Smallies on the Willamette

[bbbass]

Was such a nice day yesterday we figured we would try to catch some more Willamette River bass. We were not very successful. Between the two of us we caught 3 nice bass, one small bass, and 3 Pike Minnows. Water temp was right at 64 degrees. Prior trips water temp was up to 78. Is the drop in water temp the reason the bite was off? Or maybe we need to use a different technique?

That's plenty good for smallmouth... slightly cool for largemouth but not too bad. Weather front is moving in... bass don't like low pressure gradient just before a storm.They also don't like glassy water unless it's topwater season.Lack of breeze can put em down in the water column as protection from predators. Fish deeper on those days or up in the weeds.

@Flymph is giving you good advice on lures for this time of year. My fall jig/worm colors for largemouth were blue, grape, strawberry speckle, black, and of course anything motor oil or gold/metalflake. YMMV every lake/river is different and every day is different. That's why I always had sooooo many tackle boxes along and also prebaited rods. (I hated rerigging and preferred to be able to just grab another rod in order to change baits/presentation.)

 

[86k5krawler]

I fished a tournement out of rogers on saturday and all 9 boats brought in the 5 fish bag limit. My boat we caught 25-30 fish for the day. Alot of bites for us came in 20ft of water or less. Fishing senkos,crankbaits,structure bugs.

 

[bbbass]

You da man!!

 

[Flymph]

Purple and Orange are good this time of year. I really like the Dry Creek tubes in 4" with orange laid under the "Old Ugly" color they use, which is sort of a pumpkin color.
There's some good advice around here!

 

[Otter]

We were upstream from Rodgers. Water was very flat. Great float trip as there was very little wind. We were using jigs with black, white and pumpkin 3 inch Mr. Twisters. Pretty sure the bass we caught were with the white twisters. I tried fishing top and bottom and the two bass I caught were in deeper water. Hard to fish deeper though cause of all the moss. I must have harvested a ton of vegetation. Thanks for the info.

 

[86k5krawler]

Fished a local club tournament saturday with the wife, placed 4th out of 11 boats with a 10.55lb bag
Fishing is still steady and with the fall pattern you have the chance at a real toad.
I think that about does it for me as i will know focus on chasing ducks, till next season tight lines

 

[Mikej]

Fished a local club tournament saturday with the wife, placed 4th out of 11 boats with a 10.55lb bag
Fishing is still steady and with the fall pattern you have the chance at a real toad.
I think that about does it for me as i will know focus on chasing ducks, till next season tight lines

View attachment 515046

That's pretty cool! I've had the boat covered, and filled with treated gas since vacation ended in early October. I hadn't thought of a late season smallie trip. I presume being from Newberg you're fishing up that way, above the falls? I seem to only play with the smallies in the spring, and below the falls. After our three week, mid coast, bass fishing vaca I don't have much desire to hitch up the boat and drive through PDX with it.

Oh, what was the water temp?

 

[86k5krawler]

That's pretty cool! I've had the boat covered, and filled with treated gas since vacation ended in early October. I hadn't thought of a late season smallie trip. I presume being from Newberg you're fishing up that way, above the falls? I seem to only play with the smallies in the spring, and below the falls. After our three week, mid coast, bass fishing vaca I don't have much desire to hitch up the boat and drive through PDX with it.

Oh, what was the water temp?

Launched out of rogers landing newberg, water temp was 55-56 with water visibility being 3ft

 

[akimbog18]

Went out from San sal on thurs. Smallies are starting winter patterns. Moving to deep ledges. Water temp was 52. You can still catch them but smaller slower presentations are key! Don't give up! my biggest fish are caught between sept-march here in Oregon!

 

[Mikej]

Went out from San sal on thurs. Smallies are starting winter patterns. Moving to deep ledges. Water temp was 52. You can still catch them but smaller slower presentations are key! Don't give up! my biggest fish are caught between sept-march here in Oregon!

You're WAY more hard core than me, for sure. Though I used to spend a bunch of time during winter here standing in ice water up to my crotch searching for winter steel.

 

[akimbog18]

You're WAY more hard core than me, for sure. Though I used to spend a bunch of time during winter here standing in ice water up to my crotch searching for winter steel.

Yes sir. Risk it for the biscuit

 

[Mister Bisley]

Ugh...I need a boat

 

[Flymph]

Ugh...I need a boat

Yeah, the kayak won't cut it in winter...