largemouths steal the showhere,andJune
MARC’s SPONSORS INCLUDE
orspinnerbaitsyou couldalsotieintoabig
provides actionbyfishing
smallmouthorwalleye
spawning flats for those Ranger Boats
Solar Bat Sunglasses
cruisingthroughthe
still bedding, and deep huts Evinrude Motors in the sand dunes for the Pacific Boatland
QuickDrops by West Coast Tackle & Co
dunesinJune.Itisnot unusual to landa5plus
post spawn largemouths. Yakima Bait Co.
Stealth1 Charging
poundlargemouth,
Thisuniquefisherycan
Gary Yamamoto
Systems LLC.
smallmouth, and walleye
beveryconfusingto
Custom Baits Inc.
McCoy Fishing Line Co.
onthesamedayby
visitinganglers asthe
Lamiglas, Inc.
Snag Proof Mfg. Inc.
fishingthedunesinJune
habitat is unlike any other Lucky Craft, Inc.
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onPotholes!
in the country, but when Lowrance Electronics, Inc. Transducer Shield & Saver
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you figure it out it can be Gamakatsu USA Inc.
Basstrix Lures
gem in June is Long
exciting andrewarding.
Lake near Spokane. This
Sincethebestbeaver
is also a prime time for
hutsaretheones below thewatersurface,a Lowrance
big smallmouths and largemouths which can often
StructureScanunitisworthits weight ingoldasyoucan be found sharing the same spawning areas at the
easilyspotthesebassmagnetsanddropa waypoint
same time. I have only fished here a few times, and
oneachunderwaterhutasyoupassbythem.Thenit
each trip was memorable for both size and numbers
is simplyamatterof returningtoyour waypoint and
of bass. Casting a 5” Yamamoto Senko I have caught
fishingasoftplastic likea Yamamoto Senko, Grub, Lizard, trophy largemouths, smallmouths, and crappie on
orworm.Thespawnerscan be spottedby moving
consecutive casts! The bass really stack into the
quicklythroughshallowwater andobservingclosely
spawning areas, and where you find one you will find
withpolarizedsunglasseslikeSolar BatsinMossback
many and will not have to use a lot of fuel searching.
Green.Oneoftheexciting bonusesoffishing Potholes
Finally I would also recommend to the adventurous
is thatwhensearchingthe duneswithcrankbaits
angler to fish the Hanford Reach of the Columbia
River . This scenic and free-flowing section is not for
the novice boater, as the shallow rocky bottom and
swift currents can quickly trash a glass boat. But for
those who dare the reward can be huge smallmouths
spawning in the current breaks and sloughs. The State
Record smallmouth of 8 pounds 12 ounces came from
the Hanford Reach, and there are bigger versions still
swimming there. If the challenges of navigation are not
bad enough, add the difficulty factor of crystal clear
water and swift water. Spiderweb thin lines of 6lb test
or even 4lb test will fool the most bass, and you need a
good rod like a Lamiglas Certified Pro XS 663 to Excel XL
703 CM that can control these powerful bass in current
without breaking light line. Tubes in Green Pumpkin are
very popular choices, as are dropshot worms, Lucky
Craft LV-100 and LV-500 models in Aurora Black, and
soft jerkbaits also trick their share of Hanford smallies.
Just writing this article and reliving past June’s in
the Pacific Northwest has me anxious to jump in my
Ranger, and it is still the peak of May when the fishing
is arguably the best of the year right now! When you
head out in June, just remember location, location,
location. Head for the shallow spawning and rearing
zones and enjoy world class fishing, pleasant weather,
and spectacular scenery. Ciao, Marc.
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