Up next in 10
Using Soft Stick-Baits For Largemouth Bass In The Junk | Fish'n Canada
71 views
Apr 15, 2025
Pete Bowman and Angelo Viola team up and head to Ontario’s French River for an often overlooked species in that area... Largemouth Bass. They tackle the heavy weedy bays with light spinning gear and soft Stick Baits. Don't forget to leave a COMMENT and give us a LIKE if you enjoyed what you saw. SUBSCRIBE for new videos and episodes released weekly! CONNECT WITH US WEBSITE: http://fishncanada.com FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/FishnCanada/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/fishncanadaofficial/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/angeloviolafnc/ One of Canada's longest-running fishing shows, Fish'n Canada travels from coast to coast in search of trophy fishing opportunities. First started by brothers Angelo and Reno Viola in 1986, The Fish’n Canada Show has been on the air for over 30 years. Today, Angelo is joined by lifelong fishing buddy, Pete Bowman, and the pair continue to travel across Canada educating anglers using the experience they’ve gained over the years #Fishing
View Video Transcript
0:00
[Music]
0:07
if you're not fishing for large or fast
0:09
you're missing out everything is perfect
0:12
I got how many types of weeds eelgrass
0:14
coontail milf well pads and pencils and
0:17
the wind is blowing in on it oh that's
0:29
what that sucks
0:30
this here we go again go please all the
0:35
fish in Canada so brought to you in part
0:38
by Ram trucks
0:40
nothing worked harder than around
0:42
stirring trusted on the water since 1952
0:46
mercury and forests
0:48
number one on the water and outdoor
0:51
Canada Canada's only national fishing
0:53
industry magazines
0:56
[Music]
0:58
Hardcore largemouth bass anglers tend to
1:01
be a pretty focused and enthusiastic
1:03
group opening day for them is like
1:05
Christmas morning for kids complete with
1:08
all the toys in one typical bass boat
1:10
you're likely to see rod reel combos
1:12
that could include six flippin six five
1:15
pitching poles forward rods and a
1:18
partridge in a pear tree
1:20
each rigged with its own specific bait
1:23
so there's no time loss presenting that
1:25
bass with a smorgasbord of delectable
1:27
appetizers these fish heads know pretty
1:29
much everything about old buck about
1:31
including their need for tight cover be
1:34
it under logs trees docks weeds reads or
1:38
lily pads getting them out of there
1:39
though well that's a whole different
1:41
ballgame but today we're going to try
1:44
something that will hopefully appeal to
1:46
anglers who aren't so specific about
1:47
their fish and show them what a blast
1:49
they can have fishing these bucketmouth
1:51
powerhouses in the junk with medium
1:53
spinning rods and reels like braided
1:54
line and soft stick baits as always our
1:58
kop formula for fishing success will
2:00
play a big role in today's outcome
2:01
thanks to the saloon er tables we
2:04
already know the major and minor
2:05
activity periods with both the Sun and
2:07
the moon sharing the sky for about six
2:09
hours what a bonus a couple lists with
2:13
relatively bright skies a slight breeze
2:15
and water temperatures in the mid-70s
2:17
and we've got potential for fast again
2:21
with this knowledge we know where these
2:23
little dynamos should be hiding out so
2:25
it's time to grab our GPS maps and look
2:27
for shallow bays with lots of cover much
2:29
like their springtime spawning bays by
2:31
the looks of things our first stop will
2:33
be wigwam Bay where ants fished last
2:35
year with Steve Mizuki the owner of
2:37
Saudi a lodge and an upstanding guide
2:39
when he actually gets they do it
2:42
there's that old woman in a clan that
2:45
looked like a brutes of water did this
2:47
well I should pick fish I think to Creek
2:52
fish yeah baby oh yeah the jumper
2:55
yeah mom these are life in Italy engages
2:59
not know they know that's an
3:01
accomplishment back here making a motor
3:03
the heavy stuff that's a chunky fish if
3:07
he didn't yeah they're fat a he's a
3:09
fatty good work he's in good shape
3:14
yeah he just that sank oh just barely
3:17
hit the water
3:22
nice fat bunch we like the fat one maybe
3:26
oh I'm so glad I put another two pounds
3:28
on top of that would be that way up the
3:31
edges a little dollar yeah
3:33
heads our presentations are going to be
3:39
very simple
3:40
he don't be using a cinco rigged expose
3:43
style a variation of the Texas rig but
3:45
with the tip of the hook just slightly
3:47
buried in the worm still making it
3:49
weedless but very easy to penetrate the
3:51
fish on the hook side I'll be using a
3:53
weedless wacky rig where the hook goes
3:55
