Imagine pristine, wilderness surrounded, deep, rocky lakes teeming with species like northern pike, walleye, yellow perch and smallmouth bass, and you're seeing a Canadian Shield lake. These are usually formed by glaciers millions of years ago. Through time, various species of fish were introduced into them, some dammed off by beavers and some with shorelines covered with cottagers. These are truly the most beautiful lakes you could ever come across, in my books. While catching fish is usually not a huge problem for most weekend anglers; finding and catching the bigger fish can be a very tough and tedious task, or a game of pure luck. Well hopefully I can put the odds in your favour.

While I would rather not focus on any one lake in particular, most of my examples are from just a couple of Canadian Shield lakes near Minden, Ontario and Huntsville, Ontario. Also some from the famous Algonquin Park in Northern Ontario. Most Canadian Shield lakes are similar in that they are; Rocky, Deep and Clear. Most have species of largemouth and smallmouth bass, as well as northern pike or musky. This article will focus mostly on bass.

Okay, for the most part, you won't be doing any tournaments on these lakes. So basically I'm going to give you tips on how to catch a few big bass each day. First off, fish the early morning. During the morning hours, when the mist is rising off the lake, it can be incredibly beautiful and serene. So even if you don't catch anything, you'll probably be taken by just how great it is to be there early in the day. What you want to do at this time is look for two things: 1) Shallow water with some logs or boulders strewn about, or 2) Steep rock cliffs. Both of these should be available. Bass of both species will school up and feed along the rock cliffs. My absolute favourite way to pick off the bigger ones is with a large size Jitterbug in black or gray colors. Basically cast parallel to the rock cliff and reel the Jitterbug in slowly along the surface. You may miss a few fish, but the strikes from a 3-6lb bass with send you jumping. You'll be in heaven. If there are any logs or docks on the rock cliff, be sure to hit them extra hard. Another way to get them if they aren't hitting on top is with a full sized spinnerbait in blue, black or red (note the darker colors because of the darker water) and silver double willow blades. This allows you to cover water and really rip it past the fish. Smallies love to chase down their food, so this spinnerbait is perfect. A Terminator spinnerbait is a good choice, because a big smallmouth can easily do a real number on a steel wire spinnerbait and bend it out of shape. Use the same types of lures around the shallow logs/boulders, but stay further back. In the crystal clear water the bass will tend to spook easier. If pike or musky are a problem, be sure to use a good quality leader, like a Terminator Titanium leader. Trust me, the bass won't care if it's there.

I don't really need to mention the evening bite, because it is pretty much exactly the same as the morning. The only thing I dislike about evening fishing on these lakes is that lots of cottagers like to go swimming in the evening, which narrows down your places to fish.

This bass is a 17 inch smallmouth, caught in the early morning on a black triple blade buzzbait.

During the daylight hours, especially on bright, sunny, hot days, catching any fish at all can be a task and a half. Without the proper tackle, you cannot chase the big boys down. With the proper stuff, you will literally be chasing them down. First of all, use polarized sunglasses. Make sure you have them because there can be an awful lot of glare on the water on a sunny day. Now, look for shallow areas (3-6ft) with a drop to about 10-12ft. The bass will usually be on that drop off. Make sure there is some rock, weed or log cover in the area. Docks located near these drops are also prime areas to hit. Now keep an eye out. Schools of big fish will roam around near these drops during the day. They won't necessarily be feeding... just roaming. Perhaps getting some sun. What you need is finesse tackle. I'm talking about a 4-6' Ultra Light or Light action rod/reel spooled up with 4-8lb test line. Flourocarbon may be a good idea, but I personally have never used flourocarbon yet so I can't guarantee anything. What you need is a small worm hook and a 4" Fry worm. Notice I didn't say floating air fry... I said a fry, sometimes called a "do-nothing worm". It looks literally like a french fry. Finesse worms and senkos will also do the job well. Rig the bait weightless and be patient. If you need a little faster drop, add a small split shot, but make sure you still have that slow, sinking action. It's your weapon against those big old bass, they can't resist it!

If you prefer to fish shallow situations during the daytime, many of the Shield lakes have back bays or shorelines that have some lily pad cover. Mix that with docks and you have prime "frogging" grounds for monster largemouth or sometimes smallmouth bass. My favourites for this are a Poppin' Grass Frog or a soft plastic rat or mouse. I use heavy tackle, preferably Power Pro braided line (80lb). All you do is cast your frog or rat out, let him sit for a few seconds, then slowly twitch him back, or in the grass frog's case, pop it back. Aim for differences (i.e. points in the pads or cuts, channels through them, logs, stumps, dock legs, swim docks, boulders, etc.). Be really patient and work the water quietly and thoroughly. I have caught my biggest Canadian Shield largemouth doing this tactic. Sometimes if you hit the edges of these areas early in the morning you can pick up some big bass on Jitterbugs or buzzbaits in dark colors.

Unfortunately, I have no current experience night fishing Canadian Shield Lakes. I have something against coming back to shore in pitch dark and finding a bear there waiting for me. I might be paranoid, but I don't think it's worth the chance. Remember, better safe than sorry.

Well, hopefully this article has helped you to become better at finding and catching big bass in Canadian Shield lakes. If you haven't visited any of these lakes, I urge you to some time. There are some great ones and the fishing is nothing short of amazing if you do it right. Remember though, practice catch & release. I've recently seen a good pike population in a lake I visit often up north go to almost nothing from fishermen keeping more than their fair share every year. Keep some if you wish, but be sensible. Leave some for the future generations. As always, stay safe out there, good luck and have fun!