Fished the Columbia River near The Dalles, OR this weekend. Launched my Hobie PA12 360 at 5:30am and it was already light out. Could have easily launched at 5:00. It was 50 degrees and sunny when I launched, headed for a high of 80 degrees today.
Started out with a Rapala Skitter V Topwater over some rocky flats that looked awesome, but no bites or follows. The topwater bite should start soon, but I think it is still a bit too early.
Terminator Pro Spinnerbait got lots of fish today!
I switched to a white 3/8oz Terminator Pro Series Spinnerbait along a rip-rap wall and was rewarded with several two to three pound smallmouth. I worked the Spinnerbait for an hour or so and landed at least 10 bass..all about the same size.
Look at the red eyes on this one!
After fishing for about a mile, I turned around to head back to the launch. I switched to weightless green pumpkin Senko rigged on a VMC Wide Gap 3/0 hook. They definitely liked it! I cought several right in a row where I had just been fishing with the spinnerbait. Every cast for at least 4 casts was a fish, again they were all in the 2 to 3 pound class
I caught several more, but the bite slowed down, so I switched to a new for 2022 Rapala Crankbait that I just received sample of. It is a small crank bait that dives to four feet, craw colored with a small bill. The fish loved it, literally every cast I was getting hit. Most of the fish I landed had the bait in their mouth, but some had it in their back, face or belly. These males are just so aggressive right now. I will write more about the lure as we approach ICAST.
Mt Hood was Spectacular today!
It was another great day on the Columbia river!