guys! follow up. there are a few dangers on the big river cargo ships, barges, current, tidal changes and wind storms and hidden rocks and logs. Many times you will catch 4 to 6lb largemouth all day without ever seeing another Bass fisherman. sometimes you will see salmon and sturgeon guys staring at wondering why you over close to shore this river has so many sloughs bays and coves with crappie and bass water. My favoite spots for smallmouth are the many wing jetties up and down the river fav slab spots are the thousands of pilings sticking up from the 15 to25 foot sloughs and backwaters. I mainly use rocket shad and roadrunners as a crappie search lure, then when I find them I switch to straight jigs or slip bobbers with 1/32 jigs usually a crabbie nibble on the hook. My new favorite slab bait is the YUM wooly beavertail in 2" on a 1/8 jig head or 1 and1/2" on a1/16" jig. I tried my fav color at Brownlee witch is black and pink on the columbia and killed them. THe bass like all the standard bass plugs in shad and crawdad colors. my best ramps are kalama, willow Grove Beach
, and Elochoman Slough Marina. possible starting points to start with Coal creek slough, Brooks Slough, Puget Island, Fisher Island Slough,Crims Island
Tenasillahe Island. Don't let the darn sea lions scare you!:D Hey Brokentrail I've never caught a walleye farther down stream than Longview, but I don't know why they wouldn't be closer to the mouth by now. Later