Redboat Lake
Bass Paradise in the
Haliburtons
Just before pulling the white spinnerbait from the water, I spotted
a 'follower', a brute far bigger than any of the trophy bass we
dared imagine catching at this tiny bassin' paradise. Tauntingly,
with each lunge at the lure, I pulled the spinnerbait away from
that gaping maw. After all, who wants to lip a fifty pound snapping
turtle! We were after bass - smallmouths, largemouths, even medium-mouths
- the kind of fish that would establish unchallenged bragging rights
back at camp. And such bass, fish of truly trophy proportions, 5-pound
smallies and 7 pound-plus bucketmouths, were rumored to call Redboat
Lake sanctuary.
The temptation to title this article 'Redboat Bass Getaway' was
resisted because at Redboat Lake, the bass don't (get away). And,
having fished nearby Smudge Lake, another fly-in hot spot the previous
summer, we expected and enjoyed fine bass angling at Redcoat Lake
as well. Nothing other than exceptional fishing will get me to spend
valuable, limited summer vacation time at any location - period.
But here I was, bass tackle in tow, eagerly anticipating a great
3-day stay the Redboat Lake fly-in bass outpost camp. In a word,
the bass fishing in the Minden area (Victoria County, Digby Township)
is exceptional and especially so in the area's more remote, less
populated lakes. Oh yeah, I'm going back. For me, that in itself
is a ringing endorsement.
The Haliburton Highlands, commonly referred to as 'cottage country'
by thousands of summer vacationers, owe their popularity, at least
in part, to two obvious factors: their proximity to the populous
Metro Toronto area and the USA, and a myriad of pristine lakes which
dot the landscape throughout. More importantly, to bass anglers
anyway, these clean, clear lakes support healthy populations of
both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Still other Haliburton lakes
teem with trout (rainbows, speckles) and the hard-hitting, tackle-busting
Esox maskinonge, the musky. And while many such lakes are ringed
with cottages and are subjected to heavy fishing pressure, many
small lakes are virtually unfished. Only available, until recently,
to handy hikers/campers/canoeists, a few select lakes have now been
established under MNR supervision, as fly-in outpost camps. Such
sites, 'managed' and serviced by a single operator, offer consistent
and exciting angling opportunities to fishermen looking for solitude
and great fishing.
Redboat lake is a typical Haliburton Highlands lake - a small (1
mile long), clear, tannin-stained, warm water lake. With a gently
breaking, rocky shoreline, the lake supports moderate weed growth
in the shallower, soft-bottom areas and back bays. Mid-lake depths
range to 40 feet but typically average 20 feet. With little mid-male
structure, the shoreline structure/cover becomes the focus for bass
fishing. This is comprised of pad beds, fallen timber, blowdowns,
reeds, and cattails. Prime areas include the extreme ends of two
bays which are littered with deadfalls and logs. Small near-shore
weedbeds, while hard to locate, concentrated bass early and late
in the day. By far, however, the more or less continuous margin
of the lily pads which trace out long portions of the irregular
shoreline are thick enough to extend outward into deep enough water
that they always held bass, morning noon and night.
Although both bass species are plentiful, the largemouth bass were
more so, and of larger average size. Of course, we tend to fish
using techniques more conducive to catching the largemouth (e.g.
Flippin', wormin' topwater approaches) than smallmouth. According
to Barry Day, guests who prefer fishing live baits and deeper structures
points, bars, humps) catch more and proportionately bigger smallmouth
bass. Fish 'em anywhere, anyhow, because you're gonna catch bass
(some big ones, too).
Shoreline Approaches
Having suggested earlier that most of the fishing will be directed
toward shorelines and related structures, let's deal with bassin'
tactics which will allow you to fish the lake's margin thoroughly
and successfully. Redboat LakeÕs shoreline typically takes the form
of weed-lined stretches (pads), accumulated logs, fast-breaking
rocky bottoms, sheer rock faces and shallow, soft-bottomed back
bays rimmed with standing weeds ( reeds, cattails).
Far and away, the most consistent shoreline bassin' came from and
along the narrow margin of lily pads scattered about the lake's
perimeter, but especially the sections furthest from the camp. Largemouth
bass, in particular, were invariably holding in this cover or along
the weedline at its outer edge. Outside these pad beds, early and
late in the day, smallmouth bass were caught with regularity, especially
over soft-bottomed areas. Proven tactics to fish the pads include
'squirting' weedless, topwater plus (Heddon Moss Boss, Rebel Talkin'
Spoon, Strike King Grass frog, Mann Super Rat, Bagley Grass Rat,
Heddon Zara Mouse, Burke Frog Bait) right over and through the pads.
Irregular, 'pulsing' retrieves work best at channels, points, gaps
and the outside edge of the pad bed. Remember, resist the temptation
to set the hook at the swirl of a bass. Instead, wait until you
feel the weight/movement of the fish (or see movement of the line)
and then rear back, administering a crunching hookset. Once hooked
up, use the rod to pull the fish up and out of the weedcover. Now
keep him there and moving toward the boat. This hand-to-hand combat
is best accomplished with a 2-handed casting (poppin') rod and low-ratio
baitcasting reel combo.
