Last time we talked about the smallmouth bass fishing here in Washington, now we need to take a few minutes to mention a little something about the big boys of the bass family and where you can find them lurking.

Largemouth bass are one of the most popular gamefish in America and that is no different here in Washington. Largemouths are not a native fish to the state; they were first introduced in the late 1800’s.

Due to our cool, temperate climate the growing season is not as long as the bass factories in the South, so these fish do not get to massive size here in the Evergreen State, but there are some waters that do get some very large fish. These fish are very easy to identify. They are usually larger than smallies, more of a green color, but the most identifiable feature is of course their mouths. If the bass you catch has a jaw that extends past its eye, it’s a largemouth.

Unlike their smaller cousins, fishing for largemouths means one word: cover. Chasing largemouths usually means following the fish as they move through different depths during the year. In the cooler months the fish are in deeper waters around whatever structure they can find, usually sunken timber where they can lay in ambush for an easy meal. During these cool water months the fish do not want to expend a lot of energy chasing food, so slow moving baits will work the best.

While tougher to fish, if you employ the right tactics you can still hook into a lunker. At this time you want slow moving baits. This means trying a variety of soft baits. Tube jigs slowly hopped along the bottom will work, but one of the most popular baits is a Texas or Carolina-rigged worm slowly moved along the bottom. This setup allows you to work the bait over bottom structure where the fish are without snagging up.

Water clarity will determine color choice. During cloudy water times, a bright color like chartreuse is the top choice. If you are fishing in clear water, darker colors like black and motor oil will work. Just remember during these early months of the season to work the bait slow.

As the temps climb the bass fishing gets fun. The increase in water temperature triggers the fish to move into the shallows to spawn. Prior to this the fish go into a feeding frenzy. At this time the fish will attack anything that crosses their path. A variety of presentations will work. Crankbaits in a baitfish pattern, and tube jigs are great to use, but one of my favorites is a spinnerbait. These baits can get around much of the structure the fish are in and are deadly on the pre-spawn bass.

After getting their fill the fish are in the shallows on their nests, and they will defend these with a vengeance. These strikes will not be predatory, but more of a protection mode. All the same baits will work. Remember that most of the bigger fish will be females, some will have spawned, but some will still be laden with eggs, so practice catch and release so these fish can provide fun for future generations.

After the fish have spawned, they tend to stay in the shallows for the remainder of the warmer months. It is at this time when you can get into some heart thumping fishing. The fish will still be around structure, usually lily pads, weed beds, flooded timber and even boat docks and pilings. This is the time to do some surface fishing. Hopping a rat or frog bait along the pads is a blast. As you slowly twitch the bait you can see the swell of water just before the fish hits the bait. Be patient, because if you set the hook too quickly you’ll miss the strike. Another fun tactic is using a buzz bait during low light hours. The surface commotion of these baits triggers the strike and using your hearing as well as sense of touch can be a new and fun experience.

We have many waters that hold good populations of largemouths. Most people think that you have to travel to the other side of the mountains to enjoy this fishery. While there is some great bass fishing at Banks and Eloika lakes, along with the Pend Oreille River, you do not have to tow your boat over the pass. There is some very good fishing at Silver Lake in Cowlitz County, but you don’t even need to travel that far. Locally, Campbell Lake has a very good bass fishery, but during the summer your best bet is to fish this during low light hours due to boat and Jet Ski traffic. During the cool water months fish around the island in the middle of the lake, while fish the many lily pad shallows and weedbeds as the water warms.

Other lake that offer largemouth fishing include: Beaver, Big, and Cavanaugh Lakes in Skagit County, while two of the best kept secrets have to be Lone Lake at the southern end of the island or Lake Erie, just passed Campbell. Known primarily as trout waters, these fish have put out some large bass in the past few years and are worthy of a try for local anglers.

As mentioned, Washington will probably never be known as the “go to” place to go for the nation’s bass anglers, but that is good news for us. We can keep our little secret all to ourselves, just try and share it with a youngster if you can.