Newbie Questions

[bigdawg74]

hey guys, so i am really new and have nobody around me that knows much so i am loaded with questions. i fish in a small lake near my house here in quebec canada and i know that smallmouth are there because i have gotten one, just one, i hit the lake every weekend at around 6 a.m till 10 and sometimes in the mid afternoon in my canoe. it is pretty hot now and it has been dry so the lake is getting pretty low in spots, i need any advice at all about tricks or what kinda lures or bait to use in mis hot summer, thank from a newbie that whants to learn.

[rockchalk06]

Beautiful country up there. My girl friend is from Windsor and we make it up there once or twice a year. Love it.

As for your question, I don't know the lake, but if you name it, maybe a fellow Canada member may know it and the hot spots.

But what type of cover does the lake have, what type of shore lines, how deep, how clear, how hard is it fished?

[bigdawg74]

the small lake is in cowansville quebec, it is small enuff that you cannot use a gas motar maybe a few miles across., it is not fished hard at all rarely more than 4 people on it at a time. because we are surounded by big lakes. it is surounded by trees and a few houses, not sure how deep, i know it has some pretty deep areas but it has allot of shalow areas as well. hope that helps

[Broke bass fisherman]

Telling us what kind of structure is in th lake will help a lot. Muddy bottom, rocky bottom, are there a lot of ledges, points etc. General rule is to mimic whatever the bass are feeding on.

Last time I was in Canada I had a lot of luck on a lake a lot like you are describing fishing cranks and buzz baits of course I was maybe 10 at the time and hadn't learned about soft plastics, jigs, or swim baits.

[roadwarrior]

Find the baitfish and smallmouth will be near by. The key is not the lure,

but the depth. If you find bait in <12' of water, the Fat Ika will be killer.

At any depth, Swarming Hornet/ LFT Live Magic Shad. Other suggestions are:

flutter spoons, Wiggle Warts, Bandits, DD22, Rage Tail Baby Craw and 3/8 oz

jig/ Rage Tail Craw.

[NoBassPro]

Well here's been my experience. If the fish are around shallow cover, in addition to the above mentioned baits, spinnerbaits or minnowbaits can be good year round. However, as mentioned, if the prey isn't there they won't be either. Assuming you are fishing a natural lake, the best offshore structure for me has been rocky structure of some kind. Points, submerged islands, etc. Without a map or electronics some of the locations can be hard to find. If there are navigational markers of some kind in the middle of the lake explore around those. I've had better luck with soft plastics for smallies, and would probably go with carolina rigged tubes or craws if I had to find structure the hard way.

[The Young Gun]

Best go to lures that will ALWAYS catch fish, Spinnerbait w/ trailor hook, wacky worm, and minnow looking jerkbaits. A fish will always bite one of those if presented right... If not sure where the fish are, try scent on everything because its one extra thing a fish will pickup on and locate your bait/lure.

[Crestliner2008]

You are new to the game and fishing from a canoe, probably without a sonar. Get yourself a bunch of 1/8 oz. plain ball head jigs and a variety of 3" curly tailed worms (Kalin's are great!). Get some white, chartreuse, smoke w/black flake, green pumpkin. Fish paralleling the drop off or weed line, trolling the jig behind your canoe as you paddle along. You will get get bit.