Northwest Fishing Reports

Me and my Dad fished Mcintosh lake today for HOURS and caught nothing. I had one smallish LMB follow a black/blue vibrashock, wouldn't bite though. Other than that, not a single strike for either of us. We used spinner baits, kreature baits, vibrashocks, a little bit with a senko. I tried all the colors I had, from white, chart, black/blue, brown, greens, everything. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated...

I think we are going to try Offut tomorrow. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get there from Spanaway? Any tips for me? I've never fished Offut before, but hear it's pretty good.

Sorry,I'm no good at bass fishing. Try to PM bigbasstaz about Offut.He knows this lake very well

"Me and my Dad fished Mcintosh lake today for HOURS and caught nothing. I had one smallish LMB follow a black/blue vibrashock, wouldn't bite though. Other than that, not a single strike for either of us. We used spinner baits, kreature baits, vibrashocks, a little bit with a senko. I tried all the colors I had, from white, chart, black/blue, brown, greens, everything. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated...

I think we are going to try Offut tomorrow. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get there from Spanaway? Any tips for me? I've never fished Offut before, but hear it's pretty good."





You get days or stretches like that where the fishing can be non productive. I have bass fished for a long time. I took my dad to McIntosh last year and only caught one fish. Some days are like that. As far as advice, the baits you mentioned (not sure what a vibrashock is) are good choices. Personally, I like the Senko the most of those you mentioned. You might get more responses too if you elaborate and tell where you were fishing ie: around the edge, timber, docks etc. Also, getting a book and read about the 'behavioral tendencies and needs' of largemouth bass.' I would also focus on learning how to fish a low number of baits. Get good at throwing a few rather than throwing a dozen types. For fishing on the bottom, creature baits are good. Not as heavy as a jig and pig which means lighter poles will work. Senkos are super versitile. Texas rigged for timber/docks or wacky style for top waterish application of twitching over emerging weeds or outside weedlines. Lastly, sometimes those bass need a super obnoxious bait like a spinnerbait. I don't use one much, but on occasion it did the trick. Are you mainly fishing for largemouth or smallmouth? I would highly suggest looking into learning how to dropshot too. I believe Auburn Sports and Marine will have monthly bass clinics too. Good luck -

Jon Werner

It is alawys best to fish at the right times watch the tide and the moon faze.Many people think O its a great day to fish go out and get notta. The tide and the moon will cause fish to get in to a feeding frenzy this is what I use every time I go out. If the tide is low the fishing is very slow you might get one if your lucky. right now the tide is good in the am and late pm the moon faze is not good at all. So plan your trips on this and you should get something. Check out the "Links" on the home page.

Trent Hale wrote:It is alawys best to fish at the right times watch the tide and the moon faze.Many people think O its a great day to fish go out and get notta. The tide and the moon will cause fish to get in to a feeding frenzy this is what I use every time I go out. If the tide is low the fishing is very slow you might get one if your lucky. right now the tide is good in the am and late pm the moon faze is not good at all. So plan your trips on this and you should get something. Check out the "Links" on the home page.

My GPS has a feature that shows the best days and times to fish, but I have found that the information it provides is pretty much worthless. Some of my most successful fishing trips were on "poor" days and at bad times according the the GPS. I've also been skunked on the best days at ideal times...

HillbillyGeek wrote:

Trent Hale wrote:It is alawys best to fish at the right times watch the tide and the moon faze.Many people think O its a great day to fish go out and get notta. The tide and the moon will cause fish to get in to a feeding frenzy this is what I use every time I go out. If the tide is low the fishing is very slow you might get one if your lucky. right now the tide is good in the am and late pm the moon faze is not good at all. So plan your trips on this and you should get something. Check out the "Links" on the home page.

My GPS has a feature that shows the best days and times to fish, but I have found that the information it provides is pretty much worthless. Some of my most successful fishing trips were on "poor" days and at bad times according the the GPS. I've also been skunked on the best days at ideal times...

Yea I know what you mean I've done the same Right now its the spawn or the cold fronts. But my best days were when every thing was right ect.

they are in spawning mode and can be tough fishing. alot less aggresive fish that are willing to bite, unless you get lucky and put a lure on there bed. they just arent hungry right now, and could care less about food. think of a teenager gonig through puberty lol, what they are really looking to do is get frisky with the opposite sex. in a couple of weeks post spawn will start and thats when they put on the feed bag big time.

