Ned to the Rescue on the Columbia River, 11 June 2021

[pdxfisher]

I took off work on Friday the 11th to fish the Columbia out of Stevenson, WA. I did so because the weather report indicate little to no wind all day long. To say that I was upset when I got the ramp and saw white caps and rollers would be quite the understatement. I almost did not even launch.

 

I decided that since I had driven an hour to get there I should at least get the kayak wet. The wind had me in a foul mood as I launched. When I reached for a rod I noticed that I had forgotten to leash my rods (I keep the rods I am not fishing with leashed to the kayak in case I tip). As I was reaching around to hook the rod leashes up I caught the sleeve of my raincoat on a treble hook. I grabbed my pliers and tried to back out the hook while on my knees in the kayak which was rocking around like crazy due to the waves.

 

I created about a foot long tear in the sleeve of my rain jacket when I pulled on the hook just as a bigger roller hit the kayak. Just perfect.

 

By this point I am out and out seething about the weather and my sleeve. Once again, I almost pack it up and even started to pedal back to the ramp but I decided to stay at least for a little bit.

 

I started fishing and in a bit caught a small bass. I kept fishing a caught a few more dinks (which is unusual for the Columbia, usually good-sized fish abound). I am just getting angrier and angrier by the minute. To add to my good mood I snap off my favorite spinnerbait on a cast. I must have had a bad nick in the line. Grrrr.

 

I finally catch a decent sized bass (2 1/2lbs) and that cheered me up some but it was a stray fish. In the wind and the rain (which is nicely soaking through my torn sleeve) I could not put together a working pattern. Every fish I caught seemed random and unrelated in its behavior and location to any previous fish.

 

Further down after another lull I hook a second nice fish and lose it right at the kayak. "You have got to be kidding me" I said to myself. Crank and wind, crank and wind, feel the chill as my sleeve and arm just get wetter and wetter.

 

I fished one of my favorite spots and did not get a sniff, but it was just so hard to fish in the wind and the waves. I went and fished some other known good spots and caught a couple of more fish, but nothing notable. I could barely concentrate on fishing as I just kept thinking that I burned a day off from work for this and the anger would boil inside me.

 

Late in the morning (I am still not sure why I stayed) the wind died down and so I went back to my favorite spot. With the calmer wind I could actually fish it effectively.  It was as if a switch was flipped. The bite turned on hard. The fish were deeper than I expected with the overcast conditions (10-15') and would not consistently hit a moving bait but they could not lay off the Ned rig.

 

I ended up with 33 smallmouth on the day, mostly on the Ned rig. I had a 3lb, 3lb 2oz and 3lb 6oz fish and lots of fish over 2 lbs. I still occasionally caught a dink but they became the exception rather than the rule. A morning that was close to one of my worst ever turned into and afternoon that was good as they get!

 

The fish never got super active and I would periodically waste time throwing an active bait. Occasionally I would catch a small fish doing that but then I would go back to the Ned rig and start catching quality fish again.

 

That had to be the biggest 180 of a day I have ever had. By the end the water was like glass and the bass kept biting all afternoon and were still biting well when I left. I am so glad that I just sucked it up and hung in there. I almost rage quit so many times during the day. Some days you just have to be relentless.

 

3lbs

 

 

3lbs 2oz

 

 

3lbs 6oz

 

Some video from the day:

 

[GaryH]

Nice catch.. good job ?

[TheBasslayer]

It’s always good when a bad day turns good! Nice job!

[Will Wetline]

This is such a well written report I suspect that you're an English teacher when not fishing.

I'm glad that your perseverance was rewarded with a busy afternoon.

 

[pdxfisher]

Thanks guys! We have all had those turn around days and they always hold a special place in my memory. 

 

Close @Keeper , I am an engineer - at least the first 3 letters are the same