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arkie
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02/06/2017 09:14AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Trying to plan a trip for big smallmouth for the last week of June. Not my favorite time due to possible post spawn blues but I have no other choice. I plan to base camp and not move. I'm trying to choose between the Quetico side of Basswood, Gardner Bay/Thursday Bay on Crooked, Lac La Croix, or Iron/Roland. I need to consider post spawn patterns, wind/weather, and camp sites. Any advice from those of you with experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance.
 
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QueticoMike
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02/06/2017 06:49PM  
quote arkie: "Trying to plan a trip for big smallmouth for the last week of June. Not my favorite time due to possible post spawn blues but I have no other choice. I plan to base camp and not move. I'm trying to choose between the Quetico side of Basswood, Gardner Bay/Thursday Bay on Crooked, Lac La Croix, or Iron/Roland. I need to consider post spawn patterns, wind/weather, and camp sites. Any advice from those of you with experience is greatly appreciated. Thanks so much in advance."


Basswood, Crooked and Lac La Croix are all big lakes capable of giving up a big bass. Good luck finding that 6 pounder!
02/06/2017 10:47PM  
Knife has some hogs, too.

walleye_hunter
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02/07/2017 07:54AM  
6 pd small mouth or not very common in these northern lakes. You are looking for a 23" fish, maybe a 24" fish in June. I know of 1 legitimate 24" small mouth. I've heard lots of fish tales about 24, 25, and 26" small mouth. QueticoMike posts more pictures of 4+ pound bass from canoe country than anyone on this message board.
02/07/2017 12:42PM  
I am not one to take a certified scale with me but have caught some hogs on crooked and iron. However the biggest two that I have ever caught came opening weekend somewhere in VNP after a grueling walk through the woods to some nice little Vermillian River eddies. Funny thing is that there were jumbo perch in those same little eddies. As quick as I could get a single crawler on a single hook and pitch it out I was bringing them in.
QueticoMike
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02/07/2017 04:59PM  
quote Wables: "Knife has some hogs, too.


"


That's a big ol' smallmouth, love the smile on that kid! Thanks for sharing!
mgraber
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02/07/2017 07:11PM  
Your choice of lakes is good. An honest 6# smallmouth is a tall order indeed and as mentioned by walleye hunter will most likely need to be 23"+. They are certainly there and hope you get what you're after. Since you can't fish the Quetico side of Basswood and Crooked even with a Canadian fishing license, why not go deeper in to Quetico since you will be getting Quetico permits and RABC anyway. There are some amazing smallmouth lakes that receive very little pressure, some maybe even better than Basswood. You should join BWCA.com, it's painless and we are a pretty decent group:)
02/08/2017 07:27AM  
If the 6# is really the priority, and end of June's the time, can't imagine chances being greater than on a TN River impoundment or Dale Hollow at night w/ live bait. Personally, I'd rather paddle up north and be content w/ 4#s and a reasonable shot at a 5#.
old_salt
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02/08/2017 07:37AM  
Ru......??
mvillasuso
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02/08/2017 09:40AM  
quote ParkerMag: "If the 6# is really the priority, and end of June's the time, can't imagine chances being greater than on a TN River impoundment or Dale Hollow at night w/ live bait. Personally, I'd rather paddle up north and be content w/ 4#s and a reasonable shot at a 5#."


For my money, Lake Cumberland is better than Dale Hollow. I have fished them about 3 times each, and have had better numbers, and SIZE of smallmouth on Cumberland.

