Fishing at North Pacific Ocean (Umpqua Beach-Bullards Beach), Oregon → Explore Fishing Spots & Catches

Recent Catches At North Pacific Ocean (Umpqua Beach-Bullards Beach)

This post includes four days camping on the Oregon coast (after attending the US Olympic track trials in Eugene which was epic). We did family nature hikes in the morning and I would fish in the afternoon. It was an awesome place to camp. The bay was generally calm, which was great for launching and paddling out, but it always surprises me how much bigger the swell is once you get out there. Waves were crashing on the outer reef each day, so I played it relatively near-shore in my little Walmart kayak. I think it probably says “not for ocean use” somewhere on it. Still, all those days out on Horsetooth in foul weather have paid off with the ability to control it pretty well in the wind and waves. I also tend to forget how much more weight I need to use in these kind of conditions compared to freshwater fishing. Even in only 10-15 feet of water, 1/2oz jigs proved to be too light. A 1oz spoon was practically floating. Finally a 1oz jig with a swimbait got into the zone and produced strikes. The bite was somewhat slow, but I caught multiple fish on every outing and never got skunked. I caught several very nice black rock fish, and a handful of decent kelp greenlings. It rained one afternoon, which combined with the wind left me shivering by the time I paddled in. Still, I caught my PB black rockfish that day at around 22 inches and 5+ pounds. I only fished artificials, and never tried any bait. I would bet I’d have caught more of other species if I’d dropped some squid or shrimp down there, but I was committed to working on my technique and targeting decent-sized piscivorous gamefish. Absolutely would love to spend more time on the Oregon coast and fish other areas there.