Bass Fishing the Columbia

[fisherman92]

Hey guys,

My friends and I are planning on taking a trip to the Columbia to fish small mouth sometime in the spring near Goldendale at Maryhill state park. We were thinking of going the month of May but I wanted to see if anyone had incite on the best times to fish the Columbia for bass in that area. I am very familiar with bass fishing, just haven't fished the Columbia for them before. Any tips on best time of year, techniques, and depth would be awesome.

Also my buddy states there's no limit and he does eat and store a lot of bass when he has the opportunity. Does anyone know this to be true? I haven't checked the regs yet. Should we retain the fish if we know they will be eaten for the sake of helping the other salmon/steelhead species.

Hope everyone's having a great 2017!

[Larry3215]

I have the same questions. We've only tried fishing for bass one time in the Columbia and that was below Wanapum dam, so a long way from an expert. We caught a few small mouth that were too small to keep in a back water behind a giant bolder. We tried plastic worms, swim baits, jigs, spinners and anything else we had in the box.

As far as eating them, thats a touchy subject with a lot of guys. I say if its legal, its your choice. I love bass as table fare, but Im all for releasing them because I think they are disappearing way to fast and couldnt care less if they eat a few salmon smolt

[fisherman92]

Yeah I don't eat them myself. There are some lakes local where my buddy will keep some, but that's smaller bass within the limit in lakes that are overpopulated with bass. I have bass fished my whole life and I've seen LMB populations in Goodwin go way down but SMB go up (or so it seems to me). I think keeping bass in the Columbia is fine since I have read they are a nuisance fish. There are other lakes I have fished on the east side where SMB are over abundant and in those cases who cares if you keep them. Not sure if my views will offend people, but if its a system overrun with bass I encourage people to keep them to help the population of bass and other fish.
I do C&R 99.9% of what I catch including salmon, bass, trout, etc.
All views and tips are welcome though! Thanks!

[Amx]

If a lake/river is over populated with Bass then keep as many as you can legaly and morally, it will only help the population by cutting down on the numbers of fish eating the same food, thus the other fish will get bigger because then have more food per fish to eat.

The river is a great place to keep a few fish, some lakes can be good to keep a limit now and then, some lakes it's not good to keep even one fish. I figure if any fish are kept it should be a smallie as they take over a lake and the largies suffer.

On that part of the Columbia a 1/8th to 1/4 oz round jig with a grub can be good. Of course other smallie baits can be good also, you just have to find the fish and where they are 'today'. I'd try the grub, 1/2oz skirted jig, worm on a shaky-head, crankbaits of course, top water, dropshot, carolina rig, the usual stuff. Any wood, docks, rocks, shoreline stuff a senko, worm, spinnerbait. Look for gravel, rocks, wood, over hanging trees and brush, and grasses. Pay attention to the current breaks and eddies along the shoreline.

[fisherman92]

Thanks Tom & Larry.
I do agree with everything and thanks for the tips! I will definitely let everyone know how we do after this spring trip.

[Amx]

If you are down in the Pacific/Auburn area some time this winter, stop in at Limit Out Marine. Russ and Chris can tell you about that area. It's been 20 years since I fished in that area of the river.

[Fordtuff]

If there is an abundance of them I'll keep some sometimes. They taste great. And can stunt themselves if they overpopulate an area. I always release the big ones though. I personally hope that fish and wildlife fails miserably in their effort to reduce them in the Columbia.

[Larry3215]

If there is an abundance of them I'll keep some sometimes. They taste great. And can stunt themselves if they overpopulate an area. I always release the big ones though. I personally hope that fish and wildlife fails miserably in their effort to reduce them in the Columbia.

Me too!!

[sbasser]

Read the notice in the Regs about mercury...they say it's ok to eat some, but not a lot. I'm not sure what they expect folks to do with the bass they want us to "harvest", since they also warn about mercury poisoning and for pregnant women & kids not to eat them. If I catch one and it bleeds badly, I give it to the neighbors. Which is illegal, OBTW.

[Amx]

Not illegal. You have to give the recipients of the fish a piece of paper with your name, address, and phone number on it. Stating what fish it is, where you caught it, and when you caught it. That requirement info is in the regulations.

[Mike Carey]

We have a few bass videos on fishing the Columbia in that very area. They are all fishing in September but I'm thinking the fishing is somewhat similar (Amx is probably shaking his head at my amateur statement!). Anyway, here's a few.

[Amx]

Na, I wouldn't shake my head, just laugh alot. Now I have to watch the vids again to see what you said. lol

[Larry3215]

Where were you guys in that last 2009 video? It almost looks like The Dales area?

[branweeds]

Hey Tanner,
I am taking a trip down there with one of my buddies over memorial day weekend (25th-29th). We are going for smallies on the Columbia and then up to Moses lake as well, and wherever we hear about in between! Hit me up if you are looking to get on a bass boat around that time down there
Brandon

[fisherman92]

Hey man,
We are actually going the weekend before 19-21st. haha
We will have 2 bass boats with us. We Might try Horsetheif lake as well as a couple others in the area??
I will have to remember to let you know how it goes out there before you go. I still have your number from Whatcom creek too!

[branweeds]

That would be much appreciated!

[sbasser]

Take some really heavy dropshot weights, 'cause 1/2 oz probably won't be adequate for the current. Only time I've fished the main river was at Brewster. I was on my way north and didn't want to waste too much battery, but TM being on 10 was about what it took to hold position in the current.

[Mike Carey]

Maryhill area.

[sbasser]

Driving E. on I-84 from Portland once, I was thinking "my, how pretty!" and "uh, maybe there's a boat launch along here?" When the highway got closer to the water, I thought "I'm going to need a bigger boat." Couldn't see the whitecaps from much of the highway. Had the same thought going N. from Wenatchee one Spring, with swirling eddies all over the river. A 36' bass boat would have been about right, I figured. That area can be really ugly, so be cautious, and if that doesn't help, be really careful. Have you thought about launching at Kalama or Ridgefield as alternatives? Ridgefield is quite protected waters, launching onto "Bachelor Slough". I've fished adjoining "lake River" a couple of times via canoe. As always, any place you see inflow...fish there! Steve