Far north (Canada!) big swimbaits for bass

[smithy97]

Hey all, this year I'm taking the plunge into fishing big swimbaits for largemouth and smallmouth up here in Ontario Canada. A big bass up here is 5-7lbs, I've came so close to 5lb but just missed a few times. This year I want to target those bigger fish, so I've ordered up some baits. I'll be getting my parcel soon, and it contains: An s-waver 200 in rainbow trout, two 6.75'' 3:16 rising son weedless in hitch colour, and  two 6'' megabass magdrafts freestyle in perch. I have a s-waver 168 already in party crasher colour, and I have two 5.5'' evergreen es flat knock offs that a friend has custom painted for me.   

Baits like this aren't too popular up here yet, I hope to be throwing new baits the fish have never seen. 

I have a couple questions - for those that fish up north (Canada or USA), how big of a bait have you had success on? And, is there anyone up north whose "confidence bait" is a big one, rather than a senko or jerkbait for example? 

Thanks eh   

[LCG]

Never thrown swim baits before, but best of luck to you. Caught some 5lb smallies up north of sault ste marie, lake simcoe and on lake st Clair using larger brush hogs, larger beaver baits, and chatterbaits. Great time. Should be productive for you I would imagine. Post some pics when you get them. 

[webertime]

Those will get you your big fish.  Good choices.

[Bluebasser86]

That's a pretty solid starting line up. Only thing I'd add to it would be some kind of wake bait. I'm partial to the Slammer, but I understand with toothy bait thieves potentially in your waters, a bait that expensive might not be very appealing. In that case, I'd look at something like a Spro Rat 50 or Savage Gear 3D Snake. The 7.25" Savage Gear Shine Glide is another great bait that isn't expensive, my personal favorite glide bait.

[Way north bass guy]

I think a lot of it depends on what they’re feeding on. I’ve caught a few decent ones on some big baits while Muskie fishing, but the majority of my bass over 5lbs have come on smaller plastics or standard sized spinnerbaits, jerkbaits etc. Every lake is different and time of year will dictate what the bulk of the fish are eating, but it never hurts to try. 

[papajoe222]

I've used 8in. Basstrix fishing northern Wisc. with some success. I'll admit that I wasn't fishing for bass though. Beware of toothy critters as there is a good possibility that they'll be attracted to your new offerings.

[WRB]

Lake ST Clair has a population of big muskies that will strike big swimbaits, they are prime predator. LMB will be in or very near cover areas and the Smallmouth are more roamers on rocky areas. 

You are set on using swimbaits so set them up wire leaders and get MendIt for the soft swmbaits the toothy fish will shread them.

I would think frogs, punch rigs, jigs, big worms may be a better choice in your area to catch 5-7 lb bass.

Tom

[Dogface]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

I would think frogs, punch rigs, jigs, big worms may be a better choice in your area to catch 5-7 lb bass.

 

I agree with Tom. I fish Canada and the St Lawrence a lot. When pike fishing I use big baits. I frequently catch walleye on big swim baits and hard baits but seldom catch big bass even though I fish areas holding bass. 

[smithy97]

Thanks for the feedback guys. The lakes I'll be using these baits the most have a good musky population, but no pike as of yet. If a decent musky grabs my baits I have no issue with that. Its those small hammer handle pike that would drive me nuts, so thankfully there are none in the lakes I'm using these baits. I plan on running 65lb braid straight for the weedless presentations, since the big bass hold in some very heavy weedy shallow bays. For the glide baits I will tie on a 20lb mono leader. and fish the deeper weed edges. I may attach a short, thin gauge wire leader as well to prevent loosing a glide bait to a musky. 

These lakes get a ton of pressure from guys throwing traditional stuff, and I've done well with that but I want to try stepping up and seeing if it works out. If not, I know it will be easy to sell off the baits I've bought.

 

 

23 hours ago, WRB said:

Lake ST Clair has a population of big muskies that will strike big swimbaits, they are prime predator. LMB will be in or very near cover areas and the Smallmouth are more roamers on rocky areas. 

You are set on using swimbaits so set them up wire leaders and get MendIt for the soft swmbaits the toothy fish will shread them.

I would think frogs, punch rigs, jigs, big worms may be a better choice in your area to catch 5-7 lb bass.

Tom

Thanks Tom - I have some glue from 3:16 coming as well, I'll repair the baits as needed. I don't know of anyone up here throwing anything from 3:16. Excited to try these 6.75'' rising sons. 

On 5/14/2019 at 6:49 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

That's a pretty solid starting line up. Only thing I'd add to it would be some kind of wake bait. I'm partial to the Slammer, but I understand with toothy bait thieves potentially in your waters, a bait that expensive might not be very appealing. In that case, I'd look at something like a Spro Rat 50 or Savage Gear 3D Snake. The 7.25" Savage Gear Shine Glide is another great bait that isn't expensive, my personal favorite glide bait.

