i've never caught a smallmouth. never fished for 'em; don't have a clue how to catch 'em but would like to learn.

can some of you give me a bit of start-up guidance, please? HUNTER 1973, you recently posted a photo of a smallie from banks lake; can you offer me any suggestions?

thanks in advance to all who can give me a shove in the right direction.

Big John,

While I've never taken the time to fish hard for them, I've caught them over at the Potholes.

Was fishing along the base of the dam in about 3-5 feet of water. That area is loaded with bass. Should still be and even at this time of year.

At the time we fished it, it was later in the year and we were tossing floaters.... and getting surface smacks.

Give it a try. I'm guessing you get out on the Pothole Rez a lot.

good all around smallie lures are those kalin grubs in 5 inch, smoke color, chartruese green/pepper , brown, especially if the lake has crawdads in it, fish similar colored lures, good cranks banks are the rapala fat raps crawdad colors, fire tiger, and also for top water, heddon makes some good top water action plugs..you ever heard of the john day river big john, it has more smallies than any river per mile, never fished it but have been readin about it..i used to fish the clearwater river in idaho,and my best day was using a floating rapala "trout color" about 5 inches long jigged on the surface and in about 5 mins i landed both a 17' and a 16" on that lure and over all landed several in the 14"- 15", if you plan on fishing rivers with a good trout/smolt population, the rapala "trout color" is a excellant choice for topwater and crankin situations..

thanks, BILL W and BERKELY BOY. geeze, i'm surprised that you would use a lure about 5 inches long. looks like i'll hafta go shoppin' at the lure store.

I'd use any attention getter lure and figure the smallmouth there would bite on it. I was gonna suggest a jig, but figured with the large riprock they use at the base of the dam that it would be real "grabby" on jigs.

If I did use a jig there I'd swim it and not hop it.... otherwise you may need a pay raise to be able to fish that area.

Well you have picked a good time to start fishing for the aswesome fighting fish. As the water temps in our local lakes hit 48 and above the SM start to spawn and going start eating or killing anything that comes near there beds. Meaning some of your best SM fishing can be had in the mid spring months.
Personal this time of the year when water temps are just over or near 48 I like to fish with crankbaits reterived slowing. I use the deep divers because you can reel them back slowly and they will dive over 10 ft deep. As the temps warm you can start to use surface baits. And have a blast. The bass will move in to 1-3 feet of water. Then as the water warms even more they will start to move back into deeper water. And you might have better luck with soft plastics.

Bass fishing is a kick in the pants. And those SM fight very well!

i want to go smallie fishing bad, but there isnt any rivers over here that support smallmouth, except the columbia, is there alot of access on the columbia by bank for smallies?

last august at potholes, we were fishing the face of the dam about 400 yards from the mar don docks. we were throwing 5" pumpkin fleck grubs on 1/4oz jigheads. as soon as the jig hit the water, we would have a fish on. no kidding you. you could barely reel the slack out of your line before something hammered it

we got a few in the 1-2 pound range, i dropped the jig down by the boat, saw a huge flash and whatever had smacked my jig instantly broke my line

tip: if you use jigs, bring lots of grubs, those smallmouth hit so hard that soft plastic only lasts for a couple of hits

BERKELY BOY: since the edges of the columbia are owned by the feds, i guess you could say there is a tremendous amount of "access." but i couldn't tell you where to start because i don't know where smallies hang out. some bank fishing possibilities include the vantage area (both sides of the river), the vicinity of the boat launch immediately below wanapum dam on the east shore (unless it is closed due to 9/11), and the now-game-department land previously known as the buckshot ranch, downstream from wanapum dam on the east shore, roughly west of mattawa.

anyone do any good on the columbia around vantage, for smallmouth? i may have to take a trip up there and camp for a night when it gets warmer, how bout any catfishin at night?

if you are on the west side of the mountains lake sammamish has a ton of smallies in it there all reel good size to fish the south end of the lake.

i dont have a boat so i was gonna bank it and if the columbia has tons of access, then thats no problem for me, cuz i like rock hoppin..

BERKELY BOY: the I-90 crossing of the columbia river at vantage is part bridge (the east part of the river) and part "causeway" (on the vantage side of the river). on both sides of the I-90 "causeway" is rock rip-rap, and if you like rock-hoppin' it seems like there is a good place to do it.

one problem, though: it is extremely noisy due to all the traffic. i have no idea what fishing success you would have there; i tried it once from a boat and had no luck, but i also really had no idea what to do to catch a smallmouth.

on the north side of I-90 at the vantage end of the "causeway-bridge" is a public launch and parking area and outhouse. south of vantage on the west side of the river is a place called "getty's cove" and a state park. on the east side of the river, again south of I-90, is a more-or-less sandy shore area (some rock, though) and at times lots of people tent camp there, right along the river.

north of I-90 on the east side of the river is where the old road (US 10, prior to I-90) drops down from the vicinity of george and literally goes right into the river. but to get there, you have to drive up on top to the silica road exit, west of george, and then find that old two-lane back down to the river.

hope this helps you a little.

john

thanks big john, i see the park as i drive over the bridge and notice some hot chicks there in the summer and we all know where there are hot chicks, there is good fishing..