TNJ822 said it best "if you get lucky and land on there bed" You have a great chance of getting bit .. Some lakes dont offer clear visibility upwards to 15 ft and lake give you 15ft down and even more .. So , it's obvious to cast @ the visible beds but if no fish are on them then what now right ? ... This is where you need to get out some search baits and start to cover water .. Rattletraps , crankbaits , spinnerbaits , carolina rigs , jigs, tubes etc .. These are all baits that great for making long cast and staying in contact with bottom and they will run right across beds that are not visual to the angler .. Also keep in mind that the bigger bass will make there beds futher out from the shoreline .. My theory while fishing is to start Deeper and slowy work myself out up shallow until i get at least 3 fish from the same depth , and thats when i stay with the depth for as long as can .. When bass are doing what they are suppose to based on seasons patterns there easy to catch , but based on the up and down conditions we have been faced with here the spring the bass are already doing the big three " pre spawn, spawning, post spawn" this will go on for the next few months the key is to figure out what stage offers the most numbers on that lake for that day .... this why some days are better than others this time of year , think about how much time you spend in a particular depth .. just my opinion ... BBD

HillbillyGeek wrote:

Trent Hale wrote:It is alawys best to fish at the right times watch the tide and the moon faze.Many people think O its a great day to fish go out and get notta. The tide and the moon will cause fish to get in to a feeding frenzy this is what I use every time I go out. If the tide is low the fishing is very slow you might get one if your lucky. right now the tide is good in the am and late pm the moon faze is not good at all. So plan your trips on this and you should get something. Check out the "Links" on the home page.

My GPS has a feature that shows the best days and times to fish, but I have found that the information it provides is pretty much worthless. Some of my most successful fishing trips were on "poor" days and at bad times according the the GPS. I've also been skunked on the best days at ideal times...

Hillybilly, I agree completely. I have been fishing for 40+ years and I have tried all of the so called charts.

For salt water fishing they really work, after all, you actually get a tide in the ocean. For fresh water, I think you get a couple of inches of tide in the Great lakes - not enough to matter. I see some minor differences with the moon phases, but not enough to outweigh weather, temperature, wind, barometric pressure, etc.

Still, if it gives Trent, or anyone else, confidence, then I see no reason not to use them as a tool. As for me, I go fishing when I get the time and the weather suites me. Having said that, I think I'll go fishing today.

Later

Logan80 wrote:Me and my Dad fished Mcintosh lake today for HOURS and caught nothing. I had one smallish LMB follow a black/blue vibrashock, wouldn't bite though. Other than that, not a single strike for either of us. We used spinner baits, kreature baits, vibrashocks, a little bit with a senko. I tried all the colors I had, from white, chart, black/blue, brown, greens, everything. I'm starting to get a bit frustrated...

I think we are going to try Offut tomorrow. Can anyone tell me the easiest way to get there from Spanaway? Any tips for me? I've never fished Offut before, but hear it's pretty good.

I don't know your lakes, so it is hard to tell you what to do, but...............

Consider this, no mater how good the baits you are using, they will not catch fish in your bath tub.

OK, your not fishing your bath tub, but on most lakes, the amount of lake that has no fish in it is extreme. I was in a discussion just yesterday with a fisheries biologist and we were taking about how 10% of trout are in the top few feet of water, 75% of trout are near or on the bottom, leaving only 15% scattered through the mid water column, usually migrating from top to bottom or back to the top. Nevertheless, most trollers for trout fish the 15% exclusively.

So, what does this have to do with you, well again, I'm not sure, but perhaps, just perhaps, you are not fishing where the fish are right now. If the water is in the 50s, then the bass may indeed be on the beds. If you catch LMB right now, expect to fish slow, very slow, with shaky heads, lizards, wacky worms etc. I don't fish the beds, but this will work (practice c&r please if you do).

If the water is in the 60s, the fish may have moved just off the edges of the weed lines to recover, but will soon be feeding normally again. LMB can be caught right now, but you need to be close to cover; cover like drop offs, weeds, brush, downed trees, lilly pads, rock rip rap, etc.

There are a lot of good starter books you can get. I have seen goods ones at K-Mart and at Wal*Mart, as well as Cabelas and Sportsman's Warehouse. I suggest that there are people on her that can suggest there favorite books.

Better yet, see if you can make a friend on this site and you and your dad can go with a Mentor and learn the ropes. If you happen to make it near Spokane, PM me and I'll see if we can set up a trip.

i went out today and some of them were post spawn. they were hitting crankbaits pretty good.

Alot of times when all your baits arent working a nightcrawler will do the trick. I have caught some hogs off them.

Fishaholic wrote:Alot of times when all your baits arent working a nightcrawler will do the trick. I have caught some hogs off them.

Dude did you really just say use a "nightcrawler" .. lol .. Please dont insult my tackle bag that i have invested hundreds of dollars into . please dont do that , So i will say this and end mine . I bet you anything that i can out fish your nightcrawler on lake washington any day of week just let me know . Till then keep exploring your tackle box guys ,there is a bait in there that will get it done . I went to washington on saturday and got 10 smallies by myself , my partner got 6 and we lost about 4 .. by the way no "live bait " was used ...

Drewp wrote:

LOL ..alright drew no teasing ..

I'm sorry that I can catch big bass such as six pound smallies on lake tapps with three dollar night crawlers just as you can do with your HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS tackle box. And also I have plenty of different lures that I use I was just throwing out an idea that has worked for me to this guy. So sorry if you think you are too "cool to use worms" but I use what works for me which includes a wide variety of lures worms are just an option I turn to once in awhile.

*Editor's Note: this post was edited due to a crude comment directed at another member. Mike

As for the challenge by BBD, I think you two should go out, fish, and let us know the results. It would be interesting... :bball: