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BROOKINGS, Ore. If you're serious about latching into a 40-, 50- or even a 60-pound chinook, your best bet is to hit the Chetco River right now, and the sooner, the better.
Doing battle with a trophy king is quite possible this year. And if history repeats itself, the action will crescendo right through November.
October is and always has been the kick-off month to start chasing chunky Chetco chinook.
Raising big fish
The Chetco Broodstock Program is the heart of the river's trophy fishery. Since its inception in 1992, enough fish are seined out of the upper tidewater every November to spawn 250,000 juveniles at Elk River Hatchery.
The resulting smolts are dumped into the Chetco estuary and later return to the river as 2-year-old jacks or 3, 4 and 5-year-old adults.
Late September has already brought several 40-pounders and one 51-pound wallhanger to the scales.
At first it seems a little early for fish of that size to be returning, but most likely those fish are the progeny of the broodstock program, and an abundant supply of baitfish in the ocean this year made them that way.
The returning fish from the broodstock program are meant to supplement the already existing wild chinook fishery.
ODFW is concerned what impacts the hatchery fish could be possibly having with the wild spawning fish. So don't be bashful about filling your freezer with the earlier stock's fillets.
Hatchery fish are intended for the fisherman's pleasure; consequently, they are meant to be bonked.
"We would prefer that anglers catch every one of those hatchery fish," said Steve Mazur, an ODFW biologist in Gold Beach.
"That's why we got that program going."
In addition, ODFW wants these early fish to hold where the fishermen have access. That is why hatchery fish tend to hold in the lower Chetco in the first part of the season, from Loeb State Park down to the first tidal holes of Morris Hole, Tide Rock and Social Security Bar.
"We're trying to keep those fish down low in the river system so where they don't run up and compete with the native fish," Mazur said.
Hot baits
How you fish the Chetco in October is largely weather dependent. A fisherman with a well-stocked tackle box stands a better chance at hooking some of these early fish.
Generally speaking, if there hasn't been a major rain that is, enough to raise the river to 1,000 cfs you're going to do a lot better trolling the estuary with spinnerbait rigs, or bobber fishing the lower tidal holes such as Morris Hole and Tide Rock.
Half of an anchovy tail hooked from the tail down is a good way of bobber fishing for the early jacks.
Another popular bait setup is using sand shrimp tagged with a piece of roe, also known as a shrimp cocktail.
Higher water
After the first rains raise the river, you can kiss the estuary good-bye until next year. Rarely will they ever hold in the bay after the first major raise, even if the river should later lower significantly.
When the Chetco starts holding at 1,000 cfs, you can begin drifting Puff Balls and roe from the bank. Good bank access from the south bank starts 1.8 miles at the yellow gate.
One-tenth mile further upriver is the South Bank Pumphouse, another great bank spot.
From here the bank gets a little steep, but there are great holes for those who dare. About 6 miles up the south bank is the Piling Hole, another fantastic bank spot.
The north bank has more bank access and boat launches. Starting near the three-mile marker is Social Security Bar, great for launching and taking out your driftboat.
The upper end contains a good drift spot for the bankie and the Market Hole is a tremendous slot for back-bouncing roe.
About 4½ miles upriver is the Highway Hole and 5 miles is the North Fork Bridge, also good bank spots. Willow Bar is 6½ miles upriver and Loeb State Park is about a half-mile from there.
The usual half-day drift is to put in at Loeb and take out at Social Security. The bottom end of Loeb is a great back-bouncing or side-drifting spot.
One mile further upriver is Ice Box Hole, so named because in the dead of winter, the sun never rises above Mount Emily for more than a few hours.
The ideal conditions for boaters to start back-bouncing roe is between 1,200 to 2,000 cfs. When the river raises between 3,000 and 4,000 cfs, it's time to start pulling plugs like sardine-wrapped FlatFish or Kwikfish.
When the river raises between 4,000 and 5,000 cfs, it usually becomes too unmanageable for driftboats, but it then becomes a plunker's paradise.
The Chetco does not fish well on a rising river, even if it's the right color. But as soon as it starts dropping, launch away.
November is the best month to tie into the whopper of your dreams.
Material from Fishing & Hunting News
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