Ontario Bass Fishing

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Ontario Bass Fishing

By Nic Di Gravio

If we were to actually take the time to look at a map of Ontario we would realize how lucky we bass anglers really are. From the southern Lakes of Erie and Ontario to Lakes Huron, Georgian Bay and northern Lake Superior to Ontario’s near north lakes of Nippissing and Muskoka to name a few, Bass fishing in Ontario is simply fantastic!

Every one knows that the north shore of Ontario’s Lake Erie is a Smallmouth factory with huge fish being caught, but I have also seen monsters come out of Lake Simcoe tipping the scales at 7lbs. WOW! That’s a big Smallmouth! I have fished small inland lakes in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula and hooked 4 to 6lb Smallmouth and Largemouth. Lake St. Clair in the southwest is another Bass haven of Ontario along with the infamous Kawarthas of south central Ontario. The Kawartha Lakes – Pigeon, Scugog, Rice, Buckhorn, Sturgeon and Balsam get their fare share of Bass angler traffic and still cough up a big supply of Largemouth and Smallmouth.

Ontario’s Walleye waters of Bay of Quinte, is becoming more and more of a Bass anglers paradise, with bigger fish weighing in at the tournament podium every year. Lake Ontario from Kingston to the St. Lawrence is an excellent Smallmouth fishery, just ask Pro Angler, Shaw Grisby, from Florida where his favorite fishing area is and he will mention Kingston. Lakes Couchiching, Muskoka, Nippissing, the list is virtually endless for good Smallmouth and Largemouth lakes where weights of 5lbs and up are being caught. Some of Southern Ontario’s river systems like the mighty Niagara, Detroit, St. Lawrence, Ottawa, Grand, Saugeen and even the French river of the near north have world class Bass fishing.Whether fishing from a canoe or from shore these rivers are a must for any adventurous Bass angler.

Ontario does have good sizes and numbers of Bass, but we must keep in mind the growing season here is cut in half in comparison to State side. Our winters last more than 4 months which means that a ‘hog’ of a Bass could be upwards of 10 years of age depending on whether you’re in the north or south. Lake Erie with its good population of Bass can handle the taking of a few good fish. Even lakes of Simcoe’s caliber can stand to loose a few, but small inland lakes, in my opinion, can’t handle everyone taking trophy Largemouth or Smallmouth.

Due to the short growing season taking big fish in large quantities from these waters could be devastating to the bass population. Smaller fish can be harvested in smaller lakes, but lunkers, I think should be released for the simple reason that ‘Big Bass make more Bass’ for us to pursue or harvest.

I have been Bass fishing Ontario waters for close to 36 years now and if I live to be a hundred I still will not be able to fish half of the lakes this province provides. Largemouth and Smallmouth are here in abundance and untouched like Ontario’s wilderness.

When fishing for Bass in Ontario I would say that from the Northern tip of Lake Superior and beyond to the southern most tip of Pelee Island, Ontario is truly a Bass angler’s paradise!

Copyright 2006 ProBassFishing.ca

Visit Nic DiGravio at http://www.probassfishing.ca

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Effective Summer Bass Fishing Lures

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Bass Lures – Effective Summer Bass Fishing Lures

By Trevor Kugler

In this article I’m going to list some of the most effective summer bass fishing lures. I’m listing these lures in no particular order seeing as how “the best” bass lures are the ones that work best for each individual angler. Everyone has their favorite bass fishing lures; the point is that you might not have some of these effective summer bass fishing lures in your tackle box/bag. If you don’t have any of these bass lures available you probably want to add them.

When water temperatures rise above the mid eighties bass fishing can become much more difficult. Bass (especially largemouth bass) prefer water temperatures from the mid seventies to the mid eighties, and when the temperatures rise above the mid eighties bass fishing can become tough.

A great way to combat high water temperatures is to fish in the early mornings. This is when the water will be the coolest and cloudy days and rainstorms can help with the water temperatures as well. During the summertime it’s also a great idea to go fishing when there is the least amount of activity on the water. Once all the toys come out, bass fishing can become all but impossible on many lakes and reservoirs.

