Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 8 - Flipbook - Page 25
Once you hit the water, be
sure to look at the tides, as
this will determine where
to fish. With each incoming
tide, more fish push up into
the river. The tides here are
so strong that when it is at
high tide the fish will be
facing downriver, as that is
where the current is coming
from. Do not think that you
always must troll in one
direction, and let the tides
tell you which way to point
the bow of the boat.
The Astoria-Megler Bridge is
the starting point for most
anglers. Here, most of the
fishing is done on the east
side of the bridge, or “above
the bridge”. This is because of
the shipping channel on the
south side of the river in front
of Astoria, as well as a deep
slot on the north side of the
river near the Washington
side. The middle is a big
sand flat and be sure to be
careful when crossing, as you
could be in 10-feet of water
one minute and the next
in 6-inches of water. Again,
know the tides, and if you
cross at high tide, you might
not be able to cross at that
same place on low tide.
Just downriver from the
bridge is the church hole,
aptly named for a church
that can be seen along the
shoreline. Keep going down
the river towards the ocean
and you will find other wellknown spots, such as the
checkboard and the jetties,
until you find yourself at
the Buoy 10 deadline. From
there you are out in the open
ocean, but do make the
mistake of thinking Buoy 10
is protected water. About
anything from the church
hole downriver gets to be
big water, and depending on
winds and tides, it can turn
quickly.
As the tides start going
out, the river returns to its
normal course, and you fish
it as such. The area above
the Astoria bridge is good
about any time, but it can be
better during specific times
such as the tide change, as
the fish will once again be
facing upriver and resting
before pushing on when the
water starts to slow with the
onset of the incoming tide.
The waters on the south side
of the river by East Mooring
Basin are similar. Here you
will see large cargo ships
anchored up, and it is easy
to tell which way the tide
t
JUNE 2023 | 25