Mar 12, 2018 find these smallmouth mother lodes, and you can literally catch 100 fish or more in a single day. My line is my second most important piece of gear behind my boat. If you arent fishing the right places at the right time, then your early season bass fishing could be a struggle. Dropshotting early season smallies northern ontario travel. Early season smallmouth were about to get another snow storm in ct. Garrett paquette explains his three favorite baits for early season smallmouth fishing just as the ice melts off of northern lakes. No matter what you throw or where you throw it, just be prepared to set the hook, even when you think you are snagged on a rock or log. Early spring smallmouths smallmouth tipstricks youtube. I am getting one of them inflatable pontoon boat things and plan on hitting the river once season is open. Early season smallmouth fishing with spence petros. As we prepare ourselves for may opener, i offer some basic and overlooked guidelines for making your early season of northwoods bass fishing more productive, prosperous, and enjoyable. Apr 17, 2018 the double tail jig sold by the table rock bait company is maybe the best soft plastic lure for early season smallmouth bass available.
As the season progresses from october into november, its important to bring a dry bag with a towel and an extra change of clothes for safety precautions due to cooler water and air temperatures. While fishing on lake erie early last season, the water temperatures were getting warmer and naturally i started looking for migrating smallmouth out in deep water. Plenty of big postspawn female walleyesas well as pre and postspawn smallmouthsfavor shallow water this time of year, making it one of the most productive and enjoyable times of year on the water. I know once the water warms that topwater will probably be the way to go, but i dou. Early season smallmouth bass by jason mitchell smallmouth bass are one of my favorite fish to target. Five tactics for early season smallmouth the ultimate. Here are the best tips, baits, and tackle for catching big spring bass. Feb 09, 2018 these are our top 5 lures choices for spring bass fishing. Wisconsinmichigan boundary waters smallmouth bass harvest. If it shows an upward trend, even a degree or two for a few days, then its time to fish.
Those anglers aching to get on the water during this phase need to pay attention to the water temperature. Every year anglers get excited at the prospect of early spring bass fishing again. Michigan bass guide chris noffsinger tempts smallmouth early each spring using suspending jerkbaits and a twitch technique that has netted him bronze from waters across the midwest. Smallmouth bass were once considered just a northern relative of the black bass family.
Three tricks to catch earlyseason smallmouth bass field. Bass spawn in late may and early june, soon after the season opens the third saturday in may. For more information on early season smallmouth fishing, visit shawn hash and tangent outfitters website at. This should give you a look at a common technique for catching late season smallmouth in canada. Five tactics for early season smallmouth from ice out until post spawn these five techniques are deadly on smallmouths. I love bass fishing, so when invited to return and float an undammed, wild river, specifically targeting them, i agreed. We still have a couple of cancellations for treelined lake available. The stubborn digging below the boat and airborne acrobatics simply make these fish so much fun to target and catch. My favorite alltime plastic for early season smallmouths in shallow water would have to be a flukestyle plastic. Not all wisconsin waters follow the fishing season dates for a species for general inland waters or boundary and outlying waters. After two days of fishing for walleyes and pike during a.
Also on this day an early bass harvest season begins north and east of u. At the same time, the earliest months of spring can be the best time to catch lots of big smallmouth bass. The double tail jig sold by the table rock bait company is maybe the best soft plastic lure for early season smallmouth bass available. Coldfronts during the early part of the season will effect smallmouth bass more than later in the year. One key to fishing tubes in the shallows is the hook eye angle. It was early spring, a season when various hungers stir, my favorite season to fish.
How to catch iceout smallmouth bass in early spring. As iceout arrives, here are six spring bass fishing tips to help you catch more smallmouth and largemouth bass early in the season. If you live in a northern climate youve been icebound for months. Nov 26, 2017 for example, i want to know if theres a warm front or cold front on the way in or out. Fish soft plastics for early season smallmouth bass anglers. Prespawn largemouth and smallmouth will often stage in rocky slopes or flats in relatively deep water 2030 feet. Garrett paquettes three favorite early season smallmouth. Tube trick smallmouth bass fishingheadquarters online. Smallmouth bass live in many habitats ranging from cool waters of rivers and streams to deep reservoirs and crystalclear natural lakes. Water temperatures edged into the 60s, and the fish were feeding, as everything edible began to movecrayfish molting, fry escaping shrinking marginal pools. This season usually begins after the first warming trend near the end of winter and lasts until the water temperature climbs into the mid 50s. Tube trick smallmouth bass fishingheadquarters online magazine. Wisconsin bass fishing guide my favorite earlyseason.
