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Best fishing getaways

It happened in an instant, a sharp tug on the line that made the fishing rod go U- shaped.

I figured I had a whopper. But it was just a smallmouth black bass that, when finally netted, weighed a pound at most.

The smallmouth is generally regarded as, pound for pound, our scrappiest game fish. This one had just come off the spawning beds in Lake Erie's Long Point Bay, where the season on them had opened two days earlier.

I was out with Rick Levick and Al Reid, both past presidents of the 300-member Long Point Bay Anglers Association. They're ardent anglers who enjoy introducing neophytes to the joys of fishing. A couple of my colleagues went with Jim Carrol, who owns Jimmy Riggin' Fishing Charters.

While we motored out from Turkey Point, Levick told us that just about any game fish in Ontario could be caught in Long Point Bay -- trout, salmon, walleye (pickerel), bass, northern pike and yellow perch, which many consider, ounce for ounce, the best-tasting of them all.

An hour later we were off the tip of Long Point, in deep water where our guides hoped trout would be lurking.

Reid, our captain, spotted what he called "good marks'' on the fish-finder and set up lines and down-riggers. We had a couple of hits within minutes, but didn't hook anything. This, Levick joked, is why it's called "fishing" and not "catching."

We upped lines and headed for the shallower Inner Bay and, hopefully, bass.

Inner Bay is favoured by owners of small boats because the waters are protected by the point itself, a 40-kilometre long peninsula renowned for its migratory birds and a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

In summer, Levick said, as many as 500 boats may be anchored in the lee of Pottahawk Point, a sandbar part way along Long Point.

Instead of trolling with lures in 30 to 40 feet of water we dropped hooks baited with live leeches into three or four feet and drifted.

It didn't take long to find a "hot spot.'' So hot, in fact, everyone landed at least one bass, the biggest estimated at 2 1/2 pounds.

There are a couple of fishing options on Long Point Bay, depending on your budget.

Charter boat operator Jim Carrol's rates start at $450 for a group of one to five persons. Visit www.jimmyriggin.com.

You'll need a fishing licence, available at local marinas. They're $11 for a day or $33.25 for a year, free if you're under 18 or 65 and older.

The association holds a kids' sunfish derby that's free to anyone under 12. It's run just like the big bass tournaments, with catches weighed to determine prizes. Except they use a postage scale, which measures in grams, for the little sunfish because the bass scale isn't sensitive enough.

This year's derby is Aug. 8-9. There are two divisions, ages 2-6 and 7-12.

There's no pre-registration required. Just show up at Rotten Ronnies Bait & Tackle Shop, 136 Erie Blvd., on Long Point, to register either day. It opens at 6 a.m. and goes rain or shine.

Entrants can fish anywhere on Long Point Bay, either in a boat or off the docks. They must return their fish to Rotten Ronnies by 3 p.m. each day for the weigh-in.

Members of the Anglers Association will be on hand to help with the fishing and weigh-ins, and each child will get a free grab bag.

For more information on family-focused events and tournaments, visit www.longpointbayanglersassociation.ca.

Norfolk County, where Long Point is located, has a useful map and local food guide. Phone 1-800-699-9038.