Last Minute Smallmouth

Following our family tradition of going to the farmers market on summer Saturdays (when we’re in town and w/out company), Gavin made the left field comment that he wanted to go fishing. I’d pretty much put away all the trout, kokanee, etc… gear I’d had in the boat for our East Lake and earlier summer trips in preparation for August salmon in Astoria (excited, but ug… summer is flying by). However, the bow mount electric motor was still on so we grabbed a couple bass rods, a few crank baits, and ton of plastic worms, lizards, etc… that I have neatly organized in the garage for such quick retrieval occasions.

A quick 2 hours of casting for bass on the Willamette near our house and it was 12:30pm, we’d caught a few smallies, and the wakeboard / ski boats were making their way out to enjoy the sun. It’s impressive to see how far my oldest has come since his first attempt at casting for bass. The heat and the waves kicked in so he was ready to go home, eat some lunch, and play in the sprinklers with his siblings so we called it a day.

Zoom  worm, Texas style

Looking back at old posts and pictures, I've realized that I haven’t hooked into a bass in nearly 2 years. Maybe it’s just because trolling for salmon, walleye, etc… is easier than the constant casting and retrieving necessary to lure in a small or largemouth bass. Whatever the reason for the gap, I’d forgotten how much I like it, so I think I’ll have to make more of an effort to kill a few hours here and there with a bass rod and some plastic worms.

East Lake 2014

I'll admit, East Lake isn't the most catchy name for a family destination lake. Whenever I mention the central Oregon lake that sits at 6,400 feet above sea level I usually receive a "where?" reply. Overly simplistic lake naming aside, East Lake is one of the most beautiful, family friendly places I am blessed to have been able to take my family to for the past two summers. The lake is filled with Kokanee, Trophy Brown Trout, massive Rainbow Trout, and a few Atlantic Salmon (landlocked of course). With a boat speed limit of 10mph, East Lake is all about the fishing... Well sort of...

For my family, fishing is just an excuse to be together and enjoy the outdoors and it's awesome that Papa Dave joined us again this year. Yes, we caught plenty of fish... and no, this is not another fish don't matter as much post because catching was tough like my Father's Day Diamond Lake post.  This now annual trip really is about the smaller things like Gavin learning to steer the kicker tiller, Garrett calling the shots on when it's time to beach the boat to swim, and letting my daughter Grace bitch and moan about her life jacket just like her older brothers did at her age.  

Most of the fishing this year was targeted at Kokanee as the kids really enjoy the fast action and tasty table fair. The majority of our fishing was done by down riggers out each side of the boat with one or two additional flatlines out the back. However, this year, we also spent a fair amount of time jigging for kokanee while anchored in around 50' of water which was a kick in the pants. I couldn't tell you just how many fish we boated but it was more than enough to keep us entertained.

East Lake and the Newberry Caldera provide magnificent scenery along with the chance for some amazing thunder and lighting... like you've never seen before. At the high elevation, you're literally right in the middle of the storm and for the second year, we were on the far end of the lake when the storm rolled in. With a frightened 5 and 3 year old we booked it to the cabin to enjoy the show in safety. I really wish we'd taken some pictures and video but I guess just too distracted.

Just like the previous year, our trip to East Lake exceeded expectations. Our time with Papa Dave along with BWild and his family made the trip even better. It's awesome to see how all the kids grow both in size as well as their desire to spend time in the outdoors together.

New Water; Lake Merwin

Generally, I am a creature of habit and when I find something I like, such as go to fishing holes, it's hard to pull away. With that said, I do love exploring new lakes but sometimes find it a little daunting. One of the lakes I've had on my short list near the Portland area has been Lake Merwin. The beautiful reservoir located on Southwest Washington's Lewis River is packed full of Kokanee. To add to the angling fun, a few Tiger Musky were introduced there in the mid 90's.

From what I've read (and viewed on a few fishing shows), Merwin tends to be more popular and productive in the spring. However, Papa Dave was in town for the 4th of July this year and we wanted to do a Kokanee warm up trip before we headed to East Lake a bit later in the month. Well, that was just an excuse to pull away from the norm, try out some new water and just spend time in the outdoors with my two boys.

After a fun filled night of eating (& drinking) too much while staying up* too late trying to impress the neighborhood kids with fireworks, we trailered the boat at the crack of 7am on the 5th and headed to Merwin.

Despite only fishing for a few hours (not consecutive), we were able to put a few fish in the boat. I let Gavin work the downriggers for the first time on this trip and in 120' of water, he made the rookie mistake of sending the 8lb ball down instead of up. The result was 200' of cable backlash and 45 minutes of idle time while we got the rigger fixed. That's fishing!

After fishing for a bit, we headed to shore so the boys could play in the water and have a smoked salmon lunch. It was a quick 4 hours on the water but just enough to wet the appetite for heading back up there next spring when the springer salmon bite slows.

*Next time, the boys will get a bit more sleep. Fishing takes patience... and the only remote chance a 5 and 3 year old have a shot at patience is when they are a.)well rested and b.)well fed.