by John Kruse, December 01, 2004

Even now, there are bass to be caught on the Columbia River. The Celilo Pool, situated on the border of Oregon and Washington, is a great but little known smallmouth bass destination. This part of the Columbia River between The Dalles and John Day Dams offers fishing year round, and presents great opportunities for bass from early spring all the way through fall.



In September I had the opportunity to fish here with Travis Klein, a Diiachi Tackle representative and bass tourney angler. Travis was preparing to leave for the Euro Bass Cup, where he and the rest of the U.S. Team went head to head with anglers from across Europe at a tournament held in Spain. (Yes, our team did win).

The day before I went out with Travis, he and another angler caught 50 smallmouth bass in the Celilo Pool. As we launched from Maryhill State Park, it was clear things were going to be tougher as we made our way through choppy water towards Miller Island, west of the US 97 Bridge linking Oregon and Washington.

While Travis enjoys using a drop shot technique with soft plastic baits to catch bass; the breezy day dictated the use of crankbaits instead. The decision was a good one. Using Norman Deep Little N’s and Rattletraps, we soon caught a number of fish, to include a nice 3 ½ -pound smallmouth. One trick Travis swears by is the use of a Bleeding Bait brand treble hook as the lead hook on his plugs. The red color simulates a gill flash, which is a feeding signal for other fish. After landing 20 bass in less than four hours, I was a believer not only in the hooks and lures, but also in Travis’s ability to locate fish.

Travis loves to fish for smallmouth on the Columbia, and likes to look for them around islands, isolated rip-rap, and bridge pilings. He particularly likes to focus along rocky points that provide current breaks in the river. In the Celilo Pool, there are a number of places that offer these fish holding places. Besides Miller Island, the mouth of the Deschutes River is also a good bet for smallies. Travis has caught smallmouth on the Columbia in December, though the fish are decidedly sluggish at this time of year. The fishing begins to pick up in February and from March until November, the fishing is usually very good.

If you go, try for a morning trip. This stretch of the river is popular with windsurfers for good reason, and by afternoon the water is a far better place for them than for an angler trying to keep a tight line.



A version of this article appeared in the Oregon and Washington Editions of Fishing and Hunting News in Oct 2004.