Hunting Washington Forum

Other Activities => Fishing => Topic started by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 02:23:08 PM

Title: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 02:23:08 PM: I'm headed to Coffee Pot lake on either Friday or Monday to try for largemouth for the first time. There is a selective gear rule in effect.

I've never fished for bass. What are the absolute must have baits that are still allowed with the selective gear rule?

Thanks for any help.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: quadrafire on March 04, 2015, 02:26:39 PM: Not sure about the bait this time of year but I read the other day that the water level is Way down and the boat launch is unusable for boat trailers.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 02:28:23 PM: I guess it's a good thing I don't make enough to buy a boat yet. :chuckle:

Thanks for the heads up.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: pianoman9701 on March 04, 2015, 02:31:32 PM: I'd try some rattle traps or other deep-diving and rattling lures. The water's cold, so they'll be slow to bite and probably suspended between 8-15 feet with some feeding in shallows. You might also try some rubber worms, Berkeley baits. Good luck.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: h20hunter on March 04, 2015, 02:32:23 PM: My 2cents......two must have/use lures. A white spinner bait is one, a 6 inch plastic worm rigged weedless is the other. For a third I'd say white buzz bait for around pads and such early am and just at dusk.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 02:35:15 PM: This is why I love this forum. 30 minutes ago I had no idea what to even start looking at, and now I have a few good leads.

Thanks guys. :tup:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: cbond3318 on March 04, 2015, 02:40:48 PM: Absolute must have , 4" Yama Senko in Green Watermelon Pumpkin or Watermelon Laminate with a 2/0 Worm shank hook center rigged. I have never had much luck on the longer plastic baits but I'm sure they work. i am not sure on this time of year but they should pick one or two up. :twocents:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: h20hunter on March 04, 2015, 02:43:49 PM: Good call on the Senko...

My number one ever used worm....

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Worms%7C/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/104820480/Berkleyreg-PowerBaitreg-Power-Worm/1678661.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fworms%2Fberkley%2F_%2FN-1102359%2B1000002786%2FNe-1000002786%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104820480%3FWT.mc_id%3DGOOGLE%257Cfis_Soft%2BBaits_Worms%257CUSA%26WT.srch%3D1%26WT.tsrc%3DPPC%26WT.z_mc_id1%3D43700004568143992%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=undefined%3Bcat104820480 (http://www.cabelas.com/product/Fishing/Soft-Baits/Worms%7C/pc/104793480/c/104772780/sc/104820480/Berkleyreg-PowerBaitreg-Power-Worm/1678661.uts?destination=%2Fcatalog%2Fbrowse%2Fworms%2Fberkley%2F_%2FN-1102359%2B1000002786%2FNe-1000002786%2FNs-CATEGORY_SEQ_104820480%3FWT.mc_id%3DGOOGLE%257Cfis_Soft%2BBaits_Worms%257CUSA%26WT.srch%3D1%26WT.tsrc%3DPPC%26WT.z_mc_id1%3D43700004568143992%26WTz_st%3DGuidedNav%26WTz_stype%3DGNU&WTz_l=undefined%3Bcat104820480)
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: skeeter 20i on March 04, 2015, 02:46:20 PM: Are there smallies in coffee pot? Largies will be hard to get to go right now being so cold but if the sun is right the shallows might work for you. If you can find some warmer water your reaction baits might be just the ticket if not I would go to the other end of the spectrum and think slooooooow and smallllll you may have to let it sit pretty still to get them to take it. Cover water the best you can to try to find some active fish.

I'm a sucker for anything Green Pumpkin colored.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Skillet on March 04, 2015, 02:46:46 PM: You've got a tube or kayak or something, I assume?

As mentioned before, these fish are likely still a bit dormant and not in the prespawn mode yet. I would fish slow, and small. If a bright day and the water is really clear, fish a low impact bait first like a 176 senko wacky rigged over a dark-bottomed flat and just let it float down through the water column, twitching it really gently. If no takers, then rip the spinnerbait through to see if you get a reaction bite. Pretty early for a buzzbait, but you never know.

Fun lake to fish, it kicked out some nice crappie for us back in the day.

*just noticed everybody else had already offered up almost exactly what I said - so I'll just say " :yeah:."
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 03:25:23 PM: Thanks for all of the input everyone. I don't have a kayak or a tube or anything. I was looking at the topo of the area, and there is a nice large inlet I planned on hiking.

Sportsman's Warehouse is going to love me this afternoon. :chuckle:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 03:28:30 PM: There are no smallmouth according to the website, but there are rainbow trout as a backup. I've put more than a few of them on the smoker though. Somehow I've gone out after bass.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/116/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/washington/116/)
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Russ McDonald on March 04, 2015, 03:40:25 PM: Sendo is the way to go for slow and dormant fish. Largies are going to be hard to get this time of the year. Good luck.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 08:05:11 PM: Well, holy crap. That was more than I usually spend for an entire season to chase trout, but we'll see how they work.

I ended up with a couple of white buzzbaits, some yama semko 4" pumpkin laminates, some 2/0 wormshank hooks, a rattletrap and a few things for trout. I completely forgot the spinnerbait, but I still have a day before I am headed out there. I will pick some up tomorrow. Thanks for the advice. I'll update on how the lake treats me.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 08:23:25 PM: Well screw it. I just realized all of my hooks need to be barbless. I'm not buying all new hooks again. I'm thinking I'm going to try Eloika instead.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: fish vacuum on March 04, 2015, 08:35:41 PM: No need to buy new hooks. Just pinch your barbs.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 08:38:58 PM: Quote from: fish vacuum on March 04, 2015, 08:35:41 PM
No need to buy new hooks. Just pinch your barbs.

That's legal? The gammies won't eat my lunch over it?
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Ridgeratt on March 04, 2015, 08:49:19 PM: 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.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 09:01:11 PM: Quote from: Ridgeratt on March 04, 2015, 08:49:19 PM
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.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Ridgeratt on March 04, 2015, 09:14:38 PM: 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
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 04, 2015, 09:28:40 PM: I'm beach fishing. I'll definitely look into the Pend Oreille and the silver minnow when the water starts to warm up. Thanks! :tup:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: plugger on March 05, 2015, 04:36:55 AM: 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.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: bassquatch on March 05, 2015, 09:53:08 AM: 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! :tup:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: bloodhound on March 20, 2015, 07:30:04 PM: 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.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 20, 2015, 08:20:13 PM: 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!
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Ridgeratt on March 20, 2015, 08:26:44 PM: You have a PM
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: JJB11B on March 20, 2015, 08:54:05 PM: What is a selective gear rule? :dunno:
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Ridgeratt on March 20, 2015, 08:59:19 PM: Slot limits posted in the fishing rules.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/ (http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/)
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: JJB11B on March 20, 2015, 09:00:59 PM: 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
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 20, 2015, 09:53:49 PM: 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.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: quadrafire on March 27, 2015, 08:49:39 AM: Jarhead
Did you ever make it to Coffee Pot? I fished there last week in a float tube. It would be fishable from shore if you head towards the narrows and to the south. All i caught were trout but I was fly fishing.
Title: Re: First time trying for bass. Bait help
Post by: Jarhead Chase on March 27, 2015, 11:00:32 AM: My trip got delayed for a little bit. Life got a little hectic. I'll be trying to make my way down there in the next few weeks.