Fly Fishing Chain Pickerel in New Brunswick

Pickerel Lake Park - Fred Meijer Nature Preserve
Image by rkramer62 via Flickr

During the 1960s I was a kid growing up in central Ontario, Canada. I did a lot of fishing in the river that ran through the back of our farm. The only thing I ever caught there was catfish although there were some big pike in the river, I just didn’t have the gear for them.

I remember my older brother Chuck catching a huge walleye on one of his fishing trips. I was always to young to go on those trips as there was a lot of drinking. Anyways he didn’t call the walleye a walleye, ever. He always called it a pickerel.

I was actually 30 years old and living in New Brunswick Canada before I saw my first Chain pickerel and realized they weren’t the same species.

Chain pickerel are also known as “federation pickerel” and in SE U.S. they are nicknamed “jack fish”.

Caught My First Chain Pickerel on The Fly

It’s kind of cool the way I found out about pickerel here in New Brunswick as I mostly fished brook trout. I consider myself blessed to have caught my first real pickerel on the fly rod while fly fishing for trout so it was a happy accident.

Fishing A Flooded Forest on The Fly Rod

It feels like a lifetime ago I had been invited to go fishing with a fly fishing buddy. Wayne wanted to take me to a little spot he wants to keep secret. He told me we would be able to catch some big brook trout on the fly.

Once we arrived I could not believe he expected me to actually use a fly rod in there. It was a forest that had been flooded years earlier when busy beavers had blocked the flow of water and flooded a large patch of timber.

Wayne told me there was 16″ brookies within. I didn’t call him a liar however I’d been thinking it. I did become a believer after he landed the first 16″ brook trout.

Fly fishing through trees was really a brand new experience. I had fished ponds and brooks for trout using the fly rod, had even learned to deal with trees behind me just not a forest all around me.

I spent most of my time staying out of the trees but did get a few trout. As usual when it comes time to leave I usually need to get a couple more casts. Just as I pulled the fly from the water for that final cast a pencil like 10″ fish flew from the water and grabbed that fly.

I couldn’t imagine just how intense this tiny fish was. That was when I learned the difference between a walleye and a pickerel.

These days I fish Chain pickerel every chance I can. My record continues to grow from that first 10″ chain pickerel to 25″.

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Best Times For Brook Trout Fishing

I certainly enjoy brook trout fishing here in New Brunswick, on the fly or using my spinning rod. The thing is there can be so many brookies that all you catch are small ones while the big ones just get bigger. It really pays to study the water so you are casting to the places that should hold the biggest trout or you’ll be catching 10 inch brook trout all day.

Not saying there is anything wrong with that, it’s still a lot of fun.

For Me Spring Brook Trout Fishing Rocks

My favourite time of the year to fish trout is in the early spring as soon as our trout fishing season opens April 15. There can still be ice in the water but as long as you have a clear spot to cast to you can catch trout after trout and they can be quite active even though the water is only a degree or two about freezing.

I practice catch and release almost 100% but in the early spring when the water is so clear and cold the brook trout just tastes so good that I have to take a feed of trout home for my family to enjoy. The rest of the year it’s all CPR, catch, photograph and release for me.

Some places the fishing never shuts down, it’s an all year round thing but in New Brunswick our trout season is April 15 and ends Sept. 15 in all the areas I know of.

Brook Trout Fishing In Late August

Holly River, West Virginia - 2
Image by J. Stephen Conn via Flickr

When it comes to brook trout fishing I do prefer the fly rod. Fly fishing for brook trout is a lot of fun and most of the time I can fly fish using top water or dry flies that float. Just love seeing them take it from the surface.

The thing about evening fishing at the end of a long hot day is that everything becomes active as the sun drops and the air temp cools slightly. Just enough to make those nervous trout a little less nervous giving the opportunity for a great catch.

Brook Trout, Beaver Ponds And Early Morning Fog

Downtown Canada
Image by canvascanoe via Flickr

When it comes to beaver ponds I love to get there with my float tube or canoe  just about day light. I used to get there and get right in the water but in the past few years I have relaxed a bit, just a bit and now I like to get there early and sit on the bank while I have a coffee and just watch to see what’s going on.

Get out on one of these ponds in the early morning mist can be almost mystical. Especially when you can’t see 30 feet in front. It’s the time that I find it’s most relaxing, until that first strike of course.

On a day to day basis I prefer to fish trout in the early morning before the sun is high on the water. If I’m fishing a river or a stream it doesn’t seem to matter so much as there are usually plenty of trees hanging over the water to keep the sun out of their eyes and making it harder for airborne predators to spot them.

