Nodak Outdoors» bass fishing tips

Trolling Crankbaits

admin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 21:53:16 +0000

Our Outdoors By Nick Simonson

In cooler waters of May and June the shallows can seem almost bare. Nothing but the occasional waterboatman or roaming bluegill disturbs the water bordering shore. Then as summer peaks, it seems the shallows are suddenly alive and teeming with small fish, as if the table was set for a late summer picnic! This baitfish bonanza sets the table as fish feast in preparation for the leaner times in fall and winter.

By observing what is in the shallows of your local waters and imitating the available forage, you’re one step closer to a successful late-summer fishing trip. Whether trolling, casting or using the fly rod, baitfish imitators are go-tos during this time of plenty.

Troll on

A wide variety of crankbaits on the market in dozens of color schemes will help you nail down the pattern that fish prefer in your area. I recall a few summers back on my home water of Lake Ashtabula, ND, the conditions were just right to support a massive crop of yearling white bass that by August had reached a length of three inches. As a result, silver, chrome and blue Storm Thundercranks and Rapala Shad Raps were effective lures when trolling for walleye. Few of the fish caught contained anything other than the silver forage fish in their bellies.

In the waters of Detroit Lakes, MN a similar hatch of bluegills occurred the following season. A dominant forage fish for both the walleyes and bass of Big Detroit, bluegill patterns paid huge dividends when offered up on Rapala DT-6 model crankbaits for night fishermen trolling for walleyes and for largemouth anglers casting around structure and weedlines. As for the crop of mature shiners, large swimbaits helped trigger bites from bucketmouths as well.

Cast of Thousands

When baitfish do stack up in the shallows or move out to open water in late summer, casting their imitators can result in some frenzied action. Take for example those same schools of white bass from a few years ago, now grown up to around 14 inches in length. As minnows and young-of-the-year perch move out from shore, it isn’t uncommon to see schools of white bass feeding ferociously near the surface. Cast Rapala Countdowns and Originals, insert head jigs with silver-fleck crappie tubes, or white jigheads paired with chartreuse, clear/flash or white three-inch curlytail grubs from a distance for exciting fishing. The same goes for lakes with healthy crappie populations targeting minnows.

You may even start to see baitfish scattering across the surface as summer progresses. This is usually in response to predators moving through the area in search of food. To imitate a school of fleeing baitfish, nothing tops a multi-bladed spinnerbait such as the Terminator Clear Water model. Burn them under the surface for reaction strikes from bass, and as the heat of summer wanes, pike.

On the Fly

Many great minnow patterns have been adapted to the traditional pursuit of fish on the long rod. As fly anglers expanded the pastime to bass, pike and other warm- and cool-water fish, the patterns presented to these predators had to change. Some staple streamers in your box for predators should be minnow patterns in order to capitalize on the summer feeding period.

Flies like the Clouser minnow, muddler minnow, krystal bugger, Mickey Finn, black-nosed dace, EZ-perch, and Puglisi’s perch and bluegill patterns help fly anglers match the hatching baitfish in their waters. Minnow streamers aren’t just for warm and cool water fish like bass and crappie – big brown and rainbow trout are keying in on baitfish at this time of year too. Weighted flies will get a floating line down a couple of feet, but if you’re finding baitfish out deeper in your local lake, use an intermediate sink line, such as a Type-III, to get your offering in the strike zone faster and to keep it there.

The basics of baitfish being the primary forage at this time of year rests on one theory: fish want a feast that is easy to get to while expending the least amount of energy to get it, and hordes of baitfish that. As a result, at this time of year, a bonanza of big fish will be yours thanks to lures in baitfish trolling crankbaits patterns set up your next bite…in our outdoors.

Time to Go Fishing

admin — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 02:51:05 +0000

by Bob Jensen

It used to be that anglers planned their fishing trips way in advance, and many still do. However, in conversations with resort owners and tourism people, more and more, anglers are becoming very spur-of-the-moment planners. They decide on Tuesday they want to go on a fishing trip for the upcoming weekend, maybe Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I’m getting to be like that myself. Every now and then I find myself with some unexpected time on my hands, and I want to do something with that time. I decide to go fishing. Here’s how I take full advantage of that spur-of-the-moment fishing trip.

