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October Fishing at Potholes Reservoir
by John Kruse, October 22, 2007
Low water levels and rapidly changing weather can make October an interesting time to fish 28,000 Potholes Reservoir. However, whether you are looking for some fishing after a morning of hunting or want to spend the whole day on the water there are plenty of options available.
BASS: Largemouth bass anglers explore the sand dunes, working the water around beaver huts for bass that can reach several pounds in size. Guide Levi Meseberg works out of Mar Don Resort (Tel. 1-800-416-2736). He recommends slow rolling spinnerbaits at this time of year around these huts or off points where the dunes transition to the bigger water of the lake. When it comes to Smallmouth Bass, Meseberg suggests fishing tubes using a drop shot technique around the face of O'Sullivan Dam.
| John Kruse shows how effective a Macks Double Whammy Pro can be at catching Walleye at Potholes Reservoir. |
WALLEYE: Lind Coulee is probably your best bet if you want some walleye for a fish fry. New regulations allow for walleye as small as 12 inches to be kept here, which is good since there are plenty of them between 12 and 15 inches in this stretch of the Reservoir. Meseberg recommends trolling a spinner/crawler combo for marble eyes. He'll start looking for them in water as shallow as 6 feet and work out to 30 feet deep. A friend of mine and I caught 5 walleye following his advice this week. I found a Mack's Double Whammy Pro with a mylar blade worked well for this type of fishing. Be aware many of the strikes you 'll get are not from walley, but instead from the small perch that are prolific here. If you want to limit your nightcrawler losses, consider tying on a plastic leech, worm or grub. Berkley Gulp crawlers, grubs and leeches are a good choice.
PAN FISH: Speaking of which, perch up to 8 or 9 inches can be caught not only in Lind Coulee, but right off the dock at Mar Don Resort at the south end of Potholes Reservoir. Anglers have been catching perch, some nice crappie and a few bluegill fishing micro jigs tipped with worms or perch meat to catch quite a few of these fish. The bite seems to come and go during the day, so be patient.
If the fish aren't biting on Potholes, nearby Soda Lake as well as Frenchman's and Winchester Wasteways can also give up fish at times. For the latest info check out the WDFW Weekender Report or call the folks at Mar Don Resort.
John Kruse
3052 Riviera Blvd.
Malaga, WA 98828
e-mail: [email protected]
Pacific Northwest Outdoors E-Zine
http://pacificnorthwestoutdoors.com
