Go Back   Alberta Outdoorsmen Forum > Main Category > Fly-Fishing Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-06-2019, 11:38 AM
Pretty83 Pretty83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 8
Default Bass fishing in the Kootenays

Hey guys!

Looking for some info on some bass fishing in the Kootenays. My 6 year old has been bugging me to get out and try our luck for some bass. I’ve never been before, so I’m just looking for some tips on when abouts ice off maybe on lakes like surveyors, Baynes, Suzanne. I’ll be doing some fly fishing but I might get some gear for my kid. Was thinking maybe set up with a drop shot set up? Any kind of info or advice would be great guys, thanks. Pm if you’d like.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-06-2019, 01:30 PM
Wazzy Wazzy is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Posts: 87
Default

Very limited experience here, but I took my float tube out to Surveyors a couple years ago in July. The lake is extremely warm and clear. You can see bass everywhere and they will follow just about any streamer thrown their way. Getting them to commit is another story. I finally caught a few on a brown rubber legged wooly bugger with a full sink line casting and stripping toward the fallen logs. From what I hear it can be hit or miss. Fun lake regardless. Good luck!
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 02-06-2019, 03:28 PM
thumper's Avatar
thumper thumper is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canmore
Posts: 4,740
Default

Shore fishing? Boat? Float tube?

For a 6 year old - that probably needs action rather than size - I'd go to Jim Smith Lake bear Cranbrook, or Baynes Lk.
__________________
The world is changed by your action, not by your opinion.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 02-06-2019, 05:16 PM
Pretty83 Pretty83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 8
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Wazzy View Post
Very limited experience here, but I took my float tube out to Surveyors a couple years ago in July. The lake is extremely warm and clear. You can see bass everywhere and they will follow just about any streamer thrown their way. Getting them to commit is another story. I finally caught a few on a brown rubber legged wooly bugger with a full sink line casting and stripping toward the fallen logs. From what I hear it can be hit or miss. Fun lake regardless. Good luck!

Awesome thanks for the reply! I think he’d be happy to even see them swimming around, that’s always kinda cool. I’ve read theirs turtles in this lake as well?
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 02-06-2019, 05:19 PM
Pretty83 Pretty83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 8
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by thumper View Post
Shore fishing? Boat? Float tube?

For a 6 year old - that probably needs action rather than size - I'd go to Jim Smith Lake bear Cranbrook, or Baynes Lk.
I’ll be taking my drift boat down with me. Yeah, he won’t care so much for size, seen them on tv and sees the explosive strikes and has been obsessed with seeing one and catching one!
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 02-06-2019, 07:41 PM
Red Bullets's Avatar
Red Bullets Red Bullets is offline
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: central Alberta
Posts: 12,627
Default

Windermere Lake south of Radium has largemouth bass as well as rainbow, cutthroat, char, kokanee, mountain whitefish, northern pikeminnow, burbot and pumpkinseed. I think the south end of the lake is where the bass fishermen go. On the BC Ifish app there are a couple comments of where.
__________________
___________________________________________
This country was started by voyagers whose young lives were swept away by the currents of the rivers for ten cents a day... just for the vanity of the European's beaver hats. ~ Red Bullets
___________________________________________
It is when you walk alone in nature that you discover your strengths and weaknesses. ~ Red Bullets
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-06-2019, 09:04 PM
Don Andersen Don Andersen is offline
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Central Alberta
Posts: 1,793
Default

Pretty83.

I’ve fished bass in all of those lakes with flies. Bass like warmer water. Mid to lake May is a better bet.
Barnes have a pile
I have used sliders, poppers, buggers and lately pumpkinheads. Most of the fish are <12” with a rare one 15”.
Fish shallow. Shade is good.

Don
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-06-2019, 10:58 PM
BPman's Avatar
BPman BPman is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Ottawa
Posts: 379
Default

Duck Lake just north of Creston has largemouth bass. A boat would be an asset.
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-07-2019, 08:31 AM
Lornce's Avatar
Lornce Lornce is offline
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 2,663
Default

There are also Osoyoos and Skaha lakes in the Okanagan. I go every year (grew up in that area). Love fishing Poppers and sliders.
__________________
Often I have been exhausted on trout streams, uncomfortable, wet, cold, briar scarred, sunburned, mosquito bitten,
but never, with a fly rod in my hand have I been in a place that was less than beautiful.