First of all, my fishing equipment is usually ready to go. I keep all my stuff in the back of the truck or in the boat once fishing season rolls around. I always have several rods that are spooled with good line, the trolling motor batteries are always charged, I’m pretty much ready to go fishing whenever the opportunity presents itself. The rest of my life might be in disarray, but my fishing tackle is always ready for action.

Now it’s time to find a place to go. You can call friends for ideas, maybe you have connections near some potential destinations. Check out fishing reports on the Internet. Some of those reports are reliable, some aren’t. Of course things can change by the time you get to our destination, but up-to-the minute reports can be very helpful when trying to decide where to go fishing in the next few days.

I try to go to bodies of water that have progressive regulations whenever possible. The fishing, for the most part, on these lakes and rivers is just better. For instance, I was on Storm Lake in west central Iowa a few days ago. Five years ago the walleye fishing on Storm Lake wasn’t that good. Then a slot limit was put in place: Walleyes between seventeen and twenty two inches must be released. The walleye fishing has exploded: You’ll generally catch lots of fish, some too big to keep, but still lots of eaters. Storm Lake is close to lots of Midwest anglers and is now one of the best walleye lakes in the Midwest because of progressive regulations.

Another good example: I just spoke with my friend Craig Brown. Craig and his wife Paige own McArdle’s Resort on Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota. He described the walleye bite on Winnie right now as a “suicide bite”. Winnie is another lake that has benefitted greatly from a slot limit.

In many areas of the country largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, and muskies have seen tremendous results from progressive limits. Areas that have reduced the panfish limits have also seen great improvement in panfish quantity and quality. If you’re planning a spontaneous fishing trip, it would be a good idea to look first at areas that are effectively managing their fisheries.

Now you just need someone to go with you on your spur-of-the- moment fishing trip. It’s almost always more fun to fish with someone. A family member might be able to come along, or maybe a friend can get away. You can share costs and companionship. That’s always a good thing. The key is, when you get the opportunity to go fishing, you need to take advantage of it. And, if you don’t get the opportunity to go, make the opportunity.

To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, visit fishingthemidwest.com or MyOutdoorTv.com

Catch More Fish This Year

admin — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 15:55:30 +0000

By Bob Jensen

Although the lakes across the northern section of the Midwest are still covered with ice, anglers are fishing almost everywhere else. There’s a feeling in the air that anglers are anxious to get fishing. They want to be on the water chasing whatever it is that they like to chase, and nothing is going to keep them from doing so. They might be fishing closer to home this year, but they’re going to go fishing. That’s an outstanding attitude. Following are some ways you can enjoy your fishing even more this year.

Go fishing whenever you get the chance. Wherever you live, there’s probably a body of water that holds fish nearby. It could be a large lake or a small pond, a major river or just a little tributary. It doesn’t matter: If you’ve got a couple of free hours, grab a rod and put it to use. You might catch just a couple small ones, or you might hook into a big guy. It doesn’t matter, you’re fishing. Catching a few fish is still way better than mowing the lawn. Lots of memories can be made on those short, impromptu fishing adventures.

Fish for whatever wants to get caught. Lots of anglers consider themselves to be a “walleye guy” or a “bassin’ gal”. This year, be a “whatever’s biting” guy or gal. Angler’s have lots of fishing options wherever they live. They can be after panfish or bigger predator fish. It’s important to have a plan when you go on the water, but we need to be flexible in that plan. If the walleyes aren’t interested in getting caught, try to catch a northern pike or a bass. Something is usually willing to get caught, and it’s a whole lot more fun to catch a bunch of bass than not catch any walleyes.

Just as some anglers consider themselves to be a “walleye guy”, there are some anglers who describe themselves as a “jig fisherman”. “If they won’t eat a jig, I don’t want to catch’em”, I’ve heard these anglers say. And, if that’s how they want to fish, that’s fine. But if they would expand their arsenal of fishing techniques, they would catch more fish and probably enjoy their fishing a lot more.

Make this the year you expand your knowledge of fishing techniques. If you’re on a hot jig bite for walleyes, try using a live-bait rig. You’ll find that by trying different things when the fish are biting, you’ll get confidence in that technique and you’ll be a more well-versed angler. Well-versed anglers usually catch more fish.