The pads along Redboat's shoreline are sparse enough to allow sinking
baits to penetrate them easily. Baits presented beneath the canopy
of lily pads were greedily picked up by bass holding them there,
out of direct sunlight. One exciting way to engage these bass was
to cast sinking weedless spoons, usually tipped with an Uncle Josh
#11 pork frog, back into the pad bed, allowing the spoon to settle
a moment before beginning a lift-and-flutter retrieve right through
the pads. Good choices for this approach would include the Johnson
Silver Minnow, Mepps Timber Doodle, Northland Jaw Breaker, Timber
King, Rebel Arrowhead, Eppinger DardevleWeedless, Some folks, however,
just don't have any confidence in spoonin' for bass. They have this
notion that spoons won't catch bass - just pike. Not so. But, just
in case you'd rather penetrate the pads with another type of proven
lure, try weedless tube jigs, spider jigs and soft-plastic 'flippin'
jigs' (Stanley Jiglett, Mr. Twister Mean Dude, Do Sump'n, Poc'It
Hopper).
Probably the most thorough and effective means of fishing through
the pads is to pitch Texas-rigged, soft-plastic creatures (worms,
craws, salamanders, frogs, leeches, reapers) to waiting bass. Inching
these lifelike baits through cover will almost certainly entice
fish to pick up the bait. With today's softer textures, flavour
& scent impregnation, built in rattles and realistic forms, bass
just can't help themselves. Hold the line between thumb and forefinger
and watch the point at which the line enters the water. At the slightest
indication of a pickup, tighten up a bit and set the hook hard!
With zillions of great baits form which to choose, my personal favourites
still include the Mr. Twister Poc'It Phenom (worm), Hale's CrawWorm
(crawfish) and Berkley Power Lizard (salamander).
Having fished atop and under the lily pad canopy, subsequent efforts
should be directed to the zone just beyond the weed edge. At times,
some of the most active bass are ranging in open water, just outside
of good cover, feeding on baitfish or craws. Begin by fancasting
the area with deeper diving crankbaits, those which dig tot he bottom,
kick up sediment and attract the attention of feeding fish. Effective
plugs would include the Cotton Cordell Big O, Rapala Fat Rap, Rebel
Deep Wee Crawfish, Bomber Fat A and Luhr Jensen Speed Trap in natural,
crawfish or 'fire tiger' finishes. It seems that the short, fat
'alphabet' baits catch more largemouth bass than longer, thinner
lures which perform well as topwater, 'twitch' baits. Next, move
to medium-depth, rattling 'idiot' baits (Rapala Rattlin' Rap, Cotton
Cordell Ratt'l Spot) to check for bass suspended off the bottom.
Many times, fish will be near the top and, in such situations in
open water, a spinnerbait (Mepps Bass Killer, Strike King Pro 38,
Blue Fox Big Bass) tipped with a pork frog can be deadly efficient.
Of course, for some of the most exciting bassin' in shallow open
water, topwater baits can provide thrilling fishing and good catches
of active fish. Open water over weed flats or outside good cover
will often serve as foraging areas for feeding bass. When conditions
are favourable (calm water, overcast or cloudy skies, clear/stained
water, midmorning or evening), cast a favourite topwater bait and
enjoy the exhilaration of 'eyeball' bassin'. Watch the bait closely,
allow surface disturbances to dissipate, vary retrieves and be patient.
Dark-coloured lures seem to outperform lighter ones, but you'll
have to experiment with size and retrieve patterns. With so many
effective topwater baits, many bass fanatics like myself tend to
become topwater lure junkies Classic topwater baits include twitch/stick
baits (Hidden Sara Spook, plastic 'slugs'. Ozark Wood Dancer), prop
baits (Heddon Tiny Torpedo, Smithwick Devil's Horse, Cotton Cordell
Crazy Shad), chuggers/poppers (Arbogast Jitterbug & Hula Popper,
Heddon Crazy Crawler & Lucky 13, Rebel Pop-R), floater/divers (Rapala
Original Minnow, Cotton Cordell Red Fin, Storm Jr. ThunderStick).
Finally, a sometimes forgotten approach is the use of buzzbaits
for shallow water bass. However, there's more to buzzing than traditional
and well-known in-line prop-type buzzbaits. Try some of the other
equally effective topwater buzzers like Floyd's Buzzer, Arbogast
Sputterbuzz, Rebel Buzzin' Frog.
A second type of shoreline cover at Redboat Lake is fallen timber/blowdowns/logs.
In some parts of the lake, timber has accumulated into a dense network
which, as far as we could determine, always held some bass. Elsewhere,
along the rocky shorelines, fallen trees and brush extending into
deeper water create great holding areas for bass. Wherever we fished
in the wood, we caught bass, including the largest fish of our stay.
