Fishing Report Another great bass season

[Jello]

My boat is getting put away soon as I'm changing gears for the fall/winter.
Looking back on this season, it's great to see so many healthy and well fed largemouth in the bay. The number of bass I caught that were over three pounds was amazing. I ended up with seven over four pounds. Nothing over five however. Largeies over five pounds in the bay are few and far between. I'm not sure why we don't see more caught seeing as how the number of fat three pounders is quite abundant.

Anyways, I'm already looking forward to next season!

 

[Wildfire]

This year was weird. Largemouth were easy to catch but smallies seem to have disappeared. I caught more largemouth on Wednesday than I did smallmouth all year.

 

[hawgseeker]

Thanks for the largie report and pics.

 

[Jello]

This year was weird. Largemouth were easy to catch but smallies seem to have disappeared. I caught more largemouth on Wednesday than I did smallmouth all year.

Smallies don't stay in the (inner) bay very long anymore it seems. Largemouth are everywhere now. There's a good portion of largies that go 8-13 FOW after spawn and stay out there all summer.

 

[jerk bait]

Smallies don't stay in the (inner) bay very long anymore it seems. Largemouth are everywhere now. There's a good portion of largies that go 8-13 FOW after spawn and stay out there all summer.

Disagree. So many factors. Last season the smallmouth fishing in the bay was spectacular up until about the first week of July. This has been the norm for us.
This season we noticed far less smallmouth. This has been the only season like this for us. What has caused this ?? Lots of theories from keeping too many fish, too the plane that distrusted a whole year class of spawing fish a few years ago.
I agree the largemouth fishing is great but we get much shallower and some huge hogs.

 

[DST]

My experience with smallmouth in the inner bay is the fish move around a lot. As soon as the water starts to warm up they move out into the boat channel then from there to Bluffs bar. The water temp came up quick this spring and seemed to move the fish out. We are also entering a lower water cycle on Erie which will push the fish back into habit they have not been in the last 5 years.

 

[jerk bait]

My experience with smallmouth in the inner bay is the fish move around a lot. As soon as the water starts to warm up they move out into the boat channel then from there to Bluffs bar. The water temp came up quick this spring and seemed to move the fish out. We are also entering a lower water cycle on Erie which will push the fish back into habit they have not been in the last 5 years.

Yes but that's hows it's always been traditionally. You would find pockets of roaming smallies. This season something was different. Water Temps were fine. The water levels were low and perhaps that was a contributing factor

 

[Bandwagon]

The inner bay small mouth fishing should be world class, however with the number of people harvesting fish year after year and the number of parks growing in size it can only impact the fishery negatively. If I fish the east or west end of Erie 20lb bag is pretty average. 5-6lb fish are not uncommon near buffalo and 20-25lb bags are not uncommon east of Dover.
It took a 28lb pound bag on St Clair to decide a winner for our club event. How many people are catching fish of that quality at Long Point???? Truth is they never mature to that size and it's a fishery that should perhaps consider a slot limit.

 

[Robs_Raft]

The inner bay small mouth fishing should be world class, however with the number of people harvesting fish year after year and the number of parks growing in size it can only impact the fishery negatively. If I fish the east or west end of Erie 20lb bag is pretty average. 5-6lb fish are not uncommon near buffalo and 20-25lb bags are not uncommon east of Dover.
It took a 28lb pound bag on St Clair to decide a winner for our club event. How many people are catching fish of that quality at Long Point???? Truth is they never mature to that size and it's a fishery that should perhaps consider a slot limit.

From observation, it seems like we're on a down cycle in terms of the smallie population in LPB. Agree on a slot limit or reduced limit specific to LPB to help with numbers. Another potential issue relates to the number of smallies in the outer bay that are showing signs of Largemouth bass virus. MNRF was collecting samples last Fall but I've not heard anything since. I personally have not seen many with sores that are signs of the potential virus this year but lots last Fall.
Link - https://www.outdoorlife.com/conservation/wisconsin-bass-disease/

 

[jerk bait]

Well yes and

The inner bay small mouth fishing should be world class, however with the number of people harvesting fish year after year and the number of parks growing in size it can only impact the fishery negatively. If I fish the east or west end of Erie 20lb bag is pretty average. 5-6lb fish are not uncommon near buffalo and 20-25lb bags are not uncommon east of Dover.
It took a 28lb pound bag on St Clair to decide a winner for our club event. How many people are catching fish of that quality at Long Point???? Truth is they never mature to that size and it's a fishery that should perhaps consider a slot limit.

Well yes and no. Up until this year the inner bay produced both size and numbers for us. We caught plenty of fish
in the 4 to 5 pound range . I regularly Fish east of dover and it's about the same .

 

[Bandwagon]

In a single day? I don't doubt it happens over an entire season but if you look at the tournament results of the top 10 at the bay compared to other areas of Erie, St Clair, Ontario and Huron it tells a compelling story.

 

[jerk bait]

In a single day? I don't doubt it happens over an entire season but if you look at the tournament results of the top 10 at the bay compared to other areas of Erie, St Clair, Ontario and Huron it tells a compelling story.

Yes pretty much. We caught many over 4 and some over 5 in the past few seasons. Even the ones we got this season were big just not the numbers as usual. I regularly fish east of dover around Mohawk Island et and the bass fishing there was slower than normal as well. In years past the only water that would even come close to the numbers and size was st Clair. I find using bigger baits equals bigger fish , just my opinion based on results.
I'd certainly buy into a bad year class or 2, or a water cycle issue but in reality the bay has supported heavy pressure for decades upon decades amd up until this year has been world class.