Any advice you can throw at me is much appreciated.. my wife and I will be crabbing from a small aluminum with outboard and wanted to get in on the king action..last year all around us they were slaying em..I got a dropper set up with big al flashers ..any diver fans over dropper weight? Well be there for 5 days first week in aug. Thx n advance - Jeffrey

There has been previous articles on that fishery in salmon steel header magazine I believe. You can google the area and get info also

Search Ifish. Or call Nehalem hatchery, ask for Mike.
Wheeler Marina is another good source for info. Jim has bait, tackle, and will even mix gas for you so you don't get your hands all stinky.

Thx guys..we rent from Jim Twitch he's great guy, very nice outfit there..

Dropper ball flasher cut plug or big spinners.Good luck,


SZ


PS, Hit the incoming tides. Fish @ the jaws or right in wheeler or up above bridge in Nehalem.

Flat tides in the jaws. Plug cut blues about 5' behind a flasher w 16 oz leads on about 18" droppers. Stay along the south jetty and if the ocean allows, go just a liiiiiiiittttttlllllle…. past the tip. That's the kill zone!!!

…..or look for Russ Morrow and stay on him.

Clacka

What Clack said or follow my buddy's uncle loren.Good luck,

SZ

Well I looked at the tides for that week and high is 6am on..so we'll have the middle part if the day to troll..where is jaws? Probably won't take the lil boat past jetty marina area.
Gonna use the dropper weight but only grabbed #3 and 4's.. do I really need 16oz's?? Seemed kinda shallow on the edges...but I'm all ears:) gonna grab some divers too I guess. Think I spoke with Russ last year in Girabaldi marina? Not sure but he had a lot of fish on board.

The jaws is the area were the between the tips of the two jetties and its no place for a small boat. I'd concentrate in the area in front of wheeler marina. Herring or spinners will both work and the flasher is optional.

This is only true if the bar is nasty. I've caught a lot of fish in my drift boat out there. Just be aware of what's going on and don't push it. I pushed it bad out there not once, but twice and the second time I almost rolled my boat on the sand along the north jetty. We had two fish on at once on a nasty day and I lost track of where I was. Too close. Anyway….Wheeler is a great spot to troll as so it the stretch above the 101 bridge if you're not comfortable at all in the waves. And take if form someone who's scared themselves pretty bad out there, it's not worth it.

This was the first time I scared myself. Sides were too low and the boat was too small. One boat came by while we fought the fish and no one noticed the waves. I can't believe I stayed in the boat. I actually got the bill of my hat wet. It all goes wrong about 1:30 into it.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10150954103531652&l=6621532986569639277

JD

I haven't braved the salt with my drifter as I feel a lil under gunned:) besides we don't have the protected bays of Oregon just some straits that will take ya to China if your not careful! Thx for the heads up on this fishery. .since my wife is with me I won't take chances....This time.

SZ,

Does this Loren have a beach house in Rockaway? If so, he is a great guy and probably the beast herring roller in that bay. catches fish consistently this time of year, which can be tough..... My dad has a place literally 100yds away from his.

If someone that has been there, recommends pounders, you'd better have pounders and rods that will handle that weight.
Depth and current will dictate.
Along with the 18" droppers, do one with a 30".

I would forget the divers and go with cannonballs. Farther up in the bay, I would think that 4,6,8 oz cannonballs would do it.
With straight lead, you know where you're at.

We have slayed the crab in that bay with shad for bait.
If you don't have shad, post on Ifish that you are looking for some.
With shad for bait you wil kick ass on anyone that doesn't have it.

Nehalem Bay is noted for an early returning run of Fall Chinook.
Good Luck.

Well I've been skunked 2 days in a row..bite has been early and can't get boat till 630am..so monday is in our favor. 4-6oz has been good by wheeler..we needed 12 oz balls past jetty marina, we got real close to the jaws today because water was calm all day. My rods won't handle pound plus so we're gonna fish wheeler all day Monday. Thank you for all the replies I really appreciate it..Wish me fish!

Done!

Me and a buddy fished it on Saturday and saw 5-6 fish landed for 20+ boats in front of Wheeler. We had one bite that didn't stick. Used 8-10 oz on the outgoing. Best bite seemed to be at high slack at daylight.