His go-to soft-bait, with the 1/2-ounce head, is a Rage Menace trailer in green pumpkin. But if youre unsure, green pumpkin is a safe all-around bet., Hardbaits are lures with a solid plastic or wood constructionlike crankbaits and jerkbaits. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. The largemouths are a little easier to figure out because they're usually around the same docks every year. Personal defense in the hunting woods could involve taking down a charging bear. Chunky bronze backs pushing 5-6 pounds are routinely caught. Popping it off the bottom makes the blade flutter and can entice fish to eat. "No, it's a tough fishery," Garrett admits. "There are world-class smallmouth fisheries and excellent largemouth fisheries," says Danny Garrett. No question about it. I fish it around shallow cover primarily and prefer a crayfish pattern like the Delta Red. Of course, the best spring bass lures can vary depending on what part of the country youre fishing, and which species of bass you target. Because of this, there arent any fish swimming around in Soap Lake. Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy. Whether Texas Rigged, Neko Rigged, wacky rigged, or fished on a dropshot, the original Senko makes beginners into winners and makes experts even better. The reservoir has both smallmouth bass & largemouth bass- both coming in big size. Smallmouth are the most popular target for bass anglers and countless miles of rock studded shoreline provide excellent smallmouth habitat. It allows anglers to cover water fast and trigger bites. With so many local attractions in the town of Soap Lake, youll never run out of fun things to do. Instead, take your time and pick your way through the stumps, fishing all the while. The Right Size Bass Fishing Rod For Every Situation, Here Are The Only Situations When You Need A Fishing Swivel, 9 Best Smallmouth Bass Lures That Wont Let You Down, Are 1 Piece Or 2 Piece Fishing Rods Better: An Honest Answer, Spool Up Your Spinning Reels Right For Less Line Twist, Boost Your Surf Fishing Success With The Night Bite, How To Troll Like A Pro In Any Type of Kayak. Join us in our endeavor to offer information about bass fishing on your favorite bass lake in Washington. It will usually be cold in the morning and it may warm in the late morning. Sure, maybe Washington State has world class salmon and steelhead action but bass? Skeeter Bass Boat with a Mercury 225 EFI and Minn Kota Talons for shallow water. The Vision 110 may now be widely available at retail prices, but a decade ago desperate anglers would pay triple figures for this jerkbait on the secondary market. "I go with simple colors on the topwater baits bone or white.". Best Craw: Strike King Rage Craw. And the smallmouths are really well distributed here, with good numbers and larger specimens located in most spots from below Vancouver clear up to northern Washington. A smaller craw style lure creates a big enough profile to threaten them while also maximizing your catch rate. The lake is home to largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as rainbow trout. Start by covering all the bases with bottom, moving, and topwater lures. When it comes to big largemouth bass, look no further than Silver Lake. It is currently offered in 56 colors so you can match any baitfish out there including bluegill and perch. The rivers size is both a strength and a weakness. Learn More . Articles may contain affiliate links which enable us to share in the revenue of any purchases made. I also find that if you flip it over and rig it upside down it has a much tighter action similar to a fleeing baitfish. You can sometimes go behind someone throwing a different vibrating jig and mop up fish they miss thanks to the Jackhammers enticing frequency and better hookup percentage. Of all these vibration and smell are the most important. In the above video, NWTF's Jason Burckhalter talks about the group's accomplishments and future plans with Game & Fish Editorial Director Adam Heggenstaller at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. "We did an electrofishing survey in the fall of 2017 near Kenmore and Juanita Bay, near Huskie Stadium, and under the Interstate 90 bridge near Mercer Slough," Garrett says, "and there are fantastic populations of largemouth in those bays. Taken as a whole, there are very few bodies of water across the United States with as many smallmouth bass. Small minnow imitations work well, such as a Berkley Flicker Shad, Rapala Jointed Minnow, and Luhr Jensen Needlefish Spoon. But from there youll find some definite differences. Heres some places I discovered while visiting my brother in the Seattle area for catching bass. You May Like: New Smyrna Beach Fishing Spots. "I'll work it down to deeper fish, like on Banks Lake, over the deep rocky points. But only the facts should determine the best bass lures. