When 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 crank-baits, spinner-baits 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 crank-bait was smacked hard and then again on my second and then it seemed like I couldn’t use it without getting strikes.

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 quickly 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 in case 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

Related articles

• Bass Fishing Tips : It’s A Bass’ World (stepbysteptips.com)
• Hot Lake George, New Brunswick Smallmouth Bass on the Fly (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

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 jigg 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 jigg.

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, jiggs 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 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.

BearPaws Fat Bear Grub $ 3.69
The Grub (12 per bag) is a very powerful bait in the world of bass fishing, or any type of fishing for that matter. The grubs outstanding natural action makes it one of the best baits in the water. Fish are attracted to grubs under all fishing conditions making it a sure bait throughout all seasons. The 3″ Bear Claw Grub is exceptional within it’s own right. This grub has a soft texture for a lifelike feel and action along with a special blend of seasonings and scents, just like all our other Bearpaws baits.

All Terrain Tackle Jim Moynagh Rock Jig – Undressed $ 2.49
We build the Rock Jig on a heavy, black-nickel, Mustad UltraPoint hook.

Visit LandBigFish.com

LandBigFish.com is the most complete fishing resource for anglers of North America. Thousands of articles and fishing spots to research. Unmatched tools for anglers. Rate trophy catches. Win prizes in any of their contests. A tackle store loaded with gear at discount prices. Plus so much more. Click here to check out what all the fuss is about.

Related articles

• Fall Smallmouth Bass Fishing in New Brunswick, Canada (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• July Fishing Lures for Smallmouth Bass (freshwaterfishing.suite101.com)
• Hot Lake George, New Brunswick Smallmouth Bass on the Fly (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Some of my sport fishing friends here in New Brunswick and I really enjoy fishing for smallmouth bass all season long, but the fall season is without a doubt the best time of year as this is the time of the year smallmouth start on that final feeding frenzy to fatten up for the lean winter months.

I will say that spring is my second most favourite time of the year but it’s largely due to the fact I’ve experienced quite enough winter by then.

What Makes Fall Such Good Fishing?

As fall approaches the water temperature in rivers and lakes begin to drop which causes the weed beds to die off slowly which in turn decreases the level of oxygen in the water.

The lower levels of oxygen in the water sends the bass looking for more oxygen rich water which usually means they will be stacked up around healthy weed beds. This makes it much easier to locate them if you focus on finding the remaining healthy patches of weeds.

Testing The Waters

The last time I was out Bass fishing in the fall there were four of us. I wanted to test the waters as they say so I didn’t tell my buddies that I was only going to fish green weeds.

At the end of the day we compared notes and I had hooked and landed 4 times as many fish as two of my buddies. The third guy did the same thing as I did and only fished spots that still had healthy weed beds.

Mmmm That Looks Tasty

It’s at this time Smallies tend to be less discriminating than they can be at other times of the year due to the fact winter is fast approaching and now is the time to put on some fat for the winter months. Smallies are inclined to chase almost any baits at this point in the season. I have observed them go way out of their way to reach a lure in the Fall.

I truly do take pleasure in casting in the lily pads for Smallmouth bass at any time but particularly throughout the Fall once patches of weeds which are producing oxygen begin the process of to die off. For the duration of those fall weeks I really watch the healthier weeds still making oxygen.

Smallmouth bass are cold blooded therefore as the temperature of the lake water lowers the Smallmouth will slow down as well so it’s necessary to slow your baits as well. You will find that you hook up with a lot more Smallmouth’s.

Related articles

• Hot Lake George, New Brunswick Smallmouth Bass on the Fly (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Smallmouth bass fishing here in New Brunswick is great fun but I am sure I would be having fun fishing smallies just about anywhere.

Bass fishing is always fun with my spinning gear but what I really enjoy is fly fishing for smallmouth bass. They are almost as much fun as Atlantic salmon but a whole lot easier to get the strike.

To make bass fishing even more exciting you have to try it from a float tube. My first fly fishing for bass trip was to Lake George New Brunswick on the hottest day of the year.

It was so hot the fish seemed to shut right down so we had to hunt for locations where the water temperature was cooler so I suggested we make the mile long trip to the other end of the lake.

My fishing buddy wanted no part of it, it was just too hot. Then I suggested we use the car to take our float tubes to the other end of the lake. He was down with that.

The other end of the lake has so much more rock, weeds and lily pads for the bass to get out of the direct sunlight.

My fishing buddy for the day was kinda dragging his butt. I admit it was hot and I wanted to find some shade for myself but I was more interested in seeing if I could get a smallmouth to strike.

I was a good 10 minutes away from Kerry. He was still puttering around the shoreline as if he was ready to go home. Then a huge bass hit my top water Deer Hair Mouse – Size 1/0 and I yelled FISH ON. That got my buddies attention and he immediately perked up and headed my way.

From that point on we had bass hitting all day long, none stop. I had found the perfect spot.

These smallmouth bass were not really monsters by any stretch of the imagination but they were big enough to spin us around in our float tubes.

I have to get Jamie to Lake George next year. We wanted to go this year but the pickerel here in New Brunswick kind of kept us busy all summer long.

This post brought to you by Markel Boat Insurance

To give yourself a better chance of catching more bass fish, learning some basic bass fishing techniques is recommended. One such technique involves selecting a dark coloured spoon, crankbait, or spinner when fishing in clear water for bass.

