Smallmouth on the John Day

[bbbass]

When an unsuspecting grasshopper jumped in the water, the water exploded like a pool of piranha. So...I would suggest a bait to emulate a grasshopper.

The year I moved here it was so dry and hot and we were having a grasshopper population explosion of biblical proportion... I went to Wallowa Lake and rigged up grasshoppers on a floating fly line cast from one of the water ski docks and caught a limit of huge trout.

 

[Flymph]

One thing that gives it a little more life is to not hook through the worm, but use a rubber band. Another thing I do is use a hook with a weed guard like the Gamakatsu wacky rig hook:

View attachment 543092

I need to pick some of those up, as I love the rig, but not using up a whole pack of senkos on a single outting.
Where do you get yours? I've been having trouble finding a lot of bass stuff without going to cabelas.

It's fun fishing october caddis on the JD. Another two favorites are muddlers and black leeches. Just make sure to carry a couple poppers, as that is a blast! Only use poppers if ya see them feeding near the surface tho.
Fish are lazy, they prefer baits that require very little effort. Not that they won't chase down an appetizing morsel.

 

[No_Regerts]

I need to pick some of those up, as I love the rig, but not using up a whole pack of senkos on a single outting.
Where do you get yours? I've been having trouble finding a lot of bass stuff without going to cabelas.

It's fun fishing october caddis on the JD. Another two favorites are muddlers and black leeches. Just make sure to carry a couple poppers, as that is a blast! Only use poppers if ya see them feeding near the surface tho.
Fish are lazy, they prefer baits that require very little effort. Not that they won't chase down an appetizing morsel.

I order all mine online from places like Tackle Warehouse. I also hit up Sportco in Fife, WA. I try to avoid cabelas and bass pro, but sometimes its the only option. I go through soft plastics like crazy.

 

[Flymph]

I'll try that then. I do surprisingly little online shopping for a millenial... lmao
Haven't gone through as many since I picked up a fly rod and just got into jigging for salmon. Although half of everything I have is for bass.

 

[akimbog18]

If you are wanting trophy size spawners from March-may I would suggest up sizing in bait. Larger swimbaits, weedless jigs in any color, larger lipless crankbaits big plastic lizards n such.... helped me catch multiple smallies over 5lb this last year