New to Portland: local ideas and advice for largemouth bass?

[AhBreeze]

Good evening!

My first post on this forum! I recently moved to Portland to take a new job and have been in exploration mode trying to track down a couple reliable holes to snare a big lip for a weeknight bite.

Ideally, looking for a few ideas within 30 minutes of NW Portland to hit during the work week. And maybe a few ideas for the weekend. I fish off the shore or in a float tube.

So far, I have ventured out to Commonwealth Lake, Bethany Lake, Vernonia Lake, and Hagg.

1. Hagg: Wow you guys are lucky to have this! Have only been out here once, rented a boat, what an amazing lake for LM bass! I think I have a game plan for the next time. A bit far for an evening trip, but wow.
2. Commonwealth: has been overrun with people trying to snare some lake trout, pretty sure I saw a carp. Not too interesting of a location.
3. Bethany Lake: there is some good lily pad coverage on the west end of the lake, but again, overrun with people fishing lake trout. Seems possible but might have to get on a tube, but not sure it's worth it?
4. Vernonia Pond: this is about a 50min drive for me (NW Portland area) and is incredibly "bassy", I landed a small bass on a dark blue senko. I love the lily pad and underwater cover. I went back again last night (6/1) and the water had poor visibility and some rain. Unfortunately, no luck. Tried dark senkos, bright spinner, green/white frogs, popper, dark swim jig, and a 2pc floating rapala.

Thank you and Cheers!
ahBreeze

 

[bass]

Take my advice and think smallmouth. The Willamette and Columbia are loaded and right in your wheelhouse.

 

[AhBreeze]

Definitely interested! Would you be willing to share some specific locations with me? Willamette and Columbia is too generic and I see that on other threads all the time. Do you have a crossroad, street name, or any other identifier which could bring me to a couple good starting locations for each river? Thank you!!

 

[Raincatcher]

Welcome to the forum! I don't know if any of these will put bass on your line, but it should be worth the time to check it out. https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewe...z=11&ie=UTF8&mid=14ILz0jL_fWAIIFwaHnum5S66N7c

 

[Berg03]

I can say on the Willy, any area that has some slack water has some bass to be caught. Also if you can rent or borrow a small boat or yak, the tualatin river has some good bass to be caught. GL!

 

[Shaun Solomon]

I'm in a pretty similar situation. I've been here a year and a half, and am working my way through local waters as I am able. Also boatless, also have a float tube. I am in Corvallis though.

Cheers, and welcome.

SS

 

[wils]

Like mantioned above: Think smallmouth if you are looking for someone else to direct you to fish catching.
For me, the fun of LMB fishing and catching previously un-caught LMB is exploring and finding my own fish. and yes, it may take a year or three. especially when you are limited to within a half hour of a large population center. Smallies are a nice back-up when the "I HAVE to catch a fish" kicks in.

 

[cdat]

Like you, I'm new to the area, I'm also new to bass fishing. Won't try to give you fishing advice, altho a couple of things I've found out:
Bethany Pond: best EARLY in the am: like before 7am, gets crowded after that with, as you said, people fishing for trout
Don't know if you've tried Mcnary or Bybee, not too far from NW Portland
Not sure if you've seen this, again, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this info: http://www.bestfishinginamerica.com/OR-bass-crappie-catfish-fishing-in-oregon.html

Get a copy of "Fishing in Oregon" by Maddy Sheehan, best book on fishing waters in Oregon
Good luck

 

[Fishpdx]

there's more smallmouths than largemouths in portland area, so there's one tip you can always use. largemouth like calm water like sloughs/lakes/ponds, smallmouth like some current.

 

[GungasUncle]

Just a heads up for Commonwealth and Bethany - Tualatin Hills does not allow floating craft on their ponds. Seems kind of funny, since Bethany butts up to private property and said private property owners all obviously have canoes / paddle boats they use, BUT - I've been told by THPRD officials that you are not allowed to launch a canoe or kayak on the lakes, and wading and swimming is likewise prohibited. Sucks, because kayak or tube fishing would be way more productive.

Every few years they actually bring a dredger barge in and dredge Bethany out and try to remove some of the weeds. Commonwealth is supposedly a lot more man made - to the point where there is a big strip of concrete at the bottom, and all that round rock you see goes all the way around the lake and all the way out to the middle. Commonwealth used to have huge carp, it does/did hold both small and largemouth bass but not in great numbers or size. Same with panfish. I used to fish it a lot more often, and it was primarily carp & trout with other species being odd-fish-out. Oregon Bass & Panfish club used to work with THPRD to stock both lakes. Not sure if they still do.

 

[montym]

Bethany trouts are probably long gone, you do not need to worry about sharing site shot with others. Folks feeding the ducks maybe...

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