Exploring new water is always part of the draw in Superior Country. Every trip has a different feel, a different puzzle to solve. Last season, one of those trips brought us to the Kashabowie River system on the Shebandowan chain of lakes, and it didn’t take long to realize this place is legit.
From the moment we arrived at Kashabowie River Resort, we hit it off with Kyle and Tracey. They run a first-class operation, and Kyle is a hardcore angler. The resort is set up for anglers, but it’s just as comfortable for families.
The Shebandowan chain is a big piece of water, roughly 25 miles long, with a mix of basins, structure, and connecting flow that gives it a lot of personality. You’re not locked into one pattern or one species.
Our mission was walleyes, but it’s immediately obvious this system has more to offer. Smallmouth bass and northern pike are everywhere, and they don’t see much pressure. It’s the kind of place where you can pivot at any time and stay on fish.
We were there in late summer, pushing into early fall. Like most fisheries in this part of the world, that meant one thing: walleyes would be in deeper water. Kyle pointed us in the right direction to get started, and it didn’t take long to confirm the pattern. Fish were holding in that classic 20 to 30-foot range, right where you’d expect them this time of year.
Finding them wasn’t the problem. Getting them to bite consistently took some experimenting. On most Canadian walleye trips, we lean heavily on artificials. You can cover water, fish efficiently, and when it’s right, it’s as effective as live bait. That approach held true here, but not without some adjustment.
One of our go-to presentations for summer walleyes is a Jigging Rap. Typically, a size 7 is the starting point, with 9s and even 11s in play depending on depth and mood. But for whatever reason, fish in this system weren’t committing to that bait.
We shifted to a jig and plastic, a pretty standard option. My go-to for walleyes up here is a 3/8 oz VMC Mooneye jig paired with a Big Bite Baits Scentsation Slim Minnow. But even there, the standard setup wasn’t producing relative to the number of fish we were around. The turning point came when we upsized.
Switching to a 1/2 & 3/4 oz VMC Tungsten Swimbait Jig paired with a Crush City Jerk completely changed the presentation. The heavier, compact tungsten head falls like a rock. That allowed the bait to move with a sharper, more controlled “hunt”—closer to a Jigging Rap, but less aggressive. It was a reaction bite, but if it was too aggressive, they wouldn’t react.
The heavy jig and plastic minnow was more aggressive than the lighter jig and less aggressive than the Jigging Rap, and it just so happened on that trip, it was magic.
Also key was how it was fished. Rip it and let it fall on slack to crash into the bottom. They ate it on the bottom. Just like a Jigging Rap, you didn’t feel the hit, maybe see your line jump. You’d go to snap again, and the fish was just… there.
That subtle change in weight and profile made all the difference.
It’s a good lesson and one that shows up over and over again, especially on Canadian Shield fisheries, where you are around a lot of fish. You can be around fish all day and struggle, then make one small adjustment and everything opens up.
When it comes to plastics, there are a few staples we never leave behind. Big Bite Baits Scentsation Slim Minnow, softer, scented, is awesome when fish are neutral. The Crush City Jerk and Mooch Minnow, durable TPE plastics, are the deal when you’re catching tons of fish. A simple trick—adding a dab of super glue to the nose of the plastic and pushing it up against the jig—will keep the Jerk or Mooch in place for dozens of fish. It’s efficient, and when the bite gets going, there’s not much that is more efficient.
We didn’t spend as much time on smallmouth as we could have, but every time we stopped on a good-looking area, we caught them. Seriously, every spot. It was automatic.
We kept it simple with jerkbaits and spinnerbaits, and honestly, you could probably fish them however you want and still catch fish. The system was loaded with cooperative smallmouth.
Superior Country is quietly one of the best smallmouth regions you’ll find anywhere. And systems like Kashabowie prove it.
If you’re looking for a place where you can dial in a walleye bite, pivot to smallmouth or pike, this is it. The Kashabowie River system isn’t just another lake. It’s a connected fishery with a lot of options and opportunities to explore.
The trip was yet another reminder of just how good fishing in Superior Country can be.
