Stan Fagerstrom
11-15-2004, 07:16 AM
Washington’s Silver Lake
"You Can Find 'Em in the Fall"
By Stan Fagerstrom
Part Two
Few Western Washington bass lakes consistently kick out more largemouth bass than Cowlitz County’s Silver Lake in the southwest corner of the Evergreen State. Last time around I pinpointed the location of this shallow pad-fringed bass pond. This trip lets take a look at the best ways to fish it.
As I mentioned in my previous column, this time of year it’s difficult to find water of more than 10-feet in depth. For that matter, you’re not going to find any really deep water at Silver Lake regardless of the season. What that means is those bass you are after are usually close enough to the top that they might be interested in surface lures.
I’m not saying they will always smack surface lures. As I’ve written 10 thousand times before, bass don’t “always” do anything. But because Silver Lake is so shallow, and because most plug pitchers would rather take fish off the top if they can, I’d like to devote this column to a discussion of the lake’s topwater fishing possibilities.
For starters, keep in mind that yellow perch and bluegill are the favorite baitfish for Silver Lake largemouth. When I first started fishing the lake more than half a century ago there weren’t many bluegill. That changed over the years. I’ve not fished the lake much since I moved from the area in the early 90s. At the time I left the lake it still had a sizeable perch population, but it was also loaded with bluegill.
I mention these baitfish for a reason. You’ll do well to match the colors of the baitfish in the surface lures you select. At one time or another I’ve taken bass from Silver Lake on darn near all the popular surface lures from a Pop R to a Zara Spook. One of my all time favorites is an old timer that younger readers likely never heard of. I’m talking about a lure called the Heddon Basser. I’ve caught more Silver Lake bass off the top with that old beauty than anything I have in my tackle box.
Forget trying to find the Basser on some tackle dealer’s shelf. You won’t have any luck. Heddon quit making that bait decades ago. I’ve always maintained the Heddon folks made a mistake when they did so. The Heddon Basser in a perch finish was and still is one of the best baits you can throw at Silver Lake. Find a dedicated bass man who has been around as long as I have and he’ll tell you the same thing.
http://www.ifish.net/sfheddonb.jpg
Bassin' men who have fished Silver Lake as long as I have will recognize the lure pictured here. It's a Heddon Basser in a perch finish. This old bait was and still is one of the best for Silver Lake largemouth---provided you know how to fish it for best results.
Though I’ve caught fish on the Basser in a lot of other lakes, the bass in none of them showed as much interest in it as those at Silver Lake.
I’ve also seen times at Silver Lake when the best topwater bait of the bunch was a Zara Spook. You must, of course, learn how to manipulate the darn thing properly to get fish to hit it. If you don’t know the necessary technique, get together with a friend who does. Have him show you how to handle the Spook properly.
My most productive Spook is a sort of white and gray shade with silver flakes on the sides. It’s listed in the current Heddon catalog as the SS flitter shad. The best technique with lots of surface lures is to cast close to cover, then leave the lure alone at least until all the commotion from the splash the lure made as it hit the water is gone. Don’t do that with the Zara Spook. Start your retrieve just as soon as it hits the water. Keep the lure zigging and jagging all the way back to the boat.
Watch the Spook carefully as it comes back to you. You may see a bass boil beneath the bait. If that happens, don’t stop your retrieve. If the fish missed the first time, there’s a good chance it will take a second crack at the Spook. If the fish doesn’t retrun, throw right back to the same spot. A bass has a temper worse than your mother-in-law. There are times it flat can’t stand having that lure flopping up there over its head without trying to knock the living hell out of it.
In recent years friends who fished Silver Lake have had consistent success using little 100 Series Bandit crankbaits as surface lures. I guess it’s more accurate to say they use them as floating/diving lures. They cast these dandy little baits to cover and leave them alone. They give them a twitch or two, then let them rest again. Often bass smash into these baits when they are finally pulled down and start wiggling their way back to the boat.
http://www.ifish.net/sfwebbandit.jpg
The Bandit Crankbait has been a favorite lure for Silver Lake largemouth in recent years. The one shown here has a Tennessee Shad finish. The crawdad colored Bandits also perform very well at Silver Lake on occasions.
If you decide to give the Bandits a try at Silver Lake, by all means carry these baits in a Tennessee shad and a red crawdad finish. Undoubtedly there are other colors that might work equally well or better now and then, but the ones I’ve named are consistent producers.
I don’t hear much these days about either the Hula Popper or the Jitterbug where Silver Lake is concerned, anywhere else for that matter. My contention is you’re missing a bet if you don’t throw both. I wish I had a couple of bucks for every Silver Lake fish I’ve taken on those two baits.
The key to catching fish with the Hula Popper at Silver is to learn to fish it slow enough. I’d guess about 99 per cent of those who do try this bait never manage to do it properly. They just don’t have the patience. If you can’t stand to just leave a surface bait alone for long minutes---forget it.
The Jitterbug always produced best for me early and late in the day at Silver. I alter my ‘bugs a bit. I insert a screw eye into the hind end of the lure. I slide a white colored Hula Popper skirt up on this screw eye. The result is a lure that has the wobbling, gurgling attraction of a Jitterbug, but also has the Hula Popper skirt with its rubber strands that move and curl even when the lure is dead in the water.
Space doesn’t permit listing the hundred and one other surface baits that catch fish at Silver Lake. As I said in the beginning, because this lake is so shallow surface lures are often a good bet. I’ve shared a few thoughts with you on some of my favorites.
