of things to come. Lake michigan, I really don't know what's going on over there. Our fish are a little smaller but people are still getting numbers.

[Oregonhunter]

Hmmm.....does'nt sound like we here in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are the only ones with low fish numbers, I just hope it gets better soon! I am going to miss all the big Salmon grilling on the BBQ this summer!!
 
So far this year has been a total bust exept on one trip out so I just hope fall will be better, Hope your all having a great Spring so far! Talk at ya all later.
 
OH

[Kanibal]

We are getting a lot of summer run steelhead coming in and the summer silvers will fallow shortly. Its expected to be a good run and the fall king/silver run is expected to be even bigger than usual. It has been bigger every year so far. We are getting huge numbers up where I live. We had a great winter steelhead year. Good numbers way out east on the Clearwater and Grande Ronde also. I did a bit of fishing on the White Salmon, Drano and Wind Rivers and saw lots of fish. I caught a few but still learning the area as its not my usual stomping ground. Just north of you in the Willamete though I would imagine. Are you fishing the Deshcutes or the Hood or what?

[Oregonhunter]

Kaninbal,
 
I fish the South Santiam river mainly for Springers and the Asea, Yaquina and Siletz rivers and their bays for fall. The Spring run was terrible this year, last year things were good and the fall run was good to me considering the few trips I maid it out.
 
Summer Silvers I bet are a blast? I only wish we had Silvers around here...if we get one on our line we have to cut em loose unless we are fishing in the OC and the fish is fin clipped.
 
No one here knows what happend this spring but its been very disapointing. I just hope it will be back to normal this next season! I miss smoking up all that fresh Springer! I hope you folks up North get a good fall season...how soon do you start to see the fish during the fall? Ours should start showing up in Sept-October (if everything goes well)
 
Oregon

[Kanibal]

Aye late September to early October is when we see all our salmon come in.  We get a good run of kings but mostly silvers and lots of them with the average about 15 pounds with a big one from 18-22 pounds and some bigger.  In highschool a couple of years ago I used to work at the local salmon hatchery.  After the salmon were trapped in the hatchery pen we pick a few and take what we need to procreate future salmon populations.  We also just for fun take a few of the biggest and weigh them.  The biggest silver that we weighed that year was just over 28 pounds.  Unfortunately I caught him with my hands rather than my flyrod.  

Until September we have plenty of summer sockeye, steelhead and silvers to keep us busy, and very few out of towners fish here during the summer.  The rivers are really low so its mostly a raft or pontoon trip.  Make a trip up sometime if you feel like it Oregon.

[Oregonhunter]

WOW.....that sounds like a blast! I bet Silvers in that size would put up a good fight.
 
I would like to make it up there some day! I just bought a drift boat and would like to try out some new fishing areas, Maybe one of these days I can put a trip together.
 
Oregonhunter