My blog - casting on the waters

fishing regulations and facts on fish handling
Fishing Regulations
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 02-07-2019, 11:09 AM
Ryan.M Ryan.M is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 11
Default

I've only fished Surveyors lake when we camped there. Very nice place. Lots of fish and some big ones. I fished mainly out of a kayak.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old 02-09-2019, 01:05 PM
wbaj wbaj is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 222
Default Fly fishing for bass

I honestly don't remember the lake but it was somewhere around Kickamen Creek campground.

The lake was crystal clear. I was using my float tube and parked just outside of a heavy weed line. I cast out over the weeds with a rather large ( I think a size 10) GRHE nymph and slowly brought the fly up to and then past the weed line. When the fly was past this spot I let it slowly sink into the depths.

For well over an hour I caught a healthy bass on every single cast! It was one of my most memorable moments when fishing for a non- trout species. Ive always wanted to get back there but unfortunately never have.

When you find a lake that has them give this method a try.
Good luck!
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old 02-09-2019, 01:45 PM
Pretty83 Pretty83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 8
Default

Thanks for all the feedback!
Reply With Quote
  #13  
Old 02-09-2019, 07:37 PM
thumper's Avatar
thumper thumper is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canmore
Posts: 4,740
Default

Duck Lake near Creston is the most popular for largemouth (and larger) bass. But you need a boat, there's no real launch, it quickly chokes up with weeds, and you're supposed to buy a permit from the Creston Wildlife Authority - so while still worthwhile for locals, it's no longer a 'destination' for the visiting angler. Nice bass though!
P7261173 by Andrew Whittick, on Flickr
__________________
The world is changed by your action, not by your opinion.
Reply With Quote
  #14  
Old 02-11-2019, 11:17 AM
SamSteele's Avatar
SamSteele SamSteele is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 2,781
Default

Vaseux Lake just south of Skaha apparently has some really large bass in it. There has been talk of the Canadian record coming out of there. It is a "no motor" lake. My son and I went there a number of years ago and we caught a few on spinning gear out of our two person kayak. All of ours were small. There were some massive carp swimming around in there as well.

SS
__________________
Princecraft, Humminbird, MinnKota, Cannon, Mack's Lure, & Railblaza Pro Staff

YouTube: Harder Outdoors
Instagram: @harderoutdoors
FB: HarderOutdoors
Reply With Quote
  #15  
Old 03-20-2019, 01:55 PM
deeman deeman is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 47
Default

Depends on where you are going to be in the Kootenays. I have fished Wasa, and Jim Smith for Largey's (on the small side), and Duck Lake outside of Creston (which holds a lot bigger fish). I caught a 5lber out of Duck, just rememeber if you go there you are supposed to buy the Creston Valley wetlands license for an extra $15 I think. Duck Lake is also full of good sized Perch that can be caught with worm and bobber if the young one gets bored. Duck lake is also non motorized, so I go out in my 13' fishcat. If you head towards Salmo and go over the pass there is Erie Lake that has Large mouth and last year for the first time my son and I hooked up the electric trolling motor to the fishcat and went on the Pend Oreille River. Access at Salmo River right by the border, we must have caught 30 Smallmouth Bass between us ranging from 1/2lb to the largest at about 2lb. Super fun day
Reply With Quote
  #16  
Old 03-20-2019, 03:48 PM
thumper's Avatar
thumper thumper is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Canmore
Posts: 4,740
Default

Sounds like great fun Deeman. Were you fly-fishing on the Pen d'Orieille River?
__________________
The world is changed by your action, not by your opinion.
Reply With Quote
  #17  
Old 03-20-2019, 04:00 PM
deeman deeman is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 47
Default

Sounds like great fun Deeman. Were you fly-fishing on the Pen d'Orieille River?

Thumper I will be honest and tell you there was a little more conventional going on then fly fishing, as I was casting streamers because my son was catching them on a fire tiger crankbait. So I was trying to match the hatch as they say, but he was pulling them in and trash talking me so I caved. The great thing about the Pen d'Orielle is there are multiple fish species although we were primarily targeting the Smallmouth, there is Pike, Walleye, Brown, Bull, Cuts, Rainbow, lakers, and Black Crappie. I want to get a 4hp to put on my Fishcat 13' and motor up then drift back down again this year.
Reply With Quote
  #18  
Old 03-21-2019, 12:04 PM
Pretty83 Pretty83 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 8
Default

Thanks for reply. I’ll be heading somehwhere in the Jaffray area.
Reply With Quote
  #19  
Old 03-21-2019, 12:44 PM
deeman deeman is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Calgary
Posts: 47
Default