So what are the effective bass fishing lures that you need to know about and have access to in the summer?

  1. Top Water Baits – These baits can perform best during the mornings and evenings during the hot days of summer. There are many different varieties of top water bass lures that are effective and some of the best are frog imitations and soft stick baits. Frog imitations such as the rebel Teeny Wee Frog can be extremely effective during the summertime.
  2. Shad Imitations – During the summer months many lakes and reservoirs are full of Threadfin Shad. These bait fish are a staple food source for bass all year, but especially in the summertime. When it comes to bass lures one of the most effective is the KickTail Minnow. Of all bass fishing lures available today, this may be one of the most effective. Shad imitations are a must for any tickle box/bag.
  3. Slow Falling Plastics – Plastic worms and grubs are excellent bass lures in the summertime. After your early morning fishing and the day (and water temperatures) start to heat up bass will move to deeper cover. Throwing soft plastics at these bass can be a very effective technique. At this time of the year many times strikes come as the lure is falling, so the less weight you can use the better. Slow falling plastics can be a great option in the summer.

If any of these bass baits aren’t in your fishing repertoire I would add them. These bass lures are all effective when fishing during the dog days of summer and will help you experience more bass fishing success. Just remember there is nothing that will help you bass catching ability like spending time on the water fishing, so for God’s sake get out there!

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.

Effective Summer Bass Lures – http://www.jrwfishing.com/fishing_lures.html

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Night Fishing Walleyes

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Night Fishing Walleyes – Tips and Techniques For Catching Walleyes at Night

By Terry L Alexander

Night fishing walleyes is tougher than fishing them in the daytime. Nothing surprising about that as it’s just harder to see when you’re fishing at night. Don’t let that stop you though. I’ve caught lots more bigger fish just after sunset than I have during the full sun of daytime. Walleyes are probably the fish most fished for at night, up north.

Probably bass or crappies down south. Fall is, to me, the absolute best time for night fishing walleyes. The water has started to cool quite a bit and the prey fish that walleyes feed on have moved in closer to shore in most fishing lakes. The walleyes know winter is coming and go on a feeding spree before the good fishing lakes freeze over.

For night shore fishing walleyes I used live bait about 99% of the time. Casting was just to much guess work when fishing from shore. Considering I was fishing walleyes it was very rocky and snag filled where I fished. Live bait and lighted bobbers worked very well for night fishing. One of the things that may surprise you the most about shore fishing at night is the fact that you don’t have to cast out very far at all. Walleyes see very well in the dark and some nights you can actually see their eyes reflecting light from flashlights.

We made sure to be at the lake every fall starting around Oct. 1st. Never before the first freeze of the year. Anyway, after a few overnight lows below 32 degrees we’d get to the lake just before sundown, get baited up and start fishing. The frogs would be migrating into the lake and when we’d shine the spotlight out about 20-25 feet from shore, the depth was only about 2 feet, you could see the walleyes lined up should to shoulder and facing shore, just waiting for the frogs to come to them. Kinda like the people at at a good buffet line in Vegas.

The walleyes weren’t picky about what they bit on. Anything that was alive and wiggled would catch walleyes. We used live minnows around 3-4 inches long and lighted bobbers. Just a simple lighted bobber, a couple of split shot and the hook tied directly to the end of the line. I’ve also used fluorescent lures at night with a good deal of success. The trick is to keep them glowing and I accomplished that by using the flash from an old 110 camera. It would make those lures really glow. You see, it’s not the length of time exposed to light, it’s the intensity of the light that makes the lures glow so bright.

One things for sure, there aren’t lots of fishermen fishing at night. Most are daytime fishing people. If you don’t like crowds grab your fishing rods and head for the better night fishing spots that you know about. Fishing at night can be a lot of fun and night walleye fishing can be great. You’ll probably have a better night catch than you do in the daytime.

I’ve been fishing for over 60 years and I’ve learned a lot of little tricks and tips during that time. If you want to catch big fish check out this article I wrote on Northern Pike Techniques. You might also like my blog at Freshwater Fishing Tips. It’s full of tips and tricks you can use to catch more fish.