through the worm midpoint causing it to
3:58
swim horizontally off either side of the
4:00
hook either way we've got these hunkered
4:02
down predators covered up we took up
4:09
sideways like crazy any bilious bit like
4:13
a little perch jump makes that little
4:19
fish in here there are chunky inner that
4:21
yeah once you find a little spot within
4:25
ran together very healthy fish he just
4:31
tapped that thing I did it business it
4:33
Wow a bluegill a little rocky or
4:36
something like that and he swam boat
4:38
with him usually they didn't swim over
4:39
this I thought I heal up maybe all said
4:41
that oh good nice fish
4:44
[Music]
4:51
the second branch stick baits we're
4:53
using today are special they're infused
4:55
with eleven ingredients most of which
4:56
are amino acids and they're specifically
4:58
weighted with salt to us they smell like
5:01
plastic but to the fish the combination
5:04
of these amino acids creates a pheromone
5:05
like taste and smell drawing the fish
5:07
instinctively to it the salt ballast
5:10
gives the bait an incredibly natural
5:12
action on the vertical drop which the
5:13
fish find irresistible but as the salt
5:16
dissolves the plastic actually becomes
5:18
softer which makes the fish want to hold
5:19
on to it even longer
5:20
giving us a better chance to hook up
5:25
trim I drag there are you still on there
5:29
you go there you go losing their deeper
5:32
yeah and I guess really yeah mess a stop
5:39
a little salad with them black look at
5:44
the lip line black the classic wreck
5:48
your single fish right there that's why
5:51
they call them a one fifth day you got
5:53
that right take them to all after all
5:56
those we did we get a motor a problem
5:58
look do that's a fat fish though for not
6:00
a very big fish full belly good on ya
6:04
yeah meats up here we go buddy we
6:07
shaking a lot Hey shaking a lot is tough
6:10
tough friends remember bad there's a
6:13
trick you can use to get this amazing
6:14
irresistible movement when wacky rigging
6:17
soft stick baits and also help prevent
6:19
those one fish one bait outcomes that
6:22
are so typical with these fragile baits
6:24
next time out try a rubber o-ring
6:26
slightly smaller than the diameter of
6:29
the bait and by using either a special
6:31
overing tool or simply your fingers
6:33
slide it in place about halfway down the
6:35
worm body then place the hook between
6:38
the bait and the ring with this
6:40
technique the cinco has more freedom of
6:42
movement and you're not putting a hole
6:44
in the worm which creates a weak point
6:46
usually causing it to break off and fall
6:48
when old bucket mo fits it
6:50
is good way you go here you go thank you
6:59
Bunyan in Nick cream is to fishing what
7:11
Alexander Graham Bell is to talking they
7:14
may not have invented it but they sure
7:15
made it better
7:16
in 1949 Nick cooked up the perfect
7:19
combination of vinyl foil and figments
7:22
to create a molded worm that looked and
7:24
felt like the real thing that original
7:27
cream worm was the catalyst for the soft
7:29
plastic baits that are such an integral
7:31
part of the fish catching formula today
7:33
Grubbs tubes frogs lizards crayfish
7:37
baitfish leeches and of course the
7:40
ever-popular worm although their
7:42
existence - Nick cream now here are some
7:44
of the reasons why today's plastic baits
7:46
are so successful they're incredibly
7:48
soft so they feel real in the fish's
7:50
mouth they can be rigged to be
7:52
completely weedless their natural
7:55
movement and water is enticing the best
7:57
they can be fished in countless
7:59
different ways
8:00
most are scent impregnated further
8:03
enhancing their ability to attract fish
8:05
plastic baits have essentially become
8:07
the go-to bait Nick cream would have
8:09
been proud as one of the pros at sale to
8:12
help you find the perfect classic bait
8:14
for you the fat goes in the pads coming
8:21
up oh I'm not going to addy give it
8:25
right at the boat he's put the brakes on
8:27
last minute last minute when you saw it
8:31
that's nice when they do that with
8:33
loading gear that way buddy
8:35
hey it was cool that's a great fish that
8:39
now we're getting at my quality yeah it
8:41
was reeking of prints really what with
8:42
the pads right
8:43
yeah pads and pencils it's a beautiful
8:46
combo is get one look at him - oh yeah
8:50
any you know fatty is he is chunky
8:53
chunky little fish eat jerk a way he did
8:57
you see a peloton I could pick up the
8:59
light pass to the awesome
9:02
panicked I love it it's padded for sure
9:05
I changed up to that lighter color I
9:12
don't think it makes any difference in
9:14
this marathon I don't know if the camera
9:16
can see it but that he got that fish in
