Labor Day 2011 has come and gone.  For some folks, that marks the end of summer, and to some people that means it’s time to put the boat and their rods and reels in storage.  If they want to pull the plug on fishing in early September, that’s certainly their decision, but, if they live in the Midwest, they’re missing out on two months of some of the best fishing of the year.  I’m guessing that if they live somewhere else, they’re also missing some outstanding fishing opportunities.  The following ideas will enable you to successfully extend your fishing season.

Keep in mind that different bodies of water will be productive in the fall at different times.  A shallow lake with dark water will often be better earlier in the fall, while larger, deeper lakes with clear water will turn on a little later in the year.  Small shallow lakes cool off earlier, so the fish in those lakes are reminded by Mother Nature that autumn is coming and they need to fatten up.  This reminder comes later to fish in the larger, deeper lakes.  Rivers will continue to provide great open water fishing after the lakes in the area have frozen over.

As the water cools off, slower presentations will become more productive.  Crankbaits can be good for walleyes early in the fall, but a jig and minnow or jig and soft-bait will get better as the water cools off.  It used to be thought that a jig and soft-bait lost it effectiveness in the cold waters of fall, but more and more, we’re learning that a jig and Gulp! or Gulp! Alive will be just as good as live bait late in the fall much of the time.

The same thing holds true with largemouth and smallmouth bass.  Either of these will aggressively eat a spinnerbait or buzzbait early in the autumn, but as the water cools, largemouth will be more frequently caught on a Jungle Jig tipped with a piece of soft-bait with a subtle action.

When it comes to smallmouth bass, a dropshot rig will be very good.  I fondly remember my introduction to dropshotting.  It was October and my friend Barry Day and I were on West Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa.  Barry was in on the early days of dropshotting and was going to show me how it’s done.  As we were putting the boat in, a boatload of anglers were leaving the lake.  They suggested we forget about fishing: They’d been throwing spinnerbaits for several hours and hadn’t had a take.  Barry assured me that we’d get bit.  Barry was right.  In the next four or five hours we caught a bunch of smallmouth and largemouth, a few walleyes, a couple of pike, and a variety of panfish, all on dropshot rigs.  Just remember that in the fall, slower presentations will often be better.

Also remember that much of the time, larger, bulkier baits will be better in the fall, especially if you’re looking for big fish.  Not always, but often.

Autumn weather can be chilly.  I always have my Cabela’s Guidewear in the insulated version in the boat this time of year.  It enables me to stay comfortable in conditions that could be uncomfortable.

If you choose to go hunting or to the football game or to rake leaves on a nice day in the fall, that’s your call.  Just realize that you could be missing out on the some of the best fishing of the year.