Sometimes when I go fishing, I just want to get something to pull back; I don’t care what it is: It doesn’t matter. This is when I tie on my go-to bait, a three inch Power Grub on an eighth or quarter ounce Slurp! Jig. Everything eats this set-up. You can effectively fish it over and along a weedbed, a rip-rap bank, or along a shoreline that has a lot of boat docks. Pretty much any gamefish will eat this rig. Go to a smaller Power Grub if panfish are in the area; try the four inch size if there are a lot of bass. The three incher will be best day in and day out if you’re just looking for action.

2011 can be your best fishing year ever if you make time to go fishing, if you fish for whatever’s biting, and if you try new tactics. If you do these things, I’ll be able to say “I told you so”.

To see all the newest episodes of Fishing the Midwest television, visit fishingthemidwest.com or MyOutdoorTv.com

Open Water Fishing

admin — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 06:36:58 +0000

LOOKING FORWARD TO OPEN WATER FISHING

by Bob Jensen

Winter arrived in the Midwest early this year and has hung on pretty aggressively. Everything has looked clean and white for a good number of weeks, but now it’s time to move on. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still lots of ice-fishing to do. In fact, many veteran ice-anglers will say the best ice-fishing of the year is still to come. For now though, I’m going to think about open water fishing.

Spring Fishing Open Water

I’m going to think about the first trip of the year. It will most likely be either a crappie trip or a river walleye trip. Both are fun and can be very productive.

If it’s a river walleye trip, we’ll probably have jigs on the end of our line, and those will more-than-likely be Fire-Ball jigs. Fire-ball jigs are great live-bait jigs, and often minnows will be what the walleyes prefer early in the year.

More and more though, we’re using soft bait like Gulp! Alive on our jigs. Early in the year, tie a Whistler jig onto your line and tip it with a three inch Gulp! Alive Minnow. Fish it into the current, and hold it stationary if you can. The Whistler has a small propeller on it, and that propeller will spin in the current. The propeller gets the walleye’s attention, and the smell and taste of the Gulp! seals the deal.

If I start the spring fishing season with a crappie trip, it will probably take place in a small bay on the north side of a lake. These areas usually heat up first, and the warm water attracts crappies. We’ll probably be using a small jig under a slip-bobber. We’ll fish it around docks and boat lifts and brush. Watching a bobber go under is a great way to fish, and it’s productive too.

I’m really looking forward to chasing bass again. The Midwest has so many outstanding bass fishing opportunities. Depending on where you live, you can fish for bass as soon as the ice goes out, or in other areas, you’ve got to wait for the season to open.

If you’re fishing a region that doesn’t protect the bass, a Power Tube rigged weedless with a Sling-Shot Worm Weight will be good. Fish it in deeper water, but near the areas where the bass will be spawning.
If the area you’re fishing has a season on bass, the water will probably be warmer when season opens, so a faster presentation will be good. Spinnerbaits, topwaters, and jerkbaits will all produce. The jerkbait can also be very good in cooler water. It’s fun and exciting to watch a largemouth or smallmouth bass attack a topwater bait.

I will also try to spend more time on lakes that have a slot limit on walleyes and pike. I’ll also try to spend more time on lakes that have high minimum length limits for bass and muskies. These progressive regulations just make the fishing so much better. The fishing across the entire Midwest is, for the most part, getting better all the time. I’m anxious to get out again and take advantage of that outstanding spring fishing.

Fishing Diary

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:46:42 +0000

By Nick Simonson

There have been a lot of changes in my life over the past five years. I’ve lived in two states and three towns and have had six different jobs, with this one being the most consistent. In that time I’ve fished over 60 lakes and rivers, gaining some level of familiarity with all of them. And though the waters I frequently fish have changed over the years, my habit of keeping a fishing journal remains the same. And thanks to this process, and my ability to customize it, I have found patterns that exist from water to water, and sometimes even across species, which I build on for even greater success in the future.

Fishing diaries help remember your angling experiences.

