5lb pig of a smallmouth!!

[pdxfisher]

Hit the Columbia on Sunday the 25th and I caught a beast of a smallmouth. At 21.75" it was the longest smallmouth I have caught and it tipped the scales at 5lbs even (well short of my heaviest which was a 5lb 14oz bass from 2023). That was definitely the best summertime smallmouth I have ever caught. It really turned a somewhat mediocre day into a great one!!

 

I got the the river around daybreak and the wind was calm and forecast to be light out of the West all day long (that turned out to be a lie) so I decided to head East for the first time this year. I was a little nervous about that decision since I don't know that part of the river very well since it is not often that it is fun to fish from the kayak. The other things that gave me were different for this trip is that the shad smolt are out-migrating and it looked like it was raining there were so many dimpling and the river was probably up a foot or two from anything I had seen this summer. I thought the shad smolt would be there but I was surprised by the water height.

 

I dd hit the point by the ramp to start the day and promptly missed a couple of topwater bites and caught a smallish fish. I then headed East and picked up a small smallmouth just upstream from the ramp. I was starting to feel like this was not going to be the greatest of days.

 

I headed upstream to a point I have done well on in the past but only managed two bass off of it. One was decent (2lb 4oz) and the other was a little over a pound. After fishing that point I gave serious consideration to turning around and heading West but for whatever reason I decided to keep going East.

 

The next couple of spots each produced a handful of fish. Mostly dinks but with a couple of decent ones thrown in. Overall it was a grind with a lot of work going into every fish I was catching. The fish were in 15-25' of water and it was a lot of slow and tedious probing for each bite that I got. I was rotating between a Ned rig, drop shot and wobblehead jig and each produced some fish. 

 

By noon I only had 11 bass, about one every half hour. Definitely not lighting it up. I had two bass that were over 16" and a lot of the rest were dinks. Several spots that normally produce were completely empty and I kept thinking I had made a mistake in heading East. I had not given up hope completely since I had not yet reached my favorite spot but I definitely was just hoping to catch at least a few fish off my favorite spot.

 

By the time I made it to the spot the wind was starting to pick up which I was hoping would stimulate the bite. I started carefully probing the spot and it was crickets. I was starting to really feel bad about the day at that point. I stopped to eat my cherries and think. I said to myself, "There have to be fish on this spot". I realized that the wind was making it hard to control my kayak so all my fishing a bit haphazard. I decided to extremely carefully re-probe the spot making sure every cast had a purpose in sifting the water. Since the wind was making it hard to fish I decided to make the wobblehead+Zoom speed craw my primary weapon. It gets to the bottom quickly and is pretty easy to fish effectively with even in the wind.

 

After a bit of careful probing I found a section of that spot that was holding fish and quickly caught a few nice bass and big (3lb) pikieminnow on the wobblehead. I switched to the drop shot for a bit but realized I was having a hard time keeping contact with the bottom. After a bit I realized I should mostly keep the wobblehead in my hand.

 

Three casts later I felt a thump and then no weight at all. I reeled in quickly and when I caught up to the fish I slammed the hook home. It was one of those beautiful moments where you rear back on the hookset and it feels like the tip of the rod does not move an inch - oh yeah, this is a big one!

 

The fish fought hard but I was able to get it to the surface pretty quickly. When I saw that fish I almost lost my mind. Fortuneately I was able to keep my wits about me and keep good pressure on that fish. I was not going to make a stupid mistake on this one! As I went to scoop it with the net it made a thrashing jump and sort of bounced off the side of the kayak. I was able to scoop it up on the rebound and the beast was mine!! Just a beautifully healthy 5lb 0oz, 21.17" piggy.

 

 

 

 

 

I stopped fishing for a few minutes after this and texted that picture on the board to a handful of friends and my family. A somewhat mediocre day just became epic!

 

When I got back to fishing the bit just kept getting better and better. To try to keep them biting I switched up to a Ned rig for a bit and picked up a 19.25" 3lb 1oz bass. Then it was back to the wobblehead and I picked up a couple more decent ones and then a 17.5" 2lb 13oz fish. For most of the day I could not find a decent fish and now the small ones I was cathing were as nice as my best fish from earlier.

 

I am not sure if the bite just turned on or if my careful probing is what made the difference and I don't care I ended the day with 20 bass and the 1 pikieminnow.

