ASTORIA - Curtains of mist slowly steam across soft ocean swells toward the distant coastline; a one-way journey, doomed to desiccation by inland heat.



Buzz Ramsey slumps into his seat, more instantly steamed by a hot coho salmon that's just run amok through the trolling motor's prop, where it's disappeared from the end of his broken line.



Even the swivel is gone.



Son Bill Monroe Jr., net in hand and no reason to swing it, starts to turn toward Buzz for consolation - and spots the salmon...still tethered to the leader...which in turn is still tied on the swivel...which is stuck in the prop.



Even better; the puzzled coho has calmed and Bill can see it's missing it's adipose fin, marking it as a hatchery fish.



Moments later, Buzz dons his iconic cowboy hat and poses with his prize, second of the day.



Ramsey, brand manager for the Yakima Bait Co., traditionally joins Bill and I and another friend, Trey Carskadon of O'Loughlin Trade Shows, for the first outing of the season at Buoy 10.



The Columbia river re-opened to salmon fishing Wednesday.



On Thursday, however, dampened by slow early chinook reports inside and lured by both pleasant weather and good coho fishing outside, we opt to cross the bar.



Porpoise join us between the jetties as pelicans, shearwaters and gulls cross our wake. In the distance, a humpback whale breeches, celebrating its own good fishing and a sure sign there's bait enough to go around.



Carmen Curtz of Portland, Bill Jr.'s good luck charm, strikes first - and second,

Carmen Curtz of Portland dispatches a coho salmon, caught Thursday in the Pacific Ocean off the mouth of the Columbia River.

third and fourth, releasing two wild fish and landing her limit before any of the rest of us even get a bite.



Then the fishing is steady and by noon we've filled the fish box.



Coho are unusually large for this early, fat butterballs with deep shoulders.



We ride the tide home, our own shoulders facing the sparkling spray as mist surrenders to sunshine.



Buoy 10: Chinook fishing was slow for the opening, but there are fish inside.



Fishing improved Friday and Saturday morning as the run begins entering the river on stronger tides over the next two weeks.



Chinook fishing closes Aug. 24 downriver from Tongue Point, but coho remains open. Upriver from Tongue Point, chinook angling and bag limits are incremental. Look online for details.

Sea lion bill poised: A Senate committee has passed the long-awaited bill expanding the area where sea lions can be lethally controlled to keep them from further damaging salmon and steelhead runs.



The House of Representatives has already passed a similar version, leaving it now up to the full Senate - hopefully before the summer break.



Oregon senators Wyden and Merkley can help with that, but need to hear from their constituents - and soon.



The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reported a new high of 50-60 sea lions feasted this past winter and spring below Willamette Falls, taking approximately 3,200 salmon and steelhead, including 18 percent of the deeply troubled winter steelhead run.



The department has already warned continued predation at these rates is likely to drive that run extinct.



Give them a break: As summer heat persists, so do high water temperatures - lethal for fish.



Already, emergency closures are in place for the Umpqua River. They include closures of cooler tributaries and the area around their entries into the lower mainstem, and a 2 p.m. closure of the fabled fly water in the North Umpqua.

Washington announced a Columbia River chinook fishing closure around the mouth of the Yakima River for the same reason.

Anglers everywhere can help by only fishing in the mornings; landing fish quickly to conserve their energy; releasing fish in deeper water, and reviving the fish before the release.



Or better yet, fish in the ocean or high Cascade lakes.





Coho salmon in the ocean are averaging larger than usual for this early in the season.

(For coastal bay anglers, including Buoy 10, remember saltwater is heavier than fresh so it tends to remain more concentrated on the bottom and moves into the rivers with the tide. Thus, the water may be warmer on the surface, but cooler along the bottom - where fishing is best.)



Licenses, tags on smartphones: Oregon hunters and anglers can shift their licenses and tags - including reporting - to smartphones (or tablets) starting Dec. 1, when new documents become available for 2019.



No paper will be required for those using the electronic option. Simply use the device to record fish, deer, elk, etc.



Paper will be available for those who want to continue using hard copies, but only regular paper and it will have to be protected against the elements (plastic bags, etc.)



A question-answer option is now online and will be expanded as more questions arise.



Go to https://myodfw.com/articles/odfws-new-electronic-licensing-system-els.



- Bill Monroe