A mismanaged fall chinook salmon run in California has left anglers scratching their heads, as they face yet another salmon closure. At the hands of very poorly managed state and federal hatchery programs. Who fail to meet production models year after year, and in conjunction with illegal water management practices from the State Water Control Board, and the Bureau Of Reclamation during the past three years of record drought in California. Never the less the states salmon stocks plummeted according to the PFMC’s (Pacific Fisheries Management Council) pre season salmon abundance report back in April 2023. Nearly the entire west coast is closed to commercial and recreational ocean salmon fishing for the entire 2023/24 salmon season. Including all inland fisheries in California. Crushing the fishing communities along the North Coast, from San Francisco, Ca to the Oregon/Washington boarder. Putting Northern California fishing guides, and fishing charters on the bench for the entire year. The fist time California has faced a entire state wide shutdown of its salmon season in its history. During the 2008/09 Sacramento River salmon season closure the Klamath River and Smith River remained open for angling. As well as the Sacramento River’s Late Fall Run Chinook fishery. Which at this point appears to have been closed down by CDFW for 2023 as well. Despite it being a completely separate salmon run from the struggling fall run chinooks. Primarily a hatchery run of Chinook Salmon, the late fall run doesn’t have the same issues their fall run cousins have. Remaining sustainable as far as the government is concerned. A so called “success” for Coleman Fish Hatchery. It’s the only salmon run the hatchery can manage correctly. Yet it also remains closed to salmon fishing at this time.

So what’s a salmon fishing guide supposed to do in the midst of all this salmon uncertainty? “Migrate, adapt, or die”! A catch phrase, or cliche that quite frankly is fairly solid advise for life in general. It quickly becomes clear that “migration” is certain. Considering our state is closed for salmon fishing from one end of the border to the other. As far as “adaption”, eeeh we’re always doing that anyway. Just figure it out on the go. So that was the plan. After all it’s salmon season somewhere by mid July. My friend and fellow salmon fishing guide Ryan Tripp, who was fresh off of a return flight home from guiding in Alaska. Where he was guiding for salmon on the Nushgak River. Regardless of the very short stay at home, there were salmon to catch somewhere, and that’s Ryan’s game. Let me tell you all a little tidbit about Ryan Tripp….. Ryan Tripp is ALWAYS game for exploring new fisheries. I believe it’s more of a quest for him, not so much a adventure. We consecutively decided to head north (north being our only option) across state lines where salmon fisheries are more properly managed. Allowing king salmon to be in great abundance from time to time. Our eyes were set on the very popular and extremely busy Rogue River Bay in Gold Beach, Oregon. Where recent social media posts of chrome salmon being caught in the area started popping up on the internet. With no intentions of returning to California in the near future, the crosshairs were now resting resting on the Rogue River Bay in Southern Oregon. With that we were off!

We pulled into Brookings, Oregon with Ryan’s twenty four foot Willie’s Jet Sled in tow. We were lucky enough to have fellow fishing guide Dillyn Paradzinski, and Amy his amazing better half, open their house up to us, letting us take over their back yard and set up shop. We now had a fish camp to operate out of. One that was only forty minutes away from the Rogue Bay. That evening we broke out a surplus of tackle we thought we might need for the expedition, and began rigging rods. Using what little knowledge we had picked up from YouTube, asking other guides we knew in the area, and from our previously learned knowledge on how to catch king salmon during different stages of their migration back into fresh water (experience).

Rogue River Bay July 21, 23

Rogue River Bay with Ryan Tripp’s Guide Service July 21, 2023

Traditionally the Rogue River Bay has been fished by anglers trolling a spinner blade above a anchovy. Or by trolling a spinning naked anchovy. Trolling both up hill, and down hill through the estuary (Bay). This technique is still used by some of the OG Rogue River salmon fishermen, and they do still catch fish. However Ryan and I set our minds on the Pro-Troll 360 Flasher. A method that has taken over every salmon fishery on the west coast that it has come into contact with them. They flat work! More about this later in the blog. Fishing guides like Scott Feist (Feisty Fish Guide Service) started using the 360 flashers on the Rogue Bay in 2022. Having great success trolling the 360 in the congested boat traffic of the estuary. Scott prefers a 3.5 spinner behind the 360 flasher as apposed to a Brad’s “Cut Plug” or Yakima Bait Co. “Super Bait”! With this we settled on using 3.5 spinners on half of the rods. A naked anchovy trolled behind a 360 flasher on the half of the rods. While fishing for springers in early May, 2023 on the Rogue River just above the estuary. It was brought to our attention the liking these Rogue River Chinooks have for a properly spun naked anchovy. Which come to find out, anchovy’s live in the estuary in large schools and are present almost always on your electronics.

