Bass opener! Where did the largies goo?

[cityfisher]

Hey all,

 

Spent the weekend fishing a lake in Haliburton for Bass. Last year we were catching a mixed bag of both Smallies/Largies.

 

Over 3 days and 3 guys fishing, we landed 35 smallies. NO largies! Lots of spots where we caught largies last year didnt have anything on them OR they just had smallies.

 

Water temps were 79 degrees by the time I left on Tuesday.

 

Any thoughts on what could shut them down like that? or maybe there was a big die off?

[BillM]

Or perhaps they are deep because of the almost 80 degree water temps? I found them deep out on my local haunts... Although probably 10:1 for smallies/largies.

[snagged]

Same here, noticed a lot more smallies vs largies this year.....not that I'm complaining lol Love them bronze backs

[Christopheraaron]

I've noticed the same, but have also picked up some nice largies in fairly shallow stuff as well.

[Angler management]

They will be back in another week or so i would assume. From what ive noticed over the past years, they tend to move back from the beds after spawning into deeper waters, then return to the shallows in 2-3 weeks... But this year everything seems to be off

[OhioFisherman]

I would seriously doubt a big die off that didn't affect other species as well. One of the challenges of fishing? to be consistent.

 

I have caught largemouth in 17 - 22 feet of water when there wasn't really a logical reason for them to be there.

 

We had a tournament with our club at one of our hot spots, a bay off of Lake Erie. He had a spring tournament there, with a club rule of a 3 fish limit per boat, it took over 12 pounds to get a check.

 

Basically the same crew fished the fall tournament, all regulars on the local bass fishing scene and skilled at it. No one got a fish not even a dink.

 

Did they move? or just lockjaw? The only difference I could see was wind direction. The wind was pushing water out of the bay, the water level dropped 1 1/2 -2 feet during the course of the day.

 

That doesn't explain why they weren't in the 8 - 12 feet deep rip rap banked channel leading into the bay though? It was also a good spot at times.

[cityfisher]

Good points guys!.. never fished deeper than 15 feet.. .Ill try dragging a tube this weekend in deep water and see if i can find them.

[BillM]

Found some nice largies lastnight with the oldman.. 83 degree water, lol!

[Whitespinnerbait]

Yep !

 

There still in deeper water from what I've found.

[OhioFisherman]

Just another thought, I clearly remember staying at Ken Lea camp in Pointe Au Baril as a teenager and swimming off the main dock with my brothers and cousins. We learned very quickly not to dive too deeply, after you got down 6 - 7 feet it was like stepping into a very cold shower.

 

We never went there until after bass season had started as a family, so that surface temp doesn't mean a lot? One of the reasons fishing points is usually a good place, you just fish the point into deeper water and it can give you an idea at what depth the fish are holding on?

[highdrifter]

I could tell you...

 

But I don't wanna.

[grimsbylander]

The shortage of largies is nothing serious. It would get noticed every year in Ontario if the season opened June 1st. I fish the U.S. side for largies every spring and shortly after the spawn and the males start disappearing from the shallows, it's time to go smallie fishing. It seems they move off to the first break and "vacation" lol after a hard couple weeks of spawning. In a normal weather season, by the middle to end of June all is right again and they're ready to feed. So it's back to the pads, boat docks and shallow weed lines they go. This warm water should get them motivated to strap on the feed bag quicker.

[Dontcryformejanhrdina]

I've been catching plenty of largemouth in shallow water, 2-4 feet.

[cityfisher]

Must be the cold Haliburton lakes need a little more time to get them going again... Smallies will keep me busy for now

[wkimwes]

The shortage of largies is nothing serious. It would get noticed every year in Ontario if the season opened June 1st. I fish the U.S. side for largies every spring and shortly after the spawn and the males start disappearing from the shallows, it's time to go smallie fishing. It seems they move off to the first break and "vacation" lol after a hard couple weeks of spawning. In a normal weather season, by the middle to end of June all is right again and they're ready to feed. So it's back to the pads, boat docks and shallow weed lines they go. This warm water should get them motivated to strap on the feed bag quicker.

I mean if we went at it for 2 weeks, I'm sure we'd all want a "vacation".

However, I haven't had problems catching them shallow. In fact I was in Hamilton harbor during my lunch break and landed LMB from shore and over the weekend..caught my PB 5lb LMB even at around 3-4 ft of water.

Edited June 27, 2013 by wkimwes

[OhioFisherman]

Spawning always made me sleepy afterwards too.

[4x4bassin]

I had no problem catching largies on the weekend in the northern Parry Sound area , as matter fact it was the best opener in years . We found them in what available weeds there was in the lake due to the cool water temps. I guess (71-75 degrees) A lot of small bass in the 2lb range .

[fishindevil]

The largiea are there !!! And shallow a tournament on my lake last weekend (sturgeon lake) brought in 22lbs of fish for a win !!!! And big fish was caught in 3feet of water 6lbs !!!!!! I will be in Haliburton fishing this weekend so I will hope to have a report !!!! Stay at it and keep trying !!!! I have got a few nice ones this year very shallow already !!!! smallie I got shallow in the Ottawa river in freezing cold 52 degree water !!!!!