Bend Oregon is better known for its trout fishing but it also supports a few lakes that have good populations of Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass. The bodies of water within a one hour drive from Bend that hold bass are Crane Prairie Reservoir, Wickiup Reservoir, Davis Lake, Prineville Reservoir, Haystack Reservoir and Lake Billy Chinook (Round Butte Reservoir).
Crane Prairie Reservoir is better known for its large Rainbow and Brook Trout. However it is full of stumps, standing and downed trees. It is a Largemouth Bass heaven. It is a relatively shallow body of water with reeds and lily pads as well as lots of wood cover. The deepest part near the dam is 16 to 20 feet deep depending on how much water is in the reservoir at any given time.
The reservoir sits in the Cascade Mountains southwest of Bend. It is surrounded by pine trees and supports a healthy wild life population. You can always count on seeing countless Ospreys, a few Bald Eagles and numerous water fowl. Osprey and Great Blue Herons both nest at Crane Prairie.
Crane Prairie is not a year round lake and it often freezes over in the winter. Since it is a trout lake the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife closes it to fishing at the end of October and opens it back up on the third Saturday in April. There are years where it is partially ice covered on opening day.
The belief is that Largemouth Bass no not bite until June or July," when the water warms." However, some of the best bass fishing on Crane is in May. The author has caught many bass over five pounds in late April and May. The place to fish is the shallow North side of the reservoir where the water temperatures can be in the low to mid fifties in 2 to 6 feet of water.
Early mornings in April and May are not the time to fish for bass. Early afternoon is the best time to start. The water in Crane is crystal clear this time of year and it is hard to get a bite if the sun is out and the wind is calm. The silt and mud bottom with plentiful amounts of wood cover soak up the heat on these cool spring days.
If it is calm and sunny you are better off to put your rod down, your trolling motor on high and start looking for fish. Often times they will be laying on top of fallen logs sunning. There are also many root balls from blown over trees that will hold fish. You will not see any small fish this time of year. It will be strictly pre-spawn females.
Once you start seeing fish slow down and start looking more closely. You will find several fish in the same area and don't want to spook them too much. Once you have found a few areas that hold fish be sure and mark them so you can come back when the wind picks up and puts a little chop on the water.
It is not necessary to mark every fish. Just keep track of the general area where you saw concentrations of fish. Go back to those areas and fish the lay down logs and the root balls. Black weedless jigs with a trailer or 6 inch black worms are the ticket this time of year. The author's favorite jig trailer is a 5 inch black with blue flake twin tail grub.
Crane Prairie bass are big for Oregon standards. The largest bass caught by the author was 6.5 pounds. He has seen Largemouth caught and released in excess of 8 pounds in some local bass tournaments. These are not your normal run and gun bass tournaments however because there is a 10 mile an hour speed limit on Crane Prairie Reservoir.
In the early 1990s the average spring time bass was in the 3 to 5 pound range. Now the average is 2 to 4 pounds with a few 5 pounders thrown in. Crane Prairie Largemouth usually spawn around the full moon in late June. Spawn and post spawn is usually when the fish "start to bite" for the general public and anyone can catch several small males that bite aggressively.
After the spawn the large female bass drop back to deeper water around the channels and become harder to catch. Crank baits and spinner baits come into play at this time of year. The water also starts to take on some color and is not as clear. Aquatic weeds and moss also start to grow making it more difficult to fish jigs and worms.
Fall and late fall are difficult time to catch fish as the water is low from irrigation use and it starts to clear up again. Spring is definitely the best time to catch Large Mouth Bass on Crane Prairie Reservoir.
Businesses have taken advantage of the great enthusiasm that Bass fishing has created. Countless folks get hooked, pardon the pun, on this great hobby and have exalted it to a passion and a sport. Resorts, lines and sports gears have been created and many more situations have prospered from these interests.
Today, there is an increased amount of people trying to learn and discover what the hype is all about. Bass fishing is more than just catching a fish. Now more than ever its about catching those prized big bass and being able to display it proudly. For people just starting out there are lots more to bass fishing than meets the eye.
You will need to learn what type of lures that you must have to enjoy bass fishing.
And do you know what the top 3 lures for catching Bass are? Although researchers did not have a particular guideline, a survey was given to pro bass fishermen and it was evident that plastic worms were the most popular and showing up as second and third place were the spinner bait and then the crank bait.
However, choosing one of these 3 won't be sufficient. You need to consider other factors. First, you must decide if it is more appropriate to cover a smaller section of water completely or skim across a greater area as fast as possible to locate fish. A worm can be slower to use, but very effective and is extremely attractive to Bass. They are most effective where fish will school near a certain structure.
The problem that usually comes up when fishing with a worm is that you are not able to feel strikes. Usually you are not able to sense them because of a sinker that is weighs too much and a line that is too thick.
To help you to get over this problem, it is advised for you to use a variable buoyancy worm using lead strip sinkers. The advantages to this are:
•The lead will not move on the line and suppress the feel of a soft pickup •You can use the exact amount of lead to have the worm action needed •The bass will inhale the worm much easier •It helps in setting the hook •It's easier to free it from snags •The worm can be made to hang basically suspended over the bottom when fishing shallow water.
If you want to know the amount of lead strip needed, wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the worm. Watch it sink as you slowly put it in the water, it should barely settle near the bottom. Take a little off if it sinks too fast. You should not use anything heavier than 8-pound mono line - preferably 6 pound.
On the other hand, a Spinner bait is able to move faster across the surface and can be bounced on the bottom, put near a tree limb and moved in a variety of ways in order to entice strikes. It is a superb probing lure for the shoreline because of its tangle-free design.
Lastly, Crank baits let you go over a lot of water very quickly. Using them, you won't waste much time checking out a spot. Try using them for finding fish that may be scattered.
The most essential thing is, no matter what lure you pick for the particular lake that you will fish on, you should make it as easy as possible for the Bass find it. Drop that lure right in front of them. Scientists have documented that Bass calculate the total energy needed to get their prey.
Learn and discover to use at least one of those lures that you would rather use for you to have a great time bass fishing!
Apart from deciding on lures, it is also necessary to figure out the best time to go bass fishing.
The biggest bass are usually caught between dawn and dusk. First, remember that bass love ambush spots that give sufficient cover from the baitfish. They like to conceal themselves, and surprise their prey.
The evening or early morning are when the baitfish are most active. Bass follow the baitfish when they feed because they are less aware of threats when they feed. You will have the greatest success by fishing at these times.
When reeling in an underwater lure in low light, try to keep a constant pace once it is set in motion. The bass will like this because it makes it easier for them to find and grab it.
The last thing is, you don't want to go between dusk and dawn when water temperature drops to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below . This temperature destroys certain terrestrials and aquatics, which stops the food chain feeding.
The right time and correct lures of going bass fishing are important factors that must be taken into account. The quality of water and conditions of the weather are also necessary for you to win the game of bass fishing!
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