It's time to cover eliminating water —knowing where to fish and (just as importantly) where not to fish. Keep in mind that these segments are not ranked in any way. They are all essential to your success and reaching your goal of catching the biggest bass of your life.
If you're fishing waters of any size, you have a big decision to make every time you go out: Where do I fish today? If your fishery is more than just a few acres, you can't possibly cover it all even on the longest day. To maximize your chances for success, you have to narrow your options and commit to the best one, two or three so you can fish with confidence in the very best areas, using the best approach possible.
"Eliminating water is extremely important," says Mike Long. "Aspects of it are sometimes very simple, but other parts can be very complicated. The biggest part of eliminating water should happen even before you get to the lake —when you're doing your homework."
Small ponds can hold some mighty big bass. Perhaps you live close
to, or know someone who has, a bass pond. Catching bass in a pond is
not all that difficult once you learn a few tips and techniques for bass
pond fishing.
A bass is a bass no matter where it lives. Bass
have the same tendencies whether they live in a pond, lake, river, or
reservoir. Bass are attracted to cover like weeds, fallen trees, docks,
tires, brush piles, or even shade. If cover is scarce they will be
attracted to depth breaks and corners. Active bass will roam shallow
banks and hold near cover. Focus on areas with cover or in the corners
of the pond. If these areas aren't producing then cast your lures out to
the depth break and work your lures parallel to the breaks if you can.
There
are many effective lures for catching bass in a pond. Floating or
suspending minnow baits, plastic worms and jigs, topwaters, and
spinnerbaits are all great lures to use. Live bait like minnows or night
crawlers will also work well.
Small ponds provide a large
proportion of fishing opportunities in the United States. Bass are
commonly stocked in farm and neighborhood ponds ranging in size from one
to one hundred acres. Largemouth bass spawn well in ponds and the cover
options for the fish are generally limited which makes them easy to
locate. If fishing pressure is light, pond bass are often aggressive and
often times easier to catch then they are in lakes, rivers, or
reservoirs.
Fishing in a pond is a great way to learn how to bass
fish. Ponds are also great places to take kids fishing. So, if you are
trying to figure out if the pond you drive by everyday has bass in it or
your kids have been begging you to take them fishing, consider these
simple tips and get out there and go fishing.
Imagine planning a fly-in fishing trip for walleyes and northern pike
then discovering that not one, but two of this province's premiere
fishing lodges are situated on that very lake. Furthermore, indulge in
the fantasy that both of those full-services lodges have made a
commitment to providing your fishing party with a memorable, relaxing,
trouble-free angling vacation on a little-known, top-rated wilderness
lake. Yeah, right. Can't be, you say. Verify this data at Nagagami Lake.
Big
Nagagami Lake first drew my attention several years ago as we drove
north of White River on highway #631 toward Nagagamisis Provincial Park.
Considering its sheer size, relative isolation and proximity to
Hornepayne's many air services I thought it might have some potential
for fishing. But, it wasn't until March '90 at the Toronto Sportsmen's
Show that two very reputable fishing lodges - Nagagami Lodge and
Timberwolf Lodge - were associated with the lake.
Thereupon, like an
arrangement of dominoes, everything systematically fell into place and
before the show ended, an August booking was mine. And, in order to get a
broad view of Liddle's 2-lodge Nagagami Lake operation, the trip would
see us split our time and fishing between the two camps. Dave Sauve,
Ontario Fisherman field editor and a regular fishing sidekick, eagerly
agreed to accompany me on this rather unique angling adventure.
NAGAGAMI LAKE
Nagagami Lake, located approximately 15 air miles
northwest of Hornepayne, is a medium-sized, kidney-shaped lake
measuring 8 miles in length and 2 to 4 miles in width. The lake shows
three distinct areas - the eastern basin, a shallow (20 to 40 ft. ),
smooth-bottomed area; the western basin, a deeper (10 to 90 ft. ),
irregularly contoured area with islands, rocky shoreline, shoals; a
long, narrow, deep (10 to 70 ft. ) northerly arm. Unlike many large,
diverse lakes, Nagagami Lake has excellent angling in all three
regions:particularly for walleyes and northern pike (although there is a
healthy whitefish population and some perch in the lake).