I've only fished BWCA once, but had a memorable afternoon when we were fishing below some rapids on the Kawishiwi River... Drifting leeches under a slip bobber in some deep current produced 2 huge smallmouth on consecutive drifts. I think they were two of my top 10 smallmouth of my life. I'm not a size queen, but I estimate these things were easily 22" and shaped like footballs.
02/09/2017 06:23PM  
I would say, iron, crooked LLC, knife, basswood are good choices, caught lots of 20-22" in knife, my biggest was in iron 23.3/4" don't know what it weighed These were caught in iron and knife in early june. Biggest smallie I've ever seen was on a bed in a back bay on knife in early june. I would guess it was easily over 24" but you know how you get when your excited. The one on the right was actually bigger then the one on the left
yogi59weedr
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02/09/2017 09:14PM  
Mcsweem............Thats what I'm talking about...
Nice fish
blutofish1
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02/10/2017 10:41AM  
Didn't weigh it but, a 23 incher. Caught, measured, and released. Night crawler under a slip bobber. North Bay Basswood before bait ban.
02/10/2017 10:56AM  
nice fish
DrizzyDrew
member (23)member
  
03/06/2017 05:11PM  
I've only fished the BWCA once, but we had a great time on Ensign several August evenings pulling in smallies 19 to 21" on medium light spinning rods. Points with rocks and wood worked well for us. I've caught longer smallies other places, but never any fish that were that THICK.



Interestingly enough, the biggest smallie was caught "sight" fishing. She was swimming with her dorsal fin out of the water, we made a cast ahead of her and it was on!
03/07/2017 08:52PM  
Basswood and Knife would be my two choices. Biggest smallmouth I ever saw was in Basswood. I NEARLY caught it using a leech on a floating jig head about 18 inches behind a splitshot. Got it boatside, started reaching around for something and the hook popped out of its mouth. It was one of those moments where time slowed down, and I saw the small gold hook perfectly as it floated through the air, away from the fish. My hand about 2 inches from lipping the bass. The fish rolled over, swear on a bible - winked at me (well, maybe not), then soaked me as it went away (that part is true).

That fish looked like it had eaten a fish that had swallowed a football. Not sure on length, but I would guess in the 22-23" range.

So close, and yet so far. At least I know where she hangs out :)
Bumstead
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03/09/2017 02:30AM  
No tape and no scale in hand, but here's my largest smallie.... After BW tripping in through Lizz entry, we stayed at a Rockwood cabin one night before heading out early the next a.m. I kept one rod out for some evening casting after a fine steak dinner at Trail Center. On the edge of darkness, fan casting a bullfrog Heddon torpedo. My tripping partners were on the dock with me, and as I'm reeling it in, my brother asks what's wrong with my rod and reel due to the sound of the 6lbs. mono coming through the eyes......I say 'dude, this is a big fish!'. So, conservatively, I will say 22+". In comparison in the picture, I'm a gangly 6'3" and 215 lbs. A memory that will stick with me for sure.

I stick to the adage.....'He who casts most, catches most.'
QueticoMike
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03/09/2017 08:34AM  
The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......


03/09/2017 06:51PM  
Caught 3 in a row this size, and several others close to it. Didn't put tape to it, but I would guess somewhere around 22", maybe bigger - don't want to over-estimate. They were all big though. All of them came out of a 100 acre dead end portage lake off a large, high traffic lake. Spent 3 days there and saw nobody. Skitterpop for the first two, second one ripped off the front hooks. The one in the pic came on a black jitterbug. Second week of June, right against the shore, maybe a foot of water. Let it sit for 30 seconds, twitched it and water was sucked down a funnel along with the jitterbug.
03/09/2017 06:51PM  
Double post..
Bumstead
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03/10/2017 03:08AM  
quote QueticoMike: "The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......



"


This pic brings about two realizations: 1) No wonder you were instantly hooked on Zulu fishing, QMike! 2) Those beautiful vertical lines we all admire on these awe-inspiring bronze backs are nothing more than stretch marks!! That is a real fatty!
Bumstead
distinguished member (332)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/10/2017 03:12AM  
quote bfurlow: "Caught 3 in a row this size, and several others close to it. Didn't put tape to it, but I would guess somewhere around 22", maybe bigger - don't want to over-estimate. They were all big though. All of them came out of a 100 acre dead end portage lake off a large, high traffic lake. Spent 3 days there and saw nobody. Skitterpop for the first two, second one ripped off the front hooks. The one in the pic came on a black jitterbug. Second week of June, right against the shore, maybe a foot of water. Let it sit for 30 seconds, twitched it and water was sucked down a funnel along with the jitterbug.
"


Now BFURLOW, you mustn't keep arkie in the dark, his original question is regarding his spring trip to large smallie haunts........and the lake name is?????? Please tell me, I mean tell him! ;-) Had to be a great few days for you!
QueticoMike
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03/10/2017 08:16AM  
quote Bumstead: "
quote QueticoMike: "The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......