If it’s cloudy all day I find the fishing can be fairly constant all day long.

When the day has been long sunny and hot I like to get my fly rod out and hit the water in the evening as it starts to cool off. Even the bugs like it when it cools off a bit and become active. It’s a great opportunity to catch a number of trout but also to catch that trophy you’ve been seeking.

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Fly fisherman above Ojo Calenti Bend on the Fi...
Image via Wikipedia

Fishing is a sport that requires you to be prepared. Sure, you can grab any sort of stick, attach a rope to it and TRY to catch something. But, in today’s wide world of products, you can do so much better and become that much more successful at fishing. There are several things that you’ll need and that’s what we will talk about here.

Bass Fishing

So what are some of the few big bass fishing secrets? First and foremost, you must start off by thinking like a bass fish. It may sound crazy but it could help you in finding where the big one is. It is also advised that you find the right and appropriate tackle to use in any situation or case. You must have a lot of information on crank baits, spinner baits, plastic worms, buzz baits and many other types of it.

This would be one of the things that you might be sure of. A good lure is one of the techniques you have to learn and be knowledgeable about. In addition, you must know what part of the lake or stream is best to bass fish on different weather conditions. It will be different on a rainy day or a windy day, early in the morning or late in the evening. Other factors also affect like on a crowded lake or a steady lake and many others. It is up to you to research further on it.

Another thing is that you must know the most common bass fishing mistakes that almost every fisherman makes and executes. After knowing them and knowing the reason why will instill in your mind that these common practices end up in error so you must not practice it. Another grateful thing is that you must choose the right bass fishing rod. You must learn the techniques and secrets on how to choose and where to find the most appropriate bass fishing rods there are. Furthermore, you must know how to develop a successful bass fishing pattern.

This will really help you in your fishing trip and having a larger bass. Some may go bass fishing at night so it is good that you learn professional night bass fishing techniques. Moreover, others may also be benefited by learning the professional winter bass fishing techniques for those who experience four seasons. These are only some of the many techniques and tips on how to improve your bass fishing strategy. If you do not have any strategy at all, you may really get disappointed from time to time. But, it is suggested that you first learn and read sufficient information and guides on bass fishing.

Fly Fishing

Knowing how to utilize fly fishing knots is an extremely important skill to have when mastering the sport of fly fishing. First of all, there are quite a few different types of knots that you can utilize for fly fishing, and most of them are relatively simple to understand. The most simple ones utilized are the arbor knot, Albright knot, nail knot, double surgeons knot, and improved clinch knot.

Each one of these knots serves their own individual purpose, and is beyond the scope of this article to explain exactly what they do. However, here’s the important thing you need to understand about this. Without any one of these knots, fly fishing would not work. Obviously, this sounds rather complex and complicated, but once you understand how to do it, it will become as simple as time your shoe. Do you remember when you were a young kid and you watch other people riding their bikes? At first, this probably looks so complicated, but once you understood how to do it, you were amazed at how simple the process was. The same could be said of fly fishing knots. There are certainly more knots than the ones listed, but these are by far the most basic, and the ones you should understand released at the beginning.

Once you understand how to tie a basic fly fishing knot, you want makes sure that before you begin to go fly fishing, you must be certain that they are going to hold up. Especially at first, you might not know how to do it very well, and you might lose an awesome catch because of a faulty knot if you aren’t careful. By far the quickest and easiest way to make sure the knot stays tight as is to simply pour a little water on them, and then pull the lines to ensure the Knights hold still.

One final fly fishing tip that, while unrelated to knots, is essential to having a successful and enjoyable fishing trip: make sure to purchase fly fishing waders, which is a special type of clothing to help you stay dry while out on the water. Without this, if you do happen to get wet while fishing, particularly on a cold day, the rest of the trip will be miserable.

General Fishing

First, what is fishing tackle? This is the equipment you’ll need to get your bait out there. You don’t need to spend a fortune on it, but what you should do is get the right products for your needs instead.

The Rod And The Reel

The most fundamental product that you need is the rod and reel. For a beginner, go with a lightweight choice that has a spinner reel on it. You can even purchase them together. As for length, go for about six feet for the adults and four to five for your child.

