“MAKE SURE YOU ZOOM IN TO HAVE A MORE DETAILED VIEW OF THESE URBAN FISHING SPOTS AND CLICK ON THE ICONS TO GET A DESCRIPTION”

Fishing is something you can do almost anywhere, as long as there is a body of water. As you can see by the map here I have listed 18 places that you can go out and fish at. They are all minutes away from any spot in Toronto and can offer you a great place to spend the day or just to get out for an evening after work. Many of the spots are located in parks where you can bring your family and friends, and have a picnic or just make a day out of it. These are some of the places that I have explored in the past, have seen on tv, or have researched through the Ministry of Natural Resources.

These places are perfect for the first time angler or for kids. They are so close by to almost anywhere in Toronto and you can take a quick drive, public transit, bike, or walk to most of them. I really suggest getting out to one of these areas after a stressful day at work, you will find that all your problems seem to go away and you can clear your head while fishing.

If you know of a good place to do some shore fishing around the Toronto area and would like to share it with me feel free to drop me a line at: fishingwithpiotr@gmail.com

 Take a quick glance at the places I have mapped here, you may recognize a fishing hole right in your own backyard that you never knew was there:

1. Rouge River Marsh

2. Frenchman’s Bay

3. Petticoat Creek

4. Bluffers Park

5. Ashbridge’s Bay

6. Tommy Thompson Park

7. Toronto Islands

8. Humber bay Park

9. Grenadier Pond

10. The Humber River

11. Colonel Samuel Smith Park

12. Norton Place Park

13. Professors lake

14. Milne Park

15. Stouffville Reservoir

16. Mountjoy Pond Park

17. G. Ross Lord Park

18. Wilcox Lake

Two Boat Launches:

1. Frenchman’s Bay

2. Bluffers Park

Sport Fishing License: The basic difference between the sport and the conservation license is in the amount of fish you can keep. As I mentioned in previous articles I am more of a catch and release angler, but will keep the occasional fish for a shore lunch. If you plan on eating a lot of the fish you catch then the sport license is for you. The amount of fish you can keep on this license differs based on what region of Ontario you are fishing. Be sure to check the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) website to see what you can keep, how many you can keep, and at what times during the year you can fish for a specific species. The Sport Fishing License is available in three basic ways:

1. You can purchase the Outdoors Cars with a three year Sport Fishing License tag

2. You can purchase the Outdoors Cars with a one year Sport Fishing License tag

3. If you have an Outdoors Card, that is not expired, you can simply get a Sport Fishing License tag for that year

The Outdoors Card is just a general card that is used for both fishing and hunting licenses, hence its generic name. This way the MNR saves on costs for producing the cards. On the back of the card are divided rows where upon purchase of your tag (the license for the year) the salesman/woman will put a sticker in one of these rows, or if you purchase a brand new outdoors card you will be mailed it and will have an imprinted tag on the back. If you purchase a brand new Outdoors Card it is usually valid for three years and all you have to do is get a new tag each year. You can get these renewal stickers at most Canadian Tires, Bass Pro Shops, online at the MNR site, and at many of the smaller bait and tackle shops.

The prices for the three basic Sport Fishing Licences differ and change from year to year so check the MNR site for details. License are not too expensive and are a small price to pay just in case an officer from the MNR checks to see if you have one. If you are caught without a license the fines can be quite large, they can even keep your car or boat until you pay the fine which can go as high as $5000. So be sure to get a license and play it smart.

The Outdoors Card is issued provincially so be sure to get the proper license for where you plan on doing most of your fishing.

Conservation License: As I mentioned the only real difference between the Conservation and the Sport Licenses is in the amount of fish you can keep. Again, check the MNR site for regulations on this. Just like the Sport License, the Conservation license is available in the exact same way but is a little cheaper. The three ways are:

1. You can purchase the Outdoors Cars with a three year Conservation Fishing License tag

2. You can purchase the Outdoors Cars with a one year Conservation Fishing License tag

3. If you have an Outdoors Card, that is not expired, you can simply get a Conservation Fishing License tag for that year

If you are not an avid angler then you can even purchase a license just for one day. The price also varies from year to year but it may be a good idea if you are thinking about getting into fishing or can only get out one day a year.

If you have guests from out of the country and plan on taking them around Ontario to see the beautiful sites here and to show them some of the best fishing in the world, then they too need a licence. These are temporary licences and can be good for up to a week. You can purchase these from anywhere where you can get your license tags or Outdoors Card.