Itll be a full blown blizzard in far eastern mass, just a run of the mill storm here, but still a late winter dumping. Feider shares many of his favorite smallmouth bass baits and how to fish them for each stage of the season, early fall including seths goto tough bite bait poor boys erie darter, late fall including tightlining finesse swimbaits and jigging blade baits, winter including the rapala jiggin rap ice jig. Five best early season smallmouth bass flies murrays fly shop. Dates inclusive early inland trout catch and release january 4 5 a. Ill bet itll work on those living in the states, too. Smallmouth fishing tips, articles and videos everyday. Five tactics for early season smallmouth bass fishing resource. Early season ontario smallmouth bass fishing pickerel. Smallmouth bass fishing in ontario, canada andy myers lodge.
Large and smallmouth bass southern zone harvest may 2 to. How to catch iceout smallmouth bass in early spring field. Early season smallmouth bass fishing at our treelined lake. By mike gnatkowski bass guide gerry gostenik knows exactly when smallmouth are going to invade the shallows and be susceptible to suspending jerk baits. Five best early season smallmouth bass flies murrays fly. I begin checking conditions for the area ill be fishing as early as 15 days before a tournament. Here are the best tips, baits, and tackle for catching. Mar 30, 2019 as iceout arrives, here are six spring bass fishing tips to help you catch more smallmouth and largemouth bass early in the season. From the 1st saturday in may to the regular season opener of statewide black bass season on 3rd saturday in june, anglers may take one bass at a minimum of 20 inches per day in lake erie and its tributaries. Early season smallmouth with mike schultz midcurrent. It has a skirt in the front followed by a rigid body and ending with a double twist tail. Currently loaded videos are 1 through 15 of 60 total videos. On this weeks episode of larry smith outdoors we joined up with dj kirkpatrick and did some early spring smallmouth river fishing using a variety of tactics. Early season smallmouth at last the water temperature was right for smallmouths.
Early season ontario smallmouth bass fishing pickerel lake. For example, i want to know if theres a warm front or cold front on the way in or out. The spawn was mostly over and, it seemed, the spring flooding had subsided. They are concentrated in and near shallow spawning bays with a mix of sand, rubble rock, and weeds, and since they are in mating pairs or groups, you can often catch multiple big fish in a row. You hear that phrase a thousand times, but its especially important to keep in mind with early season smallmouth bass. This makes mid to late fall one of the best times of the year to target large smallmouth in our rivers and streams across virginia. The early season bite for walleyes and bass is hot on minnesotas lake mille lacs. Smallmouth will actively ambush smaller forage fish during this time of the year as they attempt to put on weight for the upcoming winter season. It became americas first national river on march 1, 1972. Once early season bass show signs of putting on the feedbag it is a good time to bring out the tubes. Smallmouth fishing is generally better in the early spring than largemouth fishing might be, since smallmouths tend to be more active in cold water. This bait is bulky and falls extremely slowly through the water column. Early season for big smallmouth bass union sportsmens. In using the seasonal guide, it helps to determine what type of lake youre fishing, because bass use different places in different types of lakes.
He begins fishing each season when he notes area water temps approaching the mid40s. Size is something you have to decide on when youre actually out fishing. Murrays heavy black hellgrammite size 4 shenks white streamer. Now smallmouth bass fishing is now an allamerican gamefish pursuit. In regions where early season bass fishing is allowed following ice out, many anglers find themselves at a standstill on where to fish and the techniques to fish with. The smallmouth were plentiful too, red eyes alight with lust and hunger. May 14, 2018 on this weeks episode of larry smith outdoors we joined up with dj kirkpatrick and did some early spring smallmouth river fishing using a variety of tactics. Find these smallmouth mother lodes, and you can literally catch 100 fish or more in a single day. Fish soft plastics for early season smallmouth bass. Winter is the time to dream of warm summer days spent drifting down midwestern rivers and watching the countrys largest smallmouth bass.
The inland smallmouth bass catchandrelease season opens in midmay on the same saturday as the walleye and northern pike season. Specific lake locations that conduct heat are instrumental in scoring early season bass fishing success. Early season for big smallmouth bass union sportsmens alliance. Smallmouth feed year round though in early season they can be a little slower due to the lower water tempatures. You can also drop shot flukes, particularly if you are fishing over deeper 10 to 15foot locations offshore.
Normally id use a jig with a 60degree eye if i were fishing in the grass. Early in the season, a cold, cloudy day will send these shallow water fish back to the depths than you will have to repeat the process to find them again. Much has been written and said about the fight of a smallmouth. While fishing in 20 40 feet, all i could find were optimistic anglers hoping for a deep water bite. Now that we have lost an hour of sleep and the days are getting longer, its time to get after some early spring smallmouth bass. For two weeks this is the only part of the state where you can keep bass. People miss a lot of fish during the spring, and fishing a visible fly when the conditions allow is one way to combat that. Apr 23, 2018 early season smallmouth bass fishing at our treelined lake. Seasonal habits of the smallmouth bass the ultimate bass. With 99% of my trophy smallmouth fisheries being located in the upper midwest and great lakes region, nearly all of my spring techniques have been honed, modified, and mastered to my specifications and angling. Angelo quickly concurred and gave pete his blessing, knowing just how awesome the area is for smallmouth bass, especially early in the season. Fall smallmouth bass fishing in virginia virginia dgif. Early spring, right after iceout, is the best time of the year to catch trophy smallmouth bass.
