steverowbotham

Hey everyone, it's been a while and am I ever glad that the season is back in full swing. I've been spending a fair amount of time on Lake Couchiching and even snuck out for some laker fishing before the wind and the rain. Perch fishing has been steady, and I have been eating well! I've been catching lots but I've really had to move a lot to keep on top of them. The deeper water on Cooch has not been productive for me, but staying mobile in the shallow 7-10 foot range has produced well for us. I havent touched live bait this year and the perch have come on small spoons (W-10 - W-20), Forage Minnows and Jigging Raps. The lakers were caught on a mix of spoons and X-Zone Swammers. Enjoy!

I like the bite me tube heads if youre dragging

I am a huge fan of the carbonlite rods and the Johnny Morris rods and reels.

I've done custom orders with X-Zone, Ghost Baits and Bass Magnet. All three produced excellent product for me. I had them do a mustard colour with black,gold,green fleck. Killer when they're on the perch!!

I have never seen anything like it. The thing was just a mutant. I've caught perch that put up a better fight too. It ate a crankbait then just dragged along the surface to the boat like nothing.

Well another season has come and gone and I thought I would share some of it with you. Nice largie crushed a jig in the back of a tree donkey Small tourney on a smaller local lake. Lost by just over a quarter pound. Next time!! We came upon an awesome little dropshot bait called the X-Zone Slammer. It turned the tough days into great ones!! PIGS! We beat the crap out of them on this day. I sight fished this one in 16 feet. Water was GIN clear. Only 16 1/4 inches and weighed 4lbs 2oz. Couldnt believe this fish!! Pic does not do this fish justice, last cast before the storm. Last tourney of the year, bridesmaid again I had another awesome year, 2nd place AOY. Need to get my trophy back in 2012! Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed!! Keep it Reel

As for sheer numbers of quality smallies, I wouldnt put any lake over Erie or St. Clair. I would however, put Simcoe over both of them for numbers of BIG fish. Fish on left is 7-0, right is 5.5 My fiancees first 7 Not a good pic, but this was a 7-2 Left was a 6-11 Not quite 7, but close, tank for mid-summer I'll try and scrape up some more pics.

Nice. Gotta love the goldmines

I used to throw a lot of the Basstrix swimbaits but my new all time favourite by a long shot is the X-Zone Swammer, unreal action.

Hey everyone, my name is Steve Rowbotham and I am a bassaholic. I've been addicted to bass fishing since the summer of 1999 when I fished my first tournament. My father and I entered a 2 day tournament that was happening on a lake that we went to just for a fishing vacation. We lucked onto a real good pod of fish and placed 2nd with just over 34 pounds for 2 days. Since then, bass fishing has been my passion. I have been guiding on Lake Simcoe for giant smallies since 2004 and fishing tournaments (regularly) since 2001. I have 2 AOY victories under my belt and represented Ontario at the Junior Bassmasters Divisionals 4 years running (01-04). I hope to both contribute and learn on this forum and I look forward to interacting with all of you. Thanks for having me! Keep it Reel, Steve Rowbotham

I would try working a spook or sammy over any points or shoals in the lake. I'll throw the spook as deep as 25 feet. Thats not too far for a big smallie to chase and crush an easy meal. I've caught some donkeys doing this.

i cant argue with your reasoning. Youre right in a sense. They may not be "common" but i will land about a dozen sevens per season. I wouldnt call them uncommon

2nd place AOY Next year I want my #1 back. Lost to a good friend so handing the trophy over wasnt so bad, or it was worse, I havent quite decided! LOL

I never leave on a smallie trip without a dropshot jerkbait spinnerbait spook tube I also throw senkos, grubs and crankbaits but not near as often as the five above.

You've never been to Lake Simcoe, and I'll bet my hat that's where he's talking about. If so, drag tubes or spoon em up! PM me for more info if you are talking about Simmy,

7.60 from a club tournament. Caught on an X-Zone slammer on a dropshot.

Here in Canada, we can fish for bass until Nov 30. I dont fish from shore much but if we time it right, we've had 20lbs+ stringers of smallies. When the water's cold, the fish's metabolism will slow. So fish slow. We deadstick tubes and dropshots for our best success

My PB smallie was a 7.60 lber I was fishing a 20 boat club tournament and I had a really good bag in the 24 pound range. I still had a high 3 I wanted to get rid of. I was working a jerkbait over a sand flat and watched a behemoth come up about 4 feet under the jerk and turn around. I pitched out a dropshot slammer and she hit within seconds. Best tournament fish of my life. We weighed 27.90 lbs and got beat out by a 28.05 lbs bag. Uggghhh! But I got big fish at least.