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Summer Walleye Fishing Tips

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Summer Walleye Fishing Tips

By Andrew Martinsen

Summer Walleye fishing tactics are essential if you want to catch these fish in the warmer weather.


It’s well known that it can be tougher to catch these glorious fish during this time of year, so care needs to be taken to try different tactics from what worked during the Springtime if your normal walleye techniques aren’t bringing in the quantity or size of fish you desire.

The first tip to fishing for Walleye n the summer has to do with where you will find the fish. When the weather warms up, the Walleye move into deeper water where the temperatures are cooler. This means you must go farther away from the shore to find the Walleye. Underwater structures are a big favorite of these fish during the summer, because these also help lower the water temperature as well as create a great place for bait fish to hang out. Where the bait fish go, the Walleye will follow, and this is true no matter what season or month it is.

Find out what the main species of forage for Walleye is in the water you are fishing, and try to use bait that is close to this natural food source. Walleye can be slow and lazy, especially during the summer months, so make your bait an easy meal that the fish does not have to work for, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Some good rigs and bait to try during this time would be bottom bouncers in combination with a spinner-crawler rig. Crankbaits will work well if the Walleye are twenty feet or above. If the fish are deeper than this, it may be advisable to switch to a drop shot rig or just a bottom bouncer. Live bait, including minnows, worms, leeches, and night crawlers will work well at almost any depth. Jigging spoons and jigs will also usually get good results in the summer.

Because summer Walleye are usually located deeper than at other times of the year, some anglers use a line which has a lead core. This allows anglers to use any lure and still guarantee that it will go deep enough. There is a color coding for every ten yards of line, so it is simple to keep track of your fishing depth as well, simply by verifying the markings on the line. Weed beds can be a great fishing spot during the summer, and Walleye really like these spots because the weeds not only cool the water and block the sun but also provide more oxygen in the water. Weed beds also provide a great hiding spot for the bait fish, which attract the Walleye.

When days get warmer and the summer months arrive, you don’t have to give up on Walleye fishing until fall. Fishing for Walleye can be just as successful during the summer as it is during the spring, fall, and winter.

As always, have fun out there and stay safe.

Andrew Martinsen ‘s WalleyeFishingSecrets.com showcases ways to get the adrenaline going out on the water by getting more big bites more often.

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Tips on Using Crankbaits

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Tips on Using Crankbaits

By Dennis M Mitchell

Crankbaits can be one of the most productive baits you can fish. I discovered how productive crankbaits can be several years ago. Crankbaits are very versatile and can be used in many situations and under a variety of conditions.


Proper Equipment

The rig I like to use for crankbaiting is a 7 ft medium action rod, 12 lb. test green low-vis line, and a good quality baitcast reel.

My favorite crankbait rod is a 7 ft., medium action Team All Star rod. The blank is IM10 graphite. When you crankbaiting, you want to use a medium action rod. A heavier action will rip the bait out of the fish’s mouth. The 7 foot rod is great for two reasons. Number one, you get great casting distance with the 7 foot rod. Number two, you get a great hook set with the longer rod. I will talk about hook setting later. If you are fishing in a tight situation, such as around docks, trees, or boat docks, then a 6 foot rod is better. Casting around cover with a shorter rod is easier than with a long rod. But most of the time, you are not fishing in a tight situation with a crankbait, the longer rod is better. The longer the cast, the more water you cover.

The reel I use is an Abu Garcia® Ambassadeur® C3 Classic Round Baitcast with a 5.3:1 gear ratio. I don’t think it is necessary to have a high speed reel. A high gear ratio may cause you to retrieve the lure too fast. Most of the time, a medium speed retrieve will produce the most bass. That is not to say that there are times when burning the lure will produce fish. I believe those times are the exception, not the rule. Also keep in mind that there are times when a slow retrieve is in order, which is difficult to achieve with a high gear ratio reel. The 5.3:1 gear ratio will suit your needs a majority of the time. I have done some modifications to my reel. I have added ceramic bearing, which make a huge difference in casting distance. I have also replaced the worm gear (the part that moves your line back and forth on the spool) with a ball bearing worm gear and ceramic pawl. I also replaced the stock idler gear with a ball bearing idler gear. In addition, I replace the handle with a longer handle.

