Bass

Largemouth anglers will feel right at home in Ottawa, as many of the area waterways sport expansive surface cover, docks and laydowns, and mile-long weedlines. Heavy tackle is recommended for this thick stuff, with baitcast and flipping rods getting the nod. Fourteen to 20-pound-test mono, or higher rated braid will work to your advantage. Flipping jigs, Texas-rigged worms, lizards and creature baits, and “jerk-style” plastic worms all produce well. Topwater frogs, spook-style baits, and plastic toads will often elicit heart-pounding strikes.

For smallmouths, 3-inch smoke, brown and pumpkin tubes are standard, as are large, white willow-leaf spinnerbaits and popper-style topwaters. Jigs are best fished with spinning gear, on 6 to 8-pound-test line. Many of the area lakes and rivers contain clear water, so finesse-type tactics will often produce for finicky fish.