Fishing Diary Details Great and Small

My fishing diary is less like diaries and more like an IRS form (but one that’s actually fun to fill out) complete with dates, places, notes, and some crude drawings that sometimes more like a drunken Pictionary effort than a lake map, but I can generally recall where they point to. Each page, and more so each year’s completed diary, provides me with permanent written insight into what I was doing, what was working and what was biting. Even if I was on a lake just once, that entry provides a snapshot of what I experienced and I can take that information with me for the next trip and avoid some guesswork in the process.

Recording a trip is quick and easy with a standard form, and the one I made for myself five years ago has gone mostly unchanged. From basic information such as water, date, who I was fishing with and time of day, to the more specific details such as lures, bait, depth, location, moon phase and weather conditions, all of my data is written into or marked in fields on this one convenient page. All the fields help provide details of what was happening and my success or lack thereof. However, as I have ventured into other realms of angling, I have found that modification to my standard fishing diary entries has helped in my fishing endeavors.

Adjust on the Fly

Particularly for fly fishing trips, ice fishing trips and outings for muskellunge I have found it necessary to alter my fishing diary pages. As these varieties of fishing are quite different than a standard run for river walleyes or an outing for bass, it is nice to have fields that correspond to each style of fishing. For example, fly fishing may require alteration of flies, tippet sizes and lines and may be very dependent on what is happening in the world around the water such as changes in flows, insect hatches, and other variables. I add in these fields to document those events on my fly fishing form.

Ice fishing is a different world altogether, for both angler and fish. The hardwater season requires different fishing methods and more precision with lures and finicky fish. My ice fishing page addresses those conditions and has fields like “tip-ups used” and “holes punched” to keep track when those efforts work best.

Muskie fishing is unique in the fact that the fish are notoriously tough to catch and just seeing one can be considered a successful outing. Noting the where, when and what lure a big fish followed is important for subsequent trips, because yesterday’s lazy trailing fish at the cabbage patch on the twelve foot hump might be next week’s vicious strike on a figure-eight at boatside. My muskie journal pages reflect these facts, with a bigger space for maps and GPS coordinates to document encounters and it includes categories such as “sightings,” and “follows” along with the standard “fish caught” category.

The Big Picture

Ultimately, all of these pages end up in a binder for a particular angling year, with each journal beginning with the first open water trip of the season and ending with the last ice fishing outing. By comparing journals, taking note of weather, dates, and moon phases, I’ve been able to calculate when the best fishing is for my favorite species. Walleyes run hard from the end of March into late April on my home river, and then usually spawn and are slow until mid-May. Smallies fill the void during that time and then they spawn and fire up again in June. Many of my biggest largemouth come after July 4, when the water on my favorite bass lakes warms up and brings them under the docks.

When correlating moon phases with fishing success, I’ve found that for muskies, bass and late summer walleyes, the full moon date and the days around it have brought big fish to boat consistently. Through the hundreds of previous outings cataloged in my fishing diaries, I am able to determine dates and conditions, which lend themselves to good fishing.
As open water seasons approach, try making up a sheet that fits your style of fishing, or use a page from my book to get a start on your fishing journal. When the pages pile up and the bigger picture comes together, you’ll begin to notice patterns and identify probabilities that will lead to more success…in our outdoors. (Visit www.nicksimonson.com or click the image below for a sample fishing diary that you can use to start your own angling diary.)

Building Fish Habitat

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:41:12 +0000

By Doug Leier

More than 40 years ago the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, in an effort to create structure for fish and create artificial habitat within Heart Butte Dam (Lake Tschida) in Grant County, sunk some old car bodies into the reservoir.

As you might expect, the practice of using car bodies for building fish habitat was short-lived, but the need for creating habitat in some waters did not go away. Eventually, discarded Christmas trees became a more natural and available element for adding to lakes that needed additional spawning and escape structure.

Building fish habitat can produce healthier fish to enjoy again and again.

Over a couple of decades numerous North Dakota lakes including Elsie, Spiritwood, Williams and Moon in the southeastern part of the state, and even larger reservoirs such as Audubon, Lake Ashtabula, Pipestem and Jamestown Reservoirs, got artificial reefs in an effort to boost fisheries production during a time of prevalent drought. Since then, as the state recovered from drought starting in the mid-1990s and numerous new lakes were created from flooded wetlands, use of artificial reefs has been scaled back.

