By Garth Pottruff Platinum Quality Author

If planning a day of smallmouth bass fishing, the Nith River should be included. It is easily accessible from the 401 and 403 highways near Paris. It is within a one hour range of over five million people and yet hardly fished at all. The river starts somewhere out in Nithburg and flows one hundred miles to the forks of the Grand River in Paris.

The Nith River is shallow and narrow with excessive winding. The water is clear and the pools are 3-8ft deep. The bottom is gravel-strewn with clay banks that are prone to creating murk with rain. The Nith floods easily so it is wise to go online to view flow rates to insure an enjoyable fishing trip. The Grand River Conservation Authority offers an online service of real-time water level and flow data. It can be found by visiting www.grandriver.ca and selecting “River Data”. The data posted is updated every hour.

By Charles Hammer Platinum Quality Author

When it gets too hot and too crowded on the water consider bass fishing in more agreeable climes and times; specifically, after dark or in a gentle rain. Lakes and streams often come alive when the sun goes down or hides behind the clouds. The fish are livelier and less likely to be spooked by human traffic. In fact, many anglers who visit dark and/or rainy waters as a change of pace, find that these times can produce some of their most productive and enjoyable bass fishing. Before going any further though remember that safety is always first and foremost so find a buddy to take with you and as with any bass fishing trip let someone know where you are going and when to expect you back. Never, never fish when there is lightening any place in the sky or if you hear thunder. If lightening begins to strike unexpectedly leave the water immediately. Also, make sure all the running lights on your boat are fully functional.

By Garth Pottruff Platinum Quality Author

Smallmouth bass fishing on the Grand River with platform rafts has added a new enjoyment to the sport of fishing in Paris. Normally the riverbanks cannot be walked because the land is privately owned and restricted. This forces fishermen to wade the boulder bottom and wrestle river current when angling for smallmouth bass in the Grand River. The use of platform rafts resolves the wading problem.

With platform raft fishing fisherman now have access to miles of shoreline with excellent small mouth bass fishing all along the Grand River. People of all sizes and ages can enjoy a time together with friends or families to fish as they drift down the Grand. The platform rafts allow anyone of any physical condition the opportunity to get out and fish some of the best spots for small mouth bass.

By Charles White Platinum Quality Author

Many people go to Florida to fish for that trophy bass but did you know that 4 other states have a bigger state record than Florida? Not only that but one of the states is said to have produced a new world record. Florida's record bass is 17.27 pounds, but others often cite an uncertified fish of 20.125 pounds (a fisheries biologist did not physically see the fish to certify it). Leaha Trew supposely caught a new world record largemouth in California. It weighed 22 pounds, 8 ounces, beating George Perry's 1932 record catch by 4 ounces. The problem is there was only one picture taken of it and it wasn't certified by a biologist or a California state fish and game offical.

By Tim Lee Platinum Quality Author

Six strategies for a good day's fishing

(1) Largemouth Bass like plastic worms. Purchase a variety of colours from clear to bright and in varying shades. If fish don't seem to be biting on one colour then switch for something lighter, and if they're still not biting, go for a worm darker than your original. Generally, it depends on the water colour, time of day and temperature.

(2) Largemouth Bass like man-made or natural structure so look for them around jetty pylons, treefall and rock formations. They also like lots of weed so keep your eye out for a variety of spots.

By Craig DeFronzo

We all know how effective tubes fished on internal weighted heads can be. The fact is that if you only use them this way, you are seriously hampering the true potential of this bait and its versatility. I’ve discovered, many years ago that fishing a tube in weed choked waters was a great way to catch fish. The problem I encountered was the open hook continuously and unmercifully getting snagged all day long. To combat this, I simply tried to rig the tube on a Texas rig. Ultimately I settled on a brass and glass type rig that has always scored well for me. This rig mixes sexy tubes, scent and sound to form a complete package of bass grabbing attention.

Have you ever noticed whether it be Club Tournaments, Divisional Tournaments (B.A.S.S. Federation, Red Man, Anglers Choice, etc.) and even the Pro Tournaments, usually you will see a hand full of the same anglers consistently "In-The-Money" most of the time. Then while you’re driving home after fishing some of these tournaments without much success you ask yourself "What are these anglers doing so different than I am."

There are many different reasons for these same anglers to consistently "Cash-In" or "Place in the money" fishing Bass Tournaments, and I hope that I can help you with some "In-Site" on what keeps some of these anglers successful when it comes to tournament fishing.

Fishing for bass during the late fall and winter months can be a daunting task.

During the regular season, you have identifiable structure to fish, vegetation is in bloom and the sun offers you shaded areas, which will produce fish during the heat of the day. Winter however does not give you any of those visible signs. So what do you do? Well once again, you must turn to your understanding of the bass and its lifestyle during these "lean months". When I use the word lean, I am referring to the food chain which can be drastically reduced by the elements. Exceptionally cold weather can kill smaller fish and aquatic life leaving the bass only a limited diet for 3 or 4 months. You will often hear bass fishermen talking about the "big feed" prior to winter, when bass will eat anything and everything to carry them through till Spring.

Well, finally after all the years of enjoying the sport of bass fishing I have noticed that more and more women (and girls) are taking a considerable liking to this wonderful sport. In fact, in the last five years during the operation of my 3-day "On-Water" Bass Fishing School and Bass Fishing Charter Service located here on Lake Champlain and Lake George, NY, I have had a tremendous increase of women (and girl) students enroll in my school as well as booking bass charter trips each year, and I really must say that it really gets me excited to see them enjoy all the fun and excitement they’ve been missing out on for so long.

I wanted to share with our readers a recent bass fishing trip I made with my wife Linda and my good friend Steve Sergeant, to Orlando, Florida. "Stevo" and I had to fly to Florida on business and Linda was coming along for a well deserved break! Our first morning was going to be "open", so the fishing trip seemed like a great idea.

Searching through the Internet looking for a sensibly priced, reliable fishing guide service can be a daunting task. As a New York State guide and professional tournament fisherman, you can imagine how particular I am when it comes to choosing someone to take me fishing!