Where did Nova Scotia’s Smallmouth Bass Come From?
When I was small, fishing meant a couple of things.The first was well, anything you could catch from the town wharf. Pollack were number one, then Tommy Cod and every now and then a Mackerel.
We would also by times catch Kyak (Alewife), Eels, Sculpin and Flounder, all from the wharf or the nearby abutments of the town bridge.
A local man would fish the tides for Striped Bass but he was the only one I knew of who fished for them.
The second opportunity was fresh water fishing. That meant Brook Trout but we kids were just as happy to catch Yellow Perch, Eels and Bullheads. Smelt and Kyak were dipped, and Shad were jigged, in season.
I was oblivious to Atlantic Salmon although there was a legend of someone hooking one on a Red Devel Lure while fishing for Pollock off the Town Wharf.
Now a’ days, well, things have changed. I have not fished with a “Red and White”, the local name for the Red Devel spoon, or sunk a hook draped in Night Crawlers in years.
Now I fish with a fly rod for anything I can put a cast in front of and spend a lot of time chasing fish I had barely even heard of as a kid.
For example, I am positive there were no Smallmouth Bass around when I was a kid. Where the heck did they come from or was I just growing up in a place where no one fished them?
No kidding let me know if you have an answer to this.
By the way, I was driving back from Amherst last night and had the fist bug mess of the season on my windshield. My brother Warren looks for Nanking Cherry blossoms to tell him the trout are willing. Me, I get the fly rod out when the first bugs start hitting the windshield.
Planning to finally get away this weekend, let me know if anyone within reach is looking to get out too.
Labels: eels, Kyak, Nova Scotia’s Smallmouth Bass, Pollack, Striped Bass
posted by Steve Dobson at
01:33
12 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
OK that seemed to work. I guess I can't publish directly from the preview.
Where was I? Oh, yes... the Appalachian mountains form a geographic barrier to the north and east that defines the Smallmouth's indigenous range. There were no Smallmouth Bass in New England or in the Maritimes prior to about 1870, when a smallmouth aficionado in Maine stocked his private pond.
Nova Scotia's Smallmouth Bass are believed to be descended from that original Maine stocking. The first Nova Scotia planting of 107 bass was in Bunker Lake, Yarmouth County in 1942. They were harvested from Wheaton's Lake, NB.
After a number of NS government-sponsored plantings, notably in the Gaspereau - Black River Complex in Kings County (1967-68), and Spectacle Lake in Digby County (1971), Smallmouths were able to travel to other watersheds and lakes, either throught illegal transfers or natural flooding.
They are now here to stay and liking it. With the threat of global warming, they may like it even more in the future. I'm not sure how our cold-water-loving salmonids will fare...
Reference
McNeill, A. J. (1995) An Overview of the Smallmouth Bass in Nova Scotia. North American Journal of Fisheries Management 15:680-687.
Wow...thanks for the great information RP.
Do you remember first hearing about them as a species to target with the fly rod and when that might have been?
I remember you taking to me to Ten Mile Lake a few years back for some bass fishing and out fishing me mercilessly.
Thanks again for the informative reply.
Cheers,
Steve
It's very interesting how a species can take hold and spread. When I was a kid, I used to fish a brook trout pond in Ontario with my father. Back then, we weren't fly fishing. We would trap minnows and use those in the pond with bobbers. It was lots of fun and the pond held plenty of fat brookies. Years later, something changed. The brook trout fishing wasn't as good as it once was, and then one year we caught a big rainbow in there, a fish we had never seen before, and the year after that, my father caught a 5 pound largemouth bass. We had fished in there for many years and had never caught bass before that. I haven't been back there for a long long time, and I sometimes wonder if there are still a few trout in there....
Interesting story Mr.A,
I know a spot like that. The thing I eventually discovered was that at different times you would catch different species. Sometimes just Brookies, sometimes just Bass and somtimes both randomly.
Cheers,
Steve
Cool blog.
I'll be visiting Nova Scotia (Halifax area) in July and will spend some time in New Glasgow area as well.
Is there anywhere to get into some smallmouth bass in that area?
Thanks!
Well Anonymous,
The Halifax/Dartmouth area, called locally the HRM, has some of the best urban fishing around.
Dartmouth is known as the "city of lakes" and every one of them is crammed with Smallmouth Bass, Trout and more.
When you get close to arriving drop me a line. You will find an email address in the links section of the blog. I'll make sure you have some spots to try.
The New Glasgow area is wonderful trout fishing country and also has one of my favourite fall salmon streams. I'll find out about the bassin' next time I see my buddy.
Cheers,
Steve
I am wondering if anyone can tell me the names of lake with good bass fishing in Dartmouth. I am 14 and dont have a boat so it will all be from shore. Any help woou;d be much apreciated.
Hello Tangled Angler,
The truth is every lake in the city I have tried has been loaded with fish.
I use a float tube or canoe now, but when I first arrived I saw fish rising in Albro lake and tried for them from shore with good success.
The two big lakes, Banook and Micmac have good fishing from shore.
Penhorn Lake has loads of Bass, Speckled trout and Rainbow Trout.
Albro has loads of Bass and Rainbow trout and some Speckled Trout.
Micmac has Bass, Speckled Trout and is rumored to have land locked salmon but I've never caught one there.
Banook has Bass and Speckled trout for sure and is rumoured to have more different species.
Lake Charles has the same and so on.
The best way to find a good spot close to home is to look over the lake really well at dawn or dusk and watch for rises.
BTW-I am a fly fisherman so use flies and poppers mostly but the spin-fishermen use a lot of plastics and the bait fishermen swear by orange or yellow Power Bait.
Good luck- let us know how you make out.
Cheers,
Steve
Thank you steve. I actually know where most of these lakes are, i'll give them a try tonight. Do you know where the best acess to Albro Lake is. thanks
Hello again T.A.;
Either through the end of Albro Lake Drive and follow the paths to a likely spot or park on the Circumferential Highway near the Highfield Park exit and walk down the bank.
The fish are everywhere in the lake so just find a comfortable spot to fish from and have at it.
The Bass are in the shallower water around structure and the trout are deep.
To catch the Rainbows the boys just put on a gob of power bait or worm and let it sink to the bottom, then pull it up about a foot and wait.
Cheers,
Steve
This blog is further than my expectations. Nice work guys!!!
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