Construction of these projects is time-consuming for Game and Fish staff and local wildlife and fishing club members who volunteered thousands of hours for reef projects at their local lakes.

Research on those projects showed the effort was generally worthwhile but results were often short-term. Many artificial habitat reefs enhanced fishing and/or natural reproduction of sport and forage fish, as well as provided cover for 10 or more years. Depending on the lake, however, artificial reefs may not provide any benefits, and they are not a quick fix in lakes where benefits would occur.

And, experiences over the last 10 years emphasize that natural fish habitat – a combination of water and plants, bottom structure and depth – is more productive than artificially placed habitat. However, some bodies of water have little structure, and adding artificial habitat may be the only way to enhance a fishery in the long term.

Periodically I get questions about the old Game and Fish tree reef program, and thought it might be beneficial to looking at the issue from a couple of different angles.

Artificial reefs can attract fish and therefore increase angling success in areas where fishing is poor, even though fish populations are healthy.

Tree reefs can provide spawning habitat or escape cover, not only for game fish like perch and crappie, but also for forage fish like fathead minnows.

Artificial reefs are ideal projects to involve local anglers or wildlife club members in an effort designed to yield local benefits and/or ownership.

We caught many crappies over beds of Christmas trees in the wintertime, great stucture for crappies

And here’s a few other considerations:

Artificial reefs are labor intensive and benefits are not always predictable.

If artificial habitats are placed in lakes where they are not needed, they could increase fish production to the point of overpopulation for some species.

If water levels recede in lakes where artificial reefs exist, exposing the trees or tires, the material is unsightly. Reef-tops could also become boating hazards.

If a reef works in one area, public perception is that it will work in all areas. People may assemble and install reefs without Department approval if they think it will help their lake, or they may,with good intentions, leave Christmas trees on a lake on their own.
Citizens who construct reefs on their own, or leave trees on frozen lakes (where the tree will wind up on shore after the ice goes out) could be subject to a littering violation. These situations are easily avoided by involving a local fisheries biologist in any prospective reef project.

Like many of you, I’d enjoy more fish and bigger fish. But the reality of establishing habitat is similar to that of stocking of fish — it’s not as simple as dumping fish or trees into a lake and hoping for the best.

We’re better served to assess the potential of each individual fishery and apply the best possible recipe for maintaining and enhancing its potential.

Leier is a biologist with the Game and Fish Department. He can be reached by email: dleier@nd.gov

Big Bang Baitfish

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:52:13 +0000

Our Outdoors
Nick Simonson

A good pair of polarized glasses can help you see things you might have missed otherwise

In cooler waters of May and June the shallows can seem almost bare. Nothing but the occasional waterboatman or roaming bluegill disturbs the water bordering shore. Then as summer peaks, it seems the shallows are suddenly alive and teeming with small fish, as if they exploded out of nowhere! This big bang of forage sets the table as fish feast in preparation for the lean times of late fall and winter.

Troll on

Cast of Thousands

On the Fly

Flies like the Clouser minnow, krystal bugger, Mickey Finn, black-nosed dace, EZ-perch, and Puglisi’s perch and bluegill patterns help fly anglers match the hatching baitfish in their waters. Minnow streamers aren’t just for warm and cool water fish like bass and crappie – big brown and rainbow trout are keying in on baitfish at this time of year too. Weighted flies will get a floating line down a couple of feet, but if you’re finding baitfish out deeper in your local lake, use an intermediate sink line, such as a Type-III, to get your offering in the strike zone faster and to keep it there.

The basics of baitfish being the primary forage at this time of year rests on one theory: more bang for the buck. That is, predators want as much food as they can get while expending the least amount of energy to get it, and hordes of baitfish provide an easy and calorie-filled meal for big fish to eat, resulting in net energy gained and stored for the future. As a result, at this time of year, the best bang for your buck will be lures in baitfish patterns to trigger the late summer gamefish you pursue…in our outdoors.

Summertime Bass Fishing Tips

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:58:40 +0000

Nick Simonson

Bass fishing tips for lunker bass involve getting in deep and getting them out

Slop, gunk, or matting, call it what you will, but by this time in the summer, the combination of weed tops and surface vegetation has sealed off water access for shoreline anglers and limited the area that boat anglers can work. But those anglers who overlook this green gobbledygook could also be passing up some stellar opportunities at tangling with monster bass.