Next on the list is fishing line. It is also called filament. You’ll need to know which weight to get. This is called the pound test. The larger the pound test number is, the stronger the line is. Depending on the type of fish you are after, you’ll need to choose the line that is about the weight of the fish. For a small, light rod, go with up to six pound test. If you are using a large sized spinning reel, go with a stronger line. For bait casting reels, go with six to thirty pound test. The most popular options are the eight to sixteen. Don’t always think that heavier is better though as many of the fish will be able to see the line and won’t go near it.

Also in your equipment, you’ll need a fishing net. This will help you to catch your bait and can help you bring the fish in.

Options In Bait

There are many options in bait that you’ll need in that tackle box. First, we’ll talk about which live choices you have. Go with earthworms to start. You can dig your own or get them from the bait shop. You can go with mealworms or grubs as well. Depending on the type of fish you are after, you are likely to have a type of bait to use to catch them. Ask your local anglers for information about which seem to work the best for your area.

There are several other products that you will find that you’ll need in the way of tackle. Here are some of them and what they are good for.

Bobbers. These are floats that you’ll attach to your line to dangle your bait in front of the fish. They give you some extra weight when casting. They will sit at the top of the water. Small is a better way to go and make sure it is just enough weight to keep the bait from dragging.

Hooks. You’ll need to choose the right size for the job at hand. When using live bait, buy sizes from six to ten. For bullhead or catfish, you’ll need larger hooks. For catch and release fishing, look for fish hook barbs that can be flattened. To choose look for the size that is about the right size for the mouth of the fish you are trying to catch. Too large and you won’t get a bite and too small will leave you with the hook in its belly.

Sinkers are next. These are weights that come in a wide assortment. They are used to keep your line from floating under the water. Split shot sinkers are tiny and they are by far the most popular. But, some weights can get up to a pound in weight. Make sure that they are lead free though when you purchase them.

Leaders. These are small metal pieces with an eye on one end and a pin catch on the other. The pin is used to slip a hook or lure onto it. You’ll then thread the line through the eye and knot it. They are helpful when it comes to changing hooks and lures. You may want to consider them when you are after muskellunge, walleye, or northern pike as they’ll keep the fish from biting through your line.

Swivels are used instead to attach hooks and lures without a leader. There is an eye on one end and a pin clip on the other. The same process is done as with a leader except that the pin clip opens much like a safety pin. They protect your line from tangling as your bait moves in the water.

In your tackle box, fill it with several very important things. For example, you’ll need a good quality fishing knife. This will help you do many things from cutting tangled line to cleaning your catch. Also, make sure to have a pair of needle nose pliers in there to help you remove hooks safely. It is wise to have a first aid kit on hand as well and make sure it includes antibacterial lotion. In fact, the tackle box itself should be organized with all of your gear and kept clean. Some will even come with the artificial bait you may need.

The best place to find all that you need in fishing tackle is through the web. You’ll find some of the best products here. Not sure what to purchase? Ask a local professional to help you to know what works well in your area. This can lead to some excellent fishing experiences.

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Image by photosan0 via Flickr

One of my favourite ways to fish for trout or pretty much anything I fish, is on the fly. Using my flyrod gives me an entirely different feel than any other way I fish. I also tie most of my own flies which gives me another thrill each time I hook a fish on a new fly I tied.

I catch trout on some flies that are so small, some a size 22, that I’m surprised they even see it as a food source. But man can they attack those little. Some days it’s just not stop all day and evening. Usually in the heat of summer.

You can stop at just about any stream or brook here in New Brunswick and there will be brook trout. If you can get a fly in there you’re most likely to get some however I have found that moving off the road about a 15 minute walk will land you many more trout and bigger ones as most people don’t go far off the road. You have to break through that barrier of Alders before you get to where you can cast your fly, at most places.

My Choice For Brook Trout Flies

I enjoy tying my own trout flies for my fly fishing trips although I don’t get to tie as many as I once did. Life tends to get too busy some times but there is such a difference mentally when I use my own flies. I guess that would be pride.

I’m a real sucker for the dry fly but then again I’m the same way with my spinning gear. I just love top water action. Very visual. You cast that fly out there and it lands so softly on the water it barely makes a ripple and then BAM. A trout slams it and it’s game on.