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Learning how to fish on the Sheyenne River in southeastern North Dakota during my late teens and early twenties allowed me the luxury to go after smallmouth bass from the first warm-up in early April until the fish really got going in May. Throughout the years, my spring staple has been a standard ballhead jig dressed with plastics, hair or synthetics that helped me find what worked on any given outing. From lunch breaks on the shore to evenings in the boat, as the spring water warmed, I ferreted out five go-to jig patterns that worked on my home flow, and should work for you too from ice out (where legal) until mid-June on your favorite smallie stream.
Bucky
Before the world of synthetics, like tinsel, flashabou and other fine-stranded materials opened up to lure makers and anglers, there was the naturally-occurring fiber found at the back of last November’s buck. Bucktail jigs remain one of my favorite lures, particularly once the river is just free of ice and the water had begun to warm, drawing fish to the edge of the shallows. Fished in a slow fall over a break or channel edge with occasional twitches, the bulky body of tail fibers expand and contract in the flow, gently pulsating with the moving water, but showcasing a larger profile. This provides a target that looks like a big enough morsel to snap up for still-lethargic early spring bass. Bucktail jigs have been a staple in most smallmouth anglers’ boxes for generations and they still work today.
Bou-merang
Another classic jig which I come back to each spring for my smallmouth angling trips is the venerable marabou jig. Usually showcasing marabou feathers in bright colors, like orange, pink or the hallmark yellow of Bass Buster fame, these easy-breathing lures transmit motion in unbelievable fashion. Black and brown should not be overlooked either, as both trigger spring strikes from smallmouth bass. Worked slowly, in sizes from as small as 1/16- up to 1/4- ounce, depending on the flow, the marabou triggers a response due to its airiness and responsiveness to the slightest twitch of the rod tip.
Fuz Buster
When working live bait on a jig in spring and wanting to bulk my presentation up with some plastic, but keep that breathing presentation with some marabou, the Lindy Fuz-E-Grub has always provided a nice compromise. The plastic body, in a color usually complementing the tail feathers, provides a bit of bulk that doesn’t get in the way of the hookset. The shorter marabou tail still gives off that triggering action sometimes needed to seal the deal. Fuz-E-Grubs remain present in several compartments in my tacklebox and have always proved to be a successful presentation as the water warms.
The Flash
In the past few seasons, I’ve been fixated on flashy jig dressings of all kinds. From flashabou to krystal and moon flash, to sparkly synthetic hairs and tinsel, these materials make up some of my favorite hand-crafted patterns and are the basis for my long-time favorite springtime lure, Northland Tackle’s Gypsi Jig. The shimmer and shine puts the presentation on autopilot and is perfect for fishing spring smallmouth, especially after a cold front. Whether tipped with a minnow or not, the showy skirt material draws fish in and the movement – nearly as free flowing as marabou – seals the deal. I can make the tails as long as I want when I tie them myself, using shorter ones in the early part of the season, and going with my longer-skirted models in May when fish are more aggressive. These jigs remain an effective choice all season long.
Grubby
No lure, however, has been more responsible for getting my thumb pads rubbed raw from lipping spring bass than the standard ballhead jig dressed with a curly-tailed grub. Once the bass are up in the shallows after the first warm days and are jockeying for prespawn positions, the activity of a curly tailed grub worked through the water is a sure shot for success. I’ve always been a fan of the Mister Twister brand of curly-tailed grubs, particularly those in white/black dot and yellow/black dot. An entire section of my jig box is devoted to them because they work throughout the openwater season on a variety of species, but especially smallmouth. Pick up a wide selection; you’ll find they’re cheap and easy to work in a variety of ways and locations. They remain among the most versatile lures I’ve ever used.
While the cost of everything is rising these days, these jig options will be light on your pocketbook and put a heavy bend in your rod this spring. Try them out, come up with your own color and material combinations, and find what works best on your waters for springtime smallies…in our outdoors.

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The fact that shallow water fishing is productive during the early part of the open water season is no secret.  This general pattern is fairly universal with both warm water and cool water fish that spawn in the spring.  Whether the targeted species is bass, walleyes, northern pike or even pan fish, anglers are often finding fish shallow providing that the weather is stable and that this shallow water is warming up.  This stratification where shallow water close to the shoreline warms up ahead of deeper, offshore water is crucial for many of these shallow patterns to develop.  On reservoirs and lakes, anglers often find fish of several species under the generic “bay within a bay” rule where you look for a shallow bay that comes off the main lake and once you get in this bay, look for more bays that eventually get smaller, shallower and more protected.  These areas are often warmer, weeds are ahead of schedule and anglers can often pinpoint key locations by using a temperature gauge.

Shallow water fishing can be very productive

Warm water is relative but what anglers are looking for is water that is warmer.  Sometimes, a column of warmer water gets pushed up along a shoreline from a light wind.  These pockets or pools of warmer water often seemingly float around and areas that are protected from the wind seem to offer the most consistency.  Today’s anglers often talk about the importance of high definition sonar, structure scan, GPS mapping and all of the other new technology that has revolutionized fishing but early in the year, two tools that are irreplaceable are still a good pair of polarized sunglasses and a surface temperature gauge.

Surface temperature gauges not only tell you where the warmest water is present but also dial you into the patterns even deeper by letting you know if temperature is dropping or when the temperature is peaking during the day.  This peak often occurs in the afternoon after the sun has been out all day.  This peak often presents the best opportunity to search for fish with more aggressive presentations, faster retrieves and faster boat speeds.

