I’m sorry to report that the OCA May meeting is cancelled due to issues surrounding the Coronavirus. Even though OCA is not formally meeting, much is being accomplished;
A check for $300.00 was sent to Chuck’s Seafood Processing to help pay for fish processing for fish donated to the Coos Food Cupboard. John Blanchard, Sharky’s Charters had contacted me regarding the fish donation efforts started in Charleston.
OCA paid Bedrock’s Restaurant $519.36 for Pizza and Wings that were delivered to the Lower Umpqua Hospital. This was an effort by OCA to express our thanks to the hospital staff, who we rely on so much in these troubled times.
OCA members fished on Saturday, April 18th and some of us donated our catch to the Reedsport Food Pantry. Ed and Harriette Balfour, commercial anglers, assisted us by getting the fish to Brandywine Fisheries in Springfield for processing. OCA paid Brandywine $154.00 for processing, which was entirely covered by a donation made by Steve and Kathleen Miller (thank you). The fish were vacuum packed and frozen and provided to the Reedsport Food Pantry on Wednesday, April 22nd. The Umpqua Post published a nice half page article regarding the OCA fish donation and the OCA FaceBook page has become very popular.
More information regarding OCA activities are available at Oregon Coast Anglers on FaceBook and at oregoncoastanglers.com.
OCA needs new officers to replace Christina Talley, Treasurer and Gabe Smith, Secretary, they are moving out of the area. Thank you Christina and Gabe for your support, anyone interested in helping out, please contact me.
The OCA Conservation Scholarship Program has applicants in spite of school closures. The OCA Directors and I agreed to extend the deadline for application to May 8th. We have six applicants, and I hoping for more.
All the Oregon State Parks as well as federal parks are shutdown, therefore the OCA Razor Clamming trip has been cancelled. ODA just lifted the ban on Razor Clams South of the South jetty of the Siuslaw River. We can dig clams locally, however Sparrow Park Rd is closed. I requested that USFS open Sparrow Park Rd, they refused.
Nearshore Halibut opens May 1st and All Depth Bottom fishing closes on April 30th. Nearshore bottom fishing (inside forty fathoms) opens May1st. All depth Halibut Season dates for the Central Coast Zone have not been announced. However when the dates are announced, 2020 regulations will be the same as last year, no bottom fish when fishing all depth halibut.
Here’s some good news for Winchester Bay boaters. I was just informed by Chris Boice, Douglas County Commissioner, that the water at the boat wash down areas in Winchester Bay has been turned on (it had been turned off), the boat launch ramps will remain open, and moorage customers will be allowed to purchase gas in the marina, but the fish cleaning stations will remain closed.
I will be monitoring Coronavirus announcements to determine any opportunity for OCA to meet.