Looking at the DNR LakeFinder , Snowbank is the only lake on this loop that contains Smallies. I'm absolutely shocked that this is true; can anyone attest to this? Is the DNR's information out of date? Some of those gill net dates are pretty old.

I'm not particularly familiar with Rock Bass, would someone please enlighten me about their similarities to Smallies?

And lake trout on Ima? Has anyone caught one? I was hoping to take a trip away from the border lakes because I never seem to be able to catch lake trout, and it's becoming an obsession for me.

Not sure exactly which lakes you're wondering about? But, it seems smallies are perpetually working their way into many non-native lakes. So, depending on your perspective, you may yet be in luck?

Just my personal observation - but, I've always thought rock bass look very similar to crappies. (at least shape wise) The ones I catch are usually full of tiny worms, so I never eat them.

Yes, there are lake trout in Ima.

I was wondering about the major lakes from Snowbank to Lake One, going through: Disappointment, Ahsub, Jitterbug, Adventure, Jordan, Ima, Hatchet, Thomas, Cacabic, Alice, Insula, Hudson, Four, Three, Two, One.

I have personally caught smallies on many of those lakes including Ahsub (which is suppose to be a brook trout lake) If they're biting, I don't think you'll have too much trouble getting smallies on that route.

They are at least up to Insula. Thomas-Fraser I don't know. Once introduced to part of the chain I wonder how they got above barriers etc.

Pretty much every lake on that route now supports populations of smallmouth bass.

I caught a few smallmouth on Insula last May. At almost every location we caught northern we would eventually catch a smallmouth.

I've caught smallies on Insula, especially where the Kawishiwi meets Insula. The "L" on the Kawishiwi is supposed to be great for smallies, and I caught plenty in the rapids where the Kawishiwi dumps into the north arm of Insula, as well as in some bays and around WIlliamson Island. I've also caught a decent number in Alice (which is quite the walleye fishery as well). Hudson and the numbered lakes all have good smallmouth fishing, especially at the rapids at the more eastern of the two 25 rod portages in a row between Hudson and Lake Four.

However, I base camped for 6 days on Thomas and caught exactly zero smallmouth here. I even spent some time targeting them on topwater and I spent plenty of time using leeches so I was surprised to not catch any. The fishing was slow while I was there (for our group anyways), so I wouldn't be surprised if the smallmouth population here is small to non existent. I didn't spend hardly any time fishing the small lakes between Snowbank and Thomas, but I've heard Disappointment can get pretty hot for smallies. There are quite a few fishing tags in the maps section here where people report catching smallies on Disappointment. Map#

Ima, Thomas and Fraser all have Lake Trout. I didn't have any luck late last June in this area trolling spoons and deep diving cranks, so make sure you're there earlier in the season.

Rock Bass are small fish (rarely exceed 10 inches) and are likely most known for stealing bait off your hook.

So if smallies are an invasive species, are they occupying an unexploited niche, or are they out-competing a native species, like the rock bass?

They are an aggressive fish that competes with ALL native species.

quote Backpacker85: "So if smallies are an invasive species, are they occupying an unexploited niche, or are they out-competing a native species, like the rock bass?"

I think a little of both. During certain times of the year they will compete directly for food with lake trout,walleye etc..
They also will eat like small lake trout. I think lake trout will be affected more than any other species.For part of the year these species do overlap in where they do live.
Look what they done to Minnesota's stream trout lakes,they have destroyed them from being good trout lakes completely. Also if conditions of continued warm and earlier summers remains this is beneficial to smallmouth and I believe these warm summers has been beneficial to them. Smallmouth have expanded statewide in Minnesota this last decade.
I have seen smallmouth full of young tullibee this last few years,in a couple of lakes and that kind of surprised me. Bottom line they will effect fish populations. How much? Each lake will be different on how much.

That said, I do like smallmouth bass very much,but not everywhere.

My last trip through there I caught smallies from the numbered lakes, to Hudson, Insula, Alice, Thomas, and Snowbank, did not fish Ima due to wind.

Bruce

quote Arkansas Man: "My last trip through there I caught smallies from the numbered lakes, to Hudson, Insula, Alice, Thomas, and Snowbank, did not fish Ima due to wind.


Bruce"

Time flies,but will say about 15 years ago I looked in the water at lake one portage to lake two,and I could not believe what I was seeing a young of the year smallmouth. It didn't take long for the spread to continue. I know they are in hope lake also now. How did they get over the various barriers,I have no idea?

I've never caught any smallies in Fraser but lots of nice size walleyes