"



This pic brings about two realizations: 1) No wonder you were instantly hooked on Zulu fishing, QMike! 2) Those beautiful vertical lines we all admire on these awe-inspiring bronze backs are nothing more than stretch marks!! That is a real fatty!"


It looked like it swallowed something a little bigger than a softball.
GoSpursGo
distinguished member (267)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
03/10/2017 01:53PM  
quote QueticoMike: "
quote Bumstead: "
quote QueticoMike: "The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......




"




This pic brings about two realizations: 1) No wonder you were instantly hooked on Zulu fishing, QMike! 2) Those beautiful vertical lines we all admire on these awe-inspiring bronze backs are nothing more than stretch marks!! That is a real fatty!"



It looked like it swallowed something a little bigger than a softball."


Bring back the handlebars
QueticoMike
distinguished member(5280)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
03/10/2017 02:00PM  
quote GoSpursGo: "
quote QueticoMike: "
quote Bumstead: "
quote QueticoMike: "The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......





"




This pic brings about two realizations: 1) No wonder you were instantly hooked on Zulu fishing, QMike! 2) Those beautiful vertical lines we all admire on these awe-inspiring bronze backs are nothing more than stretch marks!! That is a real fatty!"




It looked like it swallowed something a little bigger than a softball."



Bring back the handlebars "


That was back in 2006. I have a full beard now, it would be easy to shave the gray off of my chin and bring it back , but that won't happen. I think the beard will be gone here soon, Spring is coming :) Here is the most recent picture from a couple of weeks ago of my facial hair.....haha



03/10/2017 03:10PM  
quote QueticoMike: "
quote GoSpursGo: "
quote QueticoMike: "
quote Bumstead: "
quote QueticoMike: "The first time I ever tried using Zulus on a trip to Quetico I caught a couple of fish like this one......





"





This pic brings about two realizations: 1) No wonder you were instantly hooked on Zulu fishing, QMike! 2) Those beautiful vertical lines we all admire on these awe-inspiring bronze backs are nothing more than stretch marks!! That is a real fatty!"




It looked like it swallowed something a little bigger than a softball."




Bring back the handlebars "



That was back in 2006. I have a full beard now, it would be easy to shave the gray off of my chin and bring it back , but that won't happen. I think the beard will be gone here soon, Spring is coming :) Here is the most recent picture from a couple of weeks ago of my facial hair.....haha


"


Man...you even catch big ones at home!
missmolly
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03/10/2017 07:05PM  
I'm thinking you're picking the worst time to go for a big fish. The big females will have dropped their eggs and some weight. They'll also be spent and clamp-mouthed. I've read that they huddle up and recover from the spawn for ten days or so.

In-Fisherman says an average 22-inch smallmouth tops six pounds and they've caught a lot of big smallmouth.

More than six.

I have never caught a 22-inch smallmouth. I've only caught a few over 20 inches, but according to the In-Fisherman, there's a huge difference between a 21 and 22-inch fish, weight wise. Here's a pic of a 19-inch fish. I'm 5'11" and I crank my arm back to put the smallmouth as close to my body as possible for scale. It's a nice fish, but she's a long ways away from 22 inches.
03/10/2017 08:26PM  
quote missmolly: "I'm thinking you're picking the worst time to go for a big fish. The big females will have dropped their eggs and some weight. They'll also be spent and clamp-mouthed. I've read that they huddle up and recover from the spawn for ten days or so.


In-Fisherman says an average 22-inch smallmouth tops six pounds and they've caught a lot of big smallmouth.


More than six.


