Smallmouth Bass on A Lake

[LostFisherman]

I will be coming up to Ontario later this month and will be fishing on a lake west of Thunder Bay that I have fished for a few years using spinning gear and I'm going to try fly fishing it for Smallies this time. The lake is stainned in color and has a max depth of about 135 foot in spots. It has many shallow rocky bays that during the summer months haven't been real producers as most of the smallies I've caught have come from areas connected to drop off's and deeper water. I will be fishing with my 8wgt rod and a Clouser line and have a pretty good selection of Wooley Buggers,Crayfish imatations,Clouser Minnows, Poppers, and a lot of other well know items to use. My question would be, should I spend much time in the shallower bays that haven't been big producers in the summer and stay with the deeper water areas that I have caught fish in before? I don't have a lot of time this trip so I would like to concentrate on the most productive water. By the way I also carry a good selection of different sinking tips. Any help that I can get from you on the board would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
LostFisherman

[GrandRiverReaper]

Mr Lost,

You sound like you already know what you're doing with your gear. I've found bass this past weekend already retreating into the shallows and hovering around holes. I imagine in Thunder Bay they've come into the shallows to fatten up a bit before retreating to their winter homes. The outfit you have is interesting for smallies; isn't 8wt a little bit heavy for this? I think if you throw your black/white wooly buggers through the shallows you'll have success as the leeches and bait fish will hand out there. Like any fly fishing, match the hatch right? See what's sitting on top of the water, use that fly, keep it dry and hold on to your pole...

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

Keep it reel and best fishes,

GRR

[Todd B.]

LostFisherman,

Assuming the typical fall weather, I would concentrate on the points, humps, etc that have deep water close by. For flies I would stick to the baitfish patterns for those fall bronzebacks that are putting on the feedbag for winter.

[beachburger]

This will be my first fall fishing smallies on the fly and I'll be trying "big" streamers (4" - 6") in 4-8 ft of water. I have caught lots of fall smallies over the years twitching a hard-bodied, shallow-running minnowbait and I'm thinking these big streamers will look the same (if not better) underwater. Last night I was using my larger weighted woolly buggers (2") and I picked up a couple of 13"ers. I was using an 8wt (but only because my 5wt hasn't arrived yet.....).

I also used a snap for the first time last night. The snap was from a twisted up pike leader and might have been a little large but I don't think a snap will spook a bass and it sure made changing flies easy. I'm not sure if I would use a the size of snap I used last night on a small dry fly but I would certainly try a smaller snap if I can find them.

Have fun in T-Bay!!!!!

[LostFisherman]

Thanks for the information guys. I also have a 5wgt set-up with a floating line I could use and put on a sinking tip. I have caught smallies over 5lbs on this lake quite often and thought the 5wgt migt be a little to light as there are also extremely large northerns in the same areas that I normally fish and I'm not sure just how big a fish the 5wgt can handle. I've had a good instructor and guys from on line here that have helped me select the proper gear to use. I found out the hard way to make sure you have the proper equipment when I come up there, so I I take what you all tell and recomend for me to do seriously. It proved to be a winner last time so I will go with what you tell me this time. I will report back on how I do this trip again. I have some good knowladge but no experience. I'm in that stage of fly fishing now and I'm hooked on it. LOL

As some of you say: I've turnned to the DARK SIDE!

[LostFisherman]

One last question here. has anyone ever used a clevis for putting on and changing flies fast? It ties to your leader and you can just slide a flie on and off. I have them in a couple of sizes but have never used them yet. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks

LostFisherman

[uberfish]

You can get clips for quick fly changes that are designed for fly fishing. I got some from LeBaron and GreenDrake. I use them mainly when trolling flies.
Trolling big streamers like Decievers or big-deer-hair-head flies (in 2-4-6 hook sizes) has produced my biggest smallies in the rideau, particularly around Murphy's Point Park. If you have a boat, I'd try trolling around the points and bays, teh fly runs shallow and the boil they make when they hit it, whoo adrenaline rush. I've used both a 5 and 9 wt trolling, like the 9 wt better for this style of fishing.

[Todd B.]

