12-year old boy from AK wants to catch a bass

[AK2Oregon]

My 12-year-old son and I will be visiting Southern Oregon and Medford from Anchorage this summer. He is an avid fisherboy and it's his current life's goal to catch a bass. He watches youtube programming all the time trying to learn how and what to use to catch bass. Any suggestions about tackle and locations for our trip would be much appreciated. We want to camp at Lost Creek at some point but we are flexible. Thank you!

 

[bass]

I am not from down that way but if you are close to the Umpqua that is reputed to be an amazing smallmouth fishery. If he is fishing from shore (there or anywhere else) it is hard to beat a wacky rigged 3" or 4" Senko in a brown-ish color. I think the color I usually toss is what they call Cinnamon.

Hopefully someone from down that way can be more helpful on location.

 

[troutdude]

Great advice @bass! The Umpqua River is reported--by many and for decades--to have hundreds of smallies per mile. The local tackle shops would be a good point of contact. I've not fished anywhere down south either. So I, too, will have to defer to others on location.

Let us know how your son does! My fingers are crossed.

Tight lines, TD

 

[troutdude]

Well you'd have to be willing to travel about 2 - 2.5 hours, one way, to fish the Umpqua.

However there may be some closer options, for lake fishing. Emigrant Lake is about 40 minutes south of Medford. And to the east of Emigrant are Hyatt Reservoir, and the much larger Howard Prairie Lake. I'm not 100% sure, but I think they all hold bass.

 

[troutdude]

@AK2Oregon just confirmed that Emigrant DOES have both smallies and bucketmouths. Hyatt has some bass but is mostly a trout fishery. There are also both smallies and bucketmouths at the MUCH larger Howard Prairie.

 

[Fummus]

Live near the Umpqua, and yes there be smallmouths aplenty. 100 fish days are not unheard of. Simplest rig is nightcrawler and hook, nothing else. Cast into deep water and watch your line. Most any artificial lures will work as well.

 

[TheKnigit]

I am in the Umpqua area as well. I have had really good luck tossing flukes for smallies. Cast out and let the fluke sink, give it a quick jerk and reel in some of the slack as it drops again.

 

[supertodd]

emigrant and agate are both good choices. Hyatt is full of largemouth. both hyatt and howard are extremely low from drought and work a couple years ago on dams. If boat ramp is useable at emigrant I will take you both out. I have a 20' fishrite jetboat. I can't guarantee bass but good chance of it. I like fishing that lake for crappie and bluegill so always something to catch.

 

[supertodd]

Lost creek near shady cove is also good for smallmouth, with a few largemouth here and there. Applegate is another good smallmouth lake. Agate is probably the closest with good access with lots of small largemouth, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch and catfish. PM sent

 

[AK2Oregon]

emigrant and agate are both good choices. Hyatt is full of largemouth. both hyatt and howard are extremely low from drought and work a couple years ago on dams. If boat ramp is useable at emigrant I will take you both out. I have a 20' fishrite jetboat. I can't guarantee bass but good chance of it. I like fishing that lake for crappie and bluegill so always something to catch.

Great info! Thank you!

 

[AK2Oregon]

Lost creek near shady cove is also good for smallmouth, with a few largemouth here and there. Applegate is another good smallmouth lake. Agate is probably the closest with good access with lots of small largemouth, crappie, bluegill, yellow perch and catfish. PM sent

Sounds great!