The Outdoors Card does not require any special id and can be easily purchased. All you have to do is give your name, address (so they can send it to you), your height in centimetres, and your eye colour.

BE SURE TO KEEP YOUR LICENSE ON YOU AT ALL TIMES WHILE YOU ARE FISHING!!!!!!!

Even if you are fishing at the end of your dock at your own cottage and have the license inside the cottage then an officer from the MNR can give you fine for not having the license on your person. If you just purchased your license and have not been mailed you official card, then you must make sure that you have the piece of paper proving that you have purchased your card. This must be on you at all times as well.

If you’re heading out for a day of fishing be smart and get your license. The officers may check your license only once in your lifetime, but this will save you a ton of hassles and a ton of money in fines.

Outdoor Card

The other method of trolling is to use a trolling motor. Now this method is not “really” considered trolling but it also allows you to cover a lot of water and get into some tight places where fish may be hiding. A trolling motor is an electric motor that attaches either to the bow of your boat or the stern. You will see many professional bass anglers using their trolling motors once they find a place where the fish are biting. By using the trolling motor you can pull up your main engine so that it does not get snagged or damaged on anything and then you can simply manoeuvre your boat in and out of weed pockets or shallow areas, the places where the monsters like to hide. When using a trolling motor you will usually be casting your bait and retrieving it making it a quite different method from the traditional trolling method described previously. The electric trolling motor is also whisper quiet which does not spook the fish and allows you to creep in on them as if you were stalking your prey.

For the traditional trolling methods you can use a trolling plate or even a drift sock on your boat to slow down the speed at which you are travelling. When your main engine is on, even if you are going at a slow speed, your propeller will still create a tunnel of water behind your boat. By using a trolling plate you disperse this “noise” from your propeller and help maintain a calm water zone behind your boat which in turn will not spook the fish. Secondarily the trolling plate allows you to slow your boat down even more so that you can slow the presentation of your bait if the fish are proving to be a bit sluggish. A trolling plate simply attaches in and around your propeller and can be lowered quite easily when you desire to do some trolling or can be easily raised when you wish to get under way. They come in a variety of sizes and materials but it is best to get the largest trolling plate you can afford and one that is made out of metal, not plastic, as the plastic ones have been known to easily break off.

A drift sock can also be used when trolling but it is not as effective as trolling under the power of your main engine. A drift sock is quite simply a large cone shaped device with a hole at the thin end to allow water to pass through. A drift sock is lowered into the water and adds more friction while you are getting pushed around the lake by the wind. This too will allow you to slow down your bait or will allow you to spend more time over certain structure, such as a sunken island or drop off, where the fish will be hanging out.

As mentioned you can troll a large bait behind your boat in order to entice to big boys to bite. Traditionally when trolling you will use a large crank bait that can be either deep diving or shallow diving depending on the depth of the water column that you are fishing and the fish you are targeting or a large spinner bait such as a Musky Killer. You can also use a swim bait or even a spoon when targeting the large fish you can catch when trolling. You would never use a worm and bobber when trolling and jigging is also a bad idea. You can easily get snagged up if you were to troll with any of these methods and it wouldn’t prove to be a very effective way of catching monsters. I will go in greater depth about trolling methods and baits to use in later articles but for now this is just to give you an idea of what trolling is all about and what to use.

Check out some of the maps I have posted and target some of the trolling lines I have outlined. Try your hand at some trolling and don’t forget to get some large baits to target the large varieties of fish you can catch using this method.

Characteristics: Perch can also go by the name Yellow Perch, and for good reason. They have a dark back, almost black, and their sides are a yellowish greenish colour. Along their body they also have vertical black bands. They are related to walleyes yet they are a quite different fish. In some perch their bottom fins have a very distinctive orange colour. If you see any hint of orange on the fins it is a dead give-away that you have landed a perch. They are usually considered pan fish so they do not grow too big. They can range from 6-12 inches and will usually weigh in at a pound or less, with anything over 2 pounds being considered a real trophy perch.

How to handle: Even though they may be a close cousin of the walleye they do not have sharp jagged teeth like them. Like the largemouth bass or smallmouth bass you can easily place your fingers in its mouth to release your hook. When you do catch one they are usually easily handled by grabbing them in the palm of your hand and gently squeezing them so that they don’t jump out while you are freeing your tackle. Make sure that before you grab them you retract their dorsal fin so as to not jab yourself on it. One big tip is to make sure you have pliers standing by in order to remove your hook. These guys are notorious hook swallowers and if you are fishing with a hook and bobber you can expect them to inhale your bait.