9:18
a classic spot all these Reed's was the
9:20
thickest patch of pads in the reeds and
9:23
all he goes sparse little pieces like
9:24
that at least in this area that's one
9:26
thick patch and he owns it that's his
9:28
area right there nobody else comes in
9:30
there yep don't mess with me people here
9:33
killings and of course that patch has
9:36
got everything for him I mean first of
9:37
all it's got great cover from sunlight
9:39
stuff it's a place where they're less
9:43
stressful when they've got overhead
9:44
cover but more importantly areas like
9:46
that will attract bait fish crustaceans
9:51
and all kinds of goodies for them to eat
9:56
did you know that you can find mass
9:58
fishing hotspots right across the
10:00
province of Ontario with the provincial
10:02
record for small mountain a whopping
10:04
nine point eight pounds and for large
10:06
months on even more impressive ten point
10:08
four pounds
10:09
you know that Ontario grows a big when
10:12
fishing for bass it's important to be
10:13
able to tell your big mouth from your
10:15
small ease and to know where each
10:17
species likes to hide the main
10:19
difference is in the size of the mouth
10:21
if it extends beyond the back of the eye
10:23
that fish is a large mouth if it goes
10:25
only to the middle of the eye it's a
10:27
small mouth the other quick identifiers
10:30
large mouth unlike Smalley's will have a
10:32
broad dark horizontal strike or blotches
10:35
along its side look for largemouth in
10:38
shallow warm water with plenty of
10:40
vegetation submerged trees shaded cover
10:42
and rocks as for small ease they prefer
10:45
cooler deeper water usually around rocky
10:48
or sandy areas just another reason to go
10:51
fish in Ontario today for the most part
10:56
we're fishing pencil reeds mixed with
10:58
lily pads and it doesn't seem to matter
11:00
how big or small the patches of pads are
11:02
this combo is a surefire pattern that's
11:05
especially effective under mile high
11:07
bluebird skies like we have today throw
11:10
in a bit of a breeze and you've got a
11:12
bass outing made in heaven welcome Oh
11:15
yep right here it's move it you see you
11:17
know when fishing a big vast area like
11:19
this one it's always good to have a
11:21
couple of rods rigged up if the cover
11:23
looks extra heavy but the bottom is
11:25
relatively clean then oftentimes a
11:27
jiggin fig is more practical than a soft
11:28
stick bait had anne's tried to flick out
11:31
a little four-inch saenko on light line
11:32
here chances are he would have lost the
11:34
fish or broke off always have a backup
11:37
same thing chunky chunky feel fun he lay
11:39
in this valley
11:42
okay Wow
11:46
go figure yeah he's cruising he's just
11:49
cruising like a good one this is good
11:56
would be a nice go Petey go Petey go
12:03
like a king on bunyan in here nice look
12:08
how big the cover isn't he said they're
12:11
the rest they say look at the deli on
12:15
him - there's just a lot of bull in
12:17
Italian oh wow the top Scott usually
12:20
it's the bottleneck
12:21
I just love Northern Ontario largemouth
12:23
bass it looks so good the cover the rim
12:26
is so perfect water clarity is awesome
12:29
usually nice and clean you can see
12:31
everything it's a great additional
12:34
species cider for sure yeah oh that's a
12:39
nice sex he's definitely the king
12:42
of this domain I'll say right now that
12:43
that Patras is
12:51
yeah outsider outsider for sure yes I am
12:57
gonna look at ya oh that's a nice sex
13:00
you kidding me I'll just like that
13:04
go hike who was that I'm gonna get him
13:06
for you on your side oh I don't want him
13:09
to get anything oh nice
13:14
you got a nicely done
13:18
at the beach that's a nice he's
13:21
definitely the king of this domain oh
13:23
yeah now that that Patras is no mistake
13:26
in it he came right out in the open
13:28
water right yeah just the outside for a
13:30
day and also notice this patch does not
13:33
have a lot of overhead cover and that
13:36
explains the bigger fish generally these
13:39
fish are not overly concerned about
13:41
getting a tight underneath stuff because
13:43
like I said he's the king of his domain
13:45
this boy there you go buddy back home
13:55
it's so cool and we through what four or
14:00
five caches that yep in through it
14:02
middle and year to another very camping
14:04
very tired yeah yeah yeah
14:07
but he's not you had to come out from
14:09
there I'm still thinking he was in there
14:11
you just happen to come over it was
14:12
great you can't love that ah on the
14:19
French River largemouth bass are not the
14:21
dominant predator that they are in a lot
14:23
of waters further south up here they
14:26
definitely take a backseat to toothy