Polarized sunglasses not only enable you to look into the water for fish but to watch behind the lure for following fish.  Good polarized sunglasses also enable the angler to look for physical structure whether it is flooded timber, emerging weed growth, cattails, bulrushes, rock or boulders.  So often, carpet grass or algae on the bottom will give the bottom a dark color while bare sand or gravel will look much lighter and you can see the contrasts.  Often when the sun is out, many fish will position themselves over the dark spots and when the sun is bright, some fish even seem to rise up and hang just under the surface where the sun can hit their back.  On sand or gravel bottoms with scattered boulders, the shadows created by the larger rocks often create dark spots as well.  These observations are pretty universal and can be applied to largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, bluegill, crappie, perch and northern pike during this pre-spawn period.  All of these different fish species spawn at different water temperatures however with bass and bluegills building nests.  So the timing will be staggered amongst different species of fish.

As a general rule of thumb, water clarity is often relatively clear early in the season because on many lakes, the water will green or brown up as the water temperature climbs.  This still cold and clear water presents many challenges for the angler.  For example, later in the year… we can often catch fish right below or behind the boat in surprisingly shallow water but for reasons listed above, fish are often much spookier and harder to approach during this spring period.  There are a couple of options we have as anglers.  We can look for stained water which sometimes happens from runoff, feeder creeks and wind.  If stained water can be found, a good rule of thumb is to fish the depth of water that is just slightly deeper than what you can physically see.  For example if you can see down three feet, try fishing in four to five feet of water unless you can physically see fish shallower.

When stained water can’t be found, fishing in shallow clear water often takes some adjustments in order to be successful.  Fish are often just much more difficult to approach in clear water.  Boat noise seems to be overrated in the sense that it seems like fish have a comfort zone around them and when you come within that comfort zone, they merely scoot away regardless.  The water displacement of the boat seems to be what fish key in on.  When fish follow the lure closer to the boat, sudden movements by the angler seems to spook the fish more than anything else.  Early spring can be much different than other times of the year in that big fish often move up into expansive shallow areas that are a considerable distance from deeper water.  These fish that are in these types of locations just seem much more on edge and have to be approached with some long casts.

People often talk about stealth when fishing these types of situations but in a twenty foot boat, it is hard to be stealthy.  The fish know where you are.  The key is to control the boat so that you don’t drift over good spots and to hit the spots with long casts.  Many presentations often work better with monofilament line as fluorocarbon sinks and often seems to speed up the retrieve and the best retrieves are often subtle and slow.  With good polarized glasses, casting targets are often some type of cover or actual schools of fish.

When targeting an actual fish, long casts ahead of the fish are often the most productive.  A slow presentation that can be worked in a matter where the fish actually swims up to the presentation is often the most productive.   Soft plastics really shine during this time for all species.  For walleye, pike and bass, a paddle tail body on a jig head is tough to beat in open water where the lure can simply be swam back to the boat.  Northland Mimic Minnows are really tough to beat and catch a lot of fish.  The tail gives off a strong vibration and the pointed head tracks through the water true.  Once the water warms up and the fish become really aggressive, many different soft plastic formulas will work but early in the season, some soft plastics have much better scent and action at slow speeds.  Other good soft plastic options are any of the Trigger X products as these baits really shine in cold water.  For more flash and displacement in the water, traditional suspending stick baits can also really shine.  An under used stick bait on many bodies of water that really catches fish is a lure called the Salmo Suspending Sting.  This lure puts out a lot of vibration you can feel on the rod tip and has a loud rattle chamber but most importantly, this lure just catches fish. The key to working these baits early in the year is to pump the lure forward and just letting it hang motionless for at least five seconds or more between strokes.  Experiment with the cadence and duration of the pause.

When picking out a good pair of sunglasses just for fishing, don’t make the mistake of focusing on cosmetics or style.  On most water we fish in the upper Midwest, amber or brown lens really allows you to see further into the water and look much further across glared surface water.  The best lens I have found for sight fishing is the Acu Tint lens made by the Flying Fishermen sunglass company that is based out of the Florida Keys where these lenses were developed for flats fishing applications.

