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Any general areas around Portland where you can catch smallmouth in the winter?
I haven't fished for smallies in the wintertime before so not much help here. That being said, I'd try whatever works for you on a slow bite day any other time of the year. A bad day fishing is far better than a good day at work.
 
My experience... Anywhere on the Willamette or Columbia where you can find a rocky bottom, drag a real nightcrawler thru there, and if they're biting, you will find smallies. Problem is, I find winter bass to be very non-biting.

On both rivers, I now find more smallies than ever. Problem is, there are so many, it's hard to find big ones.

Two places I've found huge numbers of smallies... the old trolley bridge timbers connecting the mainland from Hayden Island, and along Goat Island on the Willamette.





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It cracks me up that Oregon pays a bounty on northern pikeminnow (squawfish) but not on small and largemouth bass. Neither one is indigenous to the region and yet the bass are treated as gamefish but the pikeminnow is treated like the devil's spawn.
 
It cracks me up that Oregon pays a bounty on northern pikeminnow (squawfish) but not on small and largemouth bass. Neither one is indigenous to the region and yet the bass are treated as gamefish but the pikeminnow is treated like the devil's spawn.
Money. Stores full of bass gear. $120k boats that can do nothing but bass fish. Most bass fisherman have 10-20 rods in the boat. 20 Plano 3700 boxes full of lures that are $10 a piece, or more. Lodging and fees for tournaments. Not to mention a few lakes in the PNW are now on the BASSMaster top 100 bass lakes in the US.
 
Money. Stores full of bass gear. $120k boats that can do nothing but bass fish. Most bass fisherman have 10-20 rods in the boat. 20 Plano 3700 boxes full of lures that are $10 a piece, or more. Lodging and fees for tournaments. Not to mention a few lakes in the PNW are now on the BASSMaster top 100 bass lakes in the US.
Are you telling me that our environmental (mostly just mental!) overlords are really just greedy? Say it isn"t so!
 
We would catch them above the falls in Oregon City. There's a boat ramp at the park in Willamette (West Linn of of the 10th St exit of 205)
 
The Willamette's pretty dirty now. We have never fished for smallies this time of year. We would watch for the water temps in spring to get above 50 for three days and it was usually game on. You don't mention whether you're in a boat or bank only? Right next to Cedar Oak boat ramp in West Linn is a protected lagoon. The water may be a little clearer there than the mainstem Willy.


You could try banking it at the Sportcraft boat ramp in Oregon City. Under the 205 bridge east end.
 
We would catch them above the falls in Oregon City. There's a boat ramp at the park in Willamette (West Linn of of the 10th St exit of 205)
So then, do you remember?....
When the mills were operating in West Linn, Oregon City, and up and down the river, massive log rafts were moored along the river bank at Rock Island, (Canemah and Coalca). These rafts were easily accessed by bank fisherman, and crappies were easily caught at the edges and below these log rafts.
 
So then, do you remember?....
When the mills were operating in West Linn, Oregon City, and up and down the river, massive log rafts were moored along the river bank at Rock Island, (Canemah and Coalca). These rafts were easily accessed by bank fisherman, and crappies were easily caught at the edges and below these log rafts.
No, I don't.
 
So then, do you remember?....
When the mills were operating in West Linn, Oregon City, and up and down the river, massive log rafts were moored along the river bank at Rock Island, (Canemah and Coalca). These rafts were easily accessed by bank fisherman, and crappies were easily caught at the edges and below these log rafts.

No, I don't.
Later on today I did have a vague memory pop up of those rafts from a long time ago. Mostly on the east side, if I remember correctly.
 
Later on today I did have a vague memory pop up of those rafts from a long time ago. Mostly on the east side, if I remember correctly.
Do you remember Carpenter's Pond? I hooked a smally in there years ago but lost it. That thing had a 3" long Rapala sideways in it's mouth the last time it jumped.
 
Yes, I do. That was near the dump, if I remember correctly. Never fished there. Most of our fishing was in the creeks. The little trout were perfect breakfast fryers.
 

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