I have never caught a 22-inch smallmouth. I've only caught a few over 20 inches, but according to the In-Fisherman, there's a huge difference between a 21 and 22-inch fish, weight wise. Here's a pic of a 19-inch fish. I'm 5'11" and I crank my arm back to put the smallmouth as close to my body as possible for scale. It's a nice fish, but she's a long ways away from 22 inches. "


You are probably right about timing. I seem to remember reading an article saying to time it for the new or full moon closest to father's day to hit prime time. Not sure if that is true or not, but I have booked a few trips based on that. Might be a few stragglers at that time, but the bite could be tough.

I'm with you on trying to keep the fish close to provide scale. I think I actually started doing it after reading several of your posts about it. Seems to keep it a little more fair when you're not forcing perspective by holding it far away from yourself.
missmolly
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03/10/2017 09:31PM  
quote bfurlow: "
quote missmolly: "I'm thinking you're picking the worst time to go for a big fish. The big females will have dropped their eggs and some weight. They'll also be spent and clamp-mouthed. I've read that they huddle up and recover from the spawn for ten days or so.



In-Fisherman says an average 22-inch smallmouth tops six pounds and they've caught a lot of big smallmouth.



More than six.



I have never caught a 22-inch smallmouth. I've only caught a few over 20 inches, but according to the In-Fisherman, there's a huge difference between a 21 and 22-inch fish, weight wise. Here's a pic of a 19-inch fish. I'm 5'11" and I crank my arm back to put the smallmouth as close to my body as possible for scale. It's a nice fish, but she's a long ways away from 22 inches. "



You are probably right about timing. I seem to remember reading an article saying to time it for the new or full moon closest to father's day to hit prime time. Not sure if that is true or not, but I have booked a few trips based on that. Might be a few stragglers at that time, but the bite could be tough.


I'm with you on trying to keep the fish close to provide scale. I think I actually started doing it after reading several of your posts about it. Seems to keep it a little more fair when you're not forcing perspective by holding it far away from yourself.
"


Cool beans! We've got a club going. What will be our secrect handshake? Think about it, 'kay?
03/11/2017 02:15AM  
my personal best was a 21" #5 smallies out of the SAK, this is my opinion after fishing the SAK on opener many times , big female smallies stage right after ice out close to spawning areas (warmer water) much sooner than people think, and alot of times strikes will happen not out of feeding but out of protecting there territory , 2nd pic both about #3-12 but as pretty as they get. 3rd pic 2 of my favorite lures for fishing shallow and any wood thats in the water.
Bumstead
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03/11/2017 05:40AM  
quote missmolly: "I'm thinking you're picking the worst time to go for a big fish. The big females will have dropped their eggs and some weight. They'll also be spent and clamp-mouthed. I've read that they huddle up and recover from the spawn for ten days or so.


In-Fisherman says an average 22-inch smallmouth tops six pounds and they've caught a lot of big smallmouth.


More than six.


I have never caught a 22-inch smallmouth. I've only caught a few over 20 inches, but according to the In-Fisherman, there's a huge difference between a 21 and 22-inch fish, weight wise. Here's a pic of a 19-inch fish. I'm 5'11" and I crank my arm back to put the smallmouth as close to my body as possible for scale. It's a nice fish, but she's a long ways away from 22 inches.


No way would I have estimated the fish that I posted was a 6 pounder. I would have said 4.5 lbs + to be safe with a real leaning to that 5 range. I celebrate 18" smallies that I feel are 3 poundish in my mind, and certainly don't believe I'll catch a fish like the one above again every trip.....if ever. It was longer and larger than my largest largemouth for sure (20" and perhaps a bit over 4 lbs - I know, not that big for largie). I was enamored by this fish's length. Way different build on her than the typical football shaped muscle lump that I've caught in that 18" range. I even commented about her being long like a largemouth. Maybe she's a long lean momma that with a little more age and added weight around the middle, will be jumping into that 6ish range. I guess I could recant, and replace my estimate at 21.375" + range, but will go no lower. :-) Anyway, she's back in the Poplar Lake gene pool.