Most of the time, 12 lb. test line is a good choice for crankbaits. Twelve lb. test is a good trade-off between strength and diving depth. There are two problems with using heavier line. For one, you will sacrifice how deep your bait will dive. Secondly, heavy line makes noise that the bass can hear, which can affect how many fish you catch. There are situations that heavy line is in order. If you are fishing around brush, then moving up to 17 lb test line is appropriate. However, as a rule of thumb, try to stick with 12 lb. test. And always use low-visibility line, such as the green color. There is no reason to use fluorescent high-visibility line when throwing a crankbait.

One more very important piece of equipment for the serious crankbaiter is a lure retriever. This is a heavy lead weight with wire loops that attach to your line and dangling chains. The weight is connected to a heavy retrieve line. You loop the weight onto your fishing line and slide it down to the snagged crankbait. When you knock your lure off the snag, you pull the lure retriever back with the heavy line. You will get about 95% of your snagged baits back with a lure retriever. They cost between $10 to $15 and I have saved over a thousand dollars in lures over the years. That makes it a very good investment.

When to use a Crankbait

The best condition to throw a crankbait is stained water. Crankbaits don’t work very well in extremely muddy water or very clear water. Stained water is defined by the ability to see a white lure from a depth of 2 to 4 feet. If you have more than 5 to 6 feet of visibility, the water is a little too clear for a crankbait. On the other hand, if you have less than one foot of visibility, the water is too muddy. Two to four feet of visibility is ideal for a crankbait.

Light level and wave action also play into the effectiveness of a crankbait. A windy day with some chop on the water is ideal for crankbaits. Flat water with high bright sun is not the best condition for cranking. But you can catch fish under those conditions with a crankbait.

Water temperature is also important. Wait until the water is at least 50 degrees before using a crankbait. If the water is cold, there are much more effective lures than a crankbait.

You can use a crankbait in many of the same situations most people would throw a spinnerbait. One of the main reasons a crankbait is so effective is that most people don’t throw them and bass aren’t used to seeing them. Everyone throws a spinnerbait and the bass see a lot of them. Throw a crankbait and the bass are seeing something they haven’t seen many times before. I also use crankbaits to determine the mood of the bass. If they are not biting a crankbait, I know to use something like a jig or soft plastic with a slower presentation.

Crankbait Colors

In the spring, my favorite colors are crawdad and firetiger. Crawdad can be a good color all year long. After the spawn and early summer, baby bass is very effective. Later in the summer, shad is good. The Bandit Tennessee Shad color is very good. In dirtier water, the chartreuse/blue back color is very effective. In the fall, start using crawdad again. Shad can also be good in the fall, but I have more consistent luck with crawdad.

Crankbait Styles and Models

Flat sided baits produce a tight wobble. Wider baits will produce a wider wobble. In colder water that is 50 to 55 degrees, you want to use a flat sided crankbait, such as the Bomber Flat A or a Fat Free Shad. In cold water, the bass prefer a tight wobble. As the water gets warmer, you want to use wider bait with more wobble. In the summer when the water is very warm, you can use very wide bait, such as a Fat A, that has a lot of wobble.

My favorite crankbaits are the Bandit 100 and 200 series, the Norman Middle N, and the Bomber Flat A, 6A, and Fat A.

How to Fish a Crankbait

To key to success with a crankbait is making sure it bumps off objects or structure. The biggest mistake I see people make is throwing a crankbait into open water. This will not be productive. It must be bouncing off of rock, off of trees, brush, around boat docks, or even just bouncing off the bottom. A crankbait dredging the bottom looks a lot like a crawfish. And a bass loves to eat crawfish!

