Somersaulting smallies are signal of summer
MAINELY OUTDOORS
By Bill Graves
Special to Pioneer Times
In adolescence and throughout my formative years of fly fishing, brook trout were my quarry and challenge. Somewhere in my 20’s landlocked salmon became an added diversion and by my 30’s Atlantic salmon fishing became true passion. Oddly, one of my current favorite summer pastimes never even entered my angling achievements until I was 40 years old.
Bill Norsworthy, a longtime friend and hunting companion took me on my premier smallmouth bass outing, and let’s just say the fish were not the only ones hooked. When summer temperatures rise, lakes warm, streams shrink, and humidity surrounds us like a wet towel, most salmon and togue lay up deep, they all become somewhat lethargic and action dwindles. Although I dabble with trolling lead core lines or downrigger outfits, the heavy gear saps the fun from the fight. On the other hand casting and catching bass only improves as the weather heats up, and with lightweight rods, reels and lines combined with top water baits, fantastic fights with acrobatic, aerobatic leaps are guaranteed.
One of the great things about bass fishing is that regardless of age or experience level, fish will be caught. Select the right waterway on the right day and a couple of mid-level anglers can catch and release two dozen bronzebacks during a 3- to 4-hour outing. Another plus is that most Aroostook sportsmen already own a spinning or bait casting rod and reel so it’s just a matter of purchasing a few artificial baits and plugs to begin catching smallies.
On my very first outing, since I already owned a good supply of size 7 floating Rapalas for trolling trout and salmon, that’s what I used for bass. I caught several fish casting and retrieving one of the orange colored shallow diving plugs and then my boat buddy introduced me to fishing with plastic grubs, worms, crayfish and salamanders. In deeper water or when bass aren’t inclined to rise for surface baits, bottom-bouncing, life-like plastic baits near bottom structure where bass hang out waiting for passing food truly yields fast and furious action.
For beginners I recommend a single-blade, gold Colorado spinner with a blade about the size of a dime and a three-inch pumpkin colored curly-tailed grub on the trailer hook. Cast, let it sink a bit, and slowly retrieve about a foot or so above bottom and bass will inhale it. This rig has accounted for at least a thousand smallmouth for me on Maine rivers and lakes. I also highly recommend five-inch Senko worms, Texas rigged with no weight since the worm will sink on its own when not moving. Try black with gold flecks, Green with red and silver flecks or motor oil color with a fluorescent green tail tip.
During July, August, and even early September, smallmouth really go after noisy, splashy surface baits and when they engulf a top water plug the strike is explosive. Tiny Torpedos by Heddon in green/yellow and blue/silver have a set of propellers that splash and spin as they are retrieved. Pop-Rs make a chugging sound and splash water with their flat, slanted nose as they are reeled in with a rod-tip twitch every foot. Other dependable top water plugs include the Hula Popper, Rapala’s Skitter Pop, Arbogast’s Jitterbug and Heddon’s Zara Spook, and each comes in half a dozen color combos.
Albeit a more demanding technique, fly casting poppers and trimmed deer hair bass bugs remains my favorite style of coaxing smallies to strike. Due to large size and a weedless hook setup, it’s difficult to cast bass flies with precision and you miss two out of three strikes. But when a three-pound bronzeback is hooked on a five-weight fly rod, the high leaping, surface-splashing tug-of-war is epic! Although flies can’t be cast as far as a spinning outfit and less water is covered, the reward far out shadows the extra effort.
The downside of bass fishing for most Crown of Maine sportsmen is the driving distance to most worthwhile smallmouth waterways. For most of us it’s at least an hour drive each way hauling a boat, motor and lots of gear. Pleasant and Mattawamkeag lakes near Island Falls and Wytopitlock Lake in Glenwood on Route 2A are the closest spots with bountiful bass populations. East Grand Lake is huge, therefore seldom crowded for visiting bass casters. For those who don’t mind driving another 5- to 10-miles and crossing into Washington County, there are three terrific options, Baskahegan Lake, Crooked Brook Flowage and Upper and Lower Hot Brook Lake.
Smallmouth bass are a tremendous game fish and very tasty when filleted for the frying pan or grill. Limits are generous, one- to two-pound fish plentiful and more than a few four- to five-pound trophies in regional waterways. Best of all they become more active in warm weather rather than seeking cover and cool water like most other Aroostook species. Any 14- to 16-foot canoe, Jon boat or V-hull with an electric motor or small gas outboard, a couple of rods and a handful of baits ought to do the trick. Hook a few on that first outing and you’ll keep going back for more fun and action.