My personal favourite dry, wet and streamer trout flies:

Dry Flies – Hair Wing Dry Flies – size 8-18

- Gray Wulff
- White Wulff
- Irrisistible

Dry Flies – Fan Wing – size 10-20

- Adams
- Royal Coachman Fanwing
- Dark Hendrickson

Other Trout Dry Flies I Use

- Misquito size 10-20
- Brown Bivisible sizes 10-20
- Brown Hackle Peacock sizes 12-20

Wet Flies

- Black and Grizzly Weighted Wooly Worm – size 2-10
- Coachman Lead Wing Wet Fly sizes 12 -18
- March Brown English Wet Fly sizes 10-14

Streamers For Brook Trout

- Mickey Finn – size – 6-10
- White Maribou Streamer sizes 10-14
- Black Woolly Bugger – size – 6-10

There are flies that just seem to catch everything so it’s important to treat your fish with respect and if you’re not taking them home get them back in the water quickly. Keep them in the water and only take them out for a quick picture or two and then release them back so others can have that same experience some day. So practice CPR – Catch, Photograph and Release.

I release more than 90% of my fish back into the wild to catch another day but I do keep a few, mostly in early spring while the water is still ice cold. They always taste so good at that time of year. Maybe it’s because I haven’t had any since the previous season. Of course if I damage a fish I will not put it back hoping it will survive. I just take it home and cook it up for dinner.

Many happy days on the water my friend.

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Advice On Fly Casting For The Fly Fishing Newbie

fly fishing rod
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Fly fishing is a lot of fun but can be somewhat frustrating if you don’t know how to use a fly rod to cast an artificial fly. It only takes a few minutes of guided practice t learn how. Then you can get to the water and have fun while getting better and better on each cast. But the real secret to fly casting is learning how to do it efficiently so you can last all day.

Once you’ve accomplished the task of learning to cast a fly an entirely new angling experience awaits you.

You can learn the stance, how to hold a fly rod and how to cast a fly in just a few short minutes if you have a good instructor. I know we all can’t be blessed with someone local to show us, as I did, but you will be happy to know that YouTube.com has plenty of videos that will show you how. If you have a laptop you can even take it outside for practice.

This new angling skill can be learned quickly, give back years and years of fly fishing fun and you can always improve your game.

I consider myself privileged mainly because my sister’s husband Joe, who had been fly fishing for quite some time before I arrived on the scene, took the time to show me how to cast a fly and how to tie knots.

It always takes me back a step when I say it’s been 30 years ago but even today when I get the call or urge to go fly fishing I get just as excited as I did way back then. There is just something that’s almost mystical about fly fishing, but maybe that’s just me. Nothing like seeing a fish take a dry fly on a river, pond, beaver dam or a mirror finished lake.

The Joy of Fly Fishing

I get a lot of fun out of fishing but I get something extra when fly fishing and I often think of how much fun I’ve had over the years since then. Heck the only time I take my fishing gear from my vehicle is during the off fishing season as I hate missing a fishing opportunity so my fly rod and gear never leave the truck during fishing season.

Practice Your Fly Casting At Home

When I go fishing I don’t want to fumbling around trying to get it right. That’s why you don’t wait until you’re at the water’s edge to start practising your fly casting technique. Of course it’s going to be practice but I am talking about learning how before you leave home. When I’m out fly fishing I need to be able to pay attention to the things around me instead of being irritated attempting to figure out the cast.

I started in the backyard. The first step would be to ensure there were no obstacles behind me that would impede my cast when first learning. I started by making sure I had approximately thirty ft with no obstacles right behind me.

Next, I tied on a fly. Note that I snapped off the hook point to prevent hooking things during practice sessions, things like a tree.

Joe showed me that putting a magazine between my elbow and ribs would make for a better cast and it worked great. In addition Joe showed me that moving the rod within 10 o’clock and 1 o’clock positions during the cast would make it easier and that worked better too.

The Armchair Fly Fisher:

I don’t know where I learned about this technique for practising fly casting but it worked well. I used the end section of my fly rod, attached a 3 foot section of yarn then seated myself in my living room where I practised holding my arm at my side going from the 10 and 1 o’clock position.

Practice getting the technique down before ever worrying about accuracy or distance. You will be surprised how easy it become to get distance and accuracy once you perfect the stance and arm movement.

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wobblerWhen I’m fishing for smallmouth bass or chain pickerel in open water and along weed beds that drop off into deeper water I like to use crankbaits. I especially love to toss my crainbait into opening in the weeds as I am usually rewarded with a huge explosive strike in those hot spots.

I will cast to the shallows close to weeds and bring it back to the deeper water. And if the water drops off quickly I will pull it right along the edge of the weeds for really explosive strikes.

It wasn’t until I moved to New Brunswick that I experienced smallmouth bass fishing and later chain pickerel fishing. Before that it was strickly trout and salmon.

That’s when I started buying a few crankbaits, spinnerbaits and plastic worms.