 

My best 5 went 91.25" (21.75, 19.25, 17.5, 16.5, 16.26) and weighed 15lb 1oz (5lb, 3lb 1oz, 2lb 13oz, 2lb 4oz, 1lb 15oz). 

 

They were still biting good when I left but the wind was becoming ferocious (turns out the light winds turned into a 20mph blow). It took my 55 minutes to slog back to the ramp through the wind and the waves and I did not regret a single second of that ride

 

Here are some other pics from the day and my video.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Kevin Shoot]

Great Day. Thanks for the report.

[gimruis]

That’s a dandy. Kinda surprising it only weighed 5 pounds.

[TnRiver46]

Monster ! Our 21-22” SMB are even lighter but every now and then one is fat . Those long lean ones fight like the devil 

[Darren.]

Yeowza! Chunky smallies. We caught some small smallies on 

the James in Lynchburgh this past weekend (there for the 

Disc Golf Worlds). Nice to wet a line out there.

[WackyWormNedRig]

Wow! Great day for you on the water!!!

[pdxfisher]

2 hours ago, gimruis said:

That’s a dandy. Kinda surprising it only weighed 5 pounds.

 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Monster ! Our 21-22” SMB are even lighter but every now and then one is fat . Those long lean ones fight like the devil 

 

For a summer fish that is about what I would expect. My PB in weight (caught in the spring) was 1/2" shorter but 14oz heavier.

 

Overall the fish out here have two shapes. A stickier shape and a thinner shape. The 19.25" that only weighed 3lb 1oz was definitely of the skinnier shape.  Not even exactly fatness but rather how tall they are belly to back and tail size. 

[A-Jay]

That's a tank !

Like I always say, 5's are fun.

Nicely Done.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

[pdxfisher]

29 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

That's a tank !

Like I always say, 5's are fun.

Nicely Done.

Congrats

A-Jay

 

 

I was really surprised and excited by that fish. Hopefully some day I can catch one of those 7s I see you post on here. If that ever happens I will be insufferable

[Swamp Girl]

With some of the BR crew, when you catch a great fish (21.75"!!!) or a great bag (15 pounds!!!), I'm as excited as if I'd caught them. You are one of those guys. 

 

So.

 

Happy.

 

For.

 

You.

 

Proud.

 

Too. 

[PaulVE64]

Those darn smallies!

Sounds like a great day and I'm jealous. If I catch a dozen dinks in a day its epic.

 

[pdxfisher]

6 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

With some of the BR crew, when you catch a great fish (21.75"!!!) or a great bag (15 pounds!!!), I'm as excited as if I'd caught them. You are one of those guys. 

 

So.

 

Happy.

 

For.

 

You.

 

Proud.

 

Too. 

 

Thanks! I also like reading everyone's reports but there are some folks (like you) whose reports are always near and dear to my heart.

 

I think I spent all my luck on that fish, I guess I won't be getting a kidney any time soon

 

4 hours ago, PaulVE64 said:

Those darn smallies!

Sounds like a great day and I'm jealous. If I catch a dozen dinks in a day its epic.

 

 

I am really fortunate to get to live near such a bountiful and lightly used fishery. I remember how incredibly busy the lakes were on the weekend in NC.  When I am fishing out here I can often see miles up and down the river without seeing another boat - although once the wind kicks up I do see a zillion kite surfers

[Swamp Girl]

45 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

although once the wind kicks up I do see a zillion kite surfers

 

I've seen those kite surfers. They're incredible.

 

45 minutes ago, pdxfisher said:

 

I think I spent all my luck on that fish, I guess I won't be getting a kidney any time soon

 

Fingers crossed you've got lots more luck and a kidney coming.

[Siebert Outdoors]

Thats just awesome.

[Rockhopper]

@pdxfisher I am going to have to get out there and try this.  I hit Big Ashes Lake two weekends ago and didn't catch anything over a pound and a half.  I will probably take the drift boat though.  I just have a cheap throw and go yak.  Not sure I would trust it too much in the river.  It looks as though you are traveling a fair bit of distance upstream.  I would just be with a paddle.  Is this going to be too difficult?

 

I know it is hit and miss, but do you find early am to be less windy than later in the day?