Each species (whether you are targeting pan fish, bass, walleye or pike) might require different tackle or the details of the pattern might differ from species to species but what is universal is that some of the largest fish each season regardless of species can be caught in shallow water right before the spawn if the weather is stable and warmer water can be located.

Editors Note: The author, Jason Mitchell began his career as a professional angler as a guide on North Dakota’s Devils Lake where he logged thousands of days on the water before hosting the television show, Jason Mitchell Outdoors which airs on Sunday mornings at 9:00 am (CST) on Fox Sports North and Fox Sports Midwest.  You can learn tips such as shallow water fishing.

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It’s a jungle out there. Every man for himself. Greed is good. These mantras aptly describe the competitive drive in the world around us; natural laws that even mankind hasn’t rid from our collective psyche after millennia of becoming civilized. Whether it is in big business or the food web, one thing is for sure, the strong survive. And the strongest keep on surviving by beating out all other competitors and taking advantage of the weak.

The same is true below the water’s surface, where the game hasn’t changed since the first finned creature appeared on the scene eons ago. Big fish eat little fish. Those big fish also protect their territory and food supply with sometimes reckless abandon, chasing off any competition that might threaten their survival. But when things get heated, like when fish have the late-season feedbag on, the next biggest fish may be right behind to snag just the tiniest bit of food left behind by that aggressive alpha-fish.

So it is not unusual, particularly when angling for smallmouth bass in late summer and fall, to encounter other fish rising up toward the boat after a hooked schoolmate, waiting in the water below to see what’s happening and if there is food involved. This follow-up phenomenon appears to occur when there is a notable disturbance coming from a nearby fish. The ones that hone in on the hubbub hope to get a portion of what the more aggressive fish has been eating, or join in the feeding frenzy.

What’s more, some species are known to regurgitate recent meals in moments of stress, with the surprise of a fishing hook triggering this natural response. A number of times I have set the hook into a smallie and brought it to the boat; only to be stunned by the ejection of a still-snapping crayfish from the bronzeback’s mouth. Occasionally, other bass brought in by the commotion have gobbled that crayfish up before it drifted out of sight, robbing its previous owner of precious protein. In the competitive setting of the natural world, a slightly-used meal is better than no meal at all.
Whether it is for the chance to join in on a school of minnows, or for a bite of a previously-owned entrée, it is not uncommon to see other bass follow a hooked fish around. This natural reaction provides anglers with a chance to increase the excitement in their boat.

As a hooked fish is being reeled in, keep your eye on the area around it for followers. When one is spotted, you or your co-angler (depending on who has the fish on) can pitch a jig or tube in the vicinity of the action in an attempt to get the following fish to bite. Have a medium action spinning combo in an easily accessible place rigged with a jig and twister combo or a three-inch bass tube set on the cork handle or in the rod’s hook holder. By keeping the lure secured near the reel, it can be quickly freed and cast out to following fish.

Keep in mind that the window provided to target these followers may be small, and you’ll have to mind the other angler’s line (and a hooked fish) when casting at them. If you’re the angler with the first fish, try not to overplay it in an effort to draw more bass in, but work with your co-angler efficiently to take advantage of the natural draw a hooked fish generates. Recognize that the followers are often smaller fish, but when you stumble upon an area of summer-fattened smallmouth in your lake, those followers could be four-pounders, making the frantic operations worth your while.
This summer, take advantage of the rule of nature that spurs on feeding fish, and seize the opportunity that following fish present. After you’ve turned an aggressive follower into a fish on the line, I’m sure you’ll find yourself in agreement with another old adage – that more is definitely better…in our outdoors.

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When I was just getting the hang of what worked and what didn’t on the water, I stumbled on what was, at the time to me, a miracle lure. It was a banana head jig with a fan-shaped skirt made from krystal flash called the Gypsi Jig. For that summer, it was available in 1/32- 1/16- and 1/8-ounce sizes. With the 1/8-ounce model in orange, black and chartreuse color patterns, I thumped the smallmouth and walleyes from Baldhill Dam to Fort Ransom either by tipping the lure with a minnow on tough days, or just letting the free-flowing flash material seal the deal. But as with all good things, the jig’s maker discontinued the 1/8-ounce model, and the Gypsi Jig became solely a panfish-oriented lure in the smaller sizes.

