Tackle & tactics: The first weeks of the season, which opens May 1, find bass moving from the Headpond into rivers such as the Meduxnekeag to prepare for spawning. On mornings early in the season, expect to catch a dozen or more bass-averaging 2½ pounds-per hour!-in the Meduxnekeag. The Meduxnekeag River is part of the 100-kilometre-long Mactaquac Reservoir, known as the “Headpond,” which offers an extensive variety of bass habitat, such as tributary streams, flooded roadbeds and deep sandbars. With southern Nova Scotia featuring chains of lakes connected by rivers, planting bass in one lake inevitably led to their distribution throughout the various systems. And as brook trout stocks dwindled in local lakes, irresponsible anglers planted smallmouth to replace them. For starters, global warming and poor forestry practices have combined to change cold-water fisheries into warm-water habitats. Since then, however, a sea change has occurred: there are now more than 200 bass waters in the province, thanks to several factors. The species wasn’t particularly popular as long as trout and salmon remained available and by 1949, there were only 10 lakes with confirmed populations. Exactly how they reached the Saint John River system is unknown, but once in that enormous watershed, they spread at their leisure.Įarly in the 20th century, the first smallmouth were introduced into southern Nova Scotia. With a reputation for being both hard-fighting and good-tasting, smallmouth bass were first introduced into northern New England and subsequently southwestern New Brunswick. Dumas Bass from the pastīy the mid-19th century, many East Coast stocks of native gamefish, namely brook trout and salmon, had been decimated by overfishing and habitat destruction. For those ready to taste the action, here are the best spots in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to satisfy the craving. Then there’s the surge in televised bass tournaments, which also whet local appetites. As trout stocks and habitat diminish, anglers are looking elsewhere for sport, and bass fit the bill.
There are also multiple gear and bait restrictions.Ĭultural preferences notwithstanding, bass fishing is becoming increasingly popular in the Maritimes. To protect against possible excesses, some periods in both provinces are catch-and-release only. In New Brunswick, anglers can chase bass from mid-April through to mid-October, while in Nova Scotia the season is even longer-from April 1 to November 30.
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