After rigging Ryan’s sled with Garmin’s Live Scope/Panoptics we turned in for the night. We found ourselves at the Gold Beach city boat launch. Dillyn and Amy joined us for our first attempt at this bay fishing. Surprisingly there was only one other boat at the launch. We quickly left the launch and docks behind us and headed for the main body of this estuary. The experience gained playing with these 360 flashers on the Sacramento River over the two prior salmon seasons, came in useful. Having anchovy’s (“bait”) already rigged on leaders from the previous nights tackle and bait extravaganza, we were quickly rigged with bait and 3.5 spinners behind our primarily silver 360 flashers. We found the primary playing field and waisted no time starting our first troll. Ryan quickly familiarized himself with the structure, bottom contours, depth, water temperatures, and trolling speed ( a one second interval between pulses of the rod tip). Staring at the Garmin Live Scope monitor looking for any signs of life. It quickly became apparent there were no salmon currently in this heavily tidal influenced fishery, that literally takes you to the mouth of the Pacific Ocean. We spent the next couple hours trolling pretty much alone waiting for something to develop. And develop it did!

After realizing the locals here were already quite aware of the time the salmon would arrive on the tide. Also explaining why we were all alone for the few early morning hours. The fleet started rolling in around 8:30am. A fashionably late start for salmon fishing guides coming from California. Who were accustomed to leaving the boat launch in the dark to secure their favorite spot. In a matter of thirty minutes Ryan found himself trolling through traffic. Dozens of boats started filing in and joining the troll. By 9:30am there was roughly forty to fifty fishing boats trolling down and then back up the lower estuaries rock wall. Fishing boats of all makes and models had converged on the salmon fishing grounds. Lapping the Rogue River estuary like a two lane road. Up and back, and then up and back and so on… It was around 10:30am when our captain alerted us to the fact that there were finally salmon below us. Less then a minute later we were fighting our first Rogue River King Salmon. Which took a “mexican hat” 3.5 spinner. To no avail! The extraordinary strength and fight in this fish broke the thirty pound monofilament leader off the set up. Let down, but also relieved, we knew we were doing things right. We quickly merged back into traffic continuing our troll as Ryan kept a sharp eye on the live scope. Watching our flashers roll along on the monitor. It wasn’t long before he called out our next encounter. “We got a couple following the flashers matching our speed”! Ryan announced. Barely getting the words out of his mouth before Amy’s rod hit the water. We managed this dime bright sixteen pound hen chinook to the boat. A feeling of success fell over the crew. We had only seen one other net come out at this point. Making it even sweeter.

As the tide pushed all the way into the bay and started to peaked out. We experienced our best fishing. The fleet pushed up into the top of the bay and started lapping what is known as “Indian Creek”. It was here a majority of the boats got into their first action. Nets started coming out, boats turned sideways and began drifting with the current as they tangled with these ferocious kings. A controlled and eventful chaos took over the fishing grounds for the next two hours. Eventually trickling out with the hard drop of the seven foot tide, as it sucked the Rogue River back to the Pacific Ocean. We left 2-6 and our heads held high after hanging in with the top few boats on our fist day. Confident in our strategies we aimed to sharpen our skills and perfect our tackle for the following day. A competitive nature was starting to come about as we ran through tackle and bait in preparation for the next days laps around the Rogue River Bay race track.