[pdxfisher]

6 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

@pdxfisher I am going to have to get out there and try this.  I hit Big Ashes Lake two weekends ago and didn't catch anything over a pound and a half.  I will probably take the drift boat though.  I just have a cheap throw and go yak.  Not sure I would trust it too much in the river.  It looks as though you are traveling a fair bit of distance upstream.  I would just be with a paddle.  Is this going to be too difficult?

 

I know it is hit and miss, but do you find early am to be less windy than later in the day?

 

There is good fishing close to the ramp, but I usually end up a mile or two (but occasionally as much as 5 miles) from the ramp by the end of the day. 

 

Normal summer wind pattern is calm in the morning and then a rising crescendo of West wind as the day goes on. Not every day is like that but that is most common. I do check every wind app known to man before I head out

[Rockhopper]

5 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

 

There is good fishing close to the ramp, but I usually end up a mile or two (but occasionally as much as 5 miles) from the ramp by the end of the day. 

 

Normal summer wind pattern is calm in the morning and then a rising crescendo of West wind as the day goes on. Not every day is like that but that is most common. I do check every wind app known to man before I head out

What wind apps do you recommend? 

[A-Jay]

8 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

 I do check every wind app known to man before I head out

Me too.

And every one is different And wrong !

Even if I could somehow take the mean average of each one, they'd still be

WAY OFF.

😎

A-Jay

[TnRiver46]

Weather predictors been stealing everyone’s money for decades 

[pdxfisher]

8 hours ago, Rockhopper said:

What wind apps do you recommend? 

I agree with @A-Jay and @TnRiver46 that wind prediction is not super accurate. Still, what else can you do but check a bunch of sites and try and form an opinion.

 

Here is my list:

 

https://www.windy.com:  In the bottom right of the page you can pick from different weather models. I look at them all. I don't think the default is the most accurate for the gorge. I think that often HRRR 3km and HRDPS 2.5km are more accurate. Both of those models only predict a few days out.

 

https://www.windfinder.com/weatherforecast/columbia_river_stevenson: I don't trust the regular wind forecast but there is a superforecast button (link should take you right there). Clicking that gives a different (seemingly much more accurate) forecast. It is only goes 2 days out but seems relatively accurate.

 

The best site is https://thegorgeismygym.com/forecast/  : This person looks at all the wind forecasts and makes an assessment based on those and the pressure differentials at the ends of the gorge. I subscribe to their daily forecast and even shoot them a donation each year because I appreciate their efforts so much!

 

Then of course I always sacrifice a live goat to the wind gods before I go out

[Swamp Girl]

@pdxfisher: We fish from small boats, so we have to be attentive to the wind and paying attention, we understand why wind direction prediction is so elusive: The wind is forever shifting. It can blow from N, W, S, and W in the span of a minute. 

[Bazoo]

Awesome! Thanks for catching and sharing.

[bowhunter63]

Heck of day Congrats 

[Swamp Girl]

Say, pdx, I've read enough of your trip reports to say that you're a heckuva angler. You are consistent and given how conditions and bass are always in flux, so you have to have a nimble, angling-oriented mind to keep catching them...and you do. You're also a tough hombre, given that you take to big water with your health challenge. You average good-sized bass too. You're not fishing for the gobie-gorged tankers of the Midwest. You're fishing for lean river bass, so a five-pounder is a rare specimen. It's apples and oranges when it comes to river bass and Lake Erie bass. As I wrote earlier, you're one of the BR gang whose great days make me as happy as my best days. 

[pdxfisher]

9 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

Say, pdx, I've read enough of your trip reports to say that you're a heckuva angler. You are consistent and given how conditions and bass are always in flux, so you have to have a nimble, angling-oriented mind to keep catching them...and you do. You're also a tough hombre, given that you take to big water with your health challenge. You average good-sized bass too. You're not fishing for the gobie-gorged tankers of the Midwest. You're fishing for lean river bass, so a five-pounder is a rare specimen. It's apples and oranges when it comes to river bass and Lake Erie bass. As I wrote earlier, you're one of the BR gang whose great days make me as happy as my best days. 

 

Thanks! I really appreciate your kind words! I feel that same way about you and your reports. You always figure them out and you fish a lot! The photos you post are always so serene and beautiful. Always excited when I see you have posted a new report.