Columbia River Bass

[lskiles]

I hesitate to ask this question because I am not an experienced fisherman and it may seem a foolish question and with the anonymous (read as cowardly) flamer Judge Wapner out there I do not know how this will be responded to.

There is an island near Frenchman’s Bar in Clark County called Caterpillar Island and it makes kind of a slew between the bank and island. There are some private moorings and piers and a WDFW boat launch with no dock. I have been fishing this area for three weeks and the first time I was there a fellow fisherman told me he had caught a few yellow perch and three bass. I have caught nothing but perch. I tried to throw a lizard on a jig head. I like to use worms, but I get nothing but the perch. One piece of advice was to go out farther and deeper, the perch got bigger, but no bass. I tried using no float, just rigging a worm and tossing it out with a couple of split shot and playing it across the bottom...I got more perch. There are some weeds to deal with, but not too bad. There is no structure that I can tell except some old wood in one spot, but the water is less than 18" deep. I would like to have some advice as to what I might try to get into some of the bass.

[cavdad45]

Relax, you aren't going to get flamed!!! Keep posting!

Sorry, I don't have any real answers for that area because I have never fished there. But let me ask you a couple about it and maybe we can get you going in the right direction.
1. How wide and deep is that slough?
2. Is it affected by the tides?
3. Does it move or is it stagnant?
4. Do the fish have ready access to the river or are they trapped?

[GJorgy]

Might try spinnerbaits or crank baits.

[lskiles]

Thanks in advance for the help.

1. How wide and deep is that slough? It is about 125 to 150' wide.
2. Is it affected by the tides? Yes, I have noticed the water rise and fall. The area with the old wood is almost completely out of the water at low tide
3. Does it move or is it stagnant? The water does move. Not very quickly, but it moves.
4. Do the fish have ready access to the river or are they trapped? The slough is open-ended. The boaters are launching there and going out onto Mighty Columbia for BIG fishes.

I had considered the drop-shot, but was not sure how effective it would be. The only time I tried it was at Lacamas Lake and all I caught were perch...lol

[lskiles]

Might try spinnerbaits or crank baits.

I have a few spinnerbaits in my box and even a couple of crankbaits. Trouble is I do not know how to use them well.
I just read an article by Dub La Shot about crankbaits that was pretty helpful. http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/cr ... asics.html
I may get a chance to go out one day this week before dark and try the two baits...who knows. Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while!

[the1fishingpro]

I dont know if you want to take my advice or not, but when I fish the columbia, I use the drop-shot method with nightcrawlers. I havent fished it for a while, but I have caught a 2lb small mouth and a couple .5lbers. I know that perch have bit my pole, but i dont set the hook because i can tell which is a bass and which is a perch. I would recommend the drop shot method, just dont set the hook on the smaller bites. Hope you succeed.

[lskiles]

I dont know if you want to take my advice or not, but when I fish the columbia, I use the drop-shot method with nightcrawlers. I havent fished it for a while, but I have caught a 2lb small mouth and a couple .5lbers. I know that perch have bit my pole, but i dont set the hook because i can tell which is a bass and which is a perch. I would recommend the drop shot method, just dont set the hook on the smaller bites. Hope you succeed.

Thanks Kieth, I will take all the advice I can get if it helps me get more fish!!
Do you use a texas-rig or a carolina rig on the crawlers?
I read the article in tackle box tales on drop-shot [ http://www.washingtonlakes.com/ReadArti ... =15&id=260 ] and found that to be very informative, but he has a drawing with a plastic worm rigged in a fashion that I do not think would do well for a real worm...

[cavdad45]

Fish the incoming tide with a Rat-L-Trap or a spinnerbait. Move your lure with the current because that's the direction the fish are looking for their meals. You can still get away with a faster lure there because river fish are less affected by the passing cold front. You may even try a large spoon lure like a Johnson Silver Minnow.

When the tide starts going out change directions and follow the current, though that bite won't last as long because as the water level drops the bass will move to deeper cover.

Slack tides are when I would be looking for fish with plastic worms and jigs.

That's where I would start.

[islandbass]

lskiles,

As you have learned, Perch are suckers for live worms. Going the soft plastic worm route (or really whatever else you'd like to add to the hook) just might be your ticket to get the bass to bite.

My brother lives in the Portland area and is a newbie on the Columbia and to fishing. Maybe you and he ought to to hook up.

Good luck!

PS. The drop shot will also catch perch, unfortunately.

[Judge Wapner]

I would never judge you Iskiles unless you ended up in my courtroom. You are alright in my my book and I would not throw it at you like I would to some of these children around here.