Light coloured bait will not be easily seen in clear water by bass, so your chances of catching any are not as great. Whereas dark coloured baits can be easily spotted and will be more attractive to bass, which of course gives you are greater opportunity for success.

Also, the temperature of the weather you are fishing in also plays a role. There are cold water bass fishing techniques when fishing during the winter months, and also summer bass fishing techniques for warmer temperatures.

Schools Of Bait Fish

Another simple bass fishing technique is that when you are on a large lake and looking for bass, you should first be on the lookout for schools of bait fish. If you find these schools, you can then rest assured that the bass will be lurking about somewhere close-by. The reason for this is that the predatory bass will always lurk close to their dinner and so you can use such a simple bass fishing technique to help you locate your bass.

Bass fish are selective and will be swimming at deeper depths, at least smallmouth will anyway. When looking for bass fish, you will do well to investigate deeper structures with your spinner and even spoons. The likelihood of getting good results will go up on a slow day.

Species

The type of species will play a role in the type of techniques you should employ. For instance, if you are fishing for striped bass, smallmouth, or largemouth you will to use certain techniques to have success catching each one.

For a smallmouth bass, an important technique is to is to be persistent in your efforts because they are more aggressive and unique than other types.

Meanwhile, skill is more emphasized when attempting to catch largemouth bass. This is in reference specifically to the retrieval process once the fish has taken the bait.

In regard to angling for striped bass, the bass fishing techniques are different. Since striped bass are larger, they will put a great deal of effort and force into escaping once they have taken the bait. Therefore, you will really have to use your strength in order to subdue striped bass.

The basic truth is that the bass fishing techniques used to catch largemouth and smallmouth bass is completely different from those used for striped bass. The striped bass is large, does not show any predictability of behaviour and will cover lot of water.

This means you will have to track them over long distances. Because they have these traits, in order to succeed in catching striped bass, you will have to use the fishing techniques that match their behaviour.

See Also: More striped bass fishing techniques

Related articles by Zemanta

• Learning The Joy of Bass Fishing (thejoyofflyfishing.com)
• Fly Fishing For Smallmouth Bass in New Brunswick (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

Bass fishing tips are great for any beginner as knowledge is power. Knowing a few details about the metabolism of a bass can make the difference between fishing and catching.

The temperature of the water you fish needs to be within a specific range to have your best days. I have gone when it’s a bit too early here and the water temperature was too low and it was as if there were no bass in the water at all.

A day or two later and the temperature of the water raised enough to make those bass extremely active. So pay attention to the water temperature and you will have better days.

A great bass fishing tip is, when the water is too cold for bass to be very active move to shallower water if possible, where the sun warms it up faster. It can be dyn-o-might fishing.

I have been fishing smallmouth bass here in New Brunswick and at the start of each new fishing season I head to the spots that warm up first and very seldom get skunked. Although last year I took a friend to spot I thought was going to be perfect but the water was considerably colder than any other year I have fished there in the spring.

Water temperatures for optimal smallmouth bass fishing conditions are between 10 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees Celsius. Get above 25 or below 10, approx, and they will tend to shut down, so find the water that is between these two values and you should be catching fish if they are there.

I say ‘if they are there’ because I was fishing a spot hoping for a few smallies and this little ole lady came up to me laughing at me and telling me that pond never had fish in it and then she walked away laughing. You never know until you try.

Fish tend to school or travel in groups of similar sized fish so you can use this as an indicator of whether you should choose to move on if all you are catching are small smallies. Although I have caught some big bass after a number of little guys were caught, so take this piece of advice any way you would like.

As a rule if I go too long with the same size fish I will move on.

After saying all this it still comes down to going with my gut because some days all the conditions seem right yet nothing is happening. That’s the time I start thinking about what they eat and find a location where their source of food is more plentiful.

That might mean to start checking out the little bays and coves where the wind may have forced the bait fish into.

Get the first few tips right and you should be having a good time smallmouth bass fishing.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Fly Fishing For Smallmouth Bass in New Brunswick (thejoyofflyfishing.com)

The colder it gets here in New Brunswick the more memories of fishing in Florida rush into my mind screaming to take me south. I just have to plan a Florida fishing trip for next winter. I just have to remember to get my passport this year as we no longer can use our license to get into the U.S. from Canada.

I went south with my brother a couple of times and did some off shore fishing. That was great fun but since then I have gotten kind of addicted to bass fishing, but I have never hooked a largemouth so that’ s what the goal is for my Florida fishing getaway for next year.

I think I will contact a few bass fishing in Florida web site owners and see if we can work out something so I can fish a few great largemouth spots andmaybe even a few places to stay that aren’t to expensive.

The more money I can save on accommodations the more I can spend on my fishing desires, err I mean fishing needs. I have simple needs really and just want to fish.

Seriously though the plan is to fish Florida for largemouth bass. I am even willing to camp to save money so that I would be able to go sooner. I say camping but one year my wife, son and I had planned to camp in Florida to save money but found that the hotel right next door to the camp ground was $5.00 cheaper and they had a complete kitchenette as well. So if that happens again I will not be camping.

Okay, that’s it for now, back to day dreaming about Florida and warmer weather.