Lake Lauzon Smallmouth with Fish'n Canada

Along with Walleye and Pike, there is a fantastic population of Smallmouth Bass with some real giants in the mix.

This was Fish’n Canada’s first lodge shoot of the season and one that Ang and Pete were really looking forward to.

“There’s a couple of reasons,” says Pete, “that Ang and I were pumped for this one. First, our home base was Lake Lauzon Resort, which is a drive-to Northern Ontario lodge… easy access. Secondly, along with the usual Walleye and Pike in the lake, there’s a fantastic population of Smallmouth Bass with some real giants in the mix”

“Let me add one more point,” says Angelo: “there’s no closed Bass season in this area. Since this shoot was in early June, it was perfectly legal to fish.”

Finding Fish
Transferring hotspots from old-school paper to modern-day GPS's is a great fish-finding technique

Ang and Pete know the scrutiny of a television audience; they’ve lived it for over 30 years.

“We realize,” says Pete, “that fishing for any species during the spawn is not good policy. However, these fish were mostly in the pre-spawn stage… perfectly legal and ethical. We don’t recommend people go fishing for Bass on the beds. There’s always fish in pre- and post-spawn mode along with spawners, so ethical fishing is available.”

With that in mind, the boys thoroughly scanned the clear shallows of Lake Lauzon looking for “cruisers,” as they call them: fish that have moved in from the depths and are now into a crush-everything feeding mode.

Prespawn Areas
Here are two classic examples of early-season pre-spawn smallmouth bass areas. Boulders create a shallow point where fish move up on and spread out to find their spawning areas and feed. Also, classic deep water points are where fish stage before they hit the shallows.

“Lauzon is a gorgeous Smallie lake,” says Ang, “with enough structure to fulfill every Bass angler’s dream. Although we wanted to concentrate on the shallows, there are so many deep or close to deep spots that it would take an eternity to hit them all… and certainly not in our allotted time frame.”

When all was said and done, Pete and Ang did manage to tie into some beautiful Lauzon Smallmouth and had the absolute bonus, or should we say pleasure, of witnessing a pair of pre-spawn muskies that were cruising in very shallow, clear water.

Muskie
This may have been the "wildlife encounter" of the entire 2018 season for Ang and Pete. A pair of muskies roaming the shallows... the male courting the female. Nature is awesome!

“We thought that this pair of Muskie was actually one big fish until we got closer and saw two of them almost glued together,” Pete says. “They looked like synchronized swimmers, it was one of our highlights of the season!”

BAITS AND TACTICS

As per usual, Dropshotting worked extremely well for Ang and Pete on this trip. Small 3- to 3.5-inch baits in natural colours were the deal. A 6-8 lb fluorocarbon line on spinning gear is their choice for this.

They also got a few fish on jerkbaits; a really good choice in cold water. For this type of fishing the guys prefer baitcasting gear with either fluoro or braid.

3” tube jigs again on light line spinning rounded out the kit.

LAKE LAUZON

Lauzon Lake is situated in the district of Algoma, Ontario. It has a surface area of 5,540 acres. Its perimeter is 46 miles, and it has an average depth of 52 feet and a maximum depth of 270 feet.

Water flows out of the lake via a dam at Lauzon Creek.

Lauzon’s major fish species are Smallmouth Bass, Muskie, Pike, Lake Trout, Whitefish, and Yellow Perch.

Smallie
Pete hoists up an early-season Smallie that he caught on a dropshot rig
Go Fish
The hat says it all, GO FISH in Ontario

Along with minnows and panfish, Lauzon also contains a population of Smelt, giving it a very good food base for gamefish.

ACCOMMODATIONS, GUIDES & OUTFITTERS

Lake Lauzon Resort is open all year long for superb fishing, camping and beautiful scenery. They accept bookings for Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. They’re located on beautiful Lake Lauzon halfway between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie, conveniently on the TransCanada Highway 17.

Map Session
Local fishing guide Adam Vallee goes over a map session with Ang and Pete. Adam's been fishing in this area his whole life.
Lunch Spot
Talk about a unique spot to grab lunch!

They have an array of accommodation options including the Bed & Breakfast guest rooms with direct access to the main ground floor deck overlooking Lake Lauzon, cozy cottages near the water, and ample lakefront space for tent and trailer camping. Free WiFi is available in the main lodge

SPECIAL THANKS TO:

ADAM VALLEE

Adam is a full-time guide and tournament angler whose roots started in the region of Algoma at a very young age. When not travelling for tournaments across Ontario and the US, he spends his time guiding and promoting his home waters of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Country.

TYLER DUNN

Algoma's #1 fishing guide, Tyler offers unique fishing adventures along the shores of Lake Superior, on the St. Mary's River, as well as many different lakes and rivers found in the Sault Ste. Marie area. Explore Algoma Country with Tyler and enjoy endless fishing opportunities.

For a complete guide to the Fish’N Canada Show episodes, TV channels, and show times, go to www.fishncanada.com or www.facebook.com/fishncanada

About Fish'n Canada

As one of the original pioneers of Canadian adventure television, the Fish'n Canada Show has been broadcasting their pursuit of the ultimate adventure for over 30 years. Hosts Angelo Viola and Pete Bowman educate and entertain audiences with their passion and enthusiasm for fishing. Both are inductees in the Canadian Anglers Hall of Fame. Check out their episodes and video on the Fish'n Canada YouTube Channel and like them on Facebook!

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