Hit the junk

Simply put, Largemouth bass love the shade that floating mats of vegetation provide on hot summer days. Think of these shoreline weed beds as a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet that sits under an awning along the busiest street in town. Not only is there shade from the elements, but there is also enough food to keep the prepare-for-winter binge cycle going.

Once an area filled with matted weeds is discovered, check for surrounding structure to locate the prime “spot-on-a-spot” to fish. If a creek channel or a point is nearby successful fishing is likely, due to the daily travel routine of bass.

Weapons for weeds

“Fear no fish” is the G. Loomis’ rod company’s motto, “fear no mess” should be every slop angler’s motto. Casts deep into the gunk, or even up onto the surrounding shoreline guarantee that those fish hanging at the shallow edge of the slop will sense your lure.

Of course, getting the lure back to the boat can be a challenge, making weedless rigging of the utmost importance. Selecting a weedless surface bait is key.

First and foremost on the list of surface baits is the Scum Frog. This lure has proven itself time and again, and is extremely weedless right out of the package. The dual hook stays tucked next to the body of the bait and the frog’s soft form and wispy legs make it look natural on the water.

Another excellent choice is any number of bass tubes available. Texas rigged with a worm hook from size 4/0 down to 1/0 depending on bait size, these lures provide streamlined weedless presentations, even in the thick stuff. Experiment with a variety of soft plastics such as lizards, worms, frogs and grubs in lengths from three to eight inches, depending on the size and voracity of the bass you are fishing for.

Make it creepy

Once the lure is rigged right and ready to go, find a weed-covered area along a channel or near a point with varying degrees of cover available. Look for slop that has thick green mounds of weeds, matted weed tops and a few open holes throughout.

Cast the bait towards shore, aiming for where the water meets land. The idea is to hit the shoreline and be able to pull the bait into the water from shore. Don’t be surprised if a fish swirls within a few feet of the water’s edge. Bass are well known for holding shallow.

Keep moving the lure slowly across the surface in a retrieve-pause-twitch style. Sometimes the strikes will come on a fast movement, other times a boil results from the lure hanging motionless overhead.

Hit the holes

Not all weed mats are created equal. The ones that are usually the most productive have gaps and holes in their ceilings. These are perfect feeding areas for fish. Twitch a tube or a frog and bring it to the far edge. Pause it on the edge of the hole then move it into the opening and let it sit still. Be patient, some fish wait a while before committing to the bait. If no strike occurs, pull the bait across the gap and twitch it again with a subsequent pause.

Hard hooksets

By far, the most exciting aspect of this style of fishing is watching a bass explode through the weeds to attack a bait. When that water boils, feel for the fish for a split second, then set the hook, HARD! First the hook must go through the plastic of the lure then into the fish’s mouth. A quick snap just won’t do it.

If setting the hook wasn’t a big enough challenge, the weeds will be. The largemouth will dance and jump, but when that thick cover is there, ol’ black stripe is heading down.

After a positive hookset, keep the rod high and the line tight because once that fish gets into the weeds and begins to wrap the line around the stems and roots of the plants, the going gets tougher.

A medium rod at least 6’6″ in length is a minimum mandatory piece of equipment, along with a powerful reel lined with at least 12-pound monofilament. Superlines work even better with increased abrasion resistance and their ability to cut through weed stalks.

The misses and lost fish are part of this kind of angling, and should be expected. However, the explosion on the lure and a positive hook set are a rush to remember.

So when all of those other fish have you down as the temperatures go up this summer, a trip to bass water is in order. While there, don’t forget to search the slop for some of the biggest lunker bass that can be found…in our outdoors.

Simple Bass Fishing Techniques

admin — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 01:55:50 +0000

PJ Maguire

The spinnerbait is one of the most popular bass fishing technique of all-time.

The first step I took as a fisherman was from catching sunnies off the dock to casting for bass along the docks. It is true that bass are a sunfish, so in theory this is a logical step. Most of my friends, like me, first started serious fishing for bass and then transitioned into walleyes and other freshwater game species found in the upper Midwest.

