John Day River June 28 - July 1

We had a couple of cancellations today due to an unforeseen family issue.  So if someone were to have Friday to Monday off, I got room on the permits.  Only catch is that you'd have to paddle an Old Town Predator or an Ocean Kayak, which we can provide if necessary.  Besides that, you also would need to provide all your own gear and be fairly self sufficient.

Very tempting. John Day is a 45 minute drive and a favorite fishing spot for me. You say they'll give me a kayak to run down the river? Must be from out of town.

This is a media trip for the Old Town Predator, so most of us will be on those.  Since Ocean Kayak is a sister company to Old Town, it's ok to have those in the background.  Although now that I think about it, if you wanted to be on your own kayak, it likely wouldn't be an issue.  We'll likely split into groups on our way down the river so as not to crowd.  You just won't be in the group with the photographer in it.

-Allen

I'm just busting balls. You guys go down John Day with a few fishermen and a photog you'll get everything you need.
Here's the BS test; first day you go downriver and catch a bunch of decent fish. Sooner or later, you want a big one, so you don't catch as many, but you know where to look for the bigger ones.
You guys will do great. Looks like on and off rain this week, east winds for the time you spend on the river, which means sunny and hot. Looking like you are going to have a classic trip down the Day.

I'm pretty sure that some of us had multiple 200-300 fish days.  Hard to keep count after about 50.  You just sort of get giggly and stupid after that point.....  Imagine a topwater bite at 2:00PM and switching up patterns to bring your ratio from 1 every 3 casts to 1 every cast.  Nuts!

One exhausted -Spot-

I'm pretty sure that some of us had multiple 200-300 fish days.  Hard to keep count after about 50.  You just sort of get giggly and stupid after that point.....  Imagine a topwater bite at 2:00PM and switching up patterns to bring your ratio from 1 every 3 casts to 1 every cast.  Nuts!

One exhausted -Spot-

  Sounds like a great time Spot-----how about some pics when you are recovered

I'm pretty sure that some of us had multiple 200-300 fish days.  Hard to keep count after about 50.  You just sort of get giggly and stupid after that point.....  Imagine a topwater bite at 2:00PM and switching up patterns to bring your ratio from 1 every 3 casts to 1 every cast.  Nuts!

One exhausted -Spot-

Now you may understand why we don't throw $5 lures on the John Day. Lucky for you it wasn't too hot; does "roasted peanut" sound like an appropriate description of kayak fishing in the mid-Columbia basin? Sounds like you had a great John Day trip, maybe you'll want to hunt for the big ones next time around?

I'm pretty sure that some of us had multiple 200-300 fish days.  Hard to keep count after about 50.  You just sort of get giggly and stupid after that point.....  Imagine a topwater bite at 2:00PM and switching up patterns to bring your ratio from 1 every 3 casts to 1 every cast.  Nuts!

One exhausted -Spot-

Now you may understand why we don't throw $5 lures on the John Day. Lucky for you it wasn't too hot; does "roasted peanut" sound like an appropriate description of kayak fishing in the mid-Columbia basin? Sounds like you had a great John Day trip, maybe you'll want to hunt for the big ones next time around?

Not too hot?  It was 106 when we got off the water on Monday.

I threw a lot of hard baits and didn't lose one.  There was a definite pattern when these worked and the plastics didn't as much.  I threw the 1/8 ounce jighead and lost about 20.  Split shot on the leader above a worm worked as well as the jighead and I didn't lose nearly as many.  I did work my way through a lot of plastic.  More details when I recover.  Just got home about an hour ago.

Regarding the numbers.  Unreal!!!  While none of us counted, on the 3rd day the photographer finally picked up a rod when the sun was high and the lighting wasn't so good.  He caught 74 fish in 2.5 hours.  The rest of us fished 10 hours that day and the bite was on all day.  Do the math!

The only downside was most of the fish were <10" with but a smattering of 12-16 inchers.

-Allen

Not too hot?  It was 106 when we got off the water on Monday.

