“Fishing from Washington to Alaska with Mister Twister and Mepps Lures with Steve Burress”

Part 1: Risky Smallmouth Fishing on the Columbia River

Editor’s Note: Steve Burress of Winlock, Washington, a member of the Mister Twister pro staff, fishes from Canada to Arizona and even in Alaska using Mister Twister and Mepps lures. This week, Burress will tell us where and how he fishes in his home state of Washington and in Alaska.

Question: Steve, where do you fish?

Burress: From Canada to Arizona, if there’s a fish that swims, I’ll try to catch it. I grew up fishing for trout, salmon, steelhead and mostly cold-water fish species. Here in Washington, we have an abundance of salt water. Because of the decline of many of the fish runs, I’ve been fishing more in warm water than cold water, with my number-one target being smallmouth bass.

Question: Where’s your favorite place to fish for smallmouths?

Burress: The Columbia River, a border of Washington and Oregon, begins in Canada and runs several-hundred miles through Washington. This place is my favorite place to catch smallmouths. I’m convinced that many of the smallmouth bass in the Columbia River never have seen a hook or a lure. There are areas of the river where I’ve caught 50 to 60 smallmouths in one day.

Question: Why do very-few anglers fish the Columbia River?

Burress: The Columbia River’s path through the Cascade Mountains is very unusual. On the east side of the mountains, there’s a dry desert-type terrain. On the west side, where the mountains seem to stop the storms coming from the Pacific, there’s more timber and rain. These two-different geographic regions are divided by the Columbia River. Because of the way the storms enter from the coast on the west side of the mountains, depending on where the low-pressure centers are located, there’s a lot of wind on the Columbia River coming in through the gorge.

Due to the distance between boat ramps where people like to fish, the chance of a quick storm and a high wind makes fishing the middle section of the Columbia River risky and dangerous, especially if a high wind comes in too quickly. Winds ranging from 30- to 40-mph often come down the river’s gorge, so where the gorge narrows down, the river can be treacherous.

Question: How do you fish the Columbia River?

Burress: There are a number of dams and reservoirs on the river. Most of these reservoirs have constant current coming through them. So, I search for smallmouths in back eddies, current streams and sloughs off the river. You’ll also find many small streams feeding the Columbia River where the smallmouth fishing is exceptional. Often, the lower end of these streams will provide excellent fishing opportunities for smallmouths. The John Part River and the Deschutes River drain out of Central Oregon into the Columbia River and are productive for smallmouth fishing. Some days on the John Part River, you can catch and release 100 smallmouth bass per day.

Question: On what lures are you catching your smallmouths?

Burress: I’ll catch smallmouths on a variety of baits, but the Mister Twister FAT Tubes are one of my favorite baits for smallmouths. I prefer the darker-colored FAT Tubes, like green-pumpkin, copper and black-emerald. Too, I’ll throw the smoke/red and black-flake color.

Question: How big are the smallmouths you catch?

Burress: I’ll catch smallmouths that weigh up to 7 pounds. The average-sized Columbia River smallmouth weighs from 3 to 5 pounds. You’ll catch many little smallmouths, but there are plenty of handsome fish in this lake.

Question: How do you fish the FAT Tube?

Burress: There are several spots I really like to fish. I’ll pitch the FAT Tube into the current flow and bottom-hop it down the rocks. I’ll also let it drift with the current because a lot of these rock walls have cuts in them where the smallmouth will hold and wait to ambush baitfish.

Question: What pound-test line do you use for smallmouths?

Burress: I’ll fish 4- to 6-pound-test line on Tica reels with an 8-foot, 1 piece Tica rod. Because the wind in this section is strong, I need a rod long enough to cast into the wind if necessary. I primarily use the light- to medium-action rods.