![\"Columbia](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/EasternWASunrise.jpg\" "\\"Columbia")
<\/p>\nA break in the wind and back for more kayak fishing for smallmouth bass on the Columbia River in eastern Washington. We had a great time the last time we were here and we were looking forward to more hot smallmouth bass fishing. Turns out the smallmouth bass fishing continues to be very good with plenty of action and some bigger fish.<\/p>\n
The fishing was not the only thing that was hot. It was swelteringly hot, every day above 100\u00b0 with night time temps only dropping into the high sixties. Full sun protection and plenty of water, but whether it’s the Pacific Northwest or the Desert Southwest, anything over 100\u00b0 is really hot and you have to be prepared and take precautions.<\/p>\n
Knowing it was going to be hot, we paddled the mile or so to the fishing spot in the early morning darkness when it was relatively cool and were fishing an hour or so before the morning sun came over the eastern Washington hills.<\/p>\n
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The smallmouth bass fishing was excellent. Most of the fish were in the one pound range with some smaller ones and a few that would be close, or in the trophy bass category.<\/p>\n
![\"Columbia](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ColumbiaRiverSmallmouthBass-1.jpg\" "\\"Columbia")
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I did manage to catch a few bigger fish and can probably say that this time, the big one probably got away because I also lost a couple big ones.<\/p>\n
![\"Kayak](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/KayakFishingSmallmouthBassColumbiaRiver.gif\" "\\"Kayak")
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By the early afternoon we were usually out of water and fully baked so we paddled back to camp hoping for a following wind. It is the hottest time of the day so we hid under the desert-tested sun shade and got the fishing and camera gear ready for the next day’s early morning wakeup call.<\/p>\n
![\"Gearing](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/GearingUp.jpg\" "\\"Gearing")
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When the temperature is really hot, a little bit of shade can be a big relief. After being out in the blazing sun on the fishing kayak all day, it’s nice to relax in the shade.<\/p>\n
![\"Shade](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/ShadeOnHotDay.jpg\" "\\"Shade")
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The hot, dry weather can be dangerous. One day, we came in from the Columbia River to see fires burning on both sides of our campsite. Rural firefighters sped in and out of the only road through the canyon. If the fires came too close to the road, we would have to leave, but thankfully the firefighters got the fires out before they caused too much damage. A few nervous moments though.<\/p>\n
![\"Wildfires](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/FireEasternWA.jpg\" "\\"Wildfires")
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The heat and fire threat were not enough to keep us from getting after the smallmouth bass. We had three days of great kayak fishing on the Columbia River.<\/p>\n
![\"Jumping](\"https:\/\/watermanatwork.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/JumpingSmallmouthBass.jpg\" "\\"Jumping")
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Had a great time fishing and got some great video, so it will be off to the editing studio for a few days to try and get that posted. I think one of my camera memory cards may have died, posssibly from the heat, so I have to try and get the photos and video off of it if I can. Keep checking in because we’ve got a lot of stuff going on.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"