Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass are a lot of fun to catch because they hit hard and put up a great fight. Smallmouth Bass can be found in many lakes throughout Northern Ontario and the great lakes.

Smallmouth Bass concentrate on shorelines and off-shore shoals hiding in rocks, weeds, and submerged logs and trees. Smallmouth Bass are usually found in deeper water, when compared to other fish like Pike or Musky. They can be found in 2-20 feet of water or even deeper. The depth is not as important when fishing Smallmouths, what you need to be looking for is good underwater structure. If you can find an area that is filled with “Hiding Spots” for the fish then they are most likely there. Smallmouth Bass like cover, they like spots to hide.

The most rigorous feeding times for Smallmouth Bass is dusk (late evening, before it gets dark) and dawn (early morning, just before the sun rises)

Lures that are good for Smallmouth Bass are: spinners, ribbon tale grubs(eg. Mister Twisters), surface lures, small Rapalas, and of course live bait. Worms always work and almost ensure catching a fish. Crayfish, minnows, and frogs also work very well.

The secrete on my lake in northern Ontario is to use really small toads and frogs. If you can find frogs and toads that are about the size of a loonie, their perfect for bait.  These mini frogs float on top of the water and attract attention by squirming and disrupting the water surface.  Bass are very much surface feeders and wait for insects or frogs to fall into the lake. Smallmouth Bass are triggered by ripples and movement on the surface. They also eat other little fish and crayfish in the lake.

My favorite lure to use for Smallmouth is a surface lure. I love to use a Jitter Bug or a Hulapopper when fishing for Bass. Using a surface lure is extremely exciting because you can see and hear when the fish hits. I strongly recommend using surface lures, but the time of day needs to be right. The best time is just as soon as it gets dark.

Bass is a great fish to eat but make sure that you are not intending on eating Rock Bass. you can easily tell the difference between a Rock Bass and a Smallmouth Bass by looking at their eyes. Rock Bass have a solid red ring around their eyes and a very pointy sharp fin on the top of their bodies.