This winter, I tied some bare 1/8 ounce ballhead jigs up with krystal flash in anticipation for my recently completed smallmouth trip to my home water, hoping to recreate the magic that the Gypsi Jig worked on my favorite flow. I was not disappointed, as the lure turned fussy post-frontal spring smallmouth into biting fish, and I landed a number of nice bronzebacks on these modified ballheads. The pattern is easy to assemble on the vise and can be tied with any color of krystal flash that suits your mood or that of the fish.

Materials

• 1/8-ounce ballhead jig (no collar, color of choice)
• Krystal flash material (color of choice, here)
• 6/0 or 3/0 tying thread to match pattern (here orange)

To start, lock the jig firmly in the vise and form a small thread bed adjacent to the head of the jig. Tie in a pinch of krystal flash on the top half of the hook shank with a couple loose wraps and move the flash around the top half of the hook shank. Secure the krystal flash with more thread wraps so it is firmly in place. Rotate the vise and tie in a second pinch of krystal flash with a few loose wraps and position the flash around the bottom half of the hook shank. Secure the material in place, whip finish and trim the thread and any excess materials near the jig head with a scissors or Exacto knife; then add a drop of head cement for posterity.

Trim the tailing material to your desired length – recognizing that a shorter tail will help prevent short-striking by fish if you decide to fish the jig without bait. Cut a short tail and this jig would make an excellent “fly” for the popular late season Float ‘n Fly presentation. Go long and it’s a great minnow imitator for summer fishing. The krystal flash material also serves as an excellent substitution for bucktail hair on standard spring offerings as well. Try different colors, different amounts and different lengths of krystal flash to determine what the fish in your water like best.
Almost three years after Northland stopped making the 1/8-ounce Gypsi Jig, I happened upon a dozen of them in a dusty bulk tackle display at a gas station in Deer River, MN. Needless to say I bought the entire lot and rationed them for two seasons until I sacrificed my last one to the toothy maw of a rogue northern pike. Happily now, I have found a suitable replacement for the Gypsi Jig and have fun catching fish on another lure of my own making. Give the “Not Quite a Gypsi” Jig a shot this spring; I’m sure it will make you more successful on your fishing adventures…in our outdoors.

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The fishing lure market is always evolving, as is the case with The Coffee Tube

In the outdoors, it is tough to beat a hot cup of coffee in the morning. In the pre-dawn twilight of a fishing trip, a steaming hot Thermos-top-cup of java gears the senses up and gives an angler a reason to pause between casts, all the while adding a mountain-grown aroma to the wonder of the experience.

The market for caffeinated beverages – or caffeinated anything for that matter – is also a wonder, growing rapidly as our internet-based-gotta-have-it-now-rush-rush-rush society finds new ways to stay awake and do more. There are energy drinks that sound more like a truck rally, with Full Throttle, Monster and Red Bull leading the way. Hyper-caffeinated coffees and soft drinks are now sold by megabrands like Starbucks and PepsiCo, who have further amped their products to meet the demand of a twitching and sleepless society. Caffeinated candy bars, sunflower seeds, beer and lip balm round out the stranger products with added kick.

What started with Juan Valdez and his trusty pack mule venturing up the Colombian slopes to bring back the finest mountain-grown beans, has now become a complexity of caffeination. No food or drink is safe from the addition of coffee’s core chemical.

Apparently, the same now holds true for fishing lures. Take another sip of your beverage while the growing insanity of “caffeinated everything” sinks in. That’s right, caffeinated fishing lures have entered the market.

