The PNW Smallmouth Pre-Spawn
As winter loosens its grip and water temperatures begin to rise, sluggish smallmouth bass start to stir, preparing for the most critical phase of their yearly cycle, spawning. From mid-March through May, the Columbia River offers some of the best opportunities to target these fish. If you're looking to land a new personal best, this is the time to get on the water. Days with 25+ catches, including several 4-pounders and even the occasional 5+, are not uncommon during this period.
What is the Pre-spawn Period?
The pre-spawn is the transitional phase between wintering and spawning. It begins when water temperatures reach the upper 40s and continues into the upper 50s, typically between 48–58°F. During this time, smallmouth bass move from deep wintering holes to shallower staging areas in preparation for the spawn. Early in the pre-spawn, bass tend to hold in deeper water (15–30 feet), feeding on slower-moving baits. I’ve found great success on the Columbia River using a 1/5 oz Ned rig, fished on a Talon XMW Carbon 7’ spinning rod (4–10 lb). Effective presentations include Ned rigs, smaller jigs, and suspending jerkbaits. As water temperatures continue to climb, smallmouth become more aggressive and begin moving shallower (8-15 feet). When they're feeding in the 8–15 foot range, I switch to jerkbaits, tubes, and my personal favorite, a red, rattling lipless crankbait. I fish this using an XMW Carbon 7’3” casting rod (10–30 lb). As a kayak angler, I prefer straight braid for better hookup ratios and keeping fish pinned, especially since I often get pulled toward the fish during a fight. Once bass push shallow into staging areas, I like to throw aggressive reaction baits such as topwater walking baits, spinnerbaits, and square-billed crankbaits, especially around rocky structures.
Areas to Target
When targeting pre-spawners, I focus on several key types of structure:
- Secondary drop-offs between wintering holes and spawning flats serve as highways for bass and prime feeding grounds.
- Rocky points and gravel flats are key feeding zones where bass bulk up before
spawning. - Channel edges offer current breaks, allowing smallmouth to ambush baitfish moving through.
- Inlets and sloughs warm faster than the main river and are often the first place bass move to spawn.
As a kayak angler, I’m always looking for backwaters and offshoots that larger boats struggle to reach, these areas often hold less-pressured fish and provide a significant advantage.
