text by Rocky Crawford photo by Patrick Walsh The Ultimate Fish (part 10) SMALLMOUTH BASS: LAKE SIMCOE, ONTARIO LOCAL BUZZ Much of Simcoe’s best bass water is just a short boat ride away from the town of Beaverton and its protected harbour. GETTING THERE Beaverton is about an hour north of Toronto. Take Highway 404 north to Green Lane, head east to Highway 48, turn north to Highway 12, then north again on to Beaverton. LEARN MORE Town of Georgina, town.georgina.on.ca Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, (905) 853-5881; lsrca.on.ca/fish.htm LAKE ERIE: LOCAL BUZZ The ramp at Crystal Beach, west of Fort Erie, allows you to quickly reach a lot of productive water. Note: if the wind picks up, head back to the ramp. GETTING THERE From Toronto, take the Queen Elizabeth Way west about 135 kilometres to Fort Erie. LEARN MORE Erie Tracker Outfitters, (905) 834-9218 Lake Erie Sport Fishing, lakeeriesportfishing.com RICE LAKE: LOCAL BUZZ A word of caution: an old railway bed crosses the lake between Harwood on the south shore and Hiawatha on the north shore, so be sure to cross between the navigation markers. GETTING THERE From Toronto, take Highway 401 east to County Road 28 at Port Hope. Go north on 28 to Northumberland Road 9, which brings you to Rice's south shore. LEARN MORE Ministry of Natural Resources (Peterborough office), (705) 755-2001 Rice Lake Tourist Association, www.ricelakecanada.com The promise There’s no disputing that Lake Simcoe reigns supreme when it comes to consistently producing huge smallmouth. The proof: five-fish tournament limits tipping the scales at 24 pounds are becoming increasingly common. Top tackle & tactics While there’s great fishing throughout the year, the fall fishing is best. The eastern shore between Strawberry Island to the north and Georgina Island to the south is by far the most productive area. Use a hydrographic chart to pinpoint the best spots among the area’s maze of underwater rock piles, shoals and weedbeds. Simcoe smallmouth are very nomadic, so where you find them one day, you may not find them the next. Pros fishing Simcoe have had the most success recently casting jerkbaits and spinnerbaits, but tube jigs also work well. LAKE ERIE, ONTARIO The promise Despite the dangerously windy conditions, Erie promises some of the best—and challenging—smallmouth fishing on the planet. The smallies here school by size, and it’s not uncommon to catch 50 average-sized fish a day; find the four-pound-plus bass and a good day will give you 20 fish. Top tackle & tactics The eastern end of Erie, from Port Colbourne to the Niagara River, is prime territory, particularly in the fall. Tube jigs dragged on the bottom in 20 to 40 feet of water produce most of the giant catches. The key is finding breaks or drop-offs that the fish relate to (you’ll seldom find numbers of fish on flat-bottomed areas). A lot of community holes exist at this end of Erie—to find them, just follow the crowds. RICE LAKE, ONTARIO The promise Rice Lake is home to some of the largest smallmouth in the province, despite the tremendous amount of pressure it receives. In fact, it gets better each year. Top tackle & tactics Fall is the time to consistently catch big smallmouth on Rice. The smallies here eat a ton of crayfish and, as such, are often found in bunches on rock points and shoals. You’ll know you’re fishing the right type of spot when you continually find yourself getting snagged while casting tube jigs. Seven to 12 feet is the magic depth on Rice. Look for rock at these depths and you won’t be far from the fish. When the weeds bloom in late summer, try cranks. BONUS HOT SPOTS FOR SMALLMOUTH BASS Rainy Lake, Ontario Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario La Réserve Beauchêne, Quebec Mactaquac Lake, New Brunswick Lake Ontario (east end) Balsam Lake, Ontario Pigeon Lake, Ontario Sturgeon Lake, Ontario Gull Lake, Ontario Georgian Bay, Ontario BROOK TROUT: Part 1 | Part 2 CHINOOK SALMON: Part 1 | Part 2 LAKE TROUT: Part 1 | Part 2 PIKE: Part 1 | Part 2 SMALLMOUTH BASS: Part 1 | Part 2 WALLEYE: Part 1 | Part 2 MORE HOT SPOTS