Smallmouth Bass Fishing

If you are new to Smallmouth Bass fishing then you should know that pound-for-pound no other fresh-water sport-fish fights as hard or displays such splendid acrobats when they soar into the air. They truly are a fun fish to catch a great way to get young kids away from the video games and excited about fishing and the outdoors.

Murray Lake is stuffed with Smallmouth Bass and they are very easy to catch. The shoreline is a typical Canadian Shield shoreline with huge outcroppings of Precambrian Rock; all framed with towering pine trees. Glacial rocks and boulders combined with crumbling shoreline rocks has created the perfect environment for Smallmouth Bass. In the rocks leeches, crayfish (craw daddies) and minnows find refuge and that's where the bass will be.

Smallmouth Bass usually start feeding right after ice out. The absolute prime time for Smallmouth Bass is mid-June to Mid September. This is when the bass have left the deeper water and are up on the shoals and off the rocky points in fairly shallow water. Smallmouth Bass on Murray Lake are common in the 1 to 3 pound range. If you spend a day targeting Smallmouth Bass you will have tons of fun.

In Murray Lake, smaller bass in the 1/3 to 2-pound range generally travel in schools of similar size and age-class. Most people drift along the shorelines while casting towards the shore. In many cases it's bass after bass all afternoon. We have had guests tell us they have caught 40 to 60 Smallmouth Bass in a day of fishing. That is a great way to start the week or get the kids into fishing. Many guests travel all this way and into such a remote location because thay love to relax and catch fish all day.

Smallmouth Bass in the 2.5 to 3 pound range tend to be in smaller schools of 4 to 8 fish and will take over a shoal or a rocky point and keep the smaller bass out. These are Smallmouth Bass that have just reached mating age and have not pared up yet. In an areas like this guests can expect to catch bigger bass but not the high numbers. Even though there are multiple Smallmouth Bass in the same spot they may spook after a couple of fish are caught so it's always good to mark these areas and come back to them later in the afternoon or another day. The really impressive trophy Smallmouth Bass, which Murray Lake has plenty of, tend to travel in mating pairs. These mating pairs can be anywhere from 3 to 6 pound and on rare occasions 7 pounds. As a result guests who concentrate on prime Smallmouth Bass area and are not catching little ones will be rewarded with a couple of lunkers. Big bass are big because they are smart. You have to cast different baits at them and if you don't have any luck, leave the area for an hour and then come back and try different tactics. You have to be quiet. If lures don't work you may have to turn to live bait. A big worm or leech on a hook with no weight being slowly dragged over the rocks is the very best way to catch the trophy size bass.

Our guests catch a good number of Smallmouth Bass in the 4 to 6 pound range and on occasion run into a 7-pounder. Murray lake has over 20 miles of shoreline and countless rocky points, islands and shoals to fish. There are tons of trophy bass to be had. If you are targeting bigger Smallmouth Bass and catch 15 Smallmouth Bass over 3 pounds in a day then you are having a fantastic day by any standard.

Smallmouth Bass Photo Galleries
Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips & Tactics
Lake Maps
Smallmouth bass Fishing Regulations