The
lake is most unusual in that, in the large eastern basin, a very narrow
but productive weedline can be found far offshore where the lake bottom
falls from 8 to 12 feet. Because it is well out in the lake and not
continuous, finding it becomes on of the keys to the lake's great pike
fishing. More on that later!The water is stained from the ever present
tannins leaching into the lake from surrounding timber and soils. The
lake warms up early for this part of the North and because of its size,
can get very rough when the wind blows. There are few boating hazards in
the main lake, except along the rugged north-arm shoreline and amongst
the island clusters. Isolated hazards are marked by the lodge staff and
have been carefully pinpointed on a very detailed, hydro-contour map of
Nagagami Lake produced by the lodges for their guests. Key fishing areas
are highlighted.
Also accessible (via short, easy portages) are
two small lakes:Hiawatha and Pody. Both offer excellent walleye and pike
fishing. At Pody Lake, a catch & release lake, monster northerns
and bigger than average walleyes are caught regularly.
WALLEYES
With lots of water, diverse structural elements and
several incoming & outflowing major rivers, Nagagami is a walleye
factory. And, because several lodges and camps operate on the big lake, a
river mouth sanctuary policy is in effect on the Foch and Obakamiga
("Buck") Rivers until mid-June. Walleyes are found throughout the
lake:in current flows at river sites, along weedlines and in the larger
weedbeds, off islands and pointes over gravel bottoms, and on mid-lake
structures including several classic shoals, humps, sunken islands,
drop-offs and bars.
As suggested earlier, the spring walleye
fishery focuses on post-spawn (male) fish, near river outflows. It is
not unusual to see a pack of boats in a small area with all anglers
catching limits of walleyes and releasing many fish. Springtime is
minnow time and Nagagami is a "minnow lake" all season long. To protect
the lake, minnows are carefully collected and sorted before being flown
into the camps for fishing. Rigged on small snelled hooks, live-bait
rigs or tiny jigs, minnows are fished at the mouths of rivers where
deeper areas have been created by the current or along current
breaks/eddies. Other productive springtime/early summer walleye
locations include the island group out from Pody Creek, an area
designated "The Flats" and the upper portion of the out-flowing Nagagami
River (as far downstream as Moose Lake).
Summer walleyes are
widely scattered and predictable, low-light feeders. Three approaches
are commonly used by Nagagami & Timberwolf Lodge guests:stillfishing
minnows, backtrolling with live-bait rigs, and jigging. Standard,
forward trolling with wobbling plugs or body baits is almost unheard of
here.
For both experienced anglers and vacationing families with
kids at Nagagami Lodge, stillfishing minnows was a popular and effective
technique. Whether anglers positioned themselves out from a weedline or
weedbed, along a dropoff that fell to 20 or 30 foot depths or atop the
sunken islands and shoals, limits of great-eating walleyes in the 1 to 3
pound range were the rule-day after day. Best times included the early
morning hours, but the twilight times were tops.
Daytime fishing was
given over to pike. Dave and I took a lot of kidding about our fishing
off the dock at night with floats/bobbers. That's OK. Each night without
fail (about 10:30) we'd slip down to the camp dock and catch 3 or 4
good walleye for breakfast. By 1:00 or so we'd caught our fish and were
enjoying no-less-than-spectacular displays of shimmering Northern
Lights. Those evenings may have been the most enjoyable I spent all
summer; they certainly were unforgettable!Get a second opinion - ask
Dave!
