Another New Year starts with opportunities and some challenges for us to manage. Ocean fishing should be good in 2022. The ODFW daily quota for bottomfish is five, and no Quillbacks. Ling Cod is the same as previous years, 22” minimum and two per day. Cabezon starts in July at 16” minimum and one per day, which is part of the daily bag limit. We should see improved fishing regulations for Pacific Halibut in 2022 and the overall Oregon State quota should be the same as last year. Salmon fishing probably won’t be as good as 2021, at least for Coho, and Chinook isn’t expected to improve. The February ODFW Ocean Salmon Industry Group meeting will shed some light on what to expect.
Some of the challenges to manage are, the mask mandate, the new Omicron Covid19 variant and an inhospitable ocean. We all want the Covid stuff to go away and for a calm ocean.
The OCA Christmas Trees for Salmon project is off to a good start. Kevin Ladd set up the project sign in the Les Schwab parking lot (thank you Kevin), and as of December 30th, approximately twenty Christmas trees (pictured) had been donated. Trees will be collected through January and be moved by OCA volunteers to Camp Creek in early February. Placing the trees in Camp Creek will depend on water flow and student availability.
ODFW and the Gardiner Reedsport Winchester Bay STEP volunteers set up five aquariums for the Salmon Egg to Fry Program at the Reedsport Elementary School on December 30th. Pictured from left to right are Evan Leonetti and Levi Simmons from ODFW and Ike Launstein, Frank Paula and Greg Martens from GRWB STEP. I hauled water to fill the aquariums and took pictures. The elementary school students will have the opportunity to watch the salmon develop from eggs to fry, feed and name them, a great learning opportunity.
It is not too late to make reservations ($15.00 per person) for the OCA Fish Dinner, which will be at the Ocean Garden Restaurant in Reedsport on February 3rd, starting at 5:00 PM. You can send a check to OCA, PO Box 584, Reedsport, OR 97467. Masks will be required, while you are not eating. Those OCA members who can donate fish should contact me (reply to this email) regarding how many pounds of fish they can provide.
A new event was added to the OCA Calendar. Some OCA members, including my Wife and I will be travelling to the Clatsop Beaches to dig Razor Clams, May 15th – 20th. If you haven’t dug Razor Clams, it is fun and rewarding. If you would like more information, reply to me via email.
I wish all OCA members, families and friends a Happy, Healthy and Safe New Year,
Steve