Largemouth tacticS
in the Pacific Northwest
Mike Matkowski of Kennewick, WA and a 7-lb largemouth from Potholes reservoir. he caught the bass on a spinning rod with braided line (with a wacky-rigged Senko)
Summer
larGeMoUtH tActIcs
By mARc mARcANtoNIo
Story & Photo
W
hen anglers across the country think of bass in the Pacific Northwest, they envision smallmouths; but speak with an avid bass angler from Wash., ore. or idaho and they get the most excited about largemouths! outside of the area, very few people realize how good the largemouth bass fishing is and many are missing out on a lot of fun. Sure, bass are bass anywhere in the country, but there are some distinct differences about the habitat in the oligotrophic and colder waters up north. Because the water is typically clear and submerged vegetation can be sparse due to cold, infertile water, minor adjustments to typical tactics can make the difference between success and failure. For example, a grass flat on fertile waters like the Calif. delta may hold dozens of largemouths willing to stay buried in the grass as long as food and water qualities are favorable. an angler could fish this grass bed for many hours, and continue to catch largemouths while hardly moving the boat. Very few waters in the Pacific Northwest produce numbers of largemouths in a concentrated area. in most cases, both the bass and the successful angler cover more water between bites. Because the water is clear, largemouths here rely more heavily on their sense of sight compared to those living in murky waters. The wise angler adjusts accordingly by using more natural colors and by toning down the vibration and flash. Bright, gaudy colors are reserved for stormy weather, or other periods of low light levels.
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