Potholes Resevoir Wa.

[basstrackin]

I'm new here so I'l give it a  try, Every year we make a trip to potholes resevoir in wa. for a few days and I have not been able to come up with a good fishing tactic for this place. Any suggestions on lures and practices would be helful, we will be going at the end of july so I know the water will be down and it wil be warm out.

[Glenn]

Will you have access to a bass boat? If not a bass boat, what kind of boat (it's important if you want to go back in the dunes).  Or will you be fishing from the bank?

[basstrackin]

Yes glenn, thanks for the reply I have a 2000 bass tracker pro crappie and have been back in the dunes quite a few times, I have kind of figured out the crab creek area I hope my new  fish/depth finder will help.

[Glenn]

the topwater early morning bite should be great by then - buzzbaits and frogs in the dunes, Pop-Rs and Zara-Spooks in Linde Coulee and the face of the dam.

 

In the dunes after the topwater bite slows down, throw spinnerbaits, big plastics (think 6") and jigs.  Green pumpkin is a good color. If they don't hit it, switch to Junebug.  Those are really the only colors you need in the dunes.

 

For Linde Coulee and the face of the dam - it's crankbait time baby!  Pick your favorite and have fun.  If there's a lot of algae, use bright colors. If the bite slows down, Yamamoto twin tail grubs in color #176 (cinnamon/brown) color threaded on a football jig, tail dipped in chartruese JJ's magic will work.  Splitshot grubs as well as shaky heads work well too, as do green pumpkin tubes.

 

Hope that helps!

[basstrackin]

Glenn, your knowledge is amazing !! Can you tell me which frog, popper etc. you prefer, thanks.

[basstrackin]

Also Glenn, after a brain *art ..What is your mojo on waleye for potholes? Or lets stay on BASS, got to love it!!!

[Glenn]

I really like the RageTail frog. I rig it with a 1/4oz keel weight, and then "drift" it back to the boat.  That is, let it sink under the surface, pull it back up, let it sink, and so forth.  The big girls seem to like that.  Sometimes a steady retrieve across the surface can illicit monster strikes, but the "injured frog" retrieve seems to work best for me.

 

I really like the Rebel Pop-R for smallies.  Cast it out and let the ripples go away before doing anything.  Then give it a "blurp", and let it sit again until the ripples subside...all the way back to the boat.  Try that for awhile and see if that works.  Sometimes they'll just smash it while it's sitting there, other times they want a different presentation, like a quick and steady chug, chug, chug, back to the boat.  Sometimes a jerk, jerk, pause...jerk, jerk, pause cadence is what they want. You'll just have to play around a bit until you hone in on what they want that day.

 

As for walleye....the crab creek main channel early in the season rocks.  After that, I'm lost.  I don't fish for them, so I can't help you there.  But I do know they love crankbaits.  So don't be surprised if you tie into one while crankin' for bass.

[basstrackin]

Thanks again! Now I'm really stoked to get out and give it a shot. Your help has been really outstanding!!

[flippin and pitchin]

Glenn passed on some good stuff.  If I can ad to it, try a wake bait at first light like an Ima Rumba. A 5 inch hollow body swimbait on a 3/8 jig head, hook exposed near the face of the dam can be good as well.  That same swimbait fished with a keel hook weedless up in the dunes can also be productive. Let us know how your trip went.

 

Doug

[motodmast]

i know this is from a few months ago, but how is the fishing right now? im headed over to potholes this weekend, any spots or lures is should be throwing. not really looking for the biggest fish, but just good quanties of bass im in a boat btw..

 

thanks for any help!