As far as how you hold the fish for pics, you could call your group "the tail slap kin". ;-) I'd keep wearing a rain coat all the time, too, for washdown purposes. For sure, I was holding the above one so as not to get slimed. I'll wear the same clothes in the BW for multiple days, but when I'm out, showered, and in the clothes that I'm wearing the next morning for the 12 hour ride, I'm stepping out of the tail slap ranks for sure!

An idea for this season, let's start a thread where people can post pics of measured fish, then allow a day for others to throw estimates before revealing the hard data...that'd be kind of interesting. I believe, whether they are 'tail slappers' or 'out front bandits', most will be able to come fairly close.
missmolly
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03/11/2017 10:58AM  
quote Bumstead: "
quote missmolly: "I'm thinking you're picking the worst time to go for a big fish. The big females will have dropped their eggs and some weight. They'll also be spent and clamp-mouthed. I've read that they huddle up and recover from the spawn for ten days or so.



In-Fisherman says an average 22-inch smallmouth tops six pounds and they've caught a lot of big smallmouth.



More than six.



I have never caught a 22-inch smallmouth. I've only caught a few over 20 inches, but according to the In-Fisherman, there's a huge difference between a 21 and 22-inch fish, weight wise. Here's a pic of a 19-inch fish. I'm 5'11" and I crank my arm back to put the smallmouth as close to my body as possible for scale. It's a nice fish, but she's a long ways away from 22 inches.



No way would I have estimated the fish that I posted was a 6 pounder. I would have said 4.5 lbs + to be safe with a real leaning to that 5 range. I celebrate 18" smallies that I feel are 3 poundish in my mind, and certainly don't believe I'll catch a fish like the one above again every trip.....if ever. It was longer and larger than my largest largemouth for sure (20" and perhaps a bit over 4 lbs - I know, not that big for largie). I was enamored by this fish's length. Way different build on her than the typical football shaped muscle lump that I've caught in that 18" range. I even commented about her being long like a largemouth. Maybe she's a long lean momma that with a little more age and added weight around the middle, will be jumping into that 6ish range. I guess I could recant, and replace my estimate at 21.375" + range, but will go no lower. :-) Anyway, she's back in the Poplar Lake gene pool.


As far as how you hold the fish for pics, you could call your group "the tail slap kin". ;-) I'd keep wearing a rain coat all the time, too, for washdown purposes. For sure, I was holding the above one so as not to get slimed. I'll wear the same clothes in the BW for multiple days, but when I'm out, showered, and in the clothes that I'm wearing the next morning for the 12 hour ride, I'm stepping out of the tail slap ranks for sure!


An idea for this season, let's start a thread where people can post pics of measured fish, then allow a day for others to throw estimates before revealing the hard data...that'd be kind of interesting. I believe, whether they are 'tail slappers' or 'out front bandits', most will be able to come fairly close. "


Hooray for back in the gene pool!

That would be a cool contest, but I'd lose for sure. In person, I'm accurate to within a quarter inch on bass. I told a fishing pal I was and he didn't believe it, so he'd hold up a fish and I'd guesstimate and after ten or so attempts, he said, "Okay, you are."

However, via photos, I suck. Don't have a clue because I don't have the same cues, such as distance from fisher and size of fisher. Even the angles can mislead, which is why musky fishers pose with their fish projected tail first toward the camera. Of course, the right lens can grow a fish too.

But the contest would be fun anyway, even though I'm sure I'll finish last.
MrHawghunter1
  
04/07/2017 11:10AM  
Here is the biggest smallie I've caught in the BWCA, on basswood. Opener 2011. It was a very early year, and the smallies were hammering topwater. This one was 23", but I am not a very good guess on weight, as I usually on measure length.
Tristian
Guest Paddler
  
07/07/2019 08:24AM  
This is great .. and happen to many of us.. hahah .. not laughing at you .. laughing at the story. I love that memory though. I think that is one of things that keeps us going back ! Tight lines
 
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