| In this issue:
NEW ONTARIO FISHING CHAT
CLICK HERE!
| Charlton Lake Camp - Charlton Lake Camp is a housekeeping cottage resort set among
towering pines in Northern Ontario's La Cloche Mountains. The camp offers fishing (bass,
walleye, pike and lake trout), swimming, boating and hunting. Eco-tourists will love the
easy access to Killarney Provincial Park for canoeing, kayaking and hiking. Artists and
photographers will revel in the same natural beauty made famous by the Group of Seven. |
| Opimika Wilderness
Camp & Cottages - Opimika Wilderness Camp &
Cottages is a remote wilderness lodge, open year round. Fish, hunt, ATV & snowmobile
at Opimika. We offer fully equipped cottages with kitchen and bathroom, camps and outpost
cottage. You will have access to 30 lakes within 10kms of the lodge. Fish for Walleye,
Northern Pike, Bass & Trout. Hunt for moose, deer & bear. |
| Spruce Shilling
Camp - It’s that perfect day, light breeze and
the fish are biting. You must be in Shining Tree. Yes, our lakes boast quite a variety;
Walleye, Trout and Northern Pike just to name a few. Our Fishing Packages help you fulfill
those anglers' dreams. Maybe that big one is waiting for you in Shining Tree, at Spruce
Shilling Camp. |
|
"Twitching Your Way to a Bass Bonanza"
By Justin Hoffman
Cast. Twitch, twitch, twitch….pause. Fish on! Throwing
twitchbaits to bass can lead to some exciting days on the water - and some big bass to
boot. Twitchbaits mimic the natural look and action of a baitfish to a T, and therein lies
the reason for their incredible fish-catching abilities. Try your hand at the following
"twitch tactics," and reap the rewards that the bass gods will shine down on
you.
What Is a Twitchbait?
A twitchbait can be defined as a long, thin minnow-shaped crankbait that possesses a short
stubby lip. The majority of twitchbaits run at shallow depths (usually between 1 to5-feet
below the surface) and will come in either a "floater" version or a
"suspending" design. Suspending models will "freeze" at the depth you
are working, allowing the angler to maintain the lure at a productive depth or strike
zone. Floaters will do as the name suggests - float to the surface. Continuous twitches
will enable the lure to run at a uniform depth, with longer pauses allowing the lure to
float higher in the water coloumn.
Suspending models work best if you are attempting to target a certain depth and prefer the
lure to run at that constant level. They also excel if the fish are in a negative mood and
prefer an easy meal. Floaters, on the other hand, are ideal if the target area contains a
lot of weed cover as you can work you lure over the top more productively. They are also
ideal if the bass are in an active mood due to the added movement in the water coloumn.
Twitchbaits mimic the natural prey of bass perfectly. Whether they represent a dying
baitfish struggling to survive or a frightened minnow separated from its school is up for
debate, but whatever the case, they seem to work wonders on the bass population.
Which to Choose?
When selecting twitchbaits, a number of criteria should be followed for maximum results.
Choose a crank between 4 and 6-inches long that comes adorned with high quality hooks.
(Excallibur, Gamagatsu and Mustad are three makes of trebles that rate high for sharpness
and hooking capabilities.) Choosing a variety of baits in both floating and suspending
models will enable you to cover a wide range of depths and structure. A few of my personal
favourites are Excallibur, Rebel and Bagley baits. Try to choose lures both with, and
without, rattles. For active fish, rattles can be a key triggering mechanism. However, on
the days where the fish are downright negative, a "silent" crank can be the best
bait to choose.
Colour is quite a straightforward decision. "Match the hatch" comes into play
with twitchbaits, with natural colours being your best bets. If the favoured prey of
largemouth on your home lake is shad, then go with a shad-coloured bait. The same can be
said if smallmouth feed heavily on crayfish - a crayfish pattern will be the best to
throw. Where To Use
Twitchbaits can be used in a variety of locations on a lake, with the deciding factor
being whether you are chasing bucketmouths or bronzebacks. For largemouth, top areas to
target are weed flats and lines, docks and timber and shoreline structure. Humps can also
be worthwhile if weeds are present. |
