July 15, 2020 3:20 a.m.

The use of bait, spears and spear guns to harvest smallmouth bass is now allowed in the Coquille River System through October 31st.

A release from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said the temporary rule aims to reduce impacts of illegally introduced smallmouth bass on the native fall Chinook salmon.

The temporary regulation applies in the mainstem Coquille River, and the East, Middle, North and South forks of the Coquille River. In the South Fork Coquille River, the rule applies from the mouth to the U.S. Forest Service boundary near Powers.

The release said Coquille adult small Chinook returns were extremely low in 2018 and 2019. ODFW staff reviews showed the illegally introduced smallmouth bass are partly to blame for the poor returns.

Biologist Gary Vonderohe said anglers have been asking for the option to use spears and spear guns to harvest smallmouth, He said those doing so can help the fall Chinook population. Vonderohe said “these invasive fish may also be impacting the Pacific lamprey”.

Access maps to the South Fork Coquille and the lower Coquille can be found here: https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/docs/2020/Coquille_Access_map.pdf