Tony’s Fishing Report 3/8/12

Local lakes: Recently stocked Empire Lakes in Coos Bay was a popular destination for anglers last weekend. Anglers reported catching limits of rainbow trout in the 8- to-10-inch range. Plenty were taken of Berkley Power Bait floating up off the bottom. Other anglers did well casting Little Cleo and Castmaster spoons.

This week, Garrison and Floras lakes are scheduled to receive trophy-sized trout from the Coal River Hatchery.

During a recent Tenmile Bass Club tournament up in Tenmile Lakes, an angler caught a 8.25-pound largemouth bass. This time of year bass anglers are doing well fishing crank baits in 6 to 10 feet of water on Tenmile.

Local rivers: Jim Carey from The Rogue Outdoor Store told us that he confirmed three more spring salmon taken on the lower Rogue River last weekend. The springers were taken by boats anchored up above Lobster Creek. Anglers’ steelhead fishing from the gravel bars on the lower Rogue have seen an increase in numbers of fish taken after last week’s rain.

Anglers drifting the Elk River last week reported catching plenty of fresh steelhead as river conditions dropped down to perfect levels.

Steelhead fishing on the South Fork Coquille River continues to be very good for both boat and bank anglers. The best places to fish have been near the town of Powers and also below Beaver Creek. A few bank anglers are still catching bright steelhead on the East Fork Coquille up stream from Dora near China Creek and also at Laverne Park on the North Fork. New bright steelhead entered the South Ford Coos, West Fork Millicoma and East Fork Millicoma rivers last weeks. One angler reported catching 11 bright fish from the 5-mile hold on the South Coos River last weekend. Local bays and beaches: Rock cod and ling cod fishing off the jetties in Coos Bay has remained good. One angler reported catching a 23-pound ling cod off the North Jetty last weekend. To avoid snagging in the jetty rocks, anglers are using slip bobbers with whole herring or 12- to 14-inch whole squids on mooching rigs, baiting up for ling cod.

Area shellfish: A few crab are still being caught  off of Weber’s pier in Bandon. Crabbers should focus their effort at the height of the tide.

Crabbing in Coos Bay has been spotty, with some boaters working hard to find a limit of crab.

Saturday starts a four-day series of the first minus tides of the year. Clammers should have a good weekend harvesting bay clams near Charleston and along Cape Arago Highway.

(Tony Roszkowski has owned and operated Port O’ Call — TonysCrabShack.com — on the Bandon waterfront since 1989. Many South Coast anglers rely on his fish and shellfish reports. Hear more from Tony on ‘Oregon Outdoors’ Thursdays on KWRO 630 AM. Email us your report at tonyscrabshack7@gmail.com).