FISHING
Kiss Some Oregon Bass This Spring With largemouth and smallmouth getting ready to spawn across the Beaver State, here are tips for catching some. By Troy Rodakowski
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pringtime in Oregon can be pretty unpredictable. Like they say, just wait 10 minutes and the weather will change. An angler can experience all four seasons within half an hour, which is why we take plenty of extra gear when out on the water for a day. And in April some of that gear should be for bass because as the spawn starts to take hold, anglers should be ready to experience some good fishing. Lakes and ponds will be the first to warm enough for bass to increase spawning activity and become aggressive toward baits. “Sixty-degree water temperature is the key,” says Gary Galovich, warmwater fish biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. A lot depends on water depth and sunlight exposure, but the bass spawn is driven by increasing daylight and the stability of water temperatures in the 60s. For larger lakes and reservoirs in the Cascades and Coast Range, it could be late May before waters reach these temps. Early in the season, waters tend to be murky and clouded, so I like to keep my presentations slow and deeper. The takes on spinnerbaits, rubber worms, crankbaits and the like
Author Troy Rodakowski gives a bass a big kiss last spring. This is a good time of year to chase bucketmouths and bronzebacks, though you’ll want to fish slower as waters are still warming up. (GRETCHEN DEARDEN) nwsportsmanmag.com | APRIL 2021
Northwest Sportsman 103
