If you exclude the Deschutes River bridge at Shears Falls, the John Day River is likely the river we have crossed the most. It is also least fished. This week we fixed that.
The John Day River travels, undammed 280+ miles from it’s headwaters. It’s summer steelhead run has dwindled because like most Central Oregon rivers, dry years and irrigation pressure has taken a toll.
The flip side of increased average water temperatures is an abundance of Smallmouth Bass. When the climate gives you lemons … go bass fishin’.
I always thought of bass fishing as a subsurface pursuit. Streamers on heavy lines and lots of weed beds to deal with.
Come to find out that is more about Largemouth Bass. On the John Day, Smallmouth repeatedly hit Chubby Chernobyl and Foam Hopper patterns tossed near the river’s grassy edge.
Previous encounters with the John Day involved bridge crossings or looking at the bottom of a canyon. JQ made note of a potential access point during a previous crossing. Seemed like a good destination for some warm water fishing. If you’re interested, downstream from Kimberly to Service Creek, about 25 miles, has lots of wadeable access.
Small Mouth in the John Day can be five pounds though more often they are under a foot in length. Bass aggressively surface feed and put up more fight than their size suggests.
This was the first time I’d actively cast for bass. It won’t be the last, in fact we are are planning a couple more fall excursions in the Clarno and Kimber stretch of the river.