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Summertime
Bassin' on Western Washington's Small Lakes
by Chris Sergeant
Summertime bass fishing on our larger Western Washington lakes,
like Sammamish and Washington, can be downright frustrating
at times. While fishing can be productive, summer fish in
these lakes are usually scattered, feeding well on abundant
baitfish, and leery of artificial baits presented under bright
blue skies. When you couple these factors with having to run
the gauntlet of recreational boaters utilizing large lakes,
thoughts turn to the quiet lowland lakes of Western Washington,
where the only sound one encounters other than the hum of
a trolling motor, is the splash of a feisty largemouth.
Small lakes hold some of the biggest bass in the state. Electrofishing
surveys conducted by the Washington Department of Fish and
Wildlife have turned up numerous largemouth in the 8 to 9
pound class. Thin crowds and calm waters also provide an angler
ample opportunity to hone unfamiliar techniques. Do you need
any better reasons to check out your local lake? I don't!
This article will try to describe some productive ways to
catch bass in your small, local lakes. In my experience, there
are four baits that will allow you to cover water efficiently.
These have proven themselves time and again, and any Washington
angler should be able to tie these on and have an excellent
chance of hooking into some lowland lake bass.
One last thing before we list the four baits mentioned above:
habitat. These four baits should be able to efficiently cover
the type of structure and cover found on our local ponds.
Also keep in mind, small Western Washington lakes are usually
largemouth-dominated, and unless mentioned otherwise, this
information will pertain to largemouth. In order, my favorite
summertime hangouts are docks, laydown logs, lily pad fields,
and weedbed edges. Docks seem to provide the most complex
hiding places for a bass. Almost every dock you run across
will provide ample shade and a forage base for small baitfish
like sculpin, perch, and sunfish. If you find a dock next
to any of the aforementioned hangouts, like a lily pad field,
don't pass up the opportunity to soak that area! In fact,
my biggest Washington largemouth (7lb. 7oz.) came from a hole
in a lily pad field that met the corner of an L-Shaped dock.
Most of this you probably already know. But since it is likely
that you will encounter a combination of these structures
on a small lake, it is important to think about what baits
will efficiently and effectively cover these popular haunts.
Skipping Baits
This is a large class of baits, but it is essential to learn
what baits will skip under any overhanging brush and docks
you encounter. Summertime largemouth can easily be over-pressured
by anglers. As a result, it is in an angler's best interest
to try and cast to areas that have not been fished by others.
Skipping to the back of a low-hanging dock may be the only
way to catch fish in a highly pressured lake, like Lake
Sawyer.
My favorite baits for skipping are either weightless or
lightly weighted (1/32 or 1/16 oz). My go-to baits as of
late have been a tube and a Senko. I will fish a tube either
Texas-Rigged weightless, or with a small internal weight
like the HP weight. My favorite tubes have always been made
by Jerry's, but I have also started fishing with Strike
King's Denny Brauer Flip-N-Tube. I really like the bulk
of this bait. It is tough enough to handle the rigors of
skipping all day long, and you can catch multiple fish on
it. If you want to try this bait, my color recommendations
are Black Neon, Pumpkin/Chartreuse Tail, and Bluegill.
Unless you've been fishing from a cave, you have more than
likely heard of the Yamamoto Senko. This is a hot new bait
that is a must fish on our small lakes. The 9-series is
a big fish producer, and as a lot of you know, it has been
producing some good tournament stringers! I fish this bait
Texas-Rigged weightless. The 9-series Senko (5") is
easily pitched to the edges of docks and weedbeds, while
I prefer the 4-inch 9S for skipping. Be careful with how
you rig these baits, as they are expensive and easy to tear.
My color recommendations for the Senko are Bluegill (#214),
Smoke w/ black flake (#150), and Pearl blue w/ silver flake.
As you might be able to tell, I don't get too hung up on
colors, but I try to stick to natural tones unless there
is ultra-murky water.
If tubes or Senkos aren't producing, I will try skipping
lightly Texas-Rigged lizards, zipper worms, or weightless
French fry baits.
When fishing these baits, keep in mind that you don't have
a lot of weight working for you. Thus, any minor rod tip
movements will equate into larger bait movements under the
water. After skipping the bait to a likely spot, try deadsticking
(not moving your rod). Lightly weighted baits will have
an attractive fall that doesn't need any intervention from
the angler. If deadsticking doesn't work, try a slow hopping
retrieve or swimming action. The most important part of
skipping a lure is to keep it in the strike zone as long
as possible. If you carefully pick your spots, and work
hard to present your bait in an area other anglers missed,
I can guarantee you fish this summer!!!
