Northwest Fishing Reports

Okay I have fished at potholes about 12 times in the last year and twice this year but I cant figure out this place at all. I tried fishing in the dunes every where from winchester wasteway to job corp and thrown everything from jigs - tubes -lizards -spinnerbaits - senkos and have no luck. Water is upper 40's to low 50's right now. What am i missing?

Sloooow.... When it's this cold, I always use a slow sinking Jig, Tube or Lizard with little or no wieght and retreive slowly. Try dull colors like brown w/copper sparkels or pumpkinseed somthing like that.

I haven't fish potholes for years but that is the best I could suggest. Google Mardon Resort maybe they can help you more.

Definately stop by MarDons and talk to Mike or Levi. They will give you the info to get something happening. Great bunch of guys there, and will have anything you need to get some decent fish.
Brian

the locals live on senkos. be;ieve it or not dragging bottom-walkers until you locate fish, stop, and, toss plastics works here also. here in a couple weeks, throwing anything in the tacklebox will work. contact the resort for current lures of choice, or, request some input from YELLOWBEAR, a local angler with very good knowledge of the area. be there the last 2 weeks of april myself, and, a couple of others on this site.

Senkos...i fish the Potholes Religiously and that is by far the bait of choice.

you have to have a hook at the end of your line!

I am having the same problem with this lake. I think the real answer is in where to fish and what to look for. The dunes look all the same. Any help?

I fish Potholes often and always have success. My only guess would be its to cold right now. Where's YellowBear? He knows this place. I fish it in the summer,so I'm probably not much help to you.

Until I discovered the Paterson are and Crow Butte I haven't gone to Potholes in the spring. Used to go and Frenchman's Wasteway was the place for early spring fishing. You can drive to it and walk to some areas. Go past the State park heading west and there are some signs that will point it out. Slow moving bait, I have found is the key, this time of the year. 1/4 oz. jig heads with charcoal colored grubs are always good, slowly moving them across the bottom. They don't strike at them real agressive yet, kinda pick them up, so sometimes it's kinda hard to tell if it is a bite or a reed,rock, or brush. Patience is the key.

tt400. I agree the dunes all look the same and are pretty confusing to all anglers who are somewhat recreational and without a gps (if you really want to get deep into the dunes a gps is essential) But always keep in mind the beaver huts! The bass love em and the locals know it more than anyone.

Also when I'm back there I try to think of what makes the area I'm at attractive/unique instead of other areas. The dunes are kinda overwhelming to most newer anglers. But I'd look for unusual aspects that aren't consistent with the rest of the dunes. Beaver huts, points, submerged islands, dropoffs, Brush, creeks, points where the flow of the water (crab creek and others) creates a favorable ambush point for the bass, etc.

anyone also use this train of thought?

Oh yeah I almost forgot, it's vital that fairly deep water be closeby

I was just over at Mar Don. I talked to the owner and he said that the bass fishing started to pick up then the snow killed it again. He said one of the top bass anglers in the state fished it a day last week and only caught 1, and him and his son went out and only caught 4 between the 2 of them, and the son runs the guide service over there.


I have had my best luck with salt and pepper tubes T rigged off the face of the dam, or around the rock piles off of goose island. Fishing the mouth of crab creek in about 10' of water trolling plugs for walleye has also kicked out some nice largemouths for us. Off the banks of lind coulee, throwing cranks or tubes has also worked ofr smallies for me. The dock area is full of nice bass. Working the rocks or the dam, is good and working the weeds to the left of the gas dock also holds some nice large mouths.

Bass fishing isnt really my thing, but this is my lake of choice and have been fishing it for many many years. Just hit it hard from june from september. It took me a while to get this lake figured out and I was taught the lake by my father and grandfather. It can be very overwelming at times.

JUST KEEP AT IT. BELIEVE ME THEY ARE THERE. THE SMALLIES ARE SO THICK, THEY TOOK AWAY THE LIMIT FOR THEM. IM GOING TO BE THERE NEXT WEEK-END FOR 4 DAYS. IF YOU WANT TO SHOW UP WITH YOUR TOPOMAP, I WILL SHOW YOU A COUPLE OF SPOTS, AND, A FAVORITE COLOR OF GRUB/SENKO. THE DUNES ARE A SAFE BET FOR LARGEMOUTH, BUT, HAVE TO HAVE A GPS, AND, THE RIGHT KIND OF BOAT TO GET THRU THEM. THE DAM FACE WITH GRUBS IS A GUARANTEE WHEN THEY ARE BITING, LINN COULEE WITH SENKOS FOR THE LMB. THE DAY YOU WERE THERE IS A TYPICAL COLD-SPRING DAY, VERY LITTLE FEEDING ACTIVITY. AS SOON AS THE WATER TEMPS GET TO A CERTAIN DEGREE (HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK FOR THIS INFO), THE BITE WILL BE ON. GOOD LUCK WHEN YOU GO!!!