I threw a lot of hard baits and didn't lose one.  There was a definite pattern when these worked and the plastics didn't as much.  I threw the 1/8 ounce jighead and lost about 20.  Split shot on the leader above a worm worked as well as the jighead and I didn't lose nearly as many.  I did work my way through a lot of plastic.  More details when I recover.  Just got home about an hour ago.

Regarding the numbers.  Unreal!!!  While none of us counted, on the 3rd day the photographer finally picked up a rod when the sun was high and the lighting wasn't so good.  He caught 74 fish in 2.5 hours.  The rest of us fished 10 hours that day and the bite was on all day.  Do the math!

The only downside was most of the fish were <10" with but a smattering of 12-16 inchers.

-Allen

Once again, I am busting your balls. It's been extremely hot, even for the semi-desert around the John Day. Your trip sounds very typical of the mid to upper river; lots of fish, but mostly small. Nothing wrong with that, you're catching fish, how can you complain? As I mentioned earlier, if you get a big smallmouth this time of year(20" or so), you're really lucky, even on the Columbia. This time of year, the smaller bass just move quicker than the big ones.
I've come to appreciate fishing for smallmouth bass in the past couple years. They are great fighting fish for their size, especially the bigger fish. The John Day is one of the best smallmouth fisheries in the United States, I think you can testify to that. I think that in the next few years, a world record smallmouth bass is going to come out of the Columbia River, that will keep me going after them.

Hah Ronbo.  I'm usually not that slow but when you bust my balls, it flies right over my head.

I think there are too many fish on the John Day and they need to be culled back some.  I got to believe the population is a tad stunted.  Yes, there are that many fish on the JD.  And you're right, the smaller ones beat the bigger ones to the bait.  I witnessed this countless times.

-Allen

This image was posted to Old Town's facebook page today.  Awesome shot of Brian!

-Allen

Wow! Sounds like fun.  Great shot of Brian. 

Wow! Sounds like fun.  Great shot of Brian.

Craig,

I couldn't help but think you and the other huntas might enjoy a cast and blast on this river in the fall.  We saw tons of chukar.  Also saw ducks, geese, deer, bighorn sheep, and more.  And in addition to the smallies, there would be steelies in the river.

-Allen

That is a way cool pic. That Predator looks like a sweet ride.

I think there are too many fish on the John Day and they need to be culled back some.  I got to believe the population is a tad stunted.  Yes, there are that many fish on the JD.  And you're right, the smaller ones beat the bigger ones to the bait.  I witnessed this countless times.

I talked to a F&W guy the last time I was up there(he was interested in my camera gear), he told me they figure there are 1000 smallmouth bass per mile on the John Day. He also told me that bluegill and crappie are populating the river so the bass have more food. Most fishermen throw the bass back, that also keeps the population up.
Spring is the time for the bigger fish for sure, you can also catch bigger fish in the fall when the water cools off a bit. I've had pretty good luck catching bigger bass on the Columbia near the river mouths of the John Day and the Deschutes year round. You can camp at the mouth of the John Day, launch from the campsite beach and paddle to the Columbia or up the John Day. Fish for bass along the rocks on the Columbia or fish for salmon, steelhead or walleye.

I talked to a F&W guy the last time I was up there(he was interested in my camera gear), he told me they figure there are 1000 smallmouth bass per mile on the John Day.

From what I saw, I have to believe there are way more than 1000 smallies per river mile.  As a group we probably caught 1000 fish on day 3 covering ~12 miles.  There is no way we caught 1/12 of the fish in this section of water.  I've also seen some statements on the web as high as 4000.  There are smallies in every foot of the river from the slowest frog water to the fastest whitewater and everything in between.

-Allen

I talked to a F&W guy the last time I was up there(he was interested in my camera gear), he told me they figure there are 1000 smallmouth bass per mile on the John Day.

From what I saw, I have to believe there are way more than 1000 smallies per river mile.  As a group we probably caught 1000 fish on day 3 covering ~12 miles.  There is no way we caught 1/12 of the fish in this section of water.  I've also seen some statements on the web as high as 4000.  There are smallies in every foot of the river from the slowest frog water to the fastest whitewater and everything in between.

-Allen

That sounds pretty incredible, what do they all eat? It seems with that many fish there would be shortage of food.