The next two days were a grind. I shouldn’t have to tell you what two days of tough fishing will do to the motivation, determination, and morale of a couple professional fishing guides. Guides who thought they had it all figured out a couple days prior. We managed one fish on Wednesday July 19th, and got sent home packing with a goose egg on Thursday July 20th. Friday July 21, 2023 would unfold much differently for our crew on board. Estuary fishing can make you scratch your head from time to time when the salmon stay out in the river’s plume (the area out in the ocean directly in front of the river mouth). Reluctant to come into the bay for reasons unknown to me. We collectively never lost sight of the fact that when they did return to the estuary we were going to catch these kings.

Friday July 21, 2023 had a different feel to it almost immediately. As we entered our first troll captain Tripp let it be known he had marked two fish half way down our first lap around the track. Boosting our confidence that had been beat down for two consecutive days. Ryan quickly flipped around and started a new pass as boat traffic poured into the lower section of the bay. OG salmon veteran “Vick” was the first to hook up. Vick was the only one trolling a 3.5 spinner behind his flasher this particular morning, and it was a big hit for the staging salmon. The OG angler had spent many days fishing for salmon in the bay over the past two decades. His local knowledge proved to be extremely beneficial. Choosing the 3.5 spinner to attract the kings in the low light conditions the coastal fog cast on the bay. This is something only experience could lead you to. Vick hooked our first four king salmon of the morning in consecutive passes. Dropping two and getting two before the fog cleared. Ryan continued turning laps, trolling with accuracy and precision through heavily congested boat traffic. Pinpointing the exact location on our troll that the salmon were holding up at. The sun was now out and it was time for the bait bite to shine. Shine it did! Our naked brined anchovies started getting gobbled up with every pass. Although OG Vick had warned us about these particular king salmon being the meanest kings on the West Coast (including Alaska). It fell on deaf ears. I’d never seen brand new thirty and forty pound monofilament leaders break under stress from a fighting king salmon until this day. With all eyes on Ryan’s Willie sled we continued to repeatedly get the big blue net out. As we were hooking fish on nearly every pass. Sadly breaking off more then half our hookups on our sub par tackle arrangement. Brand new forty pound Maxima leaders were snapped three times mid fight. While two others were dropped from failing duo lock swivels that couldn’t withstand the steady pressure of these mean ocean kings. Despite our tackle malfunctions we ended the day with six big, bright chinook salmon, and dropping a additional seven kings that we just couldn’t keep on the line. Hooking a total of thirteen salmon for the day as well as missing some take downs that didn’t stick. Our confidence was again restored in this fishery.

That night we worked at fish camp on our tackle short comings. Beefing up our leaders to fifty pound monofilament, and swapping out our undersized duo lock swivels for some hefty oversized clips to connect all our terminal tackle. Now we were set! The bugs had all been worked out of our program and we were ready for these big, mean kings.

Saturday (July 22, 2023) morning it all came together for captain Tripp and his crew. Smashing the kings as they poured into the lower estuary. The sharp youthful captain smelling blood for the first time that morning at 9:00am. When the first salmon hit the deck. By 11:00 am Ryan Tripp had filled the box with limits for his crew of four, and even a bonus fish for himself. Which came on a double hookup on his limit fish. A impressive showing for all that watched this beat down unfold around them. It had all come together in five short days. Not bad for our first trip to the Rogue River Bay. Proving some California salmon fishing guides are capable of competing anywhere they show up if salmon are present.

We will continue to be on site at the Rogue Bay for the entire salmon season. Offering fully guided salmon fishing trips out of Gold Beach, Oregon. This healthy salmon fishery has just started and is far from reaching its peak. The months of August and September are sure to produce a very large amount of king salmon for the anglers in attendance. With no commercial salmon fishing in the ocean this season a larger then normal surplus of chinook salmon are expected to show up. It’s difficult to know exactly how many tens of thousands of salmon the commercial fleet takes from this river while they are in the ocean. But rest assured the number is substantial. With this excess of salmon coming home to the river this season it can be expected to be some of the best salmon fishing the west coast has seen in many years. To book a guided salmon fishing trip with us you may follow the links available on the website to fill out a submission form. Or by calling us directly at (530)-722-8876. Ryan Tripp may also be contacted via his website ryantrippsguideservice.com or by calling directly at (530)-635-3719. Join us this season in Gold Beach, Oregon and don’t let California’s short comings keep you from taking home these top quality king salmon. Tight Lines!