Where to find them: These guys are an abundant species and can be found in almost all bodies of water in Ontario. They prefer to hang out on the edges of weeds, but fairly close to an open clear spot where they can quickly swim out and grab a snack then hide back into the weeds. Since they are usually small fish they tend to hide in places where they can make a quick get away from large predators. They can hang around in anywhere from just 1 or 2 feet of water up to 20-25 feet of water once the ice freezes the lake over.

How to catch them: Perch are a relatively easy fish to catch. They are active all day long and can be caught right from morning into the late evening. They are a perfect fish to go after if all you want to do is have some action all day long or want to introduce a child to fishing. The best and easiest way to catch them in simply with a hook and bobber combo. You can simply cast out your line on the end of a dock or from a shore to locate these little fighters. Look for an open spot amongst weeds and just wait for them to come out and go after your bait. Like other pan fish they provide hours of fun and will almost never stop biting. Like rock bass they are not easily spooked by man-made structures such as docks or in and around docked boats. You can also get lucky and catch them using a small spinner or spoon. Once of the best ways to catch them is to go ice fishing. When the summer is gone I can’t wait until the water freezes over and I can land a few of these guys through the ice. With ice fishing they are best caught using a minnow. Usually during this time they have also fattened up so catching them is a lot of fun. On a good day it is not uncommon to catch upwards of 20 of them in once ice fishing trip. Like walleye these guys also make for excellent eating. Usually you can keep a lot of them for eating but again, make sure you check your local regulations as to what size and amount you can keep.

Perch

Perch 2

Characteristics: A walleye is quite a unique fish. It can easily be distinguished amongst all the other fish species that I will discuss in my articles. The walleye is an olive goldish colour but, its colour can become darker or more pale depending on its environment and what it eats. This fish have sharp jagged teeth and many of them so you want to be careful when handling them. They will range in size from 10-33 inches when they are fully grown and can weigh up to as much as 7 pounds. A very distinguishing characteristic of theirs is their opaque eyes, almost cat-like.

How to handle: As I said, these guys have teeth!!! So be very careful when handling them, especially if this is the first time you catch one. They are meat eaters and they are not afraid to use their teeth to protect themselves. When you are attempting to get your hook/bait/lure out of its mouth be sure to use pliers so as not to hurt yourself. You can usually grab them under the belly to hold them so that you can get your equipment out.

Where to find them: Walleye are an elusive fish and are sought out by many anglers. You can usually find them in large bodies of water that are turbid (cloudy looking water with many particles in it). They can be found both in shallow and in deep waters, but unlike largemouth bass they do not really hang out in the weeds. You can find them on rocky or muddy bottom lakes just cruising around in schools waiting to pounce on their prey.

How to catch them: There are a variety of ways to catch walleye but the most proven and effective way is to use a plastic grub with a weighted jig head. Once you locate a good area where walleye could be hiding you can simply cast your jig out into the water and just pull your rod tip up and down in short little bursts to try to lure these guys to bite. Try to make your rod movement sporadic so as to make your bait seem more natural. Walleye have cat-like eyes so they are able to see very well in the dark or in low light areas. Some anglers go out specifically in the middle of the night to target these bad boys. By jigging close to the bottom you can easily fool walleye into thinking that this is a leech or injured fish, a perfect little meal for them. The beauty of walleye is that once you land one you are likely to find others nearby as they tend to school together.  You can also get lucky with walleye by trolling a spoon at a low speed in deeper waters. These guys are like the panther of the underwater world and will stock their prey down. Jigs and trolling are definitely the most effective methods to land these guys but you can also use crank baits, usually deep diving ones, or even spinner-baits. Try fishing them when the water becomes a bit choppy as this breaks up the natural light that penetrates the water and fools walleyes into biting your bait. Walleye are a fish that can be fished both in summer and even in winter, so there is no excuse to try to get out there and catch some, plus they make for the best shore lunch you will ever have, just be sure to check your regulations on the size and amount you can keep.

