Georgina
November 05, 2008 07:54 PM
Wil Wegman
November is upon us and for many Focus on Fishing readers it comes with a state of rather unnerving anxiety.
On one hand, the major tournaments are finished for the year so there’s not much left to quench the competitive piscatorial juices that many of us are afflicted with.
That’s OK though because hard-core anglers, whether or not they fish competitively, realize this month can produce some of the biggest bass, pike and perch that Lake Simcoe has to offer.
So, we’re all anxious to spend as many precious days as possible out there this month because we know December usually means the end is upon us.
And then there’s the other hand.
November can be a big time tease.
It signifies a period incredible fishing for trophy-sized fish so you try and make plans for those precious fishing trips, only to be crestfallen when the weather doesn’t co-operate.
And by weather, die-hards don’t let rain, sleet, hail or snow deter us – it’s just those darned incessant winds that allow Simcoe to blow bad enough to sink a ship, let alone an 18.5-foot bass boat, that cause us grief.
So, we often spend more time yearning to get out but not able to because of the blasted winds.
November also taunts us into thinking that winter and another great ice fishing season is not too far off — yet we all know that with climate change it seems safe ice is later and later all the time, so it might well mean no fishing at all until the New Year.
Most of all, for bass-a-holics who just can’t get enough, the inevitable closing of bass season on Nov. 30, means the end of life as we’ve known it for 156 glorious days since the season opened June 28.
But hey, we still have November, so let’s make the best of it because our finned brethren sure do.
In preparation for winter, smallmouth bass, in particular, go on a last ditch feeding spree to end all feeding sprees.
Secondly their radically meandering behaviour throughout the 745 square kilometre lake during the rest of the seasons, seems to come to a much anticipated halt in November.
This is the best month to find and catch some of the biggest smallmouth on the planet when they finally settle into their overwintering areas in our beloved Lake Simcoe.
Remember though, this is also the time smallmouth can be very vulnerable so everyone has to do their part to protect the future of the resource by practising catch and release; it’s critical with them and other species too.
If you must, harvest a couple of the smaller 10 to 13-inch bass for a meal.
Perch less than 11 to 12 inches are plentiful and taste great and pike less than eight pounds or so when cleaned properly are remarkably delicious.
But please let all those precious bigger fish go.
If you ever do get the trophy of a lifetime, smile like you’ve never smiled before and take a couple of photographs, some measurements, release the fish with pride and then check into getting a replica mount made by taxidermists such as those at Advanced Taxidermy and Wildlife Design who specialize in creating replicas that look more lifelike than you can ever imagine.
www.advancedtaxidermy.com
Have a great and safe November fishing for your personal best.
Make sure your boats are seaworthy, have all the required safety equipment, check weather forecasts to plan your trips accordingly, wear those floater suits, carry cellphones and be prepared for unexpected winds that will send you to the boat launch before you planned — it’s all part of fishing during the best trophy fish month of the year.