One of my favorite ways to fish a crankbait is to parallel a rock bank or bluff. The steeper the bank, the closer to the bank I get with my boat. If it is a bluff bank that drops quickly to 7 – 10 feet of water, I will get my boat about a rod length away from the bank and cast parallel to the bank ahead of the boat. Then I will point my rod tip towards the bluff bank and make as much contact as possible with the bank when reeling in my bait. The key is I want my bait to be bouncing off the rock. I cannot emphasize enough that your bait must be bouncing off of objects or it will not be productive.

Rip Rap must have been invented by someone who loves to throw a crankbait. Rip Rap banks are some of the best cranking water around. The same technique can be used on rip rap as you use on a bluff bank, except you can usually position the boat further from the bank. Parallel the bank and cast towards the shore. Again, you want your bait to bounce off the rocks.

Fishing around standing timber can be good with a crankbait too. I have caught bass off of flats that nothing on them except standing timber. I would position my boat, cast far enough past the tree to allow my bait to dive to the correct depth, and retrieve it making sure it bumped the tree. Again, your bait must be bouncing off of the tree or it will not be productive. I will position my boat and try to fish all side of in individual tree or group of trees this way. If you have a tree row, you can almost treat it like a bank. Parallel the tree row with your boat and retrieve your bait down each side of the tree row. Just make sure your bait is bumping the trees.

Fishing around boat docks can be effective with crankbaits as well. Just make sure the retrieve depth of your bait matches the depth of the fish. If the bass are hiding right underneath the dock, then a shallow driving crankbait is in order. Just retrieve the bait right down the side of the dock, much the same way you would a spinnerbait. If the bass are deeper, then there usually needs to be other structure around the dock, such as submerged brush, to make a dock productive. The same rules apply as before. If a dock is over deeper water and the bass are deeper as well, your crankbait must make contact with brush or the bottom. Just retrieving your lure through open water isn’t productive. The only exception to this is when the bass are shallow right underneath the dock and your retrieve a shallow diving crankbait down the side of the dock.

Crankbaits can be very effective around brush. A lot of anglers will throw a spinnerbait in that situation, but I like to use a crankbait. You would think with all the treble hooks, you would constantly be hanging up. But the diving bill and the body of the crankbait make it fairly weedless. I am not afraid to throw a crankbait into a brush pile. But be careful. A big bass may hit it and break your arm!

When I’m reeling in my bait, I like to have my rod tip pointing down towards the water. You get maximum depth that way and you can feel your bait better. If you snagged on something, you can usually just raise your rod tip up and pull your bait over the snag.

One more point. Don’t reel at a constant speed. Vary your retrieve speed as you are reeling in your bait. I like to use a stop and go retrieve where I reel a few turns, stop about a half second, and reel again, while stopping my retrieve every few turns of the reel. The more erratic your lure looks, the more likely a bass will nail it.

The Strike and Setting the Hook

Bass will usually strike a crankbait fairly hard. Don’t set the hook hard like when you are fishing a worm or jig. Simply sweeping your rod when you feel a bass is sufficient for crankbaits. You do need to pay attention to what your lure is doing at all times. One reason is what I have said numerous times before. Your lure needs to be bumping objects. If you don’t feel your bait bumping into rocks, logs, brush, etc., then you need to change what you are doing. Another reason is bass don’t always hit your crankbait hard. Sometimes, they just swim up behind it and suck it in. When you reel in a crankbait, you will feel the throb of the bait wobbling. When a fish swims up and sucks it in, the only thing you feel is the lure quits wobbling, like it hooked a leaf. Big bass are notorious for doing this. If you feel your crankbait stop wobbling, SET THE HOOK! You may just reel in a leaf. But sometimes, you will have a really big bass.

Summary

Crankbaits can be very productive and should be part of every angler’s arsenal. When everyone else is throwing a spinnerbait, try a crankbait instead. You will be pleased with the results.

Bass clubs are the backbone of tournament fishing. Joining a bass club is the best way to improve your skills and take your fishing to the next step.

Dennis Mitchell is a member of the Raytown Bass Club [http://www.raytownbassclub.net] and has been tournament fishing for 20 years.

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