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and were now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Washington Bass and Panfish Guide: Lure and Fly Fishing ISBN 9780965211635 0965211630 by johansen, bob; shorett, david - buy, sell or rent this book for the best price. Try reaction baits first because the catching is quicker if they'll hammer a lipless crankbait. Willows, creek channels and other structures are worth your attention, too. For the first time, there were realistic-looking jerkbaits with great action readily available and the result was apparent. Lake Kapowsin is not a lake for fast boats. Stealth presentations for up-close encounters with bass hiding in cover. A bowrider is a good saltwater beginner boat for families who enjoy watersports, day cruising, and fishing. Two favorite poppers are Storms Arashi Cover Pop and the legendary Rapala Skitter Pop. Dont expect to have this lake to yourself though. Read on so you dont miss your chance to cast a line for trophy bass this season. That water flow seems to (help) congregate the fish." With over 650 miles of rocky shoreline, this remote gem doesnt get nearly as much pressure as the other lakes on our list. Give them a try and learn what fits your style of fishing best.. If you know what the fish are eating, matching a lure to the bait will produce a lot of strikes. 6,800 acres wide. Largemouth bass can be caught with a wide variety of methods, which is part of what makes it so fun. For moving baits, lures with a lot of vibration can attract fish from far off. Now it is quite obvious that several questions arise while going for Bass fishing in Washington. Vibrax Spinner. Smallmouth are evenly dispersed around the many rocky banks that surround Lake Palmer. Western Washington is seldom considered a bass fishing hot spot by out-of-state anglers but Lake Washington proves them wrong. It's a better fishery for largemouths, and trophy largemouths in the 7- to 8-pound class. WebCentral and Eastern Washington Smallmouth Bass. "There are some deeper holes, but for the most part, it's 20 feet or less. Ruger's popular American bolt-action rifle has been a hit with hunters for years. The Jackhammer, now produced by the same company as the Original Chatterbait, took the basic vibrating jig design and upgraded every element of it. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, were trained journalists. The Brads Killer Kokanee Cut Plug is another large profile lure that has an enticing Fishing holds up through early summer when a switch to soft plastics is key to extending the bite. At the end of the day, personal preference plays a huge role in selecting baits. Lake Kapowsin is the smallest lake on this list covering only 512 acres. Persistent bass anglers will find plenty of action all season. This year, the rifle will be chambered in 7mm PRC, the hot new load that was a hit at SHOT Show 2023 in Las Vegas. Banks Lake is known for producing above average sized fish for most of the species that swim in its depths and bass are no exception. While we always focus our coverage on standout productsbecause we want our readers to be aware of the latest and greatest gearwe also cover the flaws and quirks of any given product. Washington Bass and Panfish Guide: Lure and Fly Fishing ISBN 9780965211635 0965211630 by johansen, bob; shorett, david - buy, sell or rent this book for the best price. Here are your best bets for bass fishing in Washington. "I visited with a salmon club recently, and the speaker was an angler who'd gone to Lake Chelan. It comes at a premium price tag, but hundreds of thousands of dollars in tournament winnings prove the Vision 110s value. The Skitter Pop is a smaller and more subtle balsa bait, deadly for fish that are tentative to strike. A month or two later, I had the pleasure of being introduced to Roger Luce, a guide of excellent note whose home waters of Silver Lake in Cowlitz County held quite the reputation as a producer of fine stringers of largemouths. Among the accomplishments includes the recently concluded Save the Habitat, Save the Hunt initiative, which in 10 years conserved or enhanced 5.3 million acres of critical wildlife habitat, recruited 1.5 million new or lapsed hunters, and opened new access to 750,000 acres for hunting and recreation. Mar Don Resort is also a popular jumping off point for anglers and hosts many of the bass tournaments each year. 2) Columbia River. The Wests largest river is well known for salmon, steelhead, walleye and other species, but its wise to note that this river very often makes the national best bass fishing lists, thanks to its abundant and often big smallmouth bass spread out over literally hundreds of miles. You can also find an abundance of landlocked salmon at Riffe Lake, along with trout and panfish. Once you learn the structure and key in on productive habitat, largemouth in the 7-8 pound range are available. In fact, the Washington state smallmouth bass record was taken from the Hanford Reach portion of Lake Wallula. Smallmouth are also available along some of the rockier shorelines. With spring quickly springing, the bass fishing on various rivers and lakes will heat up soon. Center console bay boats are extremely popular fishing boats because they offer a considerable amount of open deck space for anglers. Our approach would certainly mitigate your query, confusion or tension regarding the topic for sure. On chatterbaits and swim jigs, it adds the extra realism and profile that can dramatically increase strikes. Palmer Lake. 2-3 pounders are common and largemouth up to 5 pounds regularly spice up the smallmouth action. If a company didnt skimp on the hooks it is usually safe to say they didnt skimp on designing the lure. Give a Gift In fact, its only fifteen miles away from Banks Lakes Dry Falls, ten miles away from Summer Falls, and seven miles away from Blue Lake. All Game & Fish subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. For over hundreds of miles, big size smallmouth Bass fish spread out amazingly. But (the WDFW) has created some environment and habitat for warm-water fish, and the climate is shifting toward warmer temperatures.". 