Bass fishing

[john1947]

Hi,

Last year I did better than in many years on small mouth . It takes awhile to find them but they are around.Last year I found them on dropoffs mostlyand caught many using gobies caught for bait.Any goby seemed to work as long it wasnt to large. Also I did use softahells and worms fished about 2 ft. off the bottom.

One thing I hardly ever caught a undersize small mouth ,most were over 14 inches and pretty healthy.

The big thing that gave me confidence was a report form a friendly local dive team that clued me in on the bass. They said they even saw some schools of small bass along with the bigger fish.They saw quite a few walleye also.

I also incorporated a camera along with a good garmin gps sounder.

Hope to be back at um this week

[BSmaster]

From DEC: http://it.stlawu.edu/~bart/Barthelmess/ ... vasion.pdf

excerpt: New York State prohibit the use of the round goby as bait and attempt to remind anglers of the proper way to dispose of their bait-bucket emissions.

John, not trying to rain on your parade. I understand and agree with the arguments on both sides. Just want to let you know that it you may need to dump them if you see the boat check coming.

I always fished spinners, soft plastics, and stick baits for Bronze backs in Lake O. St. Lawrence - Night crawlers, cray fish, spinners, soft plastics. Finger lakes - Cranks, soft plastics, and live Cray fish. Rivers - Stone Cats, stone rollers, red fins, topwater, and sticks.

Fish are still setting up for summer. In a couple weeks it should start getting exciting...

tight lines!

[Mortigan]

I grabbed a pack of Storm softbaits that look like 5" gobies. Thinking of trying them for both bass and bottom-bouncing for deep trout/salmon using a torpedo diver on one of our wire poles w fluoro leader.

[panfisher]

B4 the gobies, it was easy to drop down anything anywhere and bring up nice smallies in the Big O. Now in many areas the gobies get 2 the lures or bait before the smallies can. But, the smallies are still there and getting fatter than ever on the gobies. The bass have adjusted, but many fisherman haven't and I believe, mistakenly think cormorants or egg eating gobies or any # of other things have driven the smallies out. I DON'T THINK SO! Does everybody understand how remarkably bold smallies are, even along side there bigger largemouth cousins? Biggies will spook where smallies will come in and investigate.... Anyway, john1947, your diver buddies verify what really is happening down there (I like the 'eyes too). I hear of more being caught in the main lake lately, and have my own experience with the 'eyes as well. Look for more #s of those in the coming years along the south side of Big O. And bass fisherman have to change techniques to get the smallies- just kind of think of the gobies as weeds or snags and U might develop ways to regain consistency with catching them....they R still there.

[frm03064]

the best thing that seems to work for me is berkly GULP! alive twister tail minnows on a jighead...usually in bright colors. Though small spinners like Panther Martins and Bucktail jigs are always a safe bet as well. to me jigs are the ultimate in smallmouth bait.

[tbuckland21]

Drop shoting with berkley gulp on drop offs is the best

[Xxx]

My uncle and his buddy thinks Lake O' is the best lake they ever fished, and they live on the water, so they know what good and whats so,so for size and the amount they catch, all are released! don't dare hurt a smallie on their boat or you will be swimming back to shore, they are looking for that 7#er for a reproduction mount. They drop shot and wacky style fish a gold with sparkles and a paddle style tail rubber worm, I went along a few times, one time we were on the end of Galloo Island and found a limestone under water island, If we didn't catch 100 smallies we didn't catch one and all fish where 3# and up to a almost mounter fish, best day ever on lake O' First we fished rubber worm ran out, fished a paddle tail fish ran out, on on, till we were fishing a bright yellow bare jig head, then everything stopped, we just sat in the boat and just couldn't believe what just happened. Awsome experience!!!!!!   The smallies are out there I'm living proof of that.