ESPN Freshwater

SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. — Nestled in deep forest just outside of the southwestern corner of the world-famous St. Regis Canoe Area, 60-acre East Pine Pond sits well below Floodwood Road.

So even though it's less than 100 yards off the shoulder, the sounds of traffic float over it, out of ear-shot of guys drifting its protected waters, targeting its plentiful bucketmouths.

Bass haven't always resided in the place. Like all Adirondack ponds populated with warmwater game fish, East Pine's bucketmouths are aliens. These ponds are so remote that if left to their natural destiny, they would only contain forage fish like shiners and chubs.

However, Rich Preall, the state biologist assigned to the beat, was instrumental in introducing the species. Rumor had it that he also knew how to catch them, so I arranged to fish East Pine Pond with him the last week of June, when my wife and I traditionally take our annual vacation at Northbrook Lodge (518-327-3379; www.northbrooklodge.com), in the hamlet of Paul Smiths.

Target timber

Armed with his favorite lure, a watermelon-colored Gary Yamamoto 5-inch Yamasenko, Preall drifted the edge of the pond, casting into every tangle of timber he found. Still, all timber isn't equal.

"Logs that have 3 to 4 feet of water beneath them always seem to hold bass," advises Preall.

He fishes the bait weightless, casting parallel to the trunk and at right angles to it. He'll sneak up as close to shore as he can and drop his bait in the corner where the limb enters the water. He casts between the branches, sometimes off their tips. Keeping an eye peeled on the line, he sets the hook if the line deviates from its slow, angular descent.

East Pine's largemouths generally range between 1 and 2-1/2 pounds. Quite a few go 3 pounds, and every year Preall gets fish weighing 4 pounds. Granted, in bass circles, a 4-pounder ain't exactly something to write home to mom about. But the "Daks" have a very short growing season. "It can take a bass eight years to grow to 3 pounds," says Preall. We nailed a couple bass pushing 3 pounds that day Ñ trophies, relatively speaking.

Other species

East Pine has an abundance of pumpkinseeds and yellow perch, too. The sunnies average a solid 6 inches with numerous 8-inchers available. Yellow perch run 7 to 9 inches, with many going 10 inches and better.

Lately, crappie have been showing up. One lucky angler caught a 2-pounder last month. Crappies are almost unheard of in the Adirondacks. Preall doesn't know how they got there, but surmises "a Johnny Crappieseed must have planted them."

Info

A couple hardened campsites are off the canoe launch parking area. For guide service, contact Bear Cub Adventure Tours, 518-523-4339; mountain-air.com/canoeing. Owner Gary Marchuk specializes in wilderness canoe trips.

Get there

East Pine Pond is located on the south side of Floodwood Road. Get there from Paul Smiths by heading south on NY 30 for about 11 miles to the intersection of NY 30, NY 46 and Floodwood Road. Turn onto Floodwood Road and travel west for about 4-1/4 miles, to the fishing access site on the left (about 1/4-mile after you cross the railroad tracks).

Editor's note: Spider Rybaak is the author of "Fishing Eastern New York" and "Fishing Western New York," which together cover 429 lakes and streams. For signed copies, contact the author at srybaak@dreamscape.com.

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