Early in the year, bass can be found in shallow hard bottom parts of many lakes. These are the spawning beds that the bass use. Bass can be caught in these areas by casting many different types of presentations. I have had the most luck using white or chartreuse spinner baits with fast retrieves. The hard bottoms of these locations are key for finding fish; a good spot to start is sandy bottoms or bulrushes and often times where they transition into soft bottom.

Once the water warms up the bass will move into deeper, cooler water. Under normal conditions in the Midwest this should occur in early June. Bass can be caught in 6-10 feet of water casting shallow diving crank baits and spinner baits. Small spoons and live bait presentations can work well too.

Through July, bass can still be found shallow early and late in the day, but will move deeper as the sun rises. These fish can be fished using the same methods. I have had excellent luck catching largemouths with leeches while walleye fishing in the dog days of summer. In fact, some would argue that live bait presentations might be the best way to catch bass. Longtime guide Marv Koep of the Brainerd Lakes area swears by fishing with redtail chubs in 8-12 feet of water. The largemouth bass, after all, is in the Panfish family, and I do not know of a better way to catch panfish than with a bobber.

Recently in late June, I traveled to Lake Mille Lacs on a fishing outing with friends. They each caught big smallmouths using live worms while walleye fishing. They were the two biggest smallies I have ever seen at 17 and 18 inches respectively. Both fish were released, both to insure future fish populations and to comply with Mille Lacs regulations (only one fish over 21 inches may be kept).

White Spinnerbait

Schools of Largemouth bass that contain larger fish are most commonly found in deeper water. The exception is that some bass seek shade under docks and boats. Bass find these places to be ideal for eating bluegills as well. I have found casting spinner baits into these areas is the best approach. Spinner baits are the most versatile lures on the market; you can fish them deep or shallow, and they don’t usually hook up on weeds or docks. My buddies and I refer to this approach as “Bass-mastering it.” If you pay any attention to the bass fishing circuit, the well-known Kevin Van Dam has been using spinnerbaits successfully for years. He’s been known to live and die with spinnerbaits some tourneys all over the country, and it’s paid off enormous dividends.

On lakes with softer bottoms, lily pads also provide shade on sunny days for Largemouth bass. Spots where the lily pads end and drop offs begin are good locations. During the day try casting weedless spoons and top water lures into the lily pads. The key with top-water is to have a very slow retrieve. If you bring a top-water lure over the drop off make sure to really slow it down once the lure has moved past the weeds. You want to give the bass the impression that the lure ventured into some place it shouldn’t have.

Rattle-Trap

If you don’t have success in the lily pads, go back along the same shoreline and fish the drop off. I like casting crankbaits that dive quickly like the Rapala Fat-Raps and Rattle-Traps. Cast the lure on the edge of the lily pads so it cranks down the drop off on the first part of your retrieve. Different colors work in different lakes during different light conditions. A good color to start with when using crankbaits for bass is crawdad, but don’t be afraid to experiment. The rule of thumb is to use brighter lures in darker water such as chartreuse, fire tiger, orange and red. And for clearer water use natural colors such as blue and silver. It’s also important to have an assortment of lures that match the local forage base.

In northern Minnesota, smallmouth casting the same lures along rocky drop offs can catch bass. These spots can be identified by steep shorelines. This is where the smallies go to feed on crawfish. For lure color my first choice always depicts that and it rarely fails to put on fish when present.

During mid-day and later in the summer, Smallmouth bass can be found around rocky humps. These humps can be found anywhere from 15 – 25 ft of water depending on the lake and weather. I cast or drift with ¼ to 1/2 oz jigs tipped with minnows for these fish. By doing this I often catch walleyes too.

Fishing is all about mastering patterns. If you are not having any luck casting in the shallows, try switching colors or presentations. If that does not work try different depths and different cover. When in doubt go back to fishing basics and try a slip bobber and a leech. A struggling leech in the strike zone is often too tempting to pass up.

Catch and Release 101

admin — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:14:07 +0000

Our Outdoors
Nick Simonson

Some species such as largemouth and smallmouth bass have a higher percentage of catch and release then most species

A dead-weight tug on the end of my line signaled that the largemouth bass under the dock was indeed hungry. I swept the rod back and the four-pound fish rocketed up out of the water. She battled every foot of the way to my hand.