Pretty83, I have not fished them myself but have heard from multiple people and checked the ifish app that Baynes and Tie lake both have Largemouth Bass and right in that area. Good luck
Reply With Quote
  #20  
Old 03-21-2019, 06:44 PM
goldscud goldscud is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
Posts: 2,960
Default

Baynes has perch as well due to the bucket brigade (Alberta chapter)
Reply With Quote
  #21  
Old 04-01-2019, 09:19 AM
pikeman06 pikeman06 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,615
Default

Baynes and surveyor I fished last summer caught bass in both. Nice clear lakes, surveyors is a little more fisherman friendly as Baynes has quite a few cabins around it and not much room for a back cast but lots of fish albeit on the small size. Windermere is my next lake to hit. Tie lake is more of a recreational lake with lots of water skiing and stuff going on in a relatively small lake. If you can get there before school is out for summer it is nice and quiet. Elk river is right there too and full of trouts. I fished that area June 1st to 7th and did very well.
Reply With Quote
  #22  
Old 04-03-2019, 01:04 PM
Groundhogger's Avatar
Groundhogger Groundhogger is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Ontario~looking west
Posts: 1,158
Default

As the resident Ontarian (close to 1/4 million warm water lakes ), I feel compelled to comment here. lol First-off, in most of our lakes bass season doesn't open until the last Saturday in June. Bass spawn in the spring...so our season is set-up to protect them at this vulnerable time. Not sure about AB, especially if they're considered non-native. Not sure. Here in Ontario, smallmouth bass get a little more attention because of their considerable strength (for their size) and tendency to jump. They also tend to like cooler/deeper/more rocky environments than largemouth bass. Some of the biggest LM bass I've caught have been in less than 2 feet of soupy-warm water.

Anyhow, all bass are part of the sunfish family of course...and they share allot of the same behaviors. Namely, curiosity. They're curious, so give them no reason to feel threatened...and they'll want to taste almost anything they don't think will try to kill them. I don't consider them (or any fish) to be "smart", but on the other hand...they're smart enough to sense danger, allot of which comes from above. Shadows (you, your boat, your fly line) can be enough to spook them. Fish to where they should be, don't attempt to sight-fish unless the smaller...risk-taking fish are your targets.

As for what flies~poppers can be good for the hottest, most still days (here in Ontario) but if you had to survive on eating bass...poppers would be about the worst choice of fly/lure to pick day-in/day-out. It's also true that saying "dark day, dark lure...light day, light lure" when it comes to bass. Bright colours can trump all else on bright sunny days...dark ones on dark days, etc. I've had WAY more luck with buggers (brown, black) than any other fly, because I think in a bass' world, they imitate the widest variety of food items. Leeches, crayfish, gobies, hellgrammites, etc. The ones I tie are basically identical to the ones you see in fly shops, crystal chenille bodies (matching hackle) with a lateral line of krystal flash that extends into the tail. Easy. From what I've seen fishing bass for over 40 years, smallmouth tend to move around looking for targets...largemouth (big ones at least) are ambush predators. They'll back into a hole in a weed line, hang around structure etc. waiting for something to fall ON the water, or swim past. If approaching weed bed for instance, assume the LM bass will be on the edges looking out. Position yourself to have your fly/lure travel along the edge of the weed line and hold on.

I'll also add that when pressured, or in very clear water...you need to downsize your flies~just like trout fishing. I always bring my trout flies with me, and have cracked the mystery of lock-jaw-bass with a size 10 beadheaded prince nymph lots of times. lol Olive or natural brown hare's ears tied large (#8, #6) can be good too, and carp will gobble them up as well. Were I asked what fly I'd pick if I could only have one for bass fishing here? Brown Krystal Flash Bugger (as described above) I've also done very well with a bugger pattern of my own too, a black bugger tied with red dumbell eyes, a dubbed black angora goat body (dubbed thick/picked-out) and a black marabou tail.

The last pattern I'll suggest has caught me lots of panfish, a good number of bass, and probably one of the biggest brown trout I've ever caught, a simple variation of the KFB. White marabou tail, white/pearl Krystal Flash body wound tightly (Stroking back fibers with each wrap) and a shiny gold bead head. Tie those around as size #6, not huge. Some have said that white buggers imitate regurgitated food from a struggling bass (and they do that) but oddly enough...they work well. I'm more inclined to tie one on and dead drift it with a few twitches (moving water) than to cast/retrieve in open water. But only this white variation.

Hope this helps, and good luck!
Reply With Quote
  #23  
Old 04-03-2019, 01:13 PM
Groundhogger's Avatar
Groundhogger Groundhogger is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Ontario~looking west
Posts: 1,158
Default

one more thing...