Walleye

Walleye 2

A spinner-bait has 5 basic parts to it. Number one is the head. The head is basically a painted lead weight which allows the bait to be cast and allows it to sink once it hits the water. The heads come in different weights from ½ oz. to 1 oz. They are usually all shaped very similarly and resemble the head of a minnow. The second part to a spinner-bait is the skirt. The skirts in spinner-baits come in all sorts of colours, from chartreuse to white, yellow, pink, purple, basically all the colours of the rainbow and even sometimes they come in mixed colours. However, one suggestion that has proven to give you more strikes with this bait is to get one that has a few of the strands from the skirt in a red colour. The red colour has been proven to catch more fish as it resembles blood, tricking the fishing into thinking that this fish is already quite injured. You will see these red strands on the pictures below. The third part to a spinner-bait is the hook. The hooks in spinner-baits can range in size from a 1/0 size to even as large as a 5/0 size. I will cover hook sizes in another article. Because of the skirt, the bait becomes almost entirely weed-less, making it ideal for casting it into weedy spots to find the big boys. Now for the fourth part, what is called the wire-arm or the safety-pin. This is a small piece of very stiff metal wire that comes out of the head and bends out over the body of the bait. This wire-arm or safety-pin is what attaches the blades to the bait and is also used to attach your line to the bait so that you can actually fish this thing. The fifth and last part of the bait is the blade to which this bait owes its name. A spinner-bait can come with one or two blades and they are usually available in two shapes. As mentioned before it can be either tear drop shaped or oval shaped.

Spinner-bait - diagram

The blades are what attract the fish to the bait but the skirt is really what the fish goes after, this is what the fish thinks is its food. The blades play a crucial role in making the fish aware that there is something in its neighbourhood that may be worth eating. Like the skirt the blades also come in different colours. However, the two most popular colours are gold and silver. Gold blades are excellent in murky water while silver blades are great in clear water. Some spinner-baits come with two blades and often times these can be purchased with one gold blade and one silver. Try getting one with both blade colours as it will prove to be more versatile.

Skirt colours are as varied as the rainbow. Depending on the type of water you are fishing, the colour of it, the depth, whether it is weedy or not etc. you will have to change colours. It is a good idea to have at least 2 to 3 different skirt colours so that you can interchange them if one colour is proving ineffective. But remember try to get spinner-baits that have a few strand of red on the skirt.

One tip to make your spinner-bait even more attractive to the fish is to add a tail on it. This gives the bait a larger profile and adds some more vibrations to it as it swims through the water. In the pictures below you will see that I have added some plastic tails on some of my spinner-baits to add scent to the bait and to play with the contrast in colours.

Spinner baits

 Fishing a spinner-bait is quite easy once you get the hang of it. Having a medium action rod with a sensitive tip is the best for these baits. The medium action rod will allow you to cast into the weeds without worrying that you will break anything while the sensitive tip will allow you to sense whether or not you are going over weeds or if a fish is attacking your bait. To actually fish this bait it is as simple as casting it out and retrieving it. Well, that is the very simple way to fish it but now here are some tricks to entice the fish to bite.

When you cast it out, a spinner-bait will begin to sink so if you start reeling it as soon as it hits the water it will stay within a foot of the surface. However, you can cast it out, wait for a few seconds, and let it sink to the bottom to try your luck at any drop offs that you may come across. While retrieving it you can pause it, jerk it, or just retrieve it at a steady pace to entice the fish to bite. Play around with these methods to find out what the fish are going after.

A spinner-bait is fantastic for covering a lot of water in a short period of time. It is also a great bait for fishing any weeds that you may come across. Because the skirt covers the hook, it makes this bait almost entirely weed less. You can really cast it into some heavy cover and pull it out with ease.

Spinner-baits are used to catch a variety of fish from smallmouth bass, walleye, the occasional musky or pike, but what these baits are known for is their ability to catch largemouth bass. As you know by now from reading other articles, largemouth bass love to hide in thick weeds, and this bait was made just for that. A few words of caution however. If you are a beginner angler this bait may prove to be a bit frustrating for you as it takes a little while to get used to it. Also you may lose some fish on this bait because of failed hook sets. Usually a fish will hook itself on this bait and then you can set the hook more firmly but sometimes you will feel a pull on the bait and try to set the hook too early. Fish have been known to go after the blades of this bait and since there are no hooks on the blades you will miss your fish. The best bet is to either wait until you really feel the fish on there to set you hook or if you feel a tap on your spinner-bait stop your retrieve and let the lure sink a bit, the fish will think that it has injured the bait some more and will usually come back to gobble it up. If all else fails cast it right back into the spot where you had the bite and see if you can entice the fish to take it again.

