by Brian O’Keefe

The Pacific Northwest is famous for producing salmon, steelhead and trout that attract anglers from around the world. Most visitors come and go without ever discovering the great bass fishery in Washington and Oregon. There are largemouth bass in hundreds of lakes in the Northwest. Regional tournaments have been a part of the warm-water scene for many years. The rivers, including the mighty Columbia and tributaries like the Lower Yakima and John Day rivers, are revered by locals for having excellent smallmouth bass populations. Add the Lower Umpqua River on the Oregon coast and it might look like Mr. Bass could give the trout and salmon a run for their money.

Traditional tackle, techniques and bass boats are used in the Northwest, but I have found several places where fly-rod popper fishing is topnotch, and I just use an old row boat. There are several shallow alpine lakes in Oregon where the morning and evening bass action is amazing. With reeds, cattails and lily pads providing cover, these mountain bass hammer poppers from May until September. When water temperatures reach 65, the bite is on.

Whether it is the desert bass in Washington or the mountain bass in Oregon, you will find interesting scenery, good fishing and very few other anglers doing it. As long as the salmon, trout and steelhead keep getting all the headlines, we bass fishermen will be quite happy.