Bass on the Tualatin?

[teflon6string]

I plan to drift my kayak on the Tualatin and try for some bass soon. Catch and release. I saw a guy and his son get a nice smallmouth bass there a couple years ago and always meant to do the same since I paddle that river often.

Native Portlander here, I've taken my share of trout in a few states, but I have ZERO experience with Oregon bass, proper lures or fishing on the Tualatin in general. Large/small mouth? Is there a season? What else should I know?

Would appreciate some friendly scoop or a decent place to look up these specifics.

Thanks in advance!

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[DMax]

I plan to drift my kayak on the Tualatin and try for some bass soon. Catch and release. I saw a guy and his son get a nice smallmouth bass there a couple years ago and always meant to do the same since I paddle that river often.

Native Portlander here, I've taken my share of trout in a few states, but I have ZERO experience with Oregon bass, proper lures or fishing on the Tualatin in general. Large/small mouth? Is there a season? What else should I know?

Would appreciate some friendly scoop or a decent place to look up these specifics.

Thanks in advance!

The last time I fished the Tualatin was about 15yrs ago, Put my ranger bass boat in at the Tualatin ramp fished down to the dam and back on 4th of July. They were spawning then and caught lots of Largemouth on spinnerbaits and flippin a jig in the laydown trees. Smallmouth could have taken over by know. The most fish caught were down around 405 towards the dam in all the S curves of the river from what I remember.

 

[Mark W.]

Of course there are regs covering Bass. Open up your Fishing regs and read. Available anywhere licenses are sold. And on line

 

[ZigZagZeke]

I used to be a bass fishing guide. Typically late winter use a "jig & eel" (hair jig and pork rind or worm), early spring use top water (like a Rebel stick minnow) and just twitch it. Later as the water warms up more deep running crank baits and spinner baits are good. Small mouth like colder and swifter water than largemouth.

 

[Hardwood floor guy]

The Tualatin river has a great run of boneless brown trout too.(i.e turds)

all joking aside i read my fishing in oregon book in the state records section and it says the tualatin holds 2 state records
one was sockeye salmon 14lbs in 1912?
and a white catfish record i dont remember the weight or date though.

on the upper tualatin near cherry grove it is a clean little river but down low?...yeah just boneless brown trout.

 

[eldbillbo]

The Tualatin river has a great run of boneless brown trout too.(i.e turds).

are they still dumping turds into it (no pun intended ) I know it was some really dirty water and home of some mutations , who knows what you'll catch . but i would think mutant fishing would be great since no one in there right mind would eat anything out of it.

 

[teflon6string]

Oh yeah, I plan to take pics of the 3-eyed monsters, then toss 'em back in.

 

[eldbillbo]

Oh yeah, I plan to take pics of the 3-eyed monsters, then toss 'em back in.

You seen one too? i saw a 3 eyed catfish in the Tigard portion of the river

 

[Dunerunner]

early spring use top water (like a Rebel stick minnow) and just twitch it.

Best advise, right there!! 2 1/2" Rapala floater....let it sit....then twitch and wait for the explosion!!

 

[Key-Hay]

Hagg Lake has the state record for Small Mouth. #5 Perch Repalas. Troll the dam.

CountDown®

 

[Hardwood floor guy]

i have caught 2 8lb+bass out of hagg lake but the record is 11lbs.
my favorite bait for bass and trout is....put your worms in a jar of ice water(no dirt)the night before you go out...
they get all fat with water and look dead because they go into shock to save themselves but wont die...
then when you cast them in the water they come out of shock and wiggle like crazy....no bull here this is deadly for bass because they
want action not just a worm lying flat on the bottom.
this was a tip i got from the record walleye holder,thats what he used in john day area for his record 14?lbs i believe.

 

[teflon6string]

I've actually pulled a few nice pan size trout off the back at Hagg. Hadn't thought about floating the kayaks along the dam there, but why not? Had some good luck with largemouth and crank baits in other states places, so I'll try them there too! Haven't been up to Hagg in awhile, I suppose it's all one fee to get in, park and pull some kayaks out of the pickup. See you up there.

 

[JimmyD]

Bass fishing in Oregon is a blast!!!! Here is a 8lb 7 oz from last summer... I have fished the Tualatin a few times. With ok days. Nothing to big but a nice mix of lrg and small mouth. Water is always pretty stained so i would throw high vis lures. White seems to work well in a spinnerbait early in the day and right before dark. Lipless crank bait after the sun is on the water with a pause every few second on the retrieve.

 

[Key-Hay]

Nice one JimmyD. Background looks to be oregon coast. My biggest was 5.5 lbs out of Culaby Lake near Warrenton. The Skipinon river has some really nice ones but access is horrible. Most of the small lakes between Astoria and Seaside are the same way.

The fish cop at Ft Stevens told me he saw an 11 lb Large Mouth pulled out of Coffinbury back in the 90s. He convinced the kid who caught it to put it back after they weighed it.

 

[142]

I live right on the Tualatin and bass fish it often. It's way high right now and won't be in good enough shape to fish for a while. I can keep you updated on it as I literally live about 150' from the water. I have two inflatable pontoon boats, one with an electric trolling motor and I plan to be fishing it often when it drops into shape.