And if you know anything about the great lakes, you know they hold great big smallmouth. The oldest age recorded is 26 years. See more ideas about smallmouth bass, fly tying, flying. Learning how to fish for smallmouth, whether river smallies or lake bronzebacks, is done by using both live bait, like live crawfish, live minnows, a hellgrammite or leech and artificial lures such as spinnerbaits, crankbaits, swimbaits and … When l… Largemouth, smallmouth, and spotted bass are the most popular game fish in North America. The largemouth bass is an olive-green to greenish gray fish, marked by a series of dark, sometimes black, blotches forming a jagged horizontal stripe along each flank. "Smallmouth Bass." Smallmouth bass spawn from early or mid-April (when the water temperature exceeds 60 F) and continues well into June or even July. Generally speaking, northern smallmouth bass live longer than their southern counterparts. You also agree to receive email updates on new posts and offers. I live 2 miles west of the shores of Lake Michigan. [8], In the United States, smallmouth bass were first introduced outside of their native range with the construction of the Erie Canal in 1825, extending the fish's range into central New York state. In the country, largemouth bass is often found in lakes, rivers, creeks, and dams. cooking smallmouth bass, See the story of how 23-year-old Brandon Palaniuk and his 21-year-old sister, Brianna Palaniuk, took the bass fishing world by storm. One of the things that fascinates anglers, young and old alike, is the age of the fish they are catching. Fingerling smallmouth bass at 2-1/2 inches long. 12 of the year’s best Canadian outdoor adventure photos. While, river water smallmouths that live in dark water tend be more torpedo-shaped and dark brown, the Lakeside smallmouth bass, living in sandy areas tends to be light yellow brown are more oval-shaped. The smallmouth bass record was set at Dale Hollow Lake in 1955 with a … One of the black basses, it is a popular game fish sought by anglers throughout the temperate zones of North America, and has been spread by stocking—as well as illegal introductions—to many cool-water tributaries and lakes in Canada and more so introduced in the United States. A smallmouth never submits without a terrific fight! The smallmouth bass is one of the most abundant fish in the USA but numbers have slightly declined in recent years owing to the all year round nature of bass fishing today. You can find smallmouth bass in waterways either above or below the Mason-Dixon Line. Enter Outdoor Canada’s 10th annual photo contest! Keep a tight line or it will throw your hook. Smallmouth weighing up to 11 pounds, 8 ounces have been taken from Canadian waters, and there are probably as many 5-pound-plus smallmouth caught in the North as in the South. This is do or die time for bass who need to store on a ton of fat before winter. “Smallies," on the other hand, are slightly smaller than largemouth bass (Oregon state record is a little under nine pounds), tend to hang out in schools, and prefer cooler, clearer water. Peak spawning activity is in May. The bottom structure varies also. [6] Adults also cannibalize young of other parents. Not necessarily. [15] Smallmouth bass are not usually taken for the table, but rather are caught and released by most anglers. Take the time to learn the differences and apply them to fishing. In fact, when I was the District Manager with Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) here in Kenora, our Lake of the Woods Fisheries Assessment folks regularly sampled and aged smallmouth bass in the 20 year old category. On some of the smaller rivers, you can go catch 50-100 smallmouth in a day, but a three pounder might be good one on those smaller systems. They have been seen eating tadpoles, fish, aquatic insects, and crayfish. The fish in Northern Ontario, on the other hand, has the same number of  preordained heart beats, but because of our cold winters, it spreads them out, and thus has the potential to live to the ripe old age of 20 or more years old. Web. Smallmouth bass have a pretty diverse diet year-round but when the rubber meets the road in early fall and bass start feeling those water temperatures drop, they focus on baitfish. Fishing for smallmouth bass is directly related to water temperatures and the time of year. Catch Gord Pyzer on Fish’n Canada Live with Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman. There's a bite. Many anglers catch smallmouth that weigh 0.9-1.8 kg (2-4 lbs) in Minnesota. During the mid-to-late 19th century, smallmouth were transplanted via the nation's rail system to lakes and rivers throughout the northern and western United States, as far as California. OUR DATA: We use the most recent data from these primary sources: AnAge, UMICH, Max Planck, PanTHERIA, Arkive, UKC, AKC. The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family (Centrarchidae) of the order Perciformes. Smallmouth Bass: As the Eagles swoop down and grab a few of our nice sized smallies, it can take 3 to 5 years for these prized fighters to grow to maturity. Bass do grow very quickly, so try to catch or buy a smaller one, close to 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) so you can enjoy watching it grow. For river fishing, spinning tackle or fly tackle has been the most popular angling tools for smallmouth in North America for many years. You will be sent an opt-in email to confirm that you would like to receive emails from us. See https://fishncanada.com/live/ for details. The maximum recorded size is approximately 27 inches and 12 pounds. They begin spawn in May and go to early June, often times it takes 60 to 70 degree water. How far do you live from a bass? Smallmouth bass live in many habitats ranging from cool waters of rivers and streams to deep reservoirs and crystal-clear natural lakes. Most top bass anglers rank the drop shot as the best all-around smallmouth bass presentation. Even for the larger smallmouth, it normally takes 10 days or more before any re-nesting is attempted. In recent years, a renewed emphasis on preserving water quality and riparian habitat in the nation's rivers and lakes, together with stricter management practices, eventually benefited smallmouth populations and has caused a resurgence in their popularity with anglers. Smallmouth weighing up to 11 pounds, 8 ounces have been taken from Canadian waters, and there are probably as many 5-pound-plus smallmouth caught in the North as in the South. When fishing in colder water, it is believed to be more effective to fish with smaller lures like hair jigs or small spinners. For maximum growth, a bass must have available and abundant forage of the right size for each stage of its life, said Gene Gilliland, Oklahoma’s assistant chief of fisheries. That elder statesman, by the way, remains the oldest smallmouth bass ever aged in Northwestern Ontario. Indeed, what I always find interesting about fish and fish ages is that in a general sense, the faster a fish grows and sexually matures, the shorter its lifespan usually is. In conventional fishing, smallmouth may be successfully caught on a wide range of natural and artificial baits or lures, including crankbaits, hair jigs, plastic jerkbaits, artificial worms, spinnerbaits, and all types of soft plastic lures, including curly tail grubs or tubes with lead head jigs. During the rest of the year, smallmouth are usually taken using soft plastic tubes or spinnerbaits. Very rarely it reaches 500 mm (20 in). By signing up for our newsletter, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. Lures that mimic baitfish, worms, crayfish, frogs, and mice are all effective. Many anglers catch smallmouth that weigh 0.9-1.8 kg (2-4 lbs) in Minnesota. [16], The current all-tackle world record for a smallmouth bass is 11 lb 15 oz, caught by David Hayes[17] in the Dale Hollow Reservoir, on the Kentucky/Tennessee border, in 1955.[18]. [8] The migration patterns of smallmouth have been tracked and it is not unusual for a smallmouth to travel 12 miles in a single day[8] in a stream, creek or river. The males tend to range around two pounds, while females can range from three to six pounds. Smallmouth will spawn anywhere from 1-foot of water out to 20-feet at a typical range of 5-10 feet. Living in Chicago, you might think my fishing options are limited, but fishing life in the big city isn’t that bad. Again, this time with head shaking, water splashing, an even higher.. The shores of Lake Michigan 20 inches long and a weight of 5 6! 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