If the big baits work out for me, a wake bait will be a must. I've been thinking of the Spro Rat. Also thanks for the tip on the Shine Glide, looks solid.

[WRB]

Mickey biult his 3:16 business on the success of the Mission Fish, don't over it.

Tom

[Jleebesaw]

9 hours ago, smithy97 said:

Its those small hammer handle pike that would drive me nuts, so thankfully there are none in the lakes I'm using these baits.

I am very doubtful about this statement. If there are muskie and bass, then there are northerns too.

[Scott F]

2 hours ago, Jleebesaw said:

I am very doubtful about this statement. If there are muskie and bass, then there are northerns too.

I’m leaving for a vacation in Northern WI to a lake that is loaded with bass, smallmouth and largemouth. There are trophy sized muskies, but VERY few pike. So few, I don’t even use leaders on my expensive suspending jerkbaits.  

[Jleebesaw]

7 hours ago, Scott F said:

I’m leaving for a vacation in Northern WI to a lake that is loaded with bass, smallmouth and largemouth. There are trophy sized muskies, but VERY few pike. So few, I don’t even use leaders on my expensive suspending jerkbaits.  

Muskies will take a lure just as easily as a pike. I guess it's possible to have a lake with muskie and bass that doesnt have pike. I've just never seen one or heard of one until today.

[Tim K]

Smithy97 how did you make out last year with the bigger swim baits ? I'm going into maybe doing the same thing as yourself just wondering if it's worth pulling the trigger on deps 250 and others. 

[moguy1973]

On 5/14/2019 at 5:49 AM, Bluebasser86 said:

That's a pretty solid starting line up. Only thing I'd add to it would be some kind of wake bait. I'm partial to the Slammer, but I understand with toothy bait thieves potentially in your waters, a bait that expensive might not be very appealing. In that case, I'd look at something like a Spro Rat 50 or Savage Gear 3D Snake. The 7.25" Savage Gear Shine Glide is another great bait that isn't expensive, my personal favorite glide bait.

For wake baits I'm thinking a Cotton Cordell Red Fin would work great up there.

[Ogandrews]

I’m from southern Minnesota and fish 6-8 weekends a year way north 30 mins from the border on lake vermilion and I have had some good success with big baits. Biggest bass I’ve ever caught was on a 9” suick while Muskie fishing. Even caught a 4lbs largemouth on a pounder bulldawg which is about 16oz and like 18”. Almost all the big bass I’ve caught on big baits have been when I’m throwing big swimbaits for pike or musky. Lures I’ve had by far my best success with are a 5.8-6.8 keitech and a 6” mag draft freestyle. I would for sure add some of the big keitechs to your arsenal. I have had some success targeting bass with an s waver 168 but didn’t seem to be a bigger average than throwing a jig. It’s funny that you live in Canada and I live in the way southern part of Minnesota but we’re on the same parallel when it comes to how far north we are. When I’m fishing on lake vermilion(where my pb largemouth is from) it would be the equivalent to you fishing a lake about 300 miles north of lake simcoe. St Clair is 150 miles south from where I live in way south mn. Gives you an appreciation for how far north northern Minnesota actually is, and how long it takes to grow big bass up there. Hope you have some success with the big baits, I’m super jealous of the fisheries you have around there. I’d love to live within driving distance of the st Laurence or Ottawa River and the monsters that live in it. I still have world record class musky here in Minnesota but those two fisheries are absolutely incredible.

[Cdn Angler]

I've fished fairly clear rivers with SMB for musky using what are small swimbaits for musky: think smaller s waver or a savage gear perch. I've seen SMB bass follow them as a reaction, but then turn away and not strike. 

 

I like your chances with LMB better as they can eat bigger prey, but a 5 lb LMB here is a rarity.  I've only caught 1 in 4 years of fishing.

 

A local tournament series records every 5 lb bass caught and almost all of them are on the St.Lawrence river i.e. smallmouth. They are getting fat on gobies/crayfish mainly, not big prey.  Of about 500 bass over 5 lbs since the mid 90s it looks like 90% are SMB. So that's like a million hours of fishing and maybe 50 LMB > 5 lbs. I've only caught 1 > 5 in 4 years of fishing in LMB territory. 

 

TLDR: Most big bass here are SMB and they likely don't eat huge baits. LMB over 5 lbs are such a rarity that it'd be tough to target them IMO. 

[GreenPig]

The 200 is 3.5 ounces. Make sure you have enough rod or it'll hurt you and the rod.