I
still remember my first fish, a smallmouth bass I caught on
Brady Lake in central Ontario. I believe I was four years old
at the time—the memory is a bit faded around the edges—but
I certainly credit that first fish with spawning my career in
professional fishing. Perhaps it’s no surprise, then,
that the smallmouth bass is my favourite fish. And yet, I have
a love-hate relationship with it. The love comes from many things.
First and foremost is the smallmouth’s pugnacious nature.
There’s no denying that, pound for pound, it’s one
of the hardest-fighting fish in freshwater. There’s also
no denying its beauty, or its ability to adapt to a wide variety
of habitats. These are all things to love. So what’s not
to love? Well, as a guide and tournament angler, the one thing
I hate, if you can call it that, is its nomadic nature. A smallmouth’s
ability to be here today, gone tomorrow and back again next
week can humble an angler in short order. Then again, this trait
just adds to my never-ending fascination with this great fish.
Like I said, it’s a love-hate relationship.
 |
| LOCAL
BUZZ |
| Many
of the lake’s best spots are accessible from
the launch in Callander, or you can easily explore
lesser-known portions of Nipissing from the world-class
Waterfront Marina in North Bay. |
| GETTING
THERE |
| Lake
Nipissing is located about 3 1/2 hours north of
Toronto. Take Highway 400 north to Highway 11. Follow
Highway 11 north to Callander or North Bay to access
the lake. |
| LEARN
MORE |
Almaguin-Nipissing
Travel Association, 1-800-387-0516; ontariosnearnorth.on.ca
North Bay Tourism and Leisure Services, (705) 474-0400;
city.north-bay.on.ca/leisure |
|
LAKE NIPISSING, ONTARIO
The
promise
The fishing is so good on Nipissing that a tournament limit
of five fish weighing in at 18 pounds doesn’t even raise
an eyebrow. And this big lake is simply loaded with prime smallie
habitat—so much so that I’m sure there are fish
here that have never seen a lure.
Top tackle & tactics
Nipissing’s smallmouths are, as a rule, shallow fish.
You’ll seldom need to fish deeper than 10 feet in the
lake’s tea-coloured waters. Dark-coloured tube jigs, spinnerbaits,
jerkbaits and cranks are the predominant lures. In the fall,
most areas that look bassy will hold plenty of three- to four-pounders.
Concentrate your efforts around rock piles and shoals; the larger
they are, the better your chances for numbers of fish.
LAKE ST. CLAIR, ONTARIO
| LOCAL
BUZZ |
| For
vacationing anglers, Windsor (on St. Clair’s
southwest shore) offers top-notch entertainment
in the form of casinos, clubs and great restaurants
(try the frog legs and crawdads at Crabby Dicks). |
| GETTING
THERE |
| Lake
St. Clair is four hours southwest of Toronto. Take
Highway 401 west to Highway 27, then 27 north to
the town of Belle River. |
| LEARN
MORE |
Ministry
of Natural Resources (Chatham office), (519) 354-7340
Great Lakes Information Centre, great-lakes.net/lakes/stclair.htm |
|
The promise
The
sheer number of smallmouth you’ll catch on St. Clair can
literally wear you out. There are plenty of two-pounders, and
enough three- to four-pound smallies to keep things interesting.
Top
tackle & tactics
Tube jigs, jerkbaits and spinnerbaits rule supreme on this seemingly
featureless body of water. Concentrate on any variation in the
bottom—such as changes in composition—you can find.
The Belle River Hump, which extends north several kilometres
from the outlet of the Belle River, does offer some predominant
structure; key in on small rock and gravel piles. Hit the right
spot and it’s not uncommon to catch 50 fish. Fall is prime
time.
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