Northwest Fishing Reports

Hi my name is Nick.
I'm new to bass fishing and haven't had any luck the last 4 Saturdays. Been fishing flowing and pine lake. Mostly using spinnerbaits and shallow crankbaits. Tried plastic Texas rigged worms as well. Really focusing around the docks. Hooked into one today one a white strikeking spinnerbait about 7 ft out from a dock, but lost him a few ft from the boat. I use a baitcaster. I'm just looking for any tips or advice. My buddy told me to try night crawlers and toss them around the docks and let them sink slow. I like using a crankbait and spinnerbait, but obv haven't been successful yet. I really don't know what depth to fish or where to target bass this time of yr. Thank you for any help.

DON'T use live bait/night crawlers, it'll kill the fish when they swallow the worm and hook. Then when they fight the line the hook can tear up the stomach and they'll die. We try to release most all big bass so they can reproduce. And there is a slot limit on Largemouth, and a max number of fish that can be kept that are over 17" for Largies, and 14" FOR sMALLIES. Most Bass fishermen only use artificial lures.

Now for the needed info;

how old are you, how long have been fishing-for any specie of fish, what gear/lures do you have, what lakes are close to where you live, do you have a boat of any kind, can you get to different lakes?

What you need to do is watch the bass fishing vids on this site, and on Youtube. Maybe join a local Bass club that can help with info and maybe even 'on the lake' help. Be sure to read as many of the threads in the Bass Forum that you can, even those that are 10 years old, take your time and you'll get to all of them. Might take a couple years but you'll get to read them all. LOL

Also you should go to the Bass Fishing seminars at Limit Out Performance Marine in Pacific, Wa. They can tell you when the next one is, it hasn't been announced yet.

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I'm 32, have a bass pole, 6.6ft med heavy with a fast action tip. 7:31 gear ratio baitcaster. Have. Couple spinnerbaits, 2 crankbaits, and 1 swimming jig. I have a bass raider boat. It's a plastic 10ft boat that's great for all the small lakes in snohomish county. I live in Everett. I've fished for mostly trout my entire life. I really want to catch bass. It's been a little frustrating the last month. And ok I won't use livebait.

food: Their food goes deep in winter and summer so fish depths accordingly. But there will always be bass shallow during the summer

techniques for Bass;

dropshot: 1 foot deep to 50 foot plus, depending on the time of year and the bass's needs for food.

crankbaits: Right now I fish from 1 foot to 10 foot with crankbaits and any lure that can be fished at those depths, or over/above those depths to draw the fish up, or catch the suspending bass. I will also have a deep diving crankbait tied on and I'll cast one that'll dive 15 to 20 feet.

spinnerbaits: same as crankbaits. Also fish them in and around the lily pad fields. Buzz/wake them on top, let them sink to any depths and slow drag them on the bottom like a jig.

plastic worms: fish them most anywhere including on the bottom on bare flats that seem to have no vegetation, there could be bass out there looking for crayfish and minnows and such. And skipped under docks, in pad fields, and brush.

jigs, same as worms. Also back in the densest brush and pads and under docks.

top water: jitterbugs, poppers, minnow shaped lures, floating plastic worms, Zara Spooks, Sammies, any other floating top water type of lure. Fish anywhere, over submergant vegitation, next to docks, brush, pads, anything. Let them sit, wiggle them, work the as needed to get the bass to strike. Buzzbaits and other buzzing type lures. Fish them over vegetation, next to docks, pads brush. Rubber frogs, ON the pads, next to the pads, in the allyways in the pad field, in the open area in the pad fields, even if that open area/spot is only 1 foot around, and over submerged vegetation.

What I do when I go fishing on any given day this time of year;

top water: floating lure fished slow, and let sit next to something that a fish can use for cover and the fish might come out and grab it while it's just sitting there not moving. Then just wiggle the lure without acually moving it. And over an area where there could be crayfish that the bass are looking for on the bottom in water 5 foot and less in depth. Over weeds. Next to docks and fish the lure the entire length of the side of a dock, along pad lines, etc.

shallow diving crankbait: dives 2 feet, maybe 4 feet at most. Fish the same areas where I fish the top water. After I fish an area with the crankbait I'll throw out a spinnerbait and see if the fish want something different.

mid diving crankbait: goes down about 6 to 10 feet. Fish around/along deeper docks, dropoffs, deep outside pad and weed edges. Spinnerbait, same as shallow, just let it sink for a bit, count 1 second for each foot it sinks before starting the retrieve.

deep diving crankbaits: same as mid diving. Also over really deep water like 30 feet deep. The fish might suspend from 5 foot deep to 40 feet deep and be over depths of 50 or 60 feet, ya don't know if they'll bite unless you throw something at them. Yes you can fish a spinnerbait on the bottom in 60 foot of water-if you want.

plastic worms, jigs: after fishing a spot with top water, & crankbaits I'll throw in a plastic worm or jig.