Do yourself a favour and go out there and get a few spinner-baits in different colours and different set ups, you won’t be disappointed.

“SCROLL OVER THE IMAGES ON THE MAP FOR TIPS AND LOCATIONS TO FISH”

Lake Scugog is a man-made lake and is probably the closest drive for anyone from Toronto. This lake is not a natural body of water. It was a purposely flooded in the late 19^th century by damming up the Scugog River and thanks to this we have a great lake for fishing.

Lake Scugog is extremely weedy. The weeds grow thick and abundant here making it a perfect environment for fish to live in. You may get hung up on the weeds while fishing but don’t let that deter you from throwing your bait right into the slop as this will prove quite productive. Make sure you have quite heavy line if you are going to be doing some casting so as not to lose your bait when you cast into the weed line, which is pretty much everywhere.  Personally I used a 17 pound mono-filament line on my bait-caster when fishing this lake and had no issues, while a few friends using 8 pound mono-filament lost their entire set up. I think when I return to this lake I will probably up the ante and throw on some 20 to 30 pound braided line so I can really get into the weeds with no worries.

Trolling Lake Scugog can prove to be productive and you will see a lot of anglers trolling along the lines in the above map. On the south-eastern portion of the lake there is a bit of a clearing which is usually packed with boats trying to snatch up a passing largemouth bass, musky, or walleye. My best tip is to find a quiet bay, make sure you cover as much water as possible, and you’ll land something.

The shore fishing spots outlined on the map are a great place to go if you don’t have a boat. Try exploring all the nooks of the lake and see if you can come up with any other shore fishing areas that I should add to the map. The shore fishing here is great too allowing you to get into some of the thick weeds as well where you can pull out pan fish all day and the occasional big one.

Fast Facts:

Area: 68 km²

Length: 15km

Width: 5km

Temperature: Can go as high as 25°C in the summer

Depth: 1.4 metres average depth. The western side of the lake is the deeper section but still only reaches about 3 metres

Close towns: Port Perry and Lindsay

Amenities: Port Perry and Lindsay offer a variety of coffee shops, fast food, gas stations,  and even some places where you can get fishing tackle should you get stuck in the weeds. Great Blue Heron Casino is located on Scugog Island and is easily accessible by car, so if your luck runs out on the water, try your hand at some cards.

“SCROLL OVER THE IMAGES ON THE MAP FOR TIPS AND LOCATIONS TO FISH”

Rice Lake is a fantastic lake to fish. It has proven to be a fish factory for many years and many anglers swear by the great walleye fishing that is offered here. For a lake that is quite close to Toronto, only about 1.5 hours away, this is truly a gem that can be fished over a weekend or even just a day trip.

Rice Lake is part of the Trent Severn Waterway making it accessible to a network of great fishing waterways. The lake is named for the wild rice that used to grow around it but it has all but disappeared now. Many people travel to Rice Lake specifically for its walleye fishing. In 2009, the night that the seasoned opened for walleye, I was shocked to be fishing side by side with many other anglers at my favorite shore fishing spot. It was 12am and you would of guessed that some major event was going on as there must have been 30 people fishing one spot.

Look around the map and see if you can catch some monsters in the areas outlined. Sure, this lake is known for walleye but there is an abundant amount of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, pan fish, and the occasional musky. There are lots of resorts long the lake that offer great lodgings for the night or weekend and often times you can rent a boat for a day if you wish to venture out and try your luck on the lake. However, this lake can get choppy at times so make sure you play it safe when boating.

The shore fishing spots outlined on the map are a great place to go if you don’t have a boat. Try exploring all the nooks of the lake and see if you can come up with any other shore fishing areas that I should add to the map. The shore fishing here is great too allowing you to get into some of the thick weeds as well where you can pull out pan fish all day and the occasional big one.

Fast Facts:

Area: roughly 150km²

Length: 32km

Width: 5km

Amenities: There are a few small towns that dot the island from Bewdley on the southern part of the lake to Gore’s Landing and Harwood as you move up the southern shore. These towns usually offer a small corner store, a gas station, and places where you can get bait. If coming from Toronto you can stop off at Port Hope or Cobourg for all your coffee and snack needs. If you are coming from the north, the city of Peterborough is only 20km north.

