We got a short couple days break in the notorious Gorge wind and we were able to get out for a little kayak fishing on the Columbia River. The wind is still blowing, but for a couple days it calmed down just before sunrise before cranking up again in the early afternoon. Smallmouth bass are not the kind of fish you have to be on the water at sunrise for, but the way the weather has been, you have to go when the wind is calm and that is only in the early morning.
The Columbia River water level had dropped a few feet overnight so the river currents were quite a bit less powerful as they have been, but whenever there is a dramatic drop in the river water, the fish tend to be less likely to bite. We did not venture too far out into the main river channel because the strong east wind comes up quickly and strong. Paddling upstream on a big river like the Columbia against a strong wind is not fun so we stuck to the more sheltered areas.
The drop in the river water level may have scattered the bass, but they are still there. The key to smallmouth bass fishing is to keep searching until you find the fish. We did not catch any really big fish the past couple times out, but more and more of the one pounders that are the most abundant during the summer months.
Looks like another spell of windy conditions so we are back on smallmouth bass standby for a few days.