In my next column I’ll share additional suggestions that might be of use when you visit this Western Washington lake yourself.
"You Can Find 'Em in the Fall"
By Stan Fagerstrom
Part Two
Few Western Washington bass lakes consistently kick out more largemouth bass than Cowlitz County’s Silver Lake in the southwest corner of the Evergreen State. Last time around I pinpointed the location of this shallow pad-fringed bass pond. This trip lets take a look at the best ways to fish it.
As I mentioned in my previous column, this time of year it’s difficult to find water of more than 10-feet in depth. For that matter, you’re not going to find any really deep water at Silver Lake regardless of the season. What that means is those bass you are after are usually close enough to the top that they might be interested in surface lures.
I’m not saying they will always smack surface lures. As I’ve written 10 thousand times before, bass don’t “always” do anything. But because Silver Lake is so shallow, and because most plug pitchers would rather take fish off the top if they can, I’d like to devote this column to a discussion of the lake’s topwater fishing possibilities.
For starters, keep in mind that yellow perch and bluegill are the favorite baitfish for Silver Lake largemouth. When I first started fishing the lake more than half a century ago there weren’t many bluegill. That changed over the years. I’ve not fished the lake much since I moved from the area in the early 90s. At the time I left the lake it still had a sizeable perch population, but it was also loaded with bluegill.
I mention these baitfish for a reason. You’ll do well to match the colors of the baitfish in the surface lures you select. At one time or another I’ve taken bass from Silver Lake on darn near all the popular surface lures from a Pop R to a Zara Spook. One of my all time favorites is an old timer that younger readers likely never heard of. I’m talking about a lure called the Heddon Basser. I’ve caught more Silver Lake bass off the top with that old beauty than anything I have in my tackle box.
Forget trying to find the Basser on some tackle dealer’s shelf. You won’t have any luck. Heddon quit making that bait decades ago. I’ve always maintained the Heddon folks made a mistake when they did so. The Heddon Basser in a perch finish was and still is one of the best baits you can throw at Silver Lake. Find a dedicated bass man who has been around as long as I have and he’ll tell you the same thing.
http://www.ifish.net/sfheddonb.jpg
Bassin' men who have fished Silver Lake as long as I have will recognize the lure pictured here. It's a Heddon Basser in a perch finish. This old bait was and still is one of the best for Silver Lake largemouth---provided you know how to fish it for best results.
Though I’ve caught fish on the Basser in a lot of other lakes, the bass in none of them showed as much interest in it as those at Silver Lake.
I’ve also seen times at Silver Lake when the best topwater bait of the bunch was a Zara Spook. You must, of course, learn how to manipulate the darn thing properly to get fish to hit it. If you don’t know the necessary technique, get together with a friend who does. Have him show you how to handle the Spook properly.
My most productive Spook is a sort of white and gray shade with silver flakes on the sides. It’s listed in the current Heddon catalog as the SS flitter shad. The best technique with lots of surface lures is to cast close to cover, then leave the lure alone at least until all the commotion from the splash the lure made as it hit the water is gone. Don’t do that with the Zara Spook. Start your retrieve just as soon as it hits the water. Keep the lure zigging and jagging all the way back to the boat.
Watch the Spook carefully as it comes back to you. You may see a bass boil beneath the bait. If that happens, don’t stop your retrieve. If the fish missed the first time, there’s a good chance it will take a second crack at the Spook. If the fish doesn’t retrun, throw right back to the same spot. A bass has a temper worse than your mother-in-law. There are times it flat can’t stand having that lure flopping up there over its head without trying to knock the living hell out of it.
In recent years friends who fished Silver Lake have had consistent success using little 100 Series Bandit crankbaits as surface lures. I guess it’s more accurate to say they use them as floating/diving lures. They cast these dandy little baits to cover and leave them alone. They give them a twitch or two, then let them rest again. Often bass smash into these baits when they are finally pulled down and start wiggling their way back to the boat.
http://www.ifish.net/sfwebbandit.jpg
The Bandit Crankbait has been a favorite lure for Silver Lake largemouth in recent years. The one shown here has a Tennessee Shad finish. The crawdad colored Bandits also perform very well at Silver Lake on occasions.
If you decide to give the Bandits a try at Silver Lake, by all means carry these baits in a Tennessee shad and a red crawdad finish. Undoubtedly there are other colors that might work equally well or better now and then, but the ones I’ve named are consistent producers.
I don’t hear much these days about either the Hula Popper or the Jitterbug where Silver Lake is concerned, anywhere else for that matter. My contention is you’re missing a bet if you don’t throw both. I wish I had a couple of bucks for every Silver Lake fish I’ve taken on those two baits.
The key to catching fish with the Hula Popper at Silver is to learn to fish it slow enough. I’d guess about 99 per cent of those who do try this bait never manage to do it properly. They just don’t have the patience. If you can’t stand to just leave a surface bait alone for long minutes---forget it.
The Jitterbug always produced best for me early and late in the day at Silver. I alter my ‘bugs a bit. I insert a screw eye into the hind end of the lure. I slide a white colored Hula Popper skirt up on this screw eye. The result is a lure that has the wobbling, gurgling attraction of a Jitterbug, but also has the Hula Popper skirt with its rubber strands that move and curl even when the lure is dead in the water.
Space doesn’t permit listing the hundred and one other surface baits that catch fish at Silver Lake. As I said in the beginning, because this lake is so shallow surface lures are often a good bet. I’ve shared a few thoughts with you on some of my favorites.
In my next column I’ll share additional suggestions that might be of use when you visit this Western Washington lake yourself.