14:28
monsters like muskie Pike walleye and
14:31
even their cousins the smallmouth bass
14:33
the bad news is that most of the French
14:35
is not conducive to a strong healthy
14:38
large more population the good news is
14:41
that most of the French is not conducive
14:43
to strong healthy large most population
14:45
because when you do find that sweet spot
14:47
like we have here the greenback is king
14:51
taking Angela's going to step further
14:53
when largemouth use overhead cover like
14:55
these pad patches or high growing weeds
14:57
they use their senses of hearing sight
14:59
vibration and smell to annihilate for
15:05
[Music]
15:09
today's hot spot is a back bay area that
15:12
is perfect for largemouth bass fishing
15:13
in the summer the way pointing to screen
15:15
will get you there Lake Nipissing in the
15:17
French River are phenomenal all-round
15:19
fishing destinations and bass of both
15:20
species are included in a big way if
15:22
it's sunny out try an unweighted soft
15:25
stick bait a 1/8000 texas rig plastic
15:27
worm or a 1/4 to 3/8 ounce flipping jig
15:30
and jump this area should last into the
15:32
late summer for more hot spots like this
15:34
one check out fishing Canada calm well
15:45
here we go night winery mccreaney
15:46
looking very big but he went nuts here
15:49
we go again
15:50
meeting tip huh he was just fish Randy
15:54
not bigger than thing but he ran that's
15:56
a big fish moving but not bigger always
15:58
bigger net side here look at gonna grab
16:01
that ankle he was gone 15 feet before I
16:04
could even set the hook on Oh gorgeous
16:06
quality fish oh girl you said you never
16:10
had this quality in a long time well
16:12
that thing as you know you get the old
16:16
hooks that go on right when you listen
16:18
the cheek there we go
16:20
sang cold on fish well worth it who's
16:25
beautiful then look at those red gills
16:27
in there absolutely stunningly gorgeous
16:30
fish and help these fish healthy and
16:34
they're on fire water temp is with your
16:36
water camp badge seventy five or seventy
16:39
five point three three five three Oh
16:41
Father's Day was 73 72 and 73 and we do
16:45
sometimes that's all the different just
16:47
do three to Camila great difference and
16:49
and it makes all the difference in the
16:51
world and even the activity level of the
16:54
fish those ones up there might be all
16:55
hunkered in a little more or doing
16:57
something different these guys at two
16:59
degrees difference just smash the bait
17:01
so you got to keep all that kind of
17:03
stuff in mind and then just go how far
17:06
most of today's fish were caught on
17:08
unweighted soft stick dates the reason
17:11
we use them is simple the slow descent
17:13
of the drop can't be copied by any other
17:16
style of bait opener
17:17
these fish are senior base for an
17:19
extended amount of time
17:20
crushing them well before they even get
17:22
near the way as true lovers of
17:25
largemouth bass fishing and and I had a
17:27
riot out here in the French today bottom
17:29
line you don't need all the fancy
17:31
expensive rods and reels to get large
17:33
easing the junk take your spinning rig
17:35
loaded with braids grab half a dozen
17:37
bags a soft stick bait and have a sex
17:40
pit he's definitely the king of this
17:42
domain I'd say right now to get to show
17:49
Deer Lodge we first took highway 400
17:51
north from Toronto we then took highway
17:54
69 north to highway 64 we headed east on
17:57
64 to doki's Road and then proceeded to
18:00
doki's marina from there it's a short
18:03
boat ride to the lodge
18:07
[Music]
18:14
today's klp is about knowledge when Pete
18:17
and I fish this heavy junk with spinning
18:19
gear we know that the most effective
18:21
small diameter line to use is breathed
18:23
thirty pound braid has an equivalent
18:25
diameter to eight pound monofilament or
18:27
fluorocarbon which is usually not a good
18:30
choice in this situation braid is
18:32
created by weaving tiny yet strong
18:34
fibers tightly together making it vastly
18:37
superior and strength and an equal size
18:39
single strand lines this superior
18:41
strength along with small diameter and
18:44
lack of stretch allow braids to easily
18:46
cut through weeds withstand snapping
18:48
hook sets and help you winch in that
18:50
belligerent largemouth it's like
18:52
monofilament or fluorocarbon but armor
18:56
the fish in Canada show brought to you
18:59
in part by sails the outdoor superstore
19:04
Coleman the Outdoor company musk all
19:08
proudly Canadian since 1951 Cooper Tires
19:12
life the road trip come on let's go and
19:16
bring craft both dominate the water
19:21
[Music]
19:38
you
19:38
[Music]
#Fishing
#Outdoors