Both Mike Bauer and Ron Dunn, managers of the two lodges,
effective fished walleyes the same way:back-trolling across mid-lake
shoals with live-bait rigs dressed with minnows. For this approach a
depthfinder/flasher/graph is a must for locating the structure and then
systematically working the bait rig up and down it until fish are
contacted. Favourite spots included a large, marked shoal northeast of
the Twin Islands, the "Banana Shoal" beyond that, and isolated humps in
the main-lake basin including one off Chuck's Point and another in the
midst of the lake's eastern basin. The latter spot is tough to locate.
Mike put us onto it in a driving rain one morning. S ure that he was
"testing our resolve and mettle", we dutifully backtrolled this spot in
the middle of nowhere. Bingo-several larger walleyes! Touche, Mike, but
couldn't it have waited?
Although live-bait fishing is the norm at Nagagami, jigging accounts
for excellent catches of "yellows". Location is the key to successful
jigging:over shoals/humps/sunken islands or along weedlines and
dropoffs. Any significant change in depth, bottom content or cover will
attract and hold walleyes, especially during feeding periods. For
Nagagami Lake walleyes, pink, white and yellow jigs in the 1/8 to 1/4
ounce sizes are recommended with pink getting the nod most times.
Tipped
with a small piece of worm or a lively minnow, jigs should be cast and
worked down ledges and humps, jigged in short hops off deeper bottoms or
cast and retrieved steadily over shallow (6 to 10 feet) bars. On our
sidetrip to Hiawatha Lake, drifting a jig & worm combo proved the
undoing of scores of walleyes. Our best catches (biggest fish) came off
the head of the Banana Shoal where we carefully located and marked a
"bite" out of an otherwise regular edge. Everytime we drifted to that
spot we picked up fish, including the three largest fish of our stay and
the largest caught at camp that week. A tiny "something special" spot.
Don't
overlook weedbeds and weedlines as good spots for walleyes. One party
at camp ceremoniously located, marked and fished a weedline at The
Meadows and consistently caught limits of better-than-average walleyes.
Fish were right in there, at the base of the weeds in the only cover in
that part of the lake. To get these fish, baits had to get right in,
amidst the stems and stalks; sometimes only to be grabbed first by
Nagagami's opportunistic pike. Hey, that's OK, too!
While at Nagagami, don't pass up the incredible shore lunch fish
fries put on at midweek by Nagagami Lodge and daily (weather permitting)
by Timberwolf Lodge staff at the Twin Islands. The great outdoors, good
friends and a hot shore lunch - "It doesn't get any better than this"!
NORTHERN PIKE
During
our stay at Nagagami, one thing became abundantly clear:pike fishing
was given high priority by visiting anglers, especially "repeaters" who
were not only familiar with the lake's pike hotspots, but also very much
aware of the potential for a mammoth northern pike-fish in the 20 to 30
pound range. In fact, while having dinner at Timberwolf Lodge one
evening, one of the "regulars" made a point of coming over to us and
showing us pictures of past catches of huge Nagagami pike. This was
prompted, no doubt, by her excitement over having just caught a
magnificent 44-inch, 20-plus pound pike at The Meadows, an extensive
weedy area off the Nagagami River outlet. Not an uncommon fish out of
Nagagami Lake; uncommon just about everywhere else.
Because pike,
like walleyes, are predatory fish, their seasonal movements and feeding
habits often parallel those of walleye. Very often, where walleyes are
caught, big pike are caught, even on the same baits. Resultantly,
Nagagami northerns are fished with live baits early and late in the
season and with artificial baits or lures through the warm-water months.
Come
spring, pike are the lake's first spawners and most aggressive fish.
Immediately after the spawn, pike will begin taking live-bait offerings
at typical springtime sites:weedy back bays and creek/river outflows.
Top spots at Nagagami Lake include the Pody Creek area and a channel
nearby appropriately dubbed "Pike Alley". Large live baitfish,
especially suckers, regularly produce the biggest pike in the early
season, although occasional monsters will be caught by walleye
fishermen, too.