Characteristics: Rock Bass are close cousins to largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. Like their cousins they are also a brownish green color but they have rows of dark coloured spots. One of their most definitive features is their red eye. They resemble smallmouth bass but are usually quite smaller. They can range in size but are usually anywhere from 6-8inches in size and will usually weigh in under one pound.  

How to handle: Just like the largemouth bass and smallmouth bass they too have no teeth so you can feel quite safe with putting your fingers in its mouth to pull your hook out. Since they are small fish you can usually put your whole hand around them, making sure to push their fins down as your grab them so as to not puncture yourself. Once they are caught they will not put up much a fight and if they are firmly grasped in your hand you need not worry that they will flop around.

Where to find them: Rock bass are some of the most abundant species of fish in North America. They can be found in almost all lakes and slow moving rivers. They prefer to hand out in rock piles, hence their name, and can be found in anywhere from 1’ to 10’ of water. These fish are very abundant and do not seem to be spooked by manmade structures. They can be often found just off shore, in and around docks, bridges, and in weeds. I have even seen them underwater while swimming in some of my local lakes. They are active during early summer to late fall, but will provide the most action in the middle of the summer.

How to catch them: Many anglers consider rocky bass to be a pest. Since they are so abundant and do not make for great eating, when anglers catch them they usually quickly get them off the hook and throw them back into the water. However, if you have never fished before or are looking to take some kids out for a day of fishing, rocky bass are an excellent fish to catch. They are active all day and you do not need to cast out far to catch them. They do not fight too hard so a child can easily reel one in. They eat insects, leeches, worms, and other small fish, but if you wish to simply target rocky bass for fun, a worm and bobber combo are the best option for a full day of catching these little guys.  

Rock Bass

Characteristics: A smallmouth bass is a close cousin of the largemouth bass. However, unlike the largemouth bass, smallmouth bass are usually a little more brownish greenish in color and they have vertical bands along their sides not a large long black band like the largemouth bass. Again, like the largemouth bass they can range from a pale brownish green to a darker brownish green based on their environment and their food source. One of the best ways to differentiate a smallmouth vs. largemouth is that in a smallmouth the upper jaw will not extend beyond its eye, when its mouth is closed. They can range in size, but a fully grown smallmouth can be anywhere from 10-20 inches long from head to tail and can be 1-6 pounds.

How to handle: Smallmouth bass are a great fighting fish. For their size they are one of the most exciting fish to catch. When they hammer your bait during their feeding season you will know that you have a fighter on your line. As you reel them in they will usually come up to the surface and jump out of the water, making for a very exciting fight. In terms of actually handling them once you get them in the boat or to shore, the can be handled the exact same way as a largemouth bass. They too do not have sharp teeth so you can easily pull your bait/hooks out of their mouth without the need for pliers. Again, be mindful of their fins as they can jab you in the finger. When you do have them in your hand make sure you hold them securely as they will continue their fight even when they are out of the water.

Where to find them: Smallmouth bass may be a close cousin of the largemouth bass, but they live in different waters. They prefer to hang out in deeper waters, streams, and rivers. Usually a rocky or sandy bottom of a lake will yield these little fighters and even sometimes they will seek shelter in amongst the structure of fallen trees. They prefer very clear and clean waters so if you catch one it is usually a good indication that the water you are fishing is very clean. Just like the largemouth bass their season is usually early summer to late fall. Check your local regulations to find out when smallmouth bass season is open in your neck of the woods.

How to catch them: Since they are similar to largemouth bass they will go after similar food sources. However, as they tend to live in deeper water top water lures are not very effective for these guys. The best method to catch them is by using a crank bait, spinner bait, or tubes and jigs that you bounce in and around the bottom of a lake. In recent years many fishermen are using tubes as their go to bait in the Great Lakes region to catch monster smallmouth bass. The reason behind this is due to the invasive species of the goby. Fishermen will usually match a tube that is similar in color and size to a goby and will just jig that off the side of their boat to target the smallmouth bass. This is one instance where the introduction of the goby has seen the native species of the smallmouth boom. Gobies help clean up the water but in doing so they also ingest a lot of pollution and in turn when the smallmouth bass eat them they too ingest this pollution. So it is not necessarily a win win situation for us anglers, but do yourself a favor and definitely get out there and try to land one of these monsters.

Smallmouth Bass

Smallmouth Bass #2