First bass boat!

[srando1]

Sooooo, just bought my first boat! I have a 3 day weekend coming up and want to take her out! Any place around have water?! And fish too hopefully? I live in Salem and wouldn't mind camping somewhere if it's a little bit of a drive. I was thinking 10 mile? But I've never been and seems like a huge lake which can be intimidating. Thanks for any input!!!

 

[Aervax]

Congrats on the first bass boat. Smart choice buying a used one too. My first one was brand new. By the time I figured monthly payments, taxes, insurance, gas and maintenance I could have purchased a small lake with the same monthly expense. Now I am downsized to a drift boat and a float tube. Much better.

I know folks who camp on the John Day Arm of the Columbia while fishing for bass or steelhead depending on time of year. Bass right now. It is a sheltered canyon that extends several miles up the John Day River from I-84, flooded by the Dalles Dam. I fish that area, but have not camped.

Two choices for camping, right there at the boat ramp is a nice grassy area with bathrooms and a short drive to ice and food if needed. The most appealing is a boat-in only accessed campground several miles up the John Day arm. It has boat docks and desigmated campsites, but no road access. Remote, but with docks. Pretty cool.

 

[Aervax]

Here is a link for the boat ramp campground.

http://www.reserveamerica.com/campi...oundDetails.do?contractCode=NRSO&parkId=73248

The boat in campground is Albert Phillipi Park. It might be closed. I am not finding an active website for it.

 

[srando1]

Thanks for the input! I researched the John day a little bit. I see lots of float tubes and drift boats which tells me the water stays pretty low. Plus, I'm set up a little more for large mouth. Keep the ideas coming!

 

[taconight2night]

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[Aervax]

John Day River proper is not navigable with a bass boat. Too low this time of year even for drift boats. I was suggesting the area around the confluence with the Columbia. There the dam has flooded the John Day River Arm. It is deep water for the first few miles. Good fishing for smallmouth, catfish and some largemouth this time of year. The north to south orientation shelters it from the gorge winds. It also has direct access to the Columbia for more of the same.

 

[Aervax]

Wherever you decide to go, share some pics and stories.

 

[EOBOY]

The Fishwhisperer just did a day trip to La Page and we hope to go on and over nighter later this month. He caught some big smallies there.