Any Bass in the Willamette

R
Ryno Smojo
Has anyone done any good on the willamette near corvallis and peoria. Theres a lot of slow stretches of water and I can't help but wonder how the bass fishing is. I past over it today coming back from corvallis and was thinking about it. If so, would it be wise to put in a fiberglass boat? I also was wondering about the calapooia near brownsville. Ive fished for trout but never bass.
Merry Christmas!
 
O
osmosis
they should be all over the place and easy to catch in the summer and spring. right now I think youd have to practically put in in their mouth its so cold.

I have definitely heard of smallmouth in calapooia
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
Oh geez, if you fish worms in the cal, or a small olive wooly bugger in particular, you will hook-up a million Smallies out there. Try the bugger in a small variety, like number 6, or 4 hooks. But with the water temps maintaining a mid-forties range pretty constant, you are going to have to force feed 'em, or snag 'em to fight bass. Winter Steelhead are on the move, and will only get better. They eat worms, they eat anything. They are just a savvy trout, not really smarter...
 
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R
Ryno Smojo
So do you think a fiberglass bass boat would be ok in the summer or spring time on the Willamette on that stretch around corvallis. If so where are the best boat ramps?
 
jhop111
jhop111
Peoria has a boat ramp, its probably a good hours float from that ramp into corvallis in the summer. But its about 20 minutes south of corvallis on peoria highway. They're a lot of slow water back channels on that stretch of the river. As to the type of boat, anything your comfortable in would be ok to float the river in. If people do it in rubber rafts and inner tubes all summer, you could make that stretch as well for sure! If you have a full day to fish, then put in at Harrisburg but know that the ramp they're is more or less a gravel bar for the last 3 years. Harrisburg is close to 30 minutes south of corvallis on HW99 or Peoria HW. You'll see me out they're soon enough!
 
W
willfishforfood
Easy float

Easy float

Summer is great for an easy float on the willy. I have yet target the smallies. Coming from Eugene, I like to put in at Marshall Island (off river rd. just south of Junction City) and out at Harrisburg. This is a 2-3 hour float and very easy in a kayak or inflatable, though it may be a little shallow in some areas for a boat that runs deeper. There is a railroad bridge about 2/3 the way through with some major eddies that you can ride downstream and back up and there are lots of trout in there, probably bass too.
 
R
RIVERFISHER
willfishforfood said:
Summer is great for an easy float on the willy. I have yet target the smallies. Coming from Eugene, I like to put in at Marshall Island (off river rd. just south of Junction City) and out at Harrisburg. This is a 2-3 hour float and very easy in a kayak or inflatable, though it may be a little shallow in some areas for a boat that runs deeper. There is a railroad bridge about 2/3 the way through with some major eddies that you can ride downstream and back up and there are lots of trout in there, probably bass too.

i float from beltline bridge on pontoons down to a boat ramp way down river road.. i think its close to the last turn b4 the str8 stretch to jc... lots a fish every year through there...
 
jhop111
jhop111
:shock:Brown's landing on river road? Yeah we put in there and fish down to Harrisburg, or float depending on the company. :D I have a friend who owns a lot of the bank on the east side from the rail road bridge up about 800 yards or so. Lots of back water areas. If your driving into harrisburg look up river right below the bridge at that huge area of backwater. 4 or 5 years ago that was the main channel! Amazing how fast a major shift can occure during a couple flood seasons!:shock:
 
R
Ryno Smojo
Thanks for all the info guys

Thanks for all the info guys

I have a 9 foot pontoon so I think this spring I'll float it and check it out to see if I can use my bass boat. I love my pontoon but my other boat is much more comfortable. I have a depth finder mounted to my pontoon so I can check depths all the way down. I'll have to take my trout rod along just in case those bass aren't biting. You guys just using worm and lures.
 
F
Fish Dawgs
let me know if you catch something because i live close to the willamete
 
F
flippinbaits
Ryno Smojo said:
You guys just using worm and lures.

can u use n e thing else??? lol

that covers it all!

my fav for smallies are a crawdad crank, a single tail grup to jig head, and a 3'' drop shotted senko.

good luck, and be safe! waters still may be rushing hard in the spring.
 

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