When I'm fishing warm water lakes from my kayak, I always have spinning and fly gear with me. I prefer the fly gear, but hey...the wind picks-up sometimes...and I'm not always after a struggle. Anyhow, what I've also seen work well (me, my buddies) is if a bright color like pink/chartreuse is doing it (single-tail grubs, Mister Twister, etc.) we might opt to simply tie a bare hook onto your fly leader and fling some rubber around. I've done it, but prefer not to. The only advantage with it is how neutrally bouyant those ALMOST are. Why does that matter? Fishing around lily pads in super shallow water with a heavy-wire nymph-style hook...they sink painfully slow. JUST quick enough to put a little motion in the tail...and just irritating enough to induce a strike sometimes. For whatever reason, bright yellow seems to p*** them off most using this technique.
Reply With Quote
  #24  
Old 09-27-2019, 03:03 PM
Poppa Poppa is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,070
Default

hey folks -- sorry to necro-post, but I'm interested in doing some bass fishing in BC next spring. For those that have been to Windermere, will my 14-foot Lund Rebel (it's pretty heavy for a 14ft) be okay on Windermere, or is it a really big lake with really big waves? (it looks long and narrow, but not sure how rough it gets out there)

Anyhow, just thought I'd ask...thanks a bunch!! Hoping to get some good topwater action going next May!
Reply With Quote
  #25  
Old 09-27-2019, 04:55 PM
sage 13 sage 13 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 939
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Poppa View Post
hey folks -- sorry to necro-post, but I'm interested in doing some bass fishing in BC next spring. For those that have been to Windermere, will my 14-foot Lund Rebel (it's pretty heavy for a 14ft) be okay on Windermere, or is it a really big lake with really big waves? (it looks long and narrow, but not sure how rough it gets out there)

Anyhow, just thought I'd ask...thanks a bunch!! Hoping to get some good topwater action going next May!
plenty big enough.
Reply With Quote
  #26  
Old 01-20-2021, 09:00 AM
Epic_mango_27's Avatar
Epic_mango_27 Epic_mango_27 is offline
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Red Deer Alberta
Posts: 17
Thumbs up windermere lake!

windermere lake for bass and pikeminnow/sqawfish just lil bass tho, email me at ethan.nem@gmail.com for lures and locations
Reply With Quote
  #27  
Old 01-21-2021, 08:52 PM
ÜberFly's Avatar
ÜberFly ÜberFly is offline
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,921
Default

Pretty much any bushy dry fly worked for us and skitter it across the surface! Got boring really quickly! Perfect for kids!
__________________
The virtuous find delight in mountains, the wise in rivers.

-Confucius
Reply With Quote
  #28  
Old 01-30-2021, 10:57 PM
rusbo09 rusbo09 is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 16
Default

X2 for Jim smith lake, went out on a canoe with the fly rod last September and have never found so many bass, not much of size but non stop throughout the afternoon. Saw a couple perch that had to be 8-9 inches too...
Reply With Quote
  #29  
Old 02-21-2021, 09:49 PM
Fly fishing Alberta Fly fishing Alberta is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 36
Default

Duck lake near creston


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Reply With Quote
  #30  
Old 03-16-2021, 01:50 AM
tinpusher tinpusher is offline
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Posts: 5
Default

Make sure the lake is specifically listed in the regs as open for bass! For instance Surveyors is not. This is copied from the regs:

NOTICE TO ANGLERS
It is illegal to fish for bass, perch, pike or
walleye in the Kootenay Region, with the
exception of certain waters, as listed in
the Water-Specific Tables. This measure
is part of B.C.’s management approach to
illegal fish introductions. For details, see below:

The problem
• Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) threaten native fish, their ecosystems and
the recreational fishing opportunities they support - this means fish like
trout and char are at risk!
• Uninformed people intentionally or accidentally moving AIS fish from one
waterbody to another is the main cause for the spread of invasive fish in
B.C. - this is ILLEGAL!

B.C.’s response
• New introductions of AIS fish will not be tolerated
• All waterbodies with new detections will immediately be closed to fishing
for that species
• Some waterbodies with high-risk introductions may be closed indefinitely
to ALL fishing
• Where feasible high risk AIS will be eradicated from watersheds
• Where eradication is not immediately feasible, measures to manage
risk and prevent AIS spreading such as special regulations will be
implemented
• For a restricted list of lakes, AIS may be managed as a regulated fishery
which could be terminated should risks of AIS increase
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 06:25 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.