Carolina Rig
The Carolina Rig resembles a still-fishing trout setup with
some slight modifications. On your mainline is a bullet-shaped
(or other weedless design) weight followed by a glass bead
and two-way barrel swivel. Attached to the swivel is a leader
(usually lighter in test than the mainline) and your hook.
The glass bead protects your swivel knot from being beat-up
by the weight. The lighter mainline allows you to break
off only the hook, and not the rest of your terminal tackle,
if you get snagged.
This rig is a must-have if fish in your local lake are relating
to deeper weed edges. I have had luck with this bait around
shallow structure as well, but it really performs well in
deep applications. My favorite baits for this set-up are
tubes (Strike King and Jerry's), lizards, and double tail
grubs. The double-tail grubs are a great crawdad imitator,
while the other two resemble some sort of struggling, bottom-dwelling
creature like a sculpin.
Jig 'n' Pork combinations
If you are after big fish this summer, your lure search
is over! In my mind, there is no better big fish bait than
a Jig 'N' Pig. When I first started bass fishing, I used
to HATE throwing jigs. But I had heard so many good things
about them that I had to give jigs a fair shot. 5 pounds
and 12 ounces later on Cowlitz County's Silver Lake, I was
sold! That wasn't a bad start for my first jig fish.
Jigs are versatile. When fishing a small lake, a jig is
often the only bait you need. It can act as a search bait
or a slow-down bait. When fishing lily pad fields or thick
weedbeds, jigs can be skimmed over the top to attract active
fish. You won't hook these fish very often when they strike
on the surface, but you will be alerted to their presence.
Flip the jig into the hole where the largemouth blew-up,
and you can often catch them. When you are away from weedbeds,
a jig can then be used to effectively cover any docks or
laydowns you encounter.
One jig company I like to buy from is Strike King. They
have been making jigs for years, and I think their selection
is second to none. The old stand-by is a 3/8oz. Denny Brauer
Pro-Model jig in Green Pumpkin or Copper/Pumpkin. This bait
will penetrate most heavy cover, and it will still have
a slow fall when paired with a bulky trailer. My trailer
choice is often pork, even in hot weather. The action is
more life-like, and it seems to boost my confidence (just
be sure to keep your pork moist in the summer!). My favorite
pork is a Bo-Hawg Senior or Junior.
Sometimes it is necessary to deviate from the 3/8oz. weight.
If there is extremely heavy cover in a small lake, I will
go with more weight, and if there are smallmouth in the
lake, I will go with a lighter, smaller profile bait. My
lighter jig of choice is a 1/8 or ¼ oz. Bitsy Bug,
also made by Strike King. If you haven't given one of these
a try, it's time. Besides being an effective summer bait,
it is a must-fish bait in the winter. Here's a neat trick
for making a Bitsy Bug trailer: Take a leech-imitating bait
and cut a hole dead center (this can be done with a pen
cap). Then cut a straight line from the hole to the end
of the bait. You now have a perfect crawdad-imitating trailer!
That was a trick I learned from the late Ray Whitney. Also,
trim your jig skirt to the bottom curve of the hook to get
more flare from your skirt.
Jitterbug!
WooHoo, my favorite! I have many fond memories of my Dad
and I night fishing with this bait. For those of you unfamiliar
with the Jitterbug, it is an old-time lure made by Arbogast.
A metal lip gives it a wobbling action unlike any other
topwater bait. When I know that I will be fishing topwater
conditions, like nighttime or calm and cloudy days, a Jitterbug
is usually on one of my rods. For some reason, it seems
to produce better on small lakes than larger ones. My guess
is that there are a lot more small critters near the shoreline
on small lakes that attract largemouth. If you take any
kind of heart medication, be sure to bring it with you.
Although it is a sentimental bait for me, I think it is
one of the best topwater lures around! It is worth your
time to give this bait a try.
That's it!!!
Well, I hope some of you gleaned new information from this
article, and I hope it was fun to read. The great thing
about bass fishing is that everyone has their own opinions
and favorite baits. This article was just that: My opinion!
Keep experimenting and trying new baits, but if you find
yourself struggling this summer, I think these four types
of lures above will help. Hopefully, I'll see some of you
out there on our local lakes this summer!
Best Fishes,
Chris Sergeant
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The author proves that there are some decent bass
to be
caught out of Western Washington's small lakes. This
one happens to be a
5 pound 12 ounce largemouth from Lake Meridian. The
fish was caught on a
Carolina-rigged Yamamoto grub.
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Author's wife holds up a healthy largemouth from a small
lake near Sumner. Small lakes are great for getting
newcomers to the
sport of fishing into some quick action! |
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