Boundry Bonanza

Many years ago, Long Creek, on the outskirts of Estevan, was dammed to provide power for the people of Saskatchewan. This section of the river became known as Boundry Reservoir, due to its proximity to the United States border. Nestled in the southeast corner of the wheat province, this eight mile long impoundment became an important recreational destination for people of this region.

Stocked in the mid-eighties, this reservoir has become prime habitat for largemouth bass, to not only survive, but thrive as well.

Yes, that's right, largemouth bass, the glamour fish of the southern United States!

Boundry Reservoir has a coal fired generating station on its shore, providing the warm water needed by largemouth to survive the cold Saskatchewan winters, with one section of the reservoir remaining open all year long.

On this particular trip I was to meet up with Al and Jim Lindner of In-Fisherman fame at a motel in Estevan, and after checking in, we made the quick ten minute trip to the recreation area on the southeast section of the reservoir. We launched our boat and took a run down the lake just to get a feel for the layout of the reservoir.

POWER BAITS SAVE THE DAY

On this particular day, we started fishing a shallower mid-lake section. Being the second week in June, Al Lindner figured this was the transition area the bass might be using on their movement from shallow back spawning bays to main lake points and weed beds. In no time at all, we had our first largemouth in the boat, caught on a plastic Berkley power lizard, fished along a rocky shoreline. While Jim was using the lizard, Al was throwing a chartreuse spinnerbait, and I was following up with a shallow running crankbait.

After quickly covering a half mile of shoreline with a variety of presentations, we moved into a shallow back bay. It was here that I had on, and lost two big bass on a Power Slug, retrieved slowly over emerging weedbeds. Jim Lindner recommended the the bait based on the observation that the fish were in post spawn.

After eight hours of fishing the reservoir, we had caught and released eighteen to twenty largemouth, the biggest in the five pound range. Not bad for a time when most of the fish were in post spawn doldrums.

Since that trip I have been back to Boundry Dam twice and it has never let me down. The latest effort was last March before season closed and friend Stu McKay and myself caught some excellent fish before a big time cold front put a clamp on things. In this instance we caught them vertial jigging a small three inch Berkley Power Craw in chartruese and black. We found active fish on a main lake point that fairly close to the warm water discharge. By using the front troll motor we moved back and forth slowly over the point, working the the 1/4 ounce lead head jig from on the bottom to four feet up. The slow in your face presentation got not only the largemouth going but we couldn't keep the walleye off either. We must of have caught four walleye to every largemouth.

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