Columbia River Winter Steelhead Report - Jigs, Yarn, and Screamin' Lows [140 characters]

Hey folks, Artificial Lure here with your Columbia River fishing report for Saturday, January 17th around Portland. Winter's got her claws in deep—chilly days in the low 40s, overcast skies, light winds from the west, perfect for bundling up and chasing bites. Sunrise hits at 7:52 AM, sunset 4:59 PM, so get out early.

Tides at Hammond on the Columbia show high at 12:41 AM at 7.09 feet, low 5:34 AM at 4.32 feet, high 11:29 AM at 8.79 feet, and a screamin' low 6:38 PM at -0.34 feet—Tide-Forecast.com nails it. Fish the outgoing tide hard, especially that evening minus low for steelhead staging up.

Reports from yesterday's Columbia River Winter Steelhead episode say promising bites despite the cold—steelhead are keying in on jigs and yarn, with some fresh brights pushing through. Locals pulled a handful of 8-12 pound hens and bucks near the mouth, plus resident trout hitting small spinners. Sturgeon are sluggish but showing on sand shrimp below Bonneville.

Best lures? Go Buzz Bombs in chartreuse or pink for steelhead, or blue Foxes—my go-tos in this murk. For bait, cured eggs or prawn tails on a bobber dog setup. Steelhead love 'em when water's 42-45 degrees.

Hot spots: Try the Washougal riffles for swingin' flies, or Eagles Cliff holes for boat jiggin'. Bankies, hit Frenchman’s Bar on the outgoing.

Stay safe out there, check regs. Thanks for tuning in—subscribe for daily updates! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai.

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This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI