First time trying for bass. Bait help

[fish vacuum]

No need to buy new hooks. Just pinch your barbs.

[Jarhead Chase]

No need to buy new hooks. Just pinch your barbs.

That's legal? The gammies won't eat my lunch over it?

[Ridgeratt]

Nope just get a good set of pliers and squeeze them. But be aware of the slot limits on them also. I quit fishing bass because of it. Have watched folks fillet a batch of under slot size fish and they almost had a good meal. But for my wife and I a bass about 14 inches is just a meal for the 2 of us. Some day I will find a kid who is bass fishing and I have a tackle box full of stuff I will give them.

[Jarhead Chase]

Nope just get a good set of pliers and squeeze them. But be aware of the slot limits on them also. I quit fishing bass because of it. Have watched folks fillet a batch of under slot size fish and they almost had a good meal. But for my wife and I a bass about 14 inches is just a meal for the 2 of us. Some day I will find a kid who is bass fishing and I have a tackle box full of stuff I will give them.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to fish Eloika on Friday morning (when I don't have all day), and hit Coffee Pot on Monday when I can be gone all day long (It's 1 1/2 hours away from the house). I'll just pinch the hooks before I head out.

[Ridgeratt]

You beach fishing or floatin? once the water warms it used to be good on the Pend Orielle river in the slews. Pick up a Johnson silver minnow

[Jarhead Chase]

I'm beach fishing. I'll definitely look into the Pend Oreille and the silver minnow when the water starts to warm up. Thanks!

[plugger]

You might want to drive up the road a couple miles and try the twin lakes. There loaded with large mouth, no bait restrictions and good bank access. There shallower and should warm up a little quicker. Also have trout, perch and I have heard crappie but I I have not seen one of those. There is also a camp ground. I have done the best on the lake on the left as you are pulling in. If you don't mind using bait, just flip a night crawler out, no weight and work your way around the lake.

[bassquatch]

If you hit Eloika and you're fishing from the bank, slow roll a 1/4 - 3/8oz spinnerbait or a small 4" swimbait rigged weedless.

My #1 choice would be a weedless jig with a pork trailer...the pork will slow the fall rate of the jig in the colder water you have over there.

The more important thing is what cover to fish? Since you are shore bound outside weed edges are out, but if you see wood of any kind pick it apart! 

[bloodhound]

yahh its still pretty cold, largies are gonna be difficult, we are dominating the smallies on the wet site right now. crankbaits retrieved very slow 10-15 ft but your gonna have to find some sort of structure at that depth. flipping jig is always a good call this time of year and the bigger the better on all your baits right now. they are not actively feeding yet so any meal they grab they want to last a while. 

[Jarhead Chase]

I postponed my trip to Coffee Pot until it warms up. I'll be trying all of this advice over this summer, so thanks everyone!

[Ridgeratt]

You have a PM

[JJB11B]

What is a selective gear rule?

[Ridgeratt]

Slot limits posted in the fishing rules.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/

[JJB11B]

Why wouldnt they just call it a slot limit? sounds like a restriction on the type of gear you use when they say it that way

[Jarhead Chase]

No live bait, single point hooks, no barbs, no powerbait or similar stuff, no scented bait. I believe it was under general rules in the reg book.