Based on this success i plan to rely strongly on these for my early season smallmouth bass fishing this year. You will get no argument from me that early spring to midsummer is prime time to chase smallies on the fly. In spring, smallmouth bass move up onto shallow rock and sand flats, initially to feed, and eventually to spawn. One of the things to remember is that fish are coldblooded and when water temps are cool, warmer water.
Anglers can enjoy an early bass season on lake erie to take advantage of the great fishing available for smallmouth bass during spring. Wisconsin bass fishing guide northwoods bass fishing. Largemouth bass northern zone harvest may 2 to march 7, 2021. These are our top 5 lures choices for spring bass fishing. Three tricks to catch early season smallmouth bass. The aggressive takes on a properly placed popper or that unmistakable swirl on a baitfish pattern followed by a deep rodbending fight, are only a few of the things that make summertime bass fishing what it is.
After two days of fishing for walleyes and pike during a spring warm trend, the water temperature finally hit the magic 55 mark in the shallow bay near camp. First saturday in may to the friday preceding third saturday in june. As springtime brings warming weather and water temperatures, abundant schools of prespawn bass invade the shallows to stage for spawn. From the first signs of spring all the way up to the spawn, these baits will produce. One of the things to remember is that fish are coldblooded and. Spring is going to be late here, even after the near 70 degree weather we just had. Jigandtwister rigs can be fished on deep, main lake flats, shallow bay flats in the 5 to 15foot range, or anywhere along the breaklines where smallmouths may be staging for the spawn. Its early springthat funky time of year when the smallmouth bite isnt dead but isnt exactly on fire either. Effective fly patterns wet flies are sure bet for early season panfish, this bright, resin bodied soft hackle is a great choice for fish holding in deeper water. Its only real use is either a stopover for sailboats in the protected harbour, or for smallmouth bass fishing. For more information on early season smallmouth fishing, visit shawn hash and tangent outfitters website at the union sportsmens alliance website is designed to provide valuable articles about hunting, fishing and conservation for members of aflcio affiliated labor unions and.
Theres a lot of things that make a fishing day good, or great, or. Mar 14, 2020 early in the season, a cold, cloudy day will send these shallow water fish back to the depths than you will have to repeat the process to find them again. Mar 24, 2016 coldfronts during the early part of the season will effect smallmouth bass more than later in the year. Its rare to have a weatherperfect spring fishing season. During the prespawn and spawning periods when the water is still chilly, success with brown bass has a lot to do with patience, being methodical in your presentation. At last the water temperature was right for smallmouths. Make time to get out this fall and take advantage of the prime fishing conditions for smallmouth across the state. Smallmouth bass are just built to provide joy and excitement. Bass guide gerry gostenik knows exactly when smallmouth are going to invade the shallows and be susceptible to suspending jerk baits. Smallmouth bass northern zone harvest june 20 to march 7, 2021.
Smallmouth bass spring location and lure preference youtube. The beauty of earlyspring bass fishing is that while bites may be fewer, youre a lot more likely to connect with true trophies in the form of. Another bait that catches early season smallmouth bass wherever they swim is the traditional leadheaded jig and twistertailed grub combo. Watch our mille lacs early spring smallmouth video here.
Lures that can be presented and suspended at midrange depths are the ticket to early spring success. With 99% of my trophy smallmouth fisheries being located in the upper midwest and great lakes region, nearly all of my spring techniques have been honed, modified, and mastered to my specifications and angling style and work on. Early inland trout catch and release january 4 5 a. Flukes can be fished slowly unweighted or fished faster like a jerk bait by simply rigging on a darter head. Best lures for early spring smallmouth bass a suspending jerkbait is a proven lure early season smallmouth bassespecially the bigger onesbut mueller mostly relies on. Five tactics for early season smallmouth the ultimate bass. Tuesday may 29th to saturday june 2nd or monday june 11th to saturday june 16th. On this weeks episode of larry smith outdoors we joined up with dj kirkpatrick and did some early spring smallmouth river fishing using a. Early season smallmouth on americas first national river. When it comes to locating and catching shallow water smallmouth bass from our natural lakes, cold weather that prevents warming water temperatures and stalls the early season movements and shallow water spawning of fish often bewilders anglers.