Smallmouth vs Largemouth

Floating the River In My Pontoon

Although in the same family these two members of the sunfish family are distinctively different. Length of the lower jaw and dorsal fin differences aside the two fish just look different, Smallies are brownish in colouration while largemouth are green in colouration. "Bronzeback" is a common name for smallmouth and the largemouth is oftened referred to as the "green bass". The largemouth above was caught in one of my favourite eddies on a local smallmouth river. The smallie on my plywood standing platform was caught while fishing a spot on the Rideau System where I normally catch only largemouth. These situations can often occur, but generally, smallies prefer rocky habitat, (Crayfish hide in those rocks!) whereas the largemouth likes the weeds and lily pads. (Frogs like to sun themselves on the pads and the largies lie in wait.)

The smallmouth also likes to dine on the four legged amphibians and largemouth share a liking for crayfish. Where the two species of bass co-exist you can often catch one type of bass in the other's preferred habitat.

Smallmouth bass are masters of camoflauge and will take on the colouration of their surroundings. Fish in tea stained waters will be true "bronzebacks" while Southern Ontario river bass tend to be olive coloured taking on the same hue as the river bottom.

My pontoon float partner and I have very different stles of fishing. He likes to anchor and stands on his seat to cast. I usually leave my "standing board" at home when I'm on the river as I use fins to help control my drift. I can slip out of the seat in water that's not to deep and wade to fish a good looking spot thoroughly.

Earlier this year I caught my first musky on this river. On this last trip, my friend observed several follows from toothy critters and managed to land a 10 pound pike. In a pontoon you are seated up fairly high, but the perspective he has while standing gives him an edge with the toothy critters who have a reputation for following lures right to the boat. Last time out with my friend, I used my flyrod most of the day. He caught all his fish baitcasting and spinning so on this outing I left the fly gear at home and did well on the regular gear. That blue Rapala crank accounted for all my fish on that float. When we return were going to toss some musky baits to see what happens.