OC WAVES 3.9

TRAVEL NEWPORT
SALMON TOLLER
Photo by Jeremy Burke
SUSTAINABLE FISHING -
WHAT’S IN SEASON?
Newport is home to the largest commercial fishing fleet in
Oregon — one of the largest on the West Coast — and you can
buy seafood fresh off the docks! During the summer months,
you can find tuna, salmon, black cod, lingcod and halibut —
which, as a matter of fact, are among the most sustainably
caught seafood.
Head on down to Port Dock 3, 5 and 7 and look for sandwich
boards and bright flashy signs that advertise fresh catch. On
Port Dock 3 and 7, you’ll find the historic Chelsea Rose and
their floating barge, where all of these fish are available for
purchase — they’ll even filet it for you. Or pick up some tuna
that has already been canned. When you purchase from
the docks, you’re supporting local, independent and often
generational fisherman and their families.
Oregon albacore tuna has a short season that runs from
June to October, but availability mostly depends on
when these migratory fish arrive in our coastal waters
close enough to shore. All albacore tuna is hook-and-line
caught with a method internationally recognized for being
environmentally friendly and sustainable.
Salmon is a seasonally permitted fishery caught by trolling,
as well as another form of hook-and-line fishing. The season
dates and catch quotas are established every year, ensuring
sustainability. In Oregon, the season typically begins in mid
March and finishes up at the end of October.
A fish that is becoming more popular on the Oregon coast is
black cod, also known as sablefish and butterfish. Previously,
most of the market for black cod was in Japan, and it was
being imported, Black Cod has become a well-managed,
permitted fishery right here on the West Coast. Not only
does black cod have a rich flavor often described as buttery,
it’s nourishing to the brain with high levels of Omega-3 fatty
acids — more than Chinook salmon! Those looking to try this
tasty fish without preparing it themselves can wander over
to Local Ocean Seafoods across from the docs and order the
black cod dinner, which is always locally caught. If you have a
moment, pit stop in thefish market and glance into their case
to see what boat your fish came from.
Pacific halibut is another smart seafood choice because it is
sustainably managed, with a highly regulated season. For
the year of 2020, there were more fishing days available to
fishermen, which in return meant more halibut being sold
right off of the dock.
Fill your freezer, break out the mason jars and get down on
some canning, or maybe strike a conversation with a local
fisherman. To get a new recipe to try out with your locally
caught seafood! Which sustainably caught fish has you
wanting to run down to the docks?
OC WAVES • VOL 3.9
Salmon trollers supply fresh chinook salmon to markets. The boats
vary in size from 18-foot day boats to trip boats up to 60 feet.
Smaller vessels return to port daily whereas larger vessels might
stay at sea up to eight days.
A troller fishes for salmon by towing a number of lures or baited
hooks through the water. Fishing lines are rigged to a pair of
outriggers (trolling poles) three to six inches in diameter. When
lowered, the outriggers hold the fishing lines away from the boat.
A type of wedge stabilizer (flopper stopper) might also be attached to each outrigger to help stabilize the
boat. When not in use, the outriggers are held vertically by brackets secured to a crossbeam (crosstree) on the
masthead. The gear is built to withstand the shock of hard-striking fish. Many of the vessels have a trolling pit
in the stern so that fishermen can steer while operating the gear.
Stainless steel lines are fished from each outrigger. Two to six lines are used, and each line is limited to
four lures on monofilament leaders (spreads) attached at intervals of two to four fathoms (a fathom equals
six feet). A 10- to 50-pound weight (cannon ball) takes each line to the desired depth. Fishing lines are set
and retrieved using hydraulic gurdies (mechanical cranks). To spread out the lures and to
prevent tangles, the crew uses float bags to float up to two lines per side behind the boat.
LURES
The lures, which are barbless, can be fished from just under the surface down to 80
fathoms, at speeds of one to four knots. They include spoons, flashers, plastic or rubber
squid (hootchies), and natural baits, such as anchovy or herring. Fish depth, troll speed,
type of lure, and area fished all help to determine the number and species of salmon
caught. Professional trollers can easily target the species they want to catch. Current
fishing regulations protect wild Oregon coho, and so salmon trollers fish deeper to catch chinook.
The fisherman uses the gurdie to bring in the fish. The fish is stunned, gaffed on board, bled, dressed, and
washed before it is stored in an iced or refrigerated hold. Salmon trollers can fish up to 50 miles offshore. The
season usually occurs from April through October.
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