August 26, 2019 10:00 a.m.
The 2019 Gardiner-Reedsport-Winchester Bay Salmon Trout Enhancement Program annual salmon derby is set for Labor Day weekend.
August marks the start of the fall Chinook salmon angling season on the Umpqua River. Fall run salmon enter the Umpqua River estuary beginning their journey to their spawning streams deep in Oregon’s coastal mountains. A release from STEP said this year the Umpqua River is one of only a few Oregon coastal rivers with unrestricted wild Chinook salmon angling. Thousands of wild Chinook salmon are joined by over 2,000 returning STEP salmon. The release said the journey is “fraught with a gauntlet of dangers, both natural and manmade”. That includes a deep river water temperature of over 70 degrees. Having spent 3 to 4 years in an ocean of mid 50-degree water, the shock of fresh water causes the fish to linger in the lower river acclimating to the higher temperatures. That’s good news for hopeful Umpqua River salmon anglers as those fish will readily strike lures, spinners and trolled baits.
The derby is scheduled for Saturday, Sunday and Monday, August 31st through September 2nd. Derby registration tickets are now on sale at Ace Hardware and Snowy River Mercantile in Reedsport, the Stockade Market and Salmon Harbor Tackle in Winchester Bay and from GRWB STEP members. Tickets are $10 for individuals or $25 per boat with 3 or more anglers. The release said anglers may also purchase tickets each morning of the derby at the East Boat Launch in Winchester Bay and the Rainbow Plaza Boat Launch in downtown Reedsport. Derby hours are daylight to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and daylight to 12:00 p.m. on Monday.
Prizes include:
*$500.00 cash prize for the largest salmon by weight for the derby.
*$150 for the largest salmon by weight each day.
*$100 cash prize for the smallest legal salmon by weight of the derby.
The release said the derby concludes with cash prize presentations starting at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Winchester Bay Activity Center.
For more information, email umpquarock@charter.net or call 541-613-0589.