While fish-based scent and taste additives have been en vogue with lure makers for years, and salt- and garlic-impregnated lures all the rage, the lure market was missing that certain something to help it catch up with the speed of society. Leave it to the Strike King Lure Company to unveil a bass tube enhanced with real coffee bean granules, which allegedly give it not only a natural earthy tinge but a chemical component that “bass are eager to slurp up.” In disappointingly decaf fashion, the company calls its creation “The Coffee Tube,” probably only because the name “Buzz Bait” was already taken. Quick, someone get the marketing department a case of Double Shot espresso drinks.

Certainly landing a spot on the “What is the World Coming To” list, this revved-up revolution in fishing tackle will undoubtedly have major fallout on the fishing scene. Imagine those anglers who, like me, suffer from an oral fixation. From beef jerky, to sunflower seeds to, yes even at times – fishing plastics, it is not unusual for us to be chewing on something as we focus our energies on the perfect flip of a lure under some shoreline cover.

What will happen when the tainted tentacles of the Coffee Tube fill in for our Freudian fix? Shaky hands, phantom hooksets, poor boat control, and jitters that interfere with the rhythmic pulse of fishing are certainly problems that such over-caffeinated lures will cause. (Note to BASS Tournament Trail Event Managers: search for and confiscate all of these lures in Mike Iaconelli’s boat prior to launch.)

What about the impact on the fish? It only takes a cup or two for humans to become dependent on coffee to start their day. Failure to follow the pattern results in headaches, depression, mood swings and general malaise. What will happen to a smallmouth after a successful catch-and-release on these tubes? Will he be hopelessly hooked on caffeine? Will he be unable to wake up each morning and perform to his very best without a tube or two?

The introduction of this chemical to the food web will require lure companies to procure even more advanced baits in the future laced with taurine, ginseng, guarana, six B-vitamins and twelve amino acids essential to maintaining energy levels just to catch fish who crave, like the society that fishes them, a better buzz.

Biology class aside, it is clear that we have reached a dizzying new peak in our percolated population; fueled by the upward trending profit line the caffeine market has created. The buzz keeps growing, the insanity has hit the water harder than an afternoon energy-drink crash and sadly, there is now more than one way to wake up and smell the coffee…in our outdoors.

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Some moments stand out from the rest while fishing.

We should all be so lucky to fish small waters, and fish the same small waters often. Time and time again Ixve said that our affinity with a certain river or small lake helps us take stock of the resource, to treat it respectfully and to see what a conservation ethic can do in terms of keeping the fishery viable. Not only that, but the bonds formed with the fish in that body of water begin to border on friendship when we see them on our lines again and again.

Bronze Buddies

It isn’t unusual to encounter smallmouth bass repeatedly, as they are very territorial and aggressive. On the Sheyenne River, my home water, I’ve met many such fish. From my boat my friends and I have been introduced to a great number of “the locals.”

Of greatest renown was Ol’ 1975. She was a beautiful bronzeback, my first brush with twenty inches. I caught her first when she was 19.5 inches. We danced twice that summer, both times under an overhanging elm tree near an intake valve near the Fish Hatchery north of my hometown. The next summer, we met three more times. I would knock on her door with a leadhead and a twister or a crayfish-colored tube jig, and she would be quick to knock back with a vicious strike and a jump.

In time, I introduced my trusted friends to her, and I would see her dance again three more times that season.

The next spring, she was gone. On nearly every trip that summer, I sent out a line to her old haunt to see if she would answer with the vigor of seasons past. But there was no strike, no bump, not even a slight tap, and I grew concerned. In time, I would hear the story of an angler who had caught a large smallmouth from under that same tree the previous fall and ended the dancing around the cement slab. I couldn’t be sure that the smallie that went on the wall in the story was Ol’ 1975, but my heart sank because I knew, deep down, that she was.

Those seasons where we met Ol’ 1975, there were other smallies on that stretch of river we became familiar with. There was Whitey Ford, a light-colored bass, camoflauged with a set of old cement steps in the water near a small creek and One-eyed Willie (in homage to Goonies) a smallmouth with, you guessed it, monocular vision.

The Black Spot

Just as we could tell Ol’ 1975 by her size and dark eyes, another bass, nearly two hours away became just as recognizable. My brother and I spent the summer after my final year of school chasing bass under the docks on the south shore of Big Detroit Lake in Minnesota. “Spot” became a familiar bass. At around 19 inches, she was an easy mark, especially with polarized glasses on.