I reached down, tweaked the hook and felt it stick in the armor of the fish’s cheek. Realizing the barb on the 3/0 Mustad Ultrapoint hook had done its job, I pulled out my pliers, crushed the barb flat and slid the hook out of the gaping mouth of the late-summer largemouth.

Catch and release is a fun and effective way of preserving the resource on any water. However, simply hooking and releasing fish is not the only facet of the practice. There are many other areas anglers should focus on for a successful experience. What follows are just a few tips to help anglers successfully practice catch and release.

1. Go barbless

A growing trend which originated in trout country is the use of barbless hooks. These hooks do little damage the mouth of a fish and make it much easier to release. If you can’t find barbless hooks, smash the barb flat with your pliers. You will find that most fish still stay hooked when properly played and they swim off with far less pressure on their jaws and mouth.

2. Wash your hands

No, you don’t need to use soap or scrub for 20 seconds, but before handling a fish or lifting it up for a photo, make sure you give your hands a quick dunk in the water. By doing so, you reduce the amount of friction that dry hands put on the slime coat of a vulnerable fish. If you don’t plan to photograph the fish, unhook it while it is in the net or the water.

3. Needlenose power

Perhaps the most effective tool in catch-and-release fishing is the needlenose pliers. A decent model runs around five dollars and can last for seasons, presuming you don’t drop it in the river. The long pliers can reach hooks that are back in the mouth and in other tough-to-reach places. Furthermore, the extra prying power is a welcome advantage when releasing fish. For smaller fish like bluegill, try a forceps or hemostat to aid in hook removal.

It's important to know how to properly release fish or there's no point in doing it at all

4. Limit your hooks

Lures with six or nine hooks running up and down them can pose a problem for releasing fish. Oftentimes hooks on the back of a minnowbait will land in the mouth, while the others will snag the eyes, gills and head. Not only do multiple hooks damage these vital organs, but also the removal of the trebles takes longer. That time out of the water poses a risk to the fish. Try using single hooked jigs or lures with fewer hooks when the situation allows for it; or eliminate one set of trebles, which also helps reduce snagging on bottom structure.

5. Cut ties, if necessary

When it comes to big fish like muskellunge and pike, bigger baits work best. Be prepared to part with some of your stickbait’s hooks if the moment calls for it. If a hook is buried deep in the maw of a big esox, use a hook cutter to set the beast free. Cut the metal as close to the flesh as possible. The hook fragment will be forced out of the animal through time and the fish suffers less stress at boat side.

6. Check your net

When fish can’t be lipped because of their teeth or must be landed with a net due to their size, make sure your net does little or no harm. Purchase a mesh cradle when pursuing big fish like muskies and use a rubberized net for other fish like walleyes, trout and bass. A good model is the Tangle Free Rubber Net from Frabill (www.frabill.com). The non-collapsing rubber net prevents unnecessary damage to the slime coat of a fish.

7. Pick your battles

Nothing is more exciting than a bulldogging pull of a bass or the drag-squealing run of a monster northern pike. But fighting a fish for too long can cause irreparable damage from lactic acid build up. Just as when your muscles ache the next day after a hard workout, fish suffer the same problem. But this acid build-up can kill fish. Limit the fight time to help the fish survive.

8. Know when to say when

Blood in the water is never a good sight. If a fish is gill hooked, bleeding or injured badly do not release it. There’s no sense in wasting the resource be responsible and know when a fish should not be released.

9. The thirty second rule

Take a deep breath. How long can you hold it? Thirty seconds is about the average. Now imagine you’re a fish. Along those lines, think of how long that fish can stay out of the water without oxygen. Try to limit the time a fish is exposed to the air and out of its natural environment. Have a buddy ready with a camera and keep the photo session brief.

10. See them off

When releasing a fish, be gentle, do not toss the fish back into the water. Cradle the fish in your hands and slowly move it forward in the water or hold it facing the current. This moves water over the gills and helps the fish recover. Feel for the fish attempting to swim off. Hold it near the tail until it pulls away. If you see the fish go belly up a few moments later, refer to tip number eight.

By following these points, C&R anglers can help ensure that their preferred method of fishing continues creating opportunities for others…in our outdoors.

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