by Jason Brooks, May 03, 2016

The Dalles, OR-Later this month the prized Spring Chinook run will dwindle in the Columbia River Gorge. Don’t put away the rods just yet as other opportunities pick up with the water temperatures warming. Smallmouth bass get ready to spawn in early May. By late May into June the fish move into the shallows looking for food and places to make their spawning beds. This pre-spawn causes them to become increasingly aggressive and hungry. The sloughs, coves, bays and current points found in the backwaters of The Dalles Dam to the base of John Day Dam are warming up and the bass are on the bite.

When not working in the fishing department at Sportco in Fife, WA. Curtis Blunck can be found bass fishing various American Bass Association and Northwest Bass Circuit tournaments throughout the Pacific Northwest including the lower Columbia River region. With a few top 10 finishes in recent years Curtis is always willing to talk bass fishing and give some tips on how to find and catch smallmouth; “A great way to locate fish is to throw out a crank bait and drop the trolling motor slowly cruising likely areas until you catch a fish”. Blunck’s favorite crank bait is a rattle trap in the Shad pattern as it look like a typical baitfish or smolt that the smallmouths in the Columbia feed on. Another great lure is a Brad’s Wiggler in Red-Black Crawfish.



Curtis is quick to point out, “Keep in mind this is a river with current so you need to think a little like a steelhead fisherman. Look for seems and boulders or points that create a break in the flows, where the fish can sit and rest while food comes at them.” As the water temperatures rise the fish move up and into the shallow waters preparing to spawn once the temps hit 55 to 60 degrees. During this pre-spawn the fish need to eat a lot as they won’t eat much once they lay the nest. Blunck added, “They really put on the feedbag once the pre-spawn starts” and will make the switch to tube baits with a 1/8 ounce jig head, “I like white or chartreuse” with the water clarity making the difference on which color to use. A pro-staffer for Trokar hooks, Blunck stressed that sharp hooks are a must as well as changing up to a weedless hook in shallow water where the weeds can become a problem. He also runs braided mainline on his Okuma reels so he can fight the aggressive fish to the boat as quickly as possible, take a quick photo and then send them back to feeding.

We used Blunck’s advice last year while out fishing for bass with my son Ryan and my step-father, Willie Ross. We trolled along the edge of an island and a weed bed where the smallmouths were waiting for smolts and other smaller fish. After only going about a hundred yards the rod bent over and a big bass was jumping and thrashing around. These fish fight hard and are really fun to catch. We lost that one but a few minutes later it was fish on again. We continued to bass fish, after a morning of chasing walleye’s around, until the sun was too hot and we called it a day. This is probably one of the best parts about bass fishing this part of the Columbia River, the mornings are brisk and calm and the scenery is incredible. By mid-day the famed winds kick up and it’s time to motor back to the launch and enjoy other parts of the gorge.



A great base camp is the Maryhill State Park on the Washington side of the river. This state park offers camping, a small swim area for those hot days, and an excellent boat launch. You can even fish from shore and catch smallmouths. It is located near Maryhill museum and Washington’s “Stonehenge” a replica of the one in Europe. Another option is to stay at the Columbia Hills State Park that has a rough launch with no dock into the Columbia but also contains Horsethief Lake, a great place to swim and relax or do a little largemouth bass fishing.

There are several small rock islands within a few miles upriver of Maryhill State Park. These islands create current breaks and often have shallow coves on one side or the other that hold fish. Smallmouths like waters in 5 to 20 feet this time of year. Just downstream of Maryhill is the large Miller Island, a former cattle ranch that is now a wildlife sanctuary. Miller Island has a shallow shelf on the Oregon side and a large cove on the Washington side with weed beds. It is also large enough to create a wind break so you can avoid being blown around but keep an eye on the main part of the river as you will need to navigate it safely to get back to the boat launch. If the waters get rough it is time to head in.



Just past Miller Island is the mouth of the Deschutes River on the Oregon side. The calm waters at the mouth are great for bass fishing but if you enter the river’s mouth, under the I-84 Bridge you are now in Oregon waters and need an Oregon fishing license as well as make sure to check the regulations as the Deschutes is heavily regulated. There is also a rough launch just inside the river’s mouth for smaller boats. When fishing the main Columbia a fishing license from either Oregon or Washington is valid but you must follow the state laws that you hold the license for and make sure the check the regulations for size and slot limits if you want to keep any. Most of those that fish for smallmouths like the challenge and fight of these aggressive fish and release them to catch another day.