Having fished around this heavy cover with a spinnerbait or whatever,
there is no better way to penetrate the sanctuary of fallen timber
than with a flippin' jig of some type. When flippin', the right
tackle is a must. Use long, heavy-action rods, stout abrasion-resistant
lines. Powerful baitcasting reels (preferably with a line locking
system) and large, supple jigs. From the outset, let me assure readers
that a flippin' stick is not a necessity but rather a luxury. Most
versatile anglers will already own a 2-handed casting/trigger/poppin'
rod which will be just fine for flippin' tactics. Instead, invest
a few bucks in a good selection of flippin' baits and pork trailers
(Uncle Josh #14 Flippin' Frog or #34 Crawdad).
Two types of flippin' jigs are popular among experienced bass anglers
- rubber-skirted jigs (jig 'n' pigs) & soft-plastic-bodied jigs.
Most have either a wire, bristle or plastic Y-shaped weed guard
to render them weedless and snag free. The rubber skirted type (Blue
Fox Weed Sneak & Big Bass Willow Flip, Strike King Bootlegger) are
invariably tipped with a large pork trailer to add bulk, silhouette,
scent, texture/taste and to slow the rate of sinking. Popular colour
combinations include brown/orange and blue black. You just wonÕt
need many others.
The growing popularity of flipping for bass has also prompted
the development of a number of plastic baits/lures designed for
lighter gear (baitcasting, even spinning gear). For fishermen confident
with plastic worms, craws or lizards, flippin' plastic baits just
come natural. Some of the best include Mr. Twister's Mean Dude &
Do Sumpin', Stanley's Jiglett and the more generic 'spider' or 'bassit'
flippinÕ jogs which closely approximate the living-rubber-skirted
types. These jigs, too, typically have a standup jigged, weedguard,
skirt & trailer (both plastic). For guys flippin' to more forgiving
cover, smaller soft-plastic jigs (tubes, worms, craws, lizards,
Poc'It Hoppers, multi-tails) will also catch bass. Don't overlook
the possibility of using pork baits for flippin' - as trailers on
larger jigs or rigged/weighted on a weedless sproat hook/jig.
Open Water
Some of the approaches discussed above, in addition to being productive
along shorelines or in/near cover, are equally effective tactics
in open water bass angling situations - e.g. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits,
topwater plugs. Don't abandon these proven tactics in favour of
others just because you are fishing deeper or are more focussed
on smallmouth bass. However, when such approaches prove impractical
or unproductive, be prepared to switch tackle and tactics to stay
on fish.
Live-bait rigging is, perhaps, the most effective way to fish deeper
water/bass. Whether fish are inactive or have simply dropped back
through the course of the day, most will still readily gobble up
a live bait presented at their doorstep. Among the best baits (in
order of personal preference) are crabs, small leopard frogs, minnows,
leeches and worms. Commonly used rigs include snelled baitholder
hooks, leadhead jigs, slip-sinker/Lindy rigs and floaters/bobbers.
All can be effective, but I'd give the nod to slip-sinker rigs day
in and day out. Slip rigs will allow you to troll or drift over
shoals, flats, bars and points as you search for bass. Jigs enable
anglers to pinpoint presentations once fish are located and yet
still allow favoured casting tactics.
Over open water, locations become especially important because
there's no visible cover and presentations are far less precise.
Using a portable LCG like my X-40 or Ultra will make locating prime
structures considerably easier. On small lakes like Redboat, an
hour spent charting/mapping the bottom is a small price to pay for
great-water bassing later. Extending out from shorelines, look for
sunken timber (logs, stumps), tapering points, shoals and rock/rubble
areas. Further out, look for mid-lake humps/sunken islands, gravel
bars, island saddles and deep weedbeds(!). Once located, map or
mark with a floating buoy, prime spots, dropoffs or weedlines. Mid-lake
bass are the least-pressured fish in the system. They can be big
and very catchable.
Bass fanatics take note. The thrust of bass fishing over the next
couple of seasons will focus on locating and fishing deep-water
bass. This is virtually an untapped fishery. As close-to home lakes
are subjected to more angling pressure, bass will more and more
revert to less vulnerable locations - i.e. Deep water. Fishing deeper
breaklines, weedlines and bottom structures is the future of bass
fishing. This season, begin devoting a proportionate amount of time
and effort to deep-water bassin'. Adapt proven tactics and baits
to new situations. Experiment with less traditional bass fishing
approaches such as back-trolling slip rigs, vertical jigging flash
baits (Cicada, spoons), or drifting Carolina-rig plastic worms.
Success breeds confidence and confidence, success. What better
way to practice and perfect new tactics, enjoy success and breed
confidence than by fishing the continent's best bass lakes? Southern
Ontario bassin' is the best anywhere, especially on the many small
remote lakes of the Minden/Haliburton area. Enjoy the tranquility
and solitude of a near-north outpost, time with your bassin' buddies
and great fishing.
|