| The Smallmouth bass are found from Ontario's | | | | Start of Spring |
| Great Lakes shoals to scenic, glacial lakes of the | | | | Smallmouth bass bass love rock and spend more |
| Canadian Shield and in thousands of rivers, creeks, | | | | than ninety percent of their time on this hard |
| and lakes in between. Smallmouth are mainly in | | | | structure. Post-spawn smallmouth will remain close |
| warmer water bodies with shallow cover, | | | | to shallow rocky areas of the lake until the |
| whether it be weeds and wood or rocky | | | | temperature of the water warms considerably. |
| outcrops. In lakes with varied habitat, smallmouth | | | | Islands, points and shoals are the three preferred |
| territory overlaps with that of smallmouth bass, | | | | spots to begin your smallmouth bass search, |
| making for diverse angling action. | | | | starting each area up shallow and moving deeper |
| Smallmouth bass are usually in more open water, | | | | until you connect with fish. Topwater plugs, |
| where you can use light to medium-action 6- to | | | | crankbaits and jigs are the preferred baits early in |
| 7-foot spinning rods and 6- to 10-pound-test lines. | | | | the season and "matching the hatch" by using |
| Fly-rodders also find these smallmouth bass eager | | | | crayfish coloured is a sure-bet to entice fish into |
| to take top-water poppers or minnow-shaped | | | | the boat. |
| streamers when the fish are in relatively shallow | | | | Comes Summer |
| water. In summer, deep underwater points, rocky | | | | Summer fishing can often be a "hit and miss" |
| shoals, submerged islands, and weed edges are | | | | attempt due to whereabouts of the fish during |
| the places to catch these hard-fighting, tail-walking | | | | this time. Early morning and evening periods will |
| fish. Soft-plastic twister-tail, tube, and shad jig | | | | usually find fish in shallow water aggressively |
| bodies on 1/8- to 3/8-ounce heads are the most | | | | feeding - this is were topwaters really excel and |
| common smallmouth bass lures. Good jig colors | | | | will lead to heart-stopping explosions on the |
| are black, smoke, purple, amber, yellow, and | | | | surface. Daytime smallmouth will retreat to the |
| white. Bounce jigs along bottom, while retrieving | | | | safety of deeper water and will relate to depths |
| or drifting with the wind over potential hotspots. | | | | from six to thirty-feet deep. The one thing they |
| One trick is to allow a tube jig to settle on | | | | will relate to is structure, and having a dependable |
| bottom, then release 20 to 40 yards (18 to 36 | | | | fish finder on board will become your underwater |
| m) of line. As the boat drifts, nudge the bait along, | | | | eyes. Look for humps, shelves and drop offs and |
| as you feel for a strike. This technique is | | | | work a jig over these underwater magnets. Due |
| particularly useful in clear, deep water for spooky | | | | to the schooling nature of the smallmouth bass |
| smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass are particularly | | | | bass, once one is caught, there are sure to be |
| fond of crayfish, especially soft-shells that have | | | | more to come. |
| just mounted. | | | | And In Fall |
| Smallmouth tactics that work elsewhere are also | | | | The fall time means one thing to a bass angler - |
| effective in Ontario. Fishing varies from | | | | BIG smallmouth. Fish at this time of year gorge |
| flip-and-pitch techniques around shallow, matted | | | | themselves on crayfish and minnows in |
| weeds, docks, and stumps, to exciting top-water | | | | anticipation of the cold winter months. Searching |
| action on jerk baits, poppers, and floating plastic | | | | for these hungry fish is the key to catching them, |
| worms. Crawling spinner baits or retrieving | | | | and concentrating on some of the spots you had |
| shallow-running crank baits along sub-merged | | | | success on earlier in the season will help you |
| weed patches also pay off. Bass of both species | | | | unlock the location factor. Points, saddles and |
| in deeper water can be taken with diving crank | | | | shoals will hold smallmouth at this time of the |
| baits, Carolina-rigged soft-plastic baits, and jigs. | | | | year, however, the school will be situated farther |
| Although some southern lakes or rivers are turbid, | | | | from shore and in deeper water in comparison to |
| clear water is normal in Ontario. Bait casting tackle | | | | their summer counterparts. Begin your search by |
| spooled with 12- to 20-pound line is ideal around | | | | finding water in the 20-foot depth and continue |
| heavy cover for smallmouth in stained waters. | | | | working until you hit 35 feet. Most of your fall fish |
| Light spinning tackle, though, is often necessary to | | | | will relate to water this deep and once you catch |
| fool smallmouths in clear water on sunny days. In | | | | some, the remainder of the lakes' fish will be |
| these conditions, thin, yet strong, braided or fused | | | | holding at this magical depth. Rattle traps, cranks |
| line and small plastic worms, grubs, or jigs can | | | | and jigs are the artillery for the fall enthusiast, and |
| jump-start the action, while allowing you to handle | | | | using a marker buoy to stay with the school and |
| fish around cover. Live bait is effective for both | | | | at the optimum depth will increase your chances |
| species. Leeches, minnows, and juicy nightcrawlers | | | | of connecting. Locating and catching smallmouth is |
| rigged beneath a float or with split-shot on the | | | | a real challenge. |
| bottom will draw strikes. | | | | |