Oregon - Umpqua River
The Umpqua may be famous for steelhead, but smallmouths are the center of excitement now. There are boat ramps up- and downstream from Elkton, and floating will put you into the best of this river's bronzeback water. Try the four-hour drift from Yellow Creek to Umpqua RV Park on the River (8 road miles from Elkton) or book a trip in the Big K Ranch stretch. Try Rooster Tail spinners, curly-tailed jigs, and other plastics. Just remember: Crawdads make up 90 percent of smallmouth stomach-content samples. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Roseburg, 541-440-3353; dfw.state.or.us

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Guide's Tips
Species: Smallmouth Bass
Guide Contact: Lyle Andrews, Lyle Andrews Guide Service, fishingsouthernoregonrivers.com; 541-679-8191
Rig Specifics: 5- or 6-foot light-action spinning rod with reel, using a purple plastic worm on a size 6 trout hook, with a split shot about two feet above it.
Quick Tip: You've got to keep the moss off your worm. When the water starts getting warm, moss starts to spring up on the river bottom. If even one strand of it gets onto your worm, the fish won't bite. So you want to be as close to the bottom as you can, but moss-free.
Where to Fish: Between the towns of Rosburg and Elkton, Oregon.

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Photos From Umpqua River