Fishing Crankbaits

My fishing buddy Roland and I were in my boat on Lake George just past Fredericton, it was really windy, so the top water baits weren’t doing much so I switched to one of my brand new crankbait.

Fishing A Brown Shrimp Crankbait

I remember it was brown with some darker brown stripes going down the sides. It cast a country mile and would float until I started cranking on it. Then it would dive anywhere from 3-7 feet depending on how hard I cranked it.

On my first cast the crankbait was smacked hard and then again on my second and then it seemed like I couldn’t use it without getting strikes.

bass-fishing-with-crankbaits

Guess how many of those I purchased?? Just one because I bought a variety of lures that day and just one of each. Roland didn’t buy one of this particular crankbait and I didn’t have one to loan him.

I kicked his bass fishing butt royally that day.

The crankbait quckly became one of my confidence baits and still is today. I went and bought another two, one for the tackle box and one I just incase Roland didn’t get a chance to buy one.

I used that crankbait until all the finish was worn off, leaving it a matte silver colour and it was still caught bass, which I found strange because I had a silver one that didn’t catch anything much at all.

Then one day I made a very long cast, probably the longest cast I ever made. It went straight across the water and into the trees on the bank somewhere. Never did find it. Guess I didn’t tie that knot as well as I thought.

That crankbait had hooked hundreds and hundreds of bass and pickerel and lasted for a few years before I lost it.

The second crankbait lasted for many years as well until one day Casey and I were bass fishing Lake Petit and on the very last cast of the day I lost it, the same way I lost the first one. The line snapped and it went so far I couldn’t find it. Bummer

A couple of years after I started bass fishing we gave chain pickerel a go and I used the same crankbait in open water along weed banks and found that they love that crankbait as much as the smallies do.

Check out the Rapala Crankbaits on FishUSA.com

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The Humminbird Smartcast Wrist Mount

humminbird-wrist-mount-fishfinderI love to get out fishing from my float tube. It’s so relaxing and at the same time exciting. Back when I had a canoe and a boat I had a nice little Humminbird portable fishfinder but found it too big for my float tube so I sold it with my boat.

I have looked for a nice portable fish-finder since but never saw anything that I really liked, until this morning.

It’s getting close to Christmas so I was looking through Amazon to see what was there and found this cool little wrist mounted fish finder, perfect for float tube fishing adventures.

Humminbird Smartcast Wrist Mount

I remember fishing Lake George New Brunswick, along with a few other larger lakes in the area, from both my canoe and boat. It was nice to have a fishfinder so we could located active spots we could come back to. We must have fished Lake George a hundred times and always seemed to hook into a lot of smallmouth bass.

I’d say it was mostly because of the Humminbird fish finder keeping us on the right locations.

I remember so many times I wished I had a fishfinder for my float tube so I could find those great spots again.

Here are a few specs for the Humminbird Smartcast RF 35 fishfinder.

First, Humminbird is using wireless technologies to the Smartcaster rf35 so you don’t require a wire going to the sensor. Just attach a length of fishing line and give it a toss out on the water and you’re ready to go fish finding.

The Remote Sonar Sensor has a separate, lithium battery that is non-replaceable , that has a lifespan of three years and will work for somewhere around five-hundred hours in the water.

Note: It’s always good advice to clean your equipment after a day on the water and it goes the same for your remote sensor. Keep it cleaned and it will keep going on keeping on.

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Fly Fishing Trout Using The Trusty Adams Dry Fly

I don’t seem to get out fly fishing for trout and salmon as often as I would like these days and I don’t mean because the season is closed. It’s more because I have some new fishing buddies over the past couple of years and we are kind of addicted to fishing for bass and chain pickerel, although they are a blast on the fly rod as well but I don’t use the same flies for these guys that I use for trout and salmon here in New Brunswick. I prefer to use small dry flies when ever possible but for bass and pickerel I like to use big flies, like streamers and big deer hair bugs.

When I am fly fishing trout streams I like to start with dry flies like the Adams dry fly with a lot of brown in it. There is just something about using brown hackle dry flies, the trout just love them and I seem to catch far more trout with them. I haven’t tied any Adams for years so I jumped onto Youtube and looked up a video for tying an Adams dry fly, check it out.

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Jiggin’ For Smallmouth Bass

Pike Angler Seated in a Float Tube
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I love catching big fish, but then again don’t we all. But, using a light action rod and reel setup and I don’t mind catching smaller fish. Heck I fish brook trout about 8 to 13 inches long using my light action fly rod or spinning rod.

