Anyone hunting smallies?

elmucho · Jun 25, 2022

I'm heading to Le Page Park campground tomorrow for a week of small mouth fishing from that campground - I fished it last year and it was so fun I made it a point to get back there again this year (I'm from San Diego btw so that's a big commitment). If anybody has a recent report on John Day conditions where it meets the Columbia I would be super interested. Last year I fished small poppers exclusively (I'm a fly angler) and I loved it - anybody have any other fly suggestions - I'm also bringing a light spinning rod and small plastics.

Finally - I have to drop off the in-laws at the Eugene airport at 3am a couple Saturdays from now - is there any small or large mouth fishing that is worth putting in the effort in that area? I will have a Hobie kayak with the 180 pedal drive.

Thanks in advance for any tips you might have!

jamisonace · Jun 26, 2022

Went for a ride with the fly rod to Mack Brown. Grabbed the rod with the crappy tapered line so casting was a problem. I knew better than to take the phone for pics because I always end up wading too far and falling in. Today was no exception. Fished for about 30 minutes on a small riffle I could wade to and caught two tiny bass. The swim and wet ride home felt really good.

Snopro · Jun 26, 2022

jamisonace said:
I knew better than to take the phone for pics because I always end up wading too far and falling in.

With as much time as you spend on/in/near water I'm surprised you don't have a waterproof phone. I know mine has made life a lot easier for me.

jamisonace · Jun 26, 2022

Snopro said:
With as much time as you spend on/in/near water I'm surprised you don't have a waterproof phone. I know mine has made life a lot easier for me.

Never thought about that. I'll look into it. Thanks!

My daughter bought me a waterproof case that is on a lanyard but it's kind of a pain so it just sits in my truck.

Snopro · Jun 26, 2022

Yeah WP cases seem like a pain. When I'm over deep water I keep my phone on a tether and call it good.

The first time I dropped it in 2 feet of water and watched it function normally resting on the bottom was a trip.

Oregunner · Jun 27, 2022

I got 6 fishing the Umpqua this morning. The one nice one was so full of crawdads, I don’t know how he got my plastic worm in his mouth. Water temp was up to 70.

elmucho · Jun 27, 2022

Got a bunch of smallies fishing John Day at LePage Park campground - including my personal best... all on topwater fly (7wt rod):

Was kind of a crazy morning of fishing - fished topwater just about the whole morning. There was a two hour window where the smallies were chasing bait and blowing up, slashing the surface like the rooster fish swarms we fish in Southern Baja. It was unreal.

Goldylocks · Jun 28, 2022

elmucho said:
Got a bunch of smallies fishing John Day at LePage Park campground - including my personal best... all on topwater fly (7wt rod):
View attachment 639172
Was kind of a crazy morning of fishing - fished topwater just about the whole morning. There was a two hour window where the smallies were chasing bait and blowing up, slashing the surface like the rooster fish swarms we fish in Southern Baja. It was unreal.

Wow great fish!

DOKF · Jun 28, 2022

elmucho said:
Got a bunch of smallies fishing John Day at LePage Park campground - including my personal best... all on topwater fly (7wt rod):
View attachment 639172
Was kind of a crazy morning of fishing - fished topwater just about the whole morning. There was a two hour window where the smallies were chasing bait and blowing up, slashing the surface like the rooster fish swarms we fish in Southern Baja. It was unreal.

What is a "rooster fish swarm"?

Snopro · Jun 28, 2022

A bunch of...

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...swarming.

elmucho · Jun 28, 2022

yep - a swirling hive of roosters all pissed off with their combs sticking out of the water ready to devour a sardina! You got it!

BrianG · Aug 27, 2022

jamisonace said:
If you promise to take every bass you catch, I'll dial you in on the Umpqua.

I Will take that Deal!
They are an invasive species you know and a tasty one at that
I am in Roseburg and just getting started on the Umpqua.

jamisonace · Aug 27, 2022

BrianG said:
I Will take that Deal!
They are an invasive species you know and a tasty one at that
I am in Roseburg and just getting started on the Umpqua.

Are you in a boat or from shore?

BrianG · Aug 28, 2022

I have a hobie inflatable I have been trying to patch with no luck so I am bank fishing for now.

elmucho · Aug 28, 2022

BrianG said:
I have a hobie inflatable I have been trying to patch with no luck so I am bank fishing for now.

I've had a Hobie i11s (inflatable "kayak") and I've patched it a bunch - maybe I can help. Which glue are you using to patch? Is it a big hole or small one (I've had to patch all sizes on my kayak - one so big I had to cut out a patch and buy special glue and roller to get it to adhere properly). If it's a small one, and the "smear a tiny bit of glue" trick doesn't work, check out Tear-Aid Type B this stuff is pretty amazing as far as a non-permanent patch (although I've had a piece on mine for like a year now).

BrianG · Aug 28, 2022

I have an older 2011 boat with the covered hatch in the front. The hole is in a seam behind where all the side and floor tubes come together in the very front tip under the nose cone. The "hole" mess is always at arms length away because of the hatch. I had to heat up the factory glue to move the tube out of the way. It took forever to find the actual leak. I have tried to cover the hole with some staybond and aquaseal flex but it hasn't worked. I am thinking I am going to have to cut through the top of the hatch to make an access point to make it easier work in the area but I have been avoiding it for fear of making a bigger mess

So from the bank for now

elmucho · Aug 28, 2022

BrianG said:
I have an older 2011 boat with the covered hatch in the front. The hole is in a seam behind where all the side and floor tubes come together in the very front tip under the nose cone. The "hole" mess is always at arms length away because of the hatch. I had to heat up the factory glue to move the tube out of the way. It took forever to find the actual leak. I have tried to cover the hole with some staybond and aquaseal flex but it hasn't worked. I am thinking I am going to have to cut through the top of the hatch to make an access point to make it easier work in the area but I have been avoiding it for fear of making a bigger mess

So from the bank for now

Ah, got it. Darn that sounds like it's outside the range of my inflato repair skill set. Good luck on that.

NKlamerus · Aug 28, 2022

BrianG said:
I have a hobie inflatable I have been trying to patch with no luck so I am bank fishing for now.

I have an addiction to this spot, so a little biased, but you can fish most of river forks from the bank, even more of it if your okay with wading.

There's a beach to fish off of, a concrete dock at singleton park, and more access off of melqua Rd

Fishing is slowing down out there little by little, getting hotter,lower, and dirtier! Still plenty of fish to be caught

BrianG · Sep 7, 2022

jamisonace said:
It's fun for about 10 minutes.

Wait! its 50 fish in 10 minutes! I was ready to spend up to nearly an hour.

Anyone hunting smallies?

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