Swamp Girl

Cool rig, A-Jay! I'm shocked that you stand. Fry, I live in Eau Claire. That's sure a big bass in your profile pic. Did you catch that in Wisconsin? DarrenM, your kayak sounds great. I've seen a couple guys who use them in Ontario and they had them all tricked out.

I bought a 15.5 foot Mirrocraft last spring and figured I'd fish some prime smallmouth waters, like Sturgeon Bay in Lake Michigan and the upper Mississippi. I used it once and liked its speed and stability. Stepping onto its deck is like stepping onto the deck anchored to my house. Stepping into my canoe can be tricky and especially if it's a frosty morning and I'm stiffened by sleeping on granite. Nevertheless, I'm selling the big boat because I didn't like fishing that far from the water. I like being close to the fish and the water and most of all, I like that my canoe goes places no big boat can go. I also like how quiet my canoe is and that I don't have to fiddle with gasoline, launch ramps, a motor, and a battery. I fished from Old Town royalex canoes for years for their sturdiness, but as a concession to my 50s, I now fish from kevlar Bell boats. I have a solo and a tandem. Any others who prefer canoes? Of course, I have regrets with my choice of boats. I look at pics of your Lake Erie bass and understand it's unlikely I'll ever catch bass as big as you big water fishers catch, but lawdy, I sure do catch a lot of bass on those lovely, pristine lakes from my little boats.

Thanks, Ida. It's nice to cyber-meet other women who like to fish. I think it's odd that more women don't like to fish. Men don't have an advantage since strength isn't essential while fishing. I suspect it's just opportunity and exposure.

A few times on the Mississippi while fishing white bass, I've attracted dozens of boats. They literally circled my boat, watching me boat the white bass. I fish with 4-pound test and that really helps, while they were trolling, which typically doesn't help. So, I started those evenings with my own little bay and ended them as the hub of a slowing turning wheel. It didn't make me mad, but I'd rather they stayed away.

Good bios. You seem like nice folks. Thanks for creating and maintaining this website.

You guys catch some huge fish. I'm jealous! I fish in western Ontario and catch a half dozen bass over 19 inches each year, but rarely one over 20 inches and I've never caught one over 21 inches. In this thread, there are long fish and fat fish and lots of long AND fat fish. Very impressive!

I understand you're fishing a river, but they do school in the fall in lakes. I was fishing a lake in western Ontario in late September and I thought I perceived a pattern in the schooling, which was bass bunching 30 to 200 yards off the western ends of islands in rock fields. Then I found a bunch in a shallow bay over mud. Then I found another bunch off those bambooish reeds, so, in the end, I know nothing other than they are wherever they are.

Hi. I'm new to the website. I've been reading some threads and this seems a warm and friendly place. I fish for smallmouth and 98% of my fishing is in Canada. I fish out of a canoe because I'm greedy 'cause I want to fish lakes where I'm the only one and my canoe takes me to those places. I release all my smallmouth, but do eat some pike and walleye. I prefer surface fishing, but also fish with leeches, spinners, Senkos, and crankbaits. I know some numbers lakes where the smallmouth average 15.5 inches and hundred bass days per person are average. I also fish trophy lakes where I typically catch only 30 bass per day, but I'll boat a few five-pounders each week on those lakes. I like both quanity and quality and typically visit several lakes in a week. I camp on islands and rise well before the Sun. I also fish deep into dusk and generally nap, swim, cook, and do camp chores during the day. I'm looking forward to learning how others catch bass and maybe even fishing with one or two of you! P.S. - I'm not that crickety. It's just a goofy name.