FRESH NEWS: Warmer weather brings the largemouth out at Potholes

The current water level on Potholes Reservoir is 1,043.2 feet, dropping 0.1 feet this past week. We are 3.3 feet below full pool. We have had a warm week of weather. Surface temperatures have warmed to the upper 40s on the main reservoir and to the mid-50s back in the sand dunes. The largemouth bass fishing has been very good this week. This was illustrated this past weekend by Tate Webb and Hunter Wabs who won the Columbia Basin Bass Club tournament with a five-fish bag weighing 26.42 pounds with a big fish weighing in at 7.12 pounds. Fish for largemouth back in the sand dunes. Throw 1/2-ounce black-and-blue jigs, swim jigs, jerkbaits, chatter baits and Texas-rigged plastics. Smallmouth bass are being caught. Fish 18-30 feet using drop shot rigs, blade baits and tubes. Fish the rock piles around Goose Island and along the face of the dam.