Smallmouth bass are no different. I love catching the big ones explode on my baits but the little guys of about 16 inches, are great fun on light action gear as well. It’s so cool to be able to watch them dart around your float tube or canoe so fast it’s unbelievable.

My son Steve caught the little guy in the picture below with just a little yellow head jig and a plastic grub. He was catching them all day long and never changed his bait, other than to replace the grub once it was munched up too much to stay on the jig.

smallmouth-bass-fishing
Steve With His First Bass From His Float Tube

Keep Your Secret Spots Secret

The little spot I took my son is full of smallmouth up to about 15 or 16 inches. I like going here when fishing conditions elsewhere suck. I can usually fish and catch and release dozens of these little smallies all day long.

I have friends that never release fish and friends who practice catch and release like I do and for this spot I only ever take my catch and release friends. I certainly wouldn’t give up this location to any of my catch em and eat friends, I have lots of other places to take them.

Tricked And Treated To A Happy Surprise

The first time at this place was when a friend I worked with took me. He really didn’t tell me anything about it as we were fishing somewhere else and it just got too windy for our float tubes.

It was funny because he only showed me one small pond first and trust me I wasn’t overly impressed as it was so small I could almost cast to any point without moving my feet.

I did see a beaver and her hut and hooked into a little bass about 8 inches long. After fishing for a few minutes I noticed my friend was not to be seen. I figured he was taking a leak behind a tree but after a few minutes I called his name and then followed his voice.

As I came up over the ridge behind the little pond I was fishing he was snickering away with a 15 inch bass dangling from his fishing rod. He was standing on the edge of a pond that was, at first glance, about 3 or 4 times as large as the first pond. What a funny guy, eh?

We fished there for a long time and cast after cast after cast we were getting strikes, almost every cast was a bass on.

Then he started walking and in just a few minutes came to a channel that led to yet another section of water and then another. We fished all day and I still didn’t get to see all the water there. It wasn’t until the next time we came that I got to see the entire body of water.

By this time I was impressed.

So, the second time we brought our float tubes and that’s when I got to see all the water that was seldom seen by anyone on foot.

Being Prepared With Little Tackle

I can easily carry all the tackle I use for these ponds in just one little tackle box, small enough to fit in my fly fishing vest. Just a few small baits, crankbaits, tubes, top water, jigs and grubs.

For fly fishing for these bass I use all small top water dry flies and my favourite are brown, anything brown.

When I am not fly fishing for these little guys I like to use a small jig and a pumpkin coloured grub. It has been the setup that has landed me the most fish here, other than the fly rod of course.

Fishing Solitude

These ponds are not far off the beaten path and one can even drive their vehicle right down to the water. Yet, after fishing here for the past 10 or 15 years I can say that most times I never see anyone else or even hear a voice all day long.

In all those years I can count, on one hand, the number of people I have seen in there. Very quite and peaceful.

When I am not fly fishing for these little smallmouth’s I prefer to use a small jigg and a pumpkin coloured grub like the BearPaw Fat Bear Grub. It has been the setup that has landed me the most fish here, other than the fly rod of course.

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    Smallmouth Bass from the Rainy River near Inte...
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    Some of my fishing chums and I love angling for smallmouth bass at any time of year, although fall is without a doubt my favourite time since smallmouth bass begin a final eating frenzy to fatten up for the lean days of winter. You now are aware of precisely why autumn smallie fishing happens to be my personal favourite time of year to fish for bass in my humble opinion but springtime is in a really close second. The reason, it is largely due to the fact I have experienced enough winter by that time.

    As summer shifts to fall the lake temperature will start dropping and then the weeds begin to die and that slows the quantity of oxygen within the water. The shortage of oxygen tends to localize the bass in places having more oxygen making it a lot easier to catch increased numbers of bass.

    At this time of year Smallmouth bass seem to be less discriminating than they may be at other times of the year because winter is fast approaching and time is running out to fatten up for the winter. Smallies tend chase practically any lures at this time of the year. I have seen Smallmouth bass come a long ways to smack a lure in the Fall months.

    I definitely enjoy working the weed beds for Smallmouth bass anytime but specifically in the Fall when weed patches that are generating oxygen begin to die off. In the fall I really watch the healthier weeds still producing oxygen.

    Smallmouth’s are cold-blooded which means as the temperature of the lake water falls the Smallmouth’s usually slow therefore it’s crucial to slow down your baits also. You will find that you hook up with a lot more Smallmouth bass.

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