Lake Lauzon Smallmouth with Fish'n Canada
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.”
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.
“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.
“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.
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.
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 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.
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