Skunkedtoomuch wrote:I'm 32, have a bass pole, 6.6ft med heavy with a fast action tip. 7:31 gear ratio baitcaster. Have. Couple spinnerbaits, 2 crankbaits, and 1 swimming jig. I have a bass raider boat. It's a plastic 10ft boat that's great for all the small lakes in snohomish county. I live in Everett. I've fished for mostly trout my entire life. I really want to catch bass. It's been a little frustrating the last month. And ok I won't use livebait.

Ok, so you aren't a kid that has no way to get to different lakes. There are also fishing stores in that area that can help, some store in Woodenville, and some other ones that I forget the names of, someone in that area/up north will post and help you out soon, today or tomorrow after the weekend is over. Lake Stevens is good for Bass, Big Lake, Goodwin is great for Smallies, and a couple other lakes I forget.

Also read all the fishing reports for the lake/lakes you want to fish.

Throw your trout rod in with a drop shot rig or weightless worm. AMX is giving good advice. Fish a area with a faster moving bait first then come back with a slower presentation. I like areas with deep water close. Some of.the fish are still post spawn so it might be tough but don't be afraid to move around on the lake instead of camping out on one area all day. Fish it well and move on. Good luck.

Fast and/or noisy lures for aggressive fish. Slower not so noisy lures for active fish. Slow or set-still lures for non-active fish.

Sit still lures are used in a way that is called 'dead sticking', and they wait for the bass to come over and pick it up. Lures like plastic worms, jigs, dropshot, and such are left sitting still before dragging, hopping, jerking them along, on, or above, the bottom. Even a floating top water, and crankbaits can be left floating still/dead sticking before working the lures. The best way to work a crankbait beside a dock or brush is to cast it, let it sit for 30 seconds, twitch it, let it sit for 10 seconds, then slowly crank it in and let it dive and work at it's designed depth. A Bass can grab it anywhere from sitting still next to the dock, to alongside the boat. Bass will even follow it out and attack the crankbait yards from the dock, you'll even see that happen now and then. It's real cool to see their wake when they get aggressive following the shallow crankbait out a few feet or even yards.

Perhaps the best thing you can do is get a fishing friend that is good with Bass. How you do that is up to you, but the clubs are not a bad idea.

I have taught several people the ins and outs of Bass fishing, and it all seems so easy for someone that is experienced. I have tried to tell people and found that it just does not seem to work that well. It is the "little things" that often make the difference between a great bass fishing trip and a skunk.

Nevertheless, the advice given above is top notch, especially the videos.

This info is all awesome, thank you everyone so much.

Went to pine today. Started fishing at 7. By 11am we brought 12 bass to the boat. Almost all smallmouth and every fish was caught in a Senko black, rigged wacky style. Had a toad eat my frog. I hit the toad on the back of the head, then it turned and looked at my frog before attacking it. I got 8 of the 12. Biggest being somewhere in the 4lb range. Don't think I can upload pics from my phone.

Skunkedtoomuch wrote:Went to pine today. Started fishing at 7. By 11am we brought 12 bass to the boat. Almost all smallmouth and every fish was caught in a Senko black, rigged wacky style. Had a toad eat my frog. I hit the toad on the back of the head, then it turned and looked at my frog before attacking it. I got 8 of the 12. Biggest being somewhere in the 4lb range. Don't think I can upload pics from my phone.

Bless you my son...you have become a bass fisherman.

I use to fish pine lake allot for small mouth. Drop shot the docks always works there.

That, or run while you still have a penny or 2 in your pocket!!

fishinChristian wrote:That, or run while you still have a penny or 2 in your pocket!!

For me money thank god isn't an issue. Not saying I'll buy a 40k bass boat, but I may someday lol

Mine was only 35. Someday is coming!

By the way, in this heat the night fishing is awesome!

Small world. I was in the 10' alumacraft.

Heh, I've caught way more fish in a 12' Hewescraft, or belly boat, or kayak, or pontoon than in all the big (over 16') boats I've owned. Small boats are GREAT!

I love my bass raider. Small works for sure. You caught your first on the spinnerbait right