I personally don't like to use snaps, though I do add them to my pike leaders rather than try to tie the wire bite guards directly to the fly. If you're going to use them I would suggest using cross-lock snaps without the swivel. You can usually get by with the small ones as they typically have a breaking strength greater than the breaking strength of the leader you're using.

[beachburger]

You can get clips for quick fly changes that are designed for fly fishing. I got some from LeBaron and GreenDrake.

Are these the Mustad Snap Hooks? As Todd mentioned, I would prefer a crosslok snap but I haven't been able to find them in any of the stores here.

[ganman]

I'm a bit opinionated but I'd forget about the sinking stuff and go topwater. Smallmouth now are shallow. On Charleston where I fish the smallmouth will come up 20 feet or more for a topwater bait. Fishing sink tip lines and weighted flies takes out all the enjoyment of fly fishing. If you have to resort to that then spinning gear is more fun. You can get down 3 feet with a Clouser on a floating line. If a bass is in 20 feet of water what do you think he see's first - a popper going glug glug on the surface or a streamlined Clouser zipping by 3 feet lower? I guarantee he see's the popper.

An 8 weight is perfect for fishing smallmouth in a lake. A 7 weight is acceptable too anything smaller just won't cut it in open water. In a lake you'll encounter smallmouth 2-5 lbs. You will not be overgunned. You need to be able to cast size 2 bass bugs. In a small shallow river a 5 or 6 weight is ok with smaller 1-2 lb bass and 6-8 size streamers.

As for a leader for topwater bass bug fishing. No need to get delicate you're not fishing 28 trico's. Get some Maxima or other stiffer type mono. Nail knot a 3 foot section of 25 lb test, then a 3 foot section of 15 lb test, followed by a 3 foot section of 10 lb test. The 3 foot lengths are approximate BTW. When your butt section (25 test) starts to shorten up then clip it back to 18" and leave a permanent attachment to attach another length of 25 test to. If your having trouble casting in the wind trim the middle section to 18" and the tippet section to 18".

Or you can go real simple and just use a 6 foot level section of 12 lb mono.

Always tie your topwater poppers with a Duncan loop.

[GrandRiverReaper]

Ganman,

You're totally right about the top water bite. Lately I've been slayin' em on top water baits. I'm thinking a nice dry fly or nymphing scheme just below the surface will kick much bass in the next month or so. On the same hand I've had great success with a black/purple streamer, that when stripped steadily about 4 inces below the surface, is deadly for big bass.

As for lostfisherman good luck, I'd like to know how much easier it would be to pull in a 5lb smallie on an 8wt fly outfit......btw I've heard stories of big fish (20lb carp, 10lb steelhead etc) being pulled in on 5wt rods. Now that would be fun!

best fishes and keep it reel,

GRR

[ganman]

Back in the 70's ultra light spinning gear was a big thing. Fighting a fish wasn't neccesarily any more fun and the tackle was a bear to use. I think a fish fights relative to resistance it feels. If a big bass feels little resistance then it basically swims around till it tires....not a good thing for the fish.

Back when short dainty fly rods were in vogue I bought a 6 ft 4 weight glass rod with a dinky little grip and sliding rings from Fran Betters. It was nice to look at but terrible for fishing the Ausable so I took it home and promptly caught a 5lb smallmouth on it. It was like fighting a fish on a hand line.

I did catch some sunnies and brook trout with it and it was fun for that. Casting it was something else though. On the back cast you threw the line off to the side to save snagging your face. After the forward stroke you threw yourselve into a fetal postion to save snagging the back of your head, ears etc..

[LostFisherman]

In about 8 hours I'll be headed back up to the Thunder Bay are from my home south of Chicago.Ill and be doing some serious smallie fishing with the fly rod. The Steelhead are running now along with the salmon so some of the locals are going to take me out for a try at that also. I want to thank you all for all the help and support you have given me getting ready for this trip. I've loaded up with the different flies you have mentioned and a good assorment of different dtyles of poppers to try. I even have a notebook with a lot of this information written down for reference while I'm out there. When I get back I'll post a full report on how I did and how I was catching them. Hopefully I'll get some pictures to show you all also. Once agin thanks for the help.

Bernie