priest bass

[SAMBOLIE]

Originally Posted by Headhunter

I will use bubble gum flukes for bass in any color water. Been fishing bubble gum color for a long time. The first ones we used we purchased at Hunt's sporting goods by the pound. I use to go through about 5 lbs a year.

Been going to Ontario fishing since about 1978. I have fished a bunch of waters including Essox lake, Mantiou river, Alonghill lake, dogfly lake, all of the lakes on the pipestone lake chain and more. My favorites are the upper end of Rainy Lake and the Manitou. God willing, I will go every year for the rest of my life. If you haven't been to Ontario, and especially if you like smallmouth, you should go.

I would not waste my time catching those smallmouth.

Seriously, I have friends who fished there annually a few years back. They told about having to hide the bait to keep fish out of the boat. They also talked about frying fresh caught fish for a shore lunch or dinner. Pissed me off cause I could not make the trip and had to listen to them rub it in.

Have you used other colors in those great fisheries to know if color really mattered? I realize there would be no good reason to use another color except out of curiosity.

[Reel Tune]

Wow, Rainey Lake in Ontario looks amazing. Definately a must do.

As far as Flukes my go to colors are Pearl, Baby Bass, and Arkansas Shiner. The brand and size I like best is Zoom Super Fluke Jr. Although I have many other colors and brands like Bubble Gum, but have never used them.

I enjoy using flukes the most in moving water, and I throw them on a baitcaster with a med heavy rod, unless I'm fishing for bigger stripers with mag flukes then it's a heavy action rod.

As far as fishing deep structure, good maps, or electronics is highly recommended, more is better. A Carolina rig is helpful, and a 1oz will get it down nicely, although a 1/2oz or 3/4 will work. I prefer big worms while Carolina rigging for deep bass. If I'm shallow I'm nose hooking or Texas rigging Flukes if I'm fishing Flukes. Usually it's slow rolling 3/4-1oz spinnerbaits, or deep cranks.

I'm not real confident in deep water fishing, but the more you try it the better you will get, and more you will learn.

Jeremy

[Headhunter]

never used a fluke in canada. last year we caught fish on spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, paca craws, fat free shads, long floating rapalas, bandits and my brother had a cotton cordell grapplin shad in crawfish he was wearin the smallies out with. we also caught many northern pike waking a spinner bait, the hit more like a commode flushing, but it is exciting.

no place like ontario. we averaged 50-60 smallmouth a day and the average smallmouth was just over 3-1/2 lbs.

we also do not fish for them and do not really know how but caught 8-10 walleye a day total. Rainy is polluted with walleye, the locals who fish for them and know how were averaging 100 a day. many 10 lb walleye in rainy.

everytime i have fished essox lake and manitou we have averaged over 100 smallmouth a day a piece but the average smallmouth is more like 1-1/2 to 2 lbs. there schools of 4 to 5 lb fish there though and when you find them it is incredible, catching 4 lb + smallies on every cast for a while is great.

it is NOT always like "fishing in a bathtub". the fish in ontario can be tough on occasion but we have always figured something out.

[Doc Marshall]

I've had much less luck working the bank than in years past. A Texas rigged worm with a bullet weight is my go-to on Priest, but it has only produced a handful this season.

Here's a video of a nice largemouth I caught on a Rat L Trap. The water is muddy and still pretty high, so I recommend making a lot of noise along the bottom:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwK_qFkDykM

This guy was sent from the heavens to end my losing streak...

[jad2t]

Tried the deep fishing today on Priest from the yak, no luck. It's just impossible without a graph so I know how deep the water is and if there are any fish around. Switched back to beating the banks with a texas rigged worm and it produced as usual this time of year, caught a handful, just barely too small to keep unfortunately. Still had a blast though. I'm saving up Cabelas points to get a depthfinder for the kayak, then I'll put more effort into fishing for them deep.

[nomad60]

Originally Posted by jad2t

I'm saving up Cabelas points to get a depthfinder for the kayak, then I'll put more effort into fishing for them deep.

If you figure them out, let me know because summer time fishing is my nemesis. Once they move deep, I'm lost...

[Reel Tune]

You can pick up a relatively cheap depth finder battery and mount for under $150 total.

Jeremy

[Headhunter]

caught them good today. 14 feet, most on a rootbeer fat free shad. had one pushing 6 lbs and 8 others over 15".

[MattR]

Got out this weekend and tried to focus purely on advice from this thread since I'm in a pontoon with no trolling motor and I'm glad I did. Not a huge day in general, but 5 bass for me was a really good trip. I almost felt like I had things figured out.

Huge thanks for the info in here, especially from Headhunter.

[creekcrappie]

If I would go out sometime soon for bass on the bank on percy priest, or old hickory for that matter, where could I go to catch bass? I am not looking for size, I am looking for quanity or just catching a bass.

[Headhunter]

matt, if you truly figure it out, you will like it. I have sat on schools for as long as 3 hours and either caught a bass or hooked a bass on most every cast. It is fun.