Smallies on the Willamette

[bbbass]

calibatis!

Err... Cannabis?

Rippin lips and making memories.
3lb 1ozView attachment 460021

3lb is a good fish anywhere!

That bass only looks about 4lbs... i've been meaning to go to brownlee for years, but i'm also pretty interested in some of the ponds off the beaten track. Supposedly those have the biggest crappie, but I only hear about the one's on the Oregon side.

Only 4lbs??? 4lbs is a nice smallie!!!

Anyway, about Brownlee... see if you can score a book by my old bass tourney buddy, Phil Simonski. He used to guide there and has all the spots marked on a map, for crappie, smallmouth, and largemouth.

Or:

Bring a boat and I will personally show you. Have fished Brownlee since 1980.

 

[Flymph]

I am happy with a 3lb-4lb smallies, but I only get really excited once they break 5lbs. The Columbia will do that to you...

Calibatis is a slack water mayfly, I believe their nymphal form burrows in the mud and their emergence occurs in spring through to fall. They are the most prolific mayfly on any slack water in the PNW. Powerbait failing you and fish are jumping? Tie on a size 12 or 14 parachute Adams or X-Caddis tied in tan or light brown, you'll catch fish. Smallies eat those too, but I find them chasing more tiny black midges on the willamette. If you have some fly gear you don't care about putting in that water try a size 20 midge, tell me how you do (observe the behavior prior to your attempt of course).

I'll start looking for a boat, I know I need one ASAP.

 

[Flymph]

TBH at this point i'd be happy to catch any fish that wasn't a stocked trout.

 

[bbbass]

@Flymph : Phil died in 2009 but his book "Fishing Locations On Brownlee Reservoir" may be available at some obscure book store. I couldn't find any online for you. I still have my copy and would be willing to rent it to you.

Hells Canyon Journal July 14 Page 16

 

[bbbass]

I am happy with a 3lb-4lb smallies, but I only get really excited once they break 5lbs. The Columbia will do that to you...

Calibatis is a slack water mayfly, I believe their nymphal form burrows in the mud and their emergence occurs in spring through to fall. They are the most prolific mayfly on any slack water in the PNW. Powerbait failing you and fish are jumping? Tie on a size 12 or 14 parachute Adams or X-Caddis tied in tan or light brown, you'll catch fish. Smallies eat those too, but I find them chasing more tiny black midges on the willamette. If you have some fly gear you don't care about putting in that water try a size 20 midge, tell me how you do (observe the behavior prior to your attempt of course).

I know you wrote something there, but all I got was blah, blah, blah.

 

[bbbass]

Flymph shows up ready to fish Brownlee...

 

[Timbertodd]

Flymph shows up ready to fish Brownlee...

View attachment 460279

Thank goodness he wasn't wearing see through pants also

 

[Flymph]

Flymph shows up ready to fish Brownlee...

View attachment 460279

@bbbass and you'll be in tow, resembling this guy!

 

[bbbass]

@bbbass and you'll be in tow, resembling this guy!

View attachment 460475

Purrfect! I'm up for it!!!!

The boss I had in the 80s used to float the Snake... they always had a beer raft loaded with cases of Bud Light.

 

[bbbass]

Thank goodness he wasn't wearing see through pants also

Oh, that's see thru??? I thought it was just a frame boat.



JK

 

[Argonaut]

Oh, that's see thru??? I thought it was just a frame boat.



JK

He is headed to Hawaii..........like an eastern guy that bought a 80 foot work boat from me one time......after the deal was don he said "we should be in Honduras in about 3 weeks?" I should have expected something when he and his buddy flew out from New York with bundles of 100$ bills taped to there legs (100,000) for payment.

 

[Mister Bisley]

I used to guide on Table Rock Lake outside Branson, MO. It is a Corps of Engineers lake up to 200' deep in places, 70 miles long and averages about a mile wide. There are lots of gravel bars and dead cedars in the water. This time of year crank baits would take both smallmouth and largemouth. The most fun about right now would be top water. A Rapala or a Rebel stick minnow thrown in among the dead trees and just twitched now and then would pretty quickly result in an explosion, as a fish would hit it hard from down below. That's lots of fun. But my favorite bait was a Zara Spook. I used to be pretty good at "walkin'" it.

Just picked one up and gonna give it go!

 

[mkwerx]

Just picked one up and gonna give it go!

View attachment 465024

That is one fine bait, I like throwing a spook more than poppers or chuggers. About the only thing more violent on a take is a buzzbait. Bass downright murder spooks and buzzbaits while they'll sometimes sip a popper in like a trout eating mayflies.

 

[Argonaut]

We are going to catch these this weekend........

 

[Timbertodd]

Im on vacation all next week and plan on pounding the lake several times.

 

[bbbass]

Just picked one up and gonna give it go!

View attachment 465024

I used them in North Carolina for largemouth. Learning the proper technique is fun. "Walkin the dog"

 

[bbbass]

That is one fine bait, I like throwing a spook more than poppers or chuggers. About the only thing more violent on a take is a buzzbait. Bass downright murder spooks and buzzbaits while they'll sometimes sip a popper in like a trout eating mayflies.

Not if you use a 1" popper!

 

[bbbass]

View attachment 465047 We are going to catch these this weekend........

No yer not!!!

 

[Argonaut]

No yer not!!!

I will send you some pictures........

 

[Flymph]

View attachment 465047 We are going to catch these this weekend........

Looks like bait!

I'm going to try for bass and crappie tomorrow!