3) Moses Lake. Making a good thing even better, you're likely to have smallmouths that use the Grande Ronde's shoals and pools to yourself through the summer. Not only does Lake Roosevelt claim the title as Washingtons largest lake at 79,000 acres, it also holds a top slot for smallmouth bass fishing. There are 5 public boat launches spread along the eastern edge. In fact, some of these lakes are even considered to be world-class fisheries. 4. I can attest that they are much smarter than they look. They move around a lot and never seem to be in the same place twice. If you find a solid lure for finesse fishing and a good moving bait, you can cover nearly all conditions. Youll certainly need to sort through a fair number of 2-4 pounders though. I find the action of this bait sets it apart from others. "I've just started to hear whispers of that (switch) in the last couple years," Garrett says. Sometimes that requires moving to a different depth range or another part of the lake altogether, but even that might not be enough if youre not using the best spring bass lures. The state record largemouth bass crossed the 12.5 pound mark in 2016. Keep in mind that you need to have a D.C. fishing license before casting your first line. Flasher with a Hoochie First, we are going to go over the best trolling lures which are used when fishing for salmon from a boat. Best for Bass Chasing Herring: Evergreen Shower Blows Topwater Plugs Best for Covering Grassy Flats : Stanley Ribbit Best Frog: SPRO Dean Rojas Bronzeye Frog Best Swimbait: Triton Mike Bull Shad Best Finesse Spinnerbait: War Eagle Mike McClelland Finesse Spinnerbait How We Picked the Best Bass Lures I like to troll with a 4/0 dodger, 12-18 leader to a Wedding Ring tipped with a piece of nightcrawler. FishingDuo.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Effective tackle includes tube jigs, Senkos and crankbaits. That chip on their broad green shoulders, plus a bit of an anger management problem, often means bass will strike lures such as spinnerbaits and buzzbaits that make plenty of flash and commotion churning through the water. It's a tough question, the one that asks anglers to name the best bass water in Washington; however, it's a guarantee that on every single list, Lake Washington falls among the top 5, if not the top 2 bass waters in the state. For more information:Potholes Reservoir Fishing. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. Here, the waters surrounding Goat and Gailey's islands provide the shallow habitat conducive to largemouths, along with the rocky structure traditionally a favorite of smallies. The lake has such a large population of Yellow Perch that, as of this writing, there is no limit! Smallmouth bass are a huge draw for most anglers. Both Medical and West Medical Lakes are stocked with rainbow and brown trout and offer seasonal fishing opportunities. That said, smallmouths are the predominant species. That's a good thing, of course, because a fine argument really could be made for either. Moses Lake Found west of Moses Lake-town. Summers can be hot and dry but the cool, clear water provides a welcome reprieve. I made my picks after years of fishing with professional bass anglers and interviewing them about the lures they useand why they use themspring after spring. Top 5 Bass Fishing Lures For Washington When bass are shallow, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and stickbaits are the most productive. The Rage Craws versatility makes it a necessity for every tackle box 12 months out of the year. With our Minn Kota Ultrex 36v trolling motor, we have plenty of power for fishing and spot lock will keep us on the fish when a spot is producing well. 1) Potholes Reservoir. It is from the area of Lake Coeur dAlene. Less than a year after becoming a Washington resident, I met Ed Iman, an Oregon-based guide on the Columbia and one-time holder of the Beaver State walleye record. Anglers may also catch white sturgeon here. Bass Crash Course: Technique tweaks to maximize distance and accuracy. This jerkbait taunts female bass and represents an easy meal. Sunglasses and sunscreen Try to bring your favorite sun screen and if you forget, dont worry I have plenty. This is a giant reservoir stretching nearly 30 miles south from around Grand Coulee Dam in central Washington. Most of the lake is less than 20 feet deep so it warms fast and grows big bass. In this article, we narrow down the lakes that stand above the rest. People from both sides of the Cascades come here. Best for Bedding Fish: Strike King Rage Craw. 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