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Part4
Smallies!
@@Hello again, anglers of Japan! I have
decided to share with you some of my great experiences with
a very popular fish here in North America. This particular fish,
known for it's strength and fighting ability, attracts anglers
from around the globe who what to experience catching them first
hand. The species which I am referring to is the smallmouth
bass (Micropterus dolomieui) .
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@ I am very fortunate to live right on one of the best smallmouth
lakes on earth, Lake St.Clair. This shallow, clear, current
filled lake is home to a very strong population of these fish,
and while we do have some largemouth bass here, the smallmouth
outnumber the largemouth by about 10 to 1. The lake is about
24 miles by 26 miles in size, and the entire shoreline all the
way around is shallow sand with scattered rocks. That is why
the lake is so full of fish, because the entire perimeter is
suitable for spawning. During spawning season, a bed can sometimes
be found every 10 yards. This makes for an incredible fishery. |
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@ Legally, there
is a closed season until the second week of June. When
the season opens, a few fish are still on the beds, but
most have finished spawning and are hungry. Myself, being
a full time fishing guide on the lake, I have come to
know where the traditional spawning areas are located,
so that's where I start my fishing. In mid June, popular
baits are spinnerbaits, tubes, rattle traps, and jerkbaits.
One of my favorite lures this season was a plain grub
or twister tail on a jig head with a open hook. I would
instruct my customers to simply cast it out and just reel
it straight in, up near the surface with a steady retrieve.
That was a simple and effective way of catching them,
with my clients boating over 100 bass a day on several
occasions.
@ As the season progresses, the fish move from their spawning
depth (4-10 ft) on out to the deeper waters to spend the
hot days of summer (12-20). There we catch them mainly
by dragging a tube jig, in many different colors, as the
wind blows the boat across main lake rocky areas. Lake
St.Clair is pretty flat, so when you find any rise in
the bottom, even if it is only half a foot, more than
likely you will find fish there. |
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Part6
KVD Interview
2004/05/20 |
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I called up a long time friend
of mine, Kevin Vandam for an interview with time. It seems
like he likes Japanese bais like I do. |
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Part1
Fishing on Lake St. Clair
2002/03/09 |
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Hello. My name is Jon Bondy
of Wondsor, Canada. I am a full time fishing guide on Lake
St.Clair, and today I start off my column on basswave.jp. |
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Part2
With Mickey Bruce
2002/06/13 |
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I had a time to fish
with Mickey Blues, a long time friend of mine and a famous
Tour compeditor. We caught tons of bass and stripers.
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Part3
Walleye, another great game-fish
2002/07/15 |
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Walleye is one of the
most popular types of game fish in North America, but
they don't live in Japan. I thought I should introduce
a walleye story a little bit. |
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Part4
Smallies!
2002/08/28 |
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When you wish to fish
smallmouths, I bet St. Clair is the best choise. Thanks
God, I live near by. So, I tell you how fun to fish smallies
here. |
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Part5
Monster Fish
2004/03/12 |
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In Japan, I heard big long
muskie lures are used to catch monster sized bass even
though muskies don't exist over there. I will introduce
how brual a real monster muskie can do. |
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@This lake is
also one of the best in world for a large predator fish
called muskellunge or just 'muskie' (Esox masquinongy)
This fish, which I am including a picture of, have many
razor sharp teeth and will often grow over 4 ft long and
attain weights of 30 to 50 pounds! On one occasion this
season, I was fishing with a client from Japan, and he
got to witness first hand how vicious these fish are.
@As I was reeling in a smallmouth about 1 1/2 lbs, I looked
down to see a muskie about 4 ft long chewing on it. This
30 lb+ fish had grabbed ahold of my bass, and was trying
to make it an easy lunch. My client from Japan was very
excited to see this but soon the big predator fish let
go. We both continued to watch as I left the bass back
down there for a second and the big fish came around once
more and grabbed it near the surface for a another attempt
at a free lunch! We both had a clear view of the situation.
Eventually the big fish gave up, and I reeled in a chewed
up smallmouth, which as you can expect, didn't live very
long. My Japanese customer told me that it reminded him
of fishing on the ocean in Japan.
@At the time of this writing, we are approaching the end
of summer. The days are getting shorter, and the weather
a bit cooler, with a few cold fronts moving through the
area. This is the beginning of one of my favorite times
of the year, the fall. As the water cools down, the fish
will leave their deep water summer haunts and head shallow,
sometimes even shallower than where they spawned. |
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@If we get
a few nice warm days in a row, especially in mid
sept to late oct, the fish will really gang up in
2 to 4 ft of water, and we routinely catch 100 or
more in a day! You need a certain set of conditions
for this to happen however, and it is not an everyday
occurrence.
@ The fishing is good until December,
when it gets quite cold here. The further you go
into the fall, the more the fish gang up, so it
gets harder and harder to locate them, but once
you do, they are usually loaded up in one tiny spot!
@ I will be on the road for most of this fall, fishing
the Bassmaster Northern Opens in the U.S. I am taking
pictures as I go, and my next article will likely
be on my experiences, both good and bad. Be sure
to log on to basswave again soon and good fishing
to all the anglers of Japan. |
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