Once the water warms, pike will scatter widely
throughout the lake-to weedbeds/weedlines, shoals, current flows and
deep-water basins - wherever their forage, oxygen and temperature
requirements are met. It is at this time that fish start chasing down
larger, faster-moving baits - e. g. spinners, spoons, bass spinnerbaits,
bucktails and jerkbaits. At Nagagami, this period puts fish in the
weeds and anglers looking for the lake's strange offshore weedlines.
Once found, these weedlines consistently produce lots of healthy
northerns:fish averaging 5 to 8 pounds. Both our hosts knew these
weedlines well and unerringly kept us near them and "on pike". Ron is a
diehard pike fanatic and spoke constantly of the lake's bigger
northerns:historic catches, fish hooked and lost, the season's best, the
lake's potential for a 50-inch, 30-pound gator!
The 44-inch fish mentioned earlier was caught on a bass spinnerbait,
yet we took our best pike on spoons and spinners. However, Ron insisted
that, if you were to fish strictly for a trophy, a jerkbait worked over
and near the weeds would be the most productive lure. To be sure, he had
a collection of these wooden freaks - baits in the 7 to 9-inch range
worked best.
Oh sure, he had a couple of "baseball bats" in there, too.
Proven choices at Nagagami Lake include Suicks, Teddy Baits, Reef Hawgs
and Hi-Fin Foolers. Casting and working these baits is hard work, so if
you troll try a Believer, Swimm Whizz, Magnum Rapala or huge, jointed
Kwikfish. Make sure that your equipment can handle this kind of tackle
and strain before experiencing a day of frustration or worse, losing the
fish of a lifetime.
As stated a moment ago, Dave and I
successfully pitched #4 or 5 Mepps Agilia Long/Giant Killer spinners and
large spoons (Daredevle, Five Diamonds) to the lake's weed-oriented
pike. By simply moving around the perimeter of the eastern basin,
fishing the intermittent weedline, we enjoyed fast-paced pike action
throughout the afternoon.
When fishing pike like this, please equip
yourself with proper tools for extracting deeply taken baites from
cavernous, toothy mouths - a "gag" to hold the fish's mouth open,
long-reach hookouts, pliers or cutters. The careful and quick removal of
hooks and immediate boatside resuscitation will insure a successful
release of fish not intended for the dinner table. Sensible catch and
release is an art form as much as it is a science.
Two other areas
deserve special recognition when it comes to Nagagami pike fishing:The
Meadows and Pike Alley. With current flows and plenty of weed cover,
these areas consistently produce lots of pike as well as trophy-status
fish. Bass spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, spinners, spoons and bucktails will
get plenty of attention from big, aggressive northerns. Hang on!
WHITEFISH
Although
many northern lakes have very healthy whitefish populations, they are
pretty much underfished. At Nagagami Lake during late August through
mid-September, whitefish action is outstanding and the lodges offer a
continuous smokehouse service to their clientele. Smoked whitefish makes
for great eating, keeps well and increases each angler's legal "keep".
With generous limits and regulated dip netting practices to supplement
angling, "whitefish-ing" should be added to the itinerary for
late-season guests at Nagagami and Timberwolf Lodges.
NAGAGAMI LODGE
Located
on the northern arm of Nagagami Lake, this 2-star housekeeping resort
features superb facilities:spacious, modern log cottages, generated
hydro, sturdy 19-foot Powassan cedar-strip boats, reliable OMC motors, a
central recreation lodge/meeting area with VCR/movies/TV and a pool
table, guide service, bait, fish-cleaning station, smokehouse, etc.
Cabins feature 2 or 3 bedrooms, bedding & liner service, modern
full-size appliances, wood-burning heaters, 3-piece bath (shower, flush
toilet, sink), running hot and cold water, electrical lighting, complete
kitchens.
Air Service to Nagagami Lake is provided by Horne-Air (Hornepayne, Ont.) via Beaver aircraft.
This article was written after a visit to Nagagami Lodge where I did some Northern Pike Fishing as well as fishing for Walleye and Whitefish.
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