I'm going to get some new tackle soon and start doing some more bass fishing. However, I have been fishing this area for about 6 - 7 years and have yet to get one single thing. I fished Haag Lake, St. Louis Ponds, Woodburn Ponds, down by Clackamette Park, and just about any other hole you can think of, and have never pulled a single thing in, not even a little fish. I have spent so much money in tackle, it's not even funny. Carolina rig, Texas rig, pig-n-jig, spinners, and any other thing imaginable. I caught a bass one time in my life (about a 7 pounder) in a pond outside of Missoula, Montana. That was 10 years ago, I was eighteen and immediately addicted. Now, 10 years later at the age of 28 that is still my defining moment.
If anyone could help me out, maybe fill me in on some decent spots to land a few bass, I would be really grateful. I am a catch-and-release type of guy, and have no plans of ever actually keeping a fish. Still, I'd love to feel that thrill once again. I'd love to maybe meet a few people who fish as well. As it is now, I typically fish alone. After my incident with the bees, and my incident the day before that (will explain that below), I'm not too sure I am up for fishing alone anymore.
The incident the other day goes like this:
I started the day wanting to head to Wilsonville Pond, but had a difficult time finding directions to the pond online. I live downtown, and spend a fair amount of time over in the Oak Grove/Milwaukee area, so I am not real familiar with Wilsonville. Anyway, I got directions from Google Maps, and I ended out on Frog Pond Lane at a dead end near a field full of cows and llamas. I decided since I could not find Wilsonville Pond, and since I lack a GPS system, I would head to Woodburn Pond, whose location I actually know. So I get to Woodburn Pond at about 6:30PM and the place is completely empty -- not another soul in site. There is a farm house (maybe it's a ranch house or cabin, not too sure) right next to Woodburn Pond, and when I was walking to the pond I noticed that the person who lived there was on the roof, shirtless but wearing a pair of shorts and throwing stuff off his roof. Anyway, I park my car at the gate and walk down to a decent location to start fishing. First cast out I feel a little bite, but the fish doesn't take my bait. Well, I am completely excited at this point, because, as stated above, I have not gotten a bass in years and I was really hoping this was a bass. After I reel my line in, I throw it back out and slowly start reeling. I notice that the person who was on the roof is walking down the path towards where I am at, and he has something in his hand. As he gets closer I realize that it is a machete, and I start to feel a bit panicked because I am completely alone and unarmed. The guy walks past me (he's behind me on the path), and continues on about 10 feet. I watch him just to make sure he doesn't come at me. At this point he takes the machete and starts wacking branches on the tree hard -- I mean with all his might hard -- and he's screaming obscenities at the top of his lungs while doing it. Needless to say, I reeled my line in, grabbed my stuff and got out of there as quickly as I could. The guy was shirtless, wearing only a pair of boxers, had a machete, and was talking to himself. Just going to warn you all, whoever lives near Woodburn Pond, I think they may be just a bit off.