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Pat Abel Guide Service
I
specialize in Trophy Spring Steelhead,
Salmon and Sturgeon. I fish
Tillamook-Bay and North Coast Rivers. I
specialize In spring Sturgeon In Shallow
waters In Astoria. I fish the Columbia
River for spring Chinook Salmon. I have
a 25' Jet-Sled and a 17' Drift-Boat. Are
Trophy Steelhead Season Is March, On the
Coast Rivers. Are drift boats are
Heated. I also sell one day License. Pat
Abel also offers bird watching tours by
boat. Pat Abel fishing guide service is
In the Portland, Oregon area and offers
3-4 hour crab trips In Tillamook-Bay. |
Nestucca River
What most north coat rivers lack, the Nestucca makes
up for, a huge drainage that keeps the river flowing
strong. When most coastal rivers start to drop and
clear shortly after a rain, the Nestucca’s flows
stay strong and the river’s color remains excellent.
The Nestucca gives drift boat fisherman a excellent
variety of launches, 5 to be exact, with the only
limitation of daylight to keep the angler off the
water. Once the river gets above the 5-foot mark the
Nestucca will undoubtedly have fish present. Late
October rains will bring the river into a fishable
level, but if the first rains of fall occur sooner,
don’t hesitate to make the drive the coast. Fish
will have been staged in tidewater since early
September, and the first freshet will signal these
fish to move upriver.
“I know the fish are there, it’s the pressure that
determines my drift.” Says Pro-Guide Pat Abel with
Pat Abel’s Guide Service (503-307-6033 or
www.patabelguideservice.com ). “Farmers to 3
River, 4th Bridge to Farmers or, my favorite, 3
Rivers to Cloverdale. They are all excellent
drifts.”
“When the holes are stacked up with boats, I’ll just
plug all, and I mean all, available water,” hints
Abel, “It’s amazing all the places you can catch
fish, that are not fished.”
Like any coastal river using large plugs like Kwik
fish and FlatFish are very productive. Since the
Nestucca is a little larger than most coastal
rivers, using a 20/20 Luhr Jensen Jet diver is
needed to get your plugs into the proper zone. Since
the Nestucca holds it’s color better than most
coastal rivers, darker plugs work best. “My most
consistent Kwik Fish is the Funky Chicken ( purple
with some chartreuse), they just love it.” Says
Abel.
One technique that is very productive on the
Nestucca, but not practiced much on other coastal
rivers is Diver and Bait. Many guides will run Diver
and Bait all day long and never put on a plug. The
most common set up for diver and bait is to run
6-feet of 30-40 pound leader to a 5/0 hook. Tie your
leader to a 6 bead chain swivel, which is also tied
to your 50-65 pound braid main line. On your main
line attach an Oregon Tackle weight slider, so your
20/20 Luhr Jensen Jet diver can slide up and down
your main line. Eggs and Sand Shrimp and/or a
combination of the two are most effective bait on
the Nestucca on fish fresh from the Ocean.
“Don’t get locked into one technique,” warns Abel.
“Try different things, have 2 or 3 different egg
cures. Use different size, make and color plugs.
Pull over and bobber fish or drift fish.”
Since many fish will also spawn in the lower
sections of the Nestucca, some of your catch may be
close to spawning. “Release those dark fish,” says
Abel, “Let them continue on their way to make a
better run in years to come.”
Thanks to Andy Schneider from
Fishing & Hunting News for sending us this great
article about fishing on the Nestucca River guide Pat Abel
and information and fishing tips for fishing the
Nestucca River
The Nestucca River is a river, approximately 50
miles long, on the Pacific coast of northwest Oregon
in the United States. It drains a forested timber
producing area of the Northern Oregon Coast Range
west of Portland.
It rises in the mountains of western Yamhill County.
Not far from its headwaters the river is impounded
to create McGuire Reservoir, the primary water
source for the city of McMinnville. It flows
generally west through Bureau of Land Management
land and the Siuslaw National Forest. It flows past
Beaver, then southwest past Hebo and Cloverdale. It
enters Nestucca Bay from the north on the Pacific
Ocean at Pacific City. The Little Nestucca River,
does not join the Nestucca but enters Nestucca Bay
from the south.
Fishing
Only the headwaters are in public ownership - being
managed by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land
Management - with most of the primary fishing areas
located on private lands. The river offers a variety
of boat fishing opportunities - from easy to
difficult - and has 2 boat ramps and about 8 bank
slides. Salmon and steelhead are most prevalent in
the fall and winter. This river also contains wild
coho salmon that are listed as a Threatened Species
under the Endangered Species Act.
Boasting a spring and fall Chinook salmon fishery
along with both summer and winter steelhead runs,
the Nestucca River is as productive a stream, from
an angler’s perspective, as you will find along the
Oregon coast. Spring Chinook enter the Nestucca
beginning from late April into summer, although the
season closes for them in mid-June. Peak season is
usually mid-May until the season’s end. Fall Chinook
arrive by September, holding in tidewater until the
first fall freshets send them upriver, generally
from October through December. This run usually
peaks in mid- to late October. The Chinook runs are
a mix of hatchery and wild fish. Both the winter and
summer steelhead runs are made up primarily of
hatchery fish, although wild fish are present as
well. The summer run goes from June into January,
peaking in early to mid-July, then again with the
fall rains. The winter run lasts from mid-November
through May. The hatchery fish peak in late
December, while the wild fish tend to come on strong
in late March or April. Spring Chinook run in the
18- to 20-pound range while fall fish run a bit
larger at 25 to 28 pounds. Steelhead weigh anywhere
from 10 to 12 pounds. There are also chum salmon in
the Nestucca, but because of the run’s weakness,
angling for these fish is no longer allowed. Key
Species: Chinook salmon, steelhead.
US COAST GUARD & STATE LICENSED
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Phone: 503-649-5444 Cell:
503-313-5444
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