winter smallmouth thoughts

Anyone on the forum do any winter smallmouth fishing in the Willamette? I would assume that the bass would want to get out of the current  and Ross and Cedar Oak Island look like they might be interesting. I have never tried either spot (at any time of the year) and I am not sure if there is much in the way of structure to hold and concentrate the bass. When I lived on the East coast I used to bass fish until the lakes iced over, but it was for largemouth on small lakes and not smallmouth in the rivers. If anyone has had any winter smallmouth success and wants to share any details - specific or general - I am all ears.

I'd be really interested in winter smallmouth tips as well.  I know how to fish for them wen it's warmer and they are active.

I have done a lot of cold weather largemouth fishing. December was always my best month for big fish when
I lived in Pennsylvania. For LMB it was always a jig'n'pig fished along steep dropoffs and cliffs with wood. A
steep bank (vertical, canyon-like) with laydowns standing on their heads in the deep water were always
the ticket. I am not sure if smallmouth relate to wood the same way in the winter or if they stick with the
rocks that they love so much the rest of the year. I assume that they would want to get out of the current, but
that is just an educated guess at this point.

Next time I go out sturgeon fishing I will probably spend a little time testing a few theories. The one thing that
I found to be true for LMB was that I had to really crawl that jig along, sliding it down the trunks as slowly as
possible. I

When i was paddling the edge of the Willy, I noticed a lot of fish hanging out around the docks.  Might be a good place to start.

Did you see fish on your sonar or did you visually see the fish? Just curious where the were in the water column.

I saw them on my fish finder.  they were mostly hanging out near the bottom.  If i remember correctly, they tended to be near the pillars holding the docks.  Fish love structure.

A few were suspended but not many.

Dunno fishing the Willy too well but my winter tactic is a sliding sinker rig w/ a broke back Rap trolled slooooowly and deep.

Dunno fishing the Willy too well but my winter tactic is a sliding sinker rig w/ a broke back Rap trolled slooooowly and deep.

That is interesting Zee. I have always fished heavy wood cover for largemouth in the winter, but it sounds like smallmouth definitely behave differently.

PDX I wont be back in P town till after the 4th of Jan. Give me a shout when I get back and we will go out on the upper Willy. After being gone since December 9th I hope I still can remember how to fish.

Dunno fishing the Willy too well but my winter tactic is a sliding sinker rig w/ a broke back Rap trolled slooooowly and deep.

That is interesting Zee. I have always fished heavy wood cover for largemouth in the winter, but it sounds like smallmouth definitely behave differently.

PDX I wont be back in P town till after the 4th of Jan. Give me a shout when I get back and we will go out on the upper Willy. After being gone since December 9th I hope I still can remember how to fish.

Dunno fishing the Willy too well but my winter tactic is a sliding sinker rig w/ a broke back Rap trolled slooooowly and deep.

That is interesting Zee. I have always fished heavy wood cover for largemouth in the winter, but it sounds like smallmouth definitely behave differently.

Sounds great firebunker23. I think it would be fun to give the upper willie sturgeon and smallmouth a try. I have been looking at the charts and it looks like there are some good spots for both down near Walnut eddy! Of course the charts are pretty crude, nothing like a day on the water to find the "reel" truth.

PDX I have heard that their are Sturgeon in the upper Willy but have never talked to anyone that has fished for them. I am game though it would be fun to try, who knows we might get lucky.

PDX I wont be back in P town till after the 4th of Jan. Give me a shout when I get back and we will go out on the upper Willy. After being gone since December 9th I hope I still can remember how to fish.

Dunno fishing the Willy too well but my winter tactic is a sliding sinker rig w/ a broke back Rap trolled slooooowly and deep.

That is interesting Zee. I have always fished heavy wood cover for largemouth in the winter, but it sounds like smallmouth definitely behave differently.

Sounds great firebunker23. I think it would be fun to give the upper willie sturgeon and smallmouth a try. I have been looking at the charts and it looks like there are some good spots for both down near Walnut eddy! Of course the charts are pretty crude, nothing like a day on the water to find the "reel" truth.

I have no first hand information, but I have heard whisperings of a decent sturgeon fishery on the upper Willie. Only one way to find out