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Best-Kept Secret In Bassdom!
Where is the best bass fishing in North America? Fasten your seat belt!
When it comes to big bass, most anglers instantly begin thinking of California, Texas or Florida. And when it comes to big numbers of bass commonly caught on a given day, Mexico comes to mind.
But if you want to catch both big bass and big numbers of fish, your best bet is to leave the States and visit our northern neighbors.
Bass fishing in Canada? You bet! In Quebec, for example, where French is the predominant language, visiting anglers may not recognize by name a particular fish species that natives refer to as L’Achigan A Petite Bouche. That moniker is no other than the smallmouth bass, and what’s mind-boggling is that Quebec’s bronzeback record stands at just a bit more than nine pounds! Equally astounding, it’s not unusual for anglers thereabouts to catch 30 to 40 smallies that average better than three pounds.
However, this certainly doesn’t mean that Quebec has a lock on Canadian bass fishing. Two years ago, on Ontario’s Lingham Lake, my partner made a remark when his 50th largemouth of the day came aboard.
“Back home, I fish a lot of tournaments on Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia,” Bill Thomas mused. “And I’ve never once had a three-day total catch that weighed over 30 pounds; yet here at Lingham I’ve caught over 30 pounds of bass in just the first two hours this morning! It truly blows me away.”
Add to this the startling fact that Ontario’s largemouth record stands at just a bit more than 14 pounds and an immediate question comes to mind. Why has Canadian bass fishing been so hush-hush for so many years?
Undoubtedly, there are several explanations. To begin with, one of Canada’s major “industries” is outdoor recreation, so it stands to reason that advertising and tourism campaigns have long been geared to their star attractions, which means promoting the largest fish species available. Consequently, many Canadian provinces have acquired envious reputations as the place to go if you’re after walleyes, northern pike, muskies, lake trout, arctic char and other heavyweights that in some cases may pull the scale down to 20 or even 50 pounds of more, while smaller species such as members of the Micropterus clan don’t have such enthusiastic press agents.
Moreover, Canada has not experienced the same bass fishing “revolution” that we in the States have been witnessing over the last several decades. With such a profusion of natural lakes and river systems across the provinces, there simply was no reason for our northern neighbors to engage in an extensive man-made reservoir construction program as we did after World War II. Similarly, much of Canada is characterized by raw wilderness, secondary roads, unimproved or even non-existent boat-launching ramps, and in many cases a distinct absence of lakeside facilities.
Therefore, few Canadian residents subscribe to the same bass fishing philosophies that have been popularized in the States. Sleek bassboats that are powered by humongous outboards and outfitted with all manner of sophisticated electronic gadgetry, and which by necessity sit upon ponderous trailers hauled by equally gutsy tow vehicles, simply are not practical approaches to the types of waters where Canada’s biggest and best bass populations reside.
With so little attention having ever been focused upon Canadian bass fishing, the quality of the fishing has soared to unparalleled heights. As a result, to a very small percentage of savvy bass anglers living in the States, Canada has become the new frontier. I call Canadian bass fishing the best kept secret in bassdom, and this report describes how and where you can enjoy a piece of the action.
Ontario
Ontario leads all other provinces in sheer numbers of bass waters. Realize at the outset, however, that it is impossible to list here all the waters where bass may be caught in the province. As shocking as it is to contemplate, Ontario claims nearly half a million lakes and rivers. This means, if you were able to fish 100 different Ontario Lakes each year, it would take you 50 years to try them all!
Obviously, due to its latitude, the majority of Ontario’s bass-rich waters are scattered across its southernmost reaches. As a general rule, however, largemouth are most prevalent in the southeast counties, while the best smallmouth action is generally to be found in the northwest counties.
Among the top bass producers are the Rideau Lakes in the eastern corner of the province. One reason for their growing popularity among visiting anglers has to do with their easy accessibility and numerous fishing camps in the area. If you’re after largemouths in the Rideau Lake region, I can particularly recommend Opinicon Lake and Christie Lake. Other largemouth hotspots include Limerick Lake, Collins Lake, Cranberry Lake, Moira Lake and Stoca Lake. Smallmouth await at Limerick Lake, Skootamatta Lake, Mississagagon Lake, Charbot Lake and Cranberry Lake.
A few miles directly noth of Tweed is Lingham Lake, mentioned at the beginning of this report.
Also in the immediate vicinity are two other hotspots. One is the Trent River, where lures cast around weedbeds are likely to be blasted by either a largemouth or smallmouth. Once, I was in the process of wrestling a three-pount largemouth to the boat when a 25-pount musky zoomed up from the depths and took my bass away from me!
In the same region are the renowned Kawartha Lakes. Largemouth strongholds of the highest order include Pigeon Lake, Buckhorn Lake, Omemeo Lake, Pond, Scugog Lake, Rice Lake, and Sturgeon Lake. Chunky smallmouths reside in nearby Cameron Lake, Lovesike Lake, Wolf Lake, Balsam Lake and Elephant Lake.
Still a bit farther west, next consider the Lake Simcoe region. Here, Lake Simcoe, Sparrow Lake and Gloucester Pool are the bass hotspots, with smallmouths constituting occasional bonus fish.
Close to Simcoe is the Parry Sound region. I once caught an 11-pound walleye here, in the Sound’s Moon River and just a few casts later netted a five-pound smallie. Other prime smallmouth waters in the immediate area are Manitouwabing Lake, Georgian Bay, Skeleton Lake, Dollars Lake and Bernard Lake.
Directly north of Lake Huron, in Ontario’s Sudbury region, good bets for largemouths include Tyson Lake, Decon Lake, Balsam Lake, Scar Lake and Annie Lake. Smallmouth line-breakers live in Manitou Lake, the French River, Upper Sturgeon Lake and Mindenoya Lake.
Near Sault St. Marie, try the North Channel region, Matinenda Lake, Tunnel Lake, Bearhead Lake and Wolf Lake.
Just north of the “Soo” in the Chapleau Lake region, smallmouths are plentiful in Borden Lake, Pogamasing Lake, and Windermere Lake.
Near Fort Francis, huge stringers of smallmouths can be taken at Rainy Lake, Calm Lake, Basswood Lake (I love the names of Canadian lakes!) and Pipestone Lake.
Near Sioux Lookout (I also love the names of Canadian towns!) bass action also is fantastic at Little Vermillion Lake, Big Vermillion Lake, Indian Lake and Barrel Lake.
And near Kenora, close to the Manitoba border, superb smallmouth fishing is available at Lake of the Woods, Eagle Lake, Sabigoon Lake, Crow Lake, the English River and the Winnipeg River.
No mention of Ontario bass action is complete without also noting the 1,750-square-mile Quetico Provincial Park, which straddles the Ontario-Minnesota border. Access to the Quetico by Stateside anglers is the Dawson Trail area of French Lake. Nearby is the town of Ely, Minnesota, the famous base of operations for many canoe outfitters who arrange camping-fishing float-trips into Quetico’s wilderness. Bass anglers generally head for Big Turtle Lake, Basswood Lake and Brent Lake.
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