One fun part about bass fishing in Eastern Ontario is that it can be a group activity. Bass fishing, or fishing in general, involves many steps that can be divided up and learned as a group; everything from using the right bait, navigating the boat, finding the right spots, and techniques to catch the fish are fun and engaging for the whole family. We’ve highlighted some starter tips that will make sure you will get the best experience from fishing on Loughborough Lake, one of Eastern Ontario’s finest fishing destinations.
Here are some tips to get the most out of your experience:
A Little about Bass Fishing
Both types of fish are strong fighters upon being brought to the surface, which means they pose interesting challenges for fishers on Ontario lakes. Smallmouth bass put up a greater fight than the largemouth counterparts, so keep that in mind. Both types of Bass fishing in Ontario lakes are catch-and-release fish, mainly because the larger specimens of both types are mostly breeding females (the females of the species are larger than the males,) and this is done in the interest of sustaining the populations.
Approaching the Cover
“Cover” refers to the weeds or general flora that all fish can be found in. Bass generally like to conceal themselves in this type of shelter, so one of the most popular tactics is to find the cover! The problem with that is that often times by the time your boat gets there, the fish are already aware and they become lock jawed. The clearer the water is, the better you can estimate where the cover will be, and the sooner you can do that, the sooner you can start casting from a distance. It’s not impossible to catch while close or above the cover, but have some fun experimenting with distances.
Casting the Line
It’s hard to see what your bait is doing even on the clearest waters, especially since bass are so close to the bottom and likely entrenched I some thick cover. A popular trick for this is to make sure your line has a lot of slack on it. A lot of people want to drag it around and give it all sorts of horizontal movement, but the best way to let the bait get in that cover and attract the fish is to let it fall gracefully.
Setting the Hook
Setting the hook essentially means getting the hook deeply inserted into the fish’s mouth. There are a lot of different tactics for this, and naturally they all vary depending on the hook you have and the type of fish you’re going after. Since we’re talking about bass fishing, the main rule is to wait until you feel the weight of the fish. Don’t start pulling up once you feel some nibbling or feel the fish getting interested. Wait until it gets heavy then pull up. This is the most exciting part of fishing, and the part every kid looks forward to.
Contact The Loughborough Inn today to find out more about what the area has to offer, and plan your next fishing trip in a place where nature plays the starring role.
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