A black spot, about the size of a quarter, square in the middle of her back, led to her oh-so-creative moniker. Her bulldogging runs and uncanny ability to wrap our lines around dock posts and boat lifts and break free made each meet-up a challenge. When we did land her – three times out of probably six or eight hooksets that summer – it was a cause for celebration.

Many days, she would reject outright the bait that hooked her the time before. If ever there was an educated bass, it was Spot. She would move from dock to dock, as if to elude us and get one cast farther away, until August faded into September and the population of bass under the shoreline docks moved away from their shallow haunts. Since then, I have yet to see that tell-tale spot on the south shore.

18th Hole Heroine

Finally, one of the more memorable meetings, again on my small home river, occurred at a secret spot where walleyes stack up like cordwood in late spring and big fish are not uncommon.

My friend and I from our seats in the well-worn family canoe bounced jigs and minnows through a deep pool. A subtle hit and a hookset from the front of the craft signaled the fight was on between my friend and a big fish. When all was said and done, he hoisted a 28-inch walleye for the camera and lowered it into the water.

Forty-five minutes later, I would do the same. This eight-pound ‘eye just couldn’t resist the post-spawn offering of a fathead minnow on a chartreuse jig. We would return to the spot ten days later to catch her one more time, the tiniest fleck of white adorning her tail as she smiled for the camera and slipped back into the current to enjoy another summer on the Sheyenne.

These fish all hold special places in my photo albums and in my heart. Those memories were multiplied by successful catch-and-release angling, and that practice assured me I could always see a friendly face few days later…in our outdoors.

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Summertime and the living’s easy. The fishing is pretty good too as predator species begin to enter a warm-weather pattern of eating, eating and more eating. Bass hide along weedlines, under docks and around stumps in wait for any prey to swim by. One of the most effective rigs for bass at this time is a Texas rig. For newcomers to this niche of angling though, the set up might not seem as easy to rig and fish as more familiar tackle. What follows will help anyone refine their Texas rig, and put more bass in the boat.

A brief history

Texas fishing rigs are about as old as the first soft plastic worms. Developed by Nick Creme in the 1950s, the first plastics were reusable, flexible and downright effective on bass. Throughout the past five decades variations on the originals have spawned not only new styles of worms, but also entirely new bait categories as well. Tube, fluke, shad, lizard, creature, and crawdad plastics of various sizes, shapes and colors can be found on the walls of tackle stores throughout the country. All are effective in catching fish, some more than others depending on the situation.

Accompanying some form of soft plastic in a Texas rig is a hook. Hooks, well, they’ve been around forever; so long I’m certain no one can put an exact date on it. There are over 20 pages in the Cabela’s Master Catalog that deal solely with varieties of hooks. Some are suited for Texas rigs, but most are not. Going with the keep-it-simple theory, lets examine a 2/0 worm hook from the VMC company. This hook is a basic hook; it has an offset gape, is moderately thick and is fairly inexpensive. For my efforts on local waters, these hooks have fit the bill when it comes to largemouth bass.

Texas rigging steps

Place hook in worm, cast worm out, catch fish, it’s that simple right? Not really. Well, it IS, but probably not to a person who has never done it before. A Texas rig involves a little twisting of the bait, some tweaking of the hook, and the addition of weight. Follow along with the sidebar guide and go step-by-step until the process becomes habit.

Getting Started – Necessary, of course, are a hook and a worm (or other soft plastic) and a weight if the situation calls for it.

1 – Place hook in worm: I like to position the hook in a little bit deeper than the length of the neck of the hook. Usually on a 2/0 VMC, that depth is about 1/8-inch deep before I turn it out through the bottom of the plastic.

2 – Thread the hook through the worm: Carefully slide the length of the hook through the hole you have created in the plastic until it looks like the second picture. The eye of the hook can be inside the plastic a little or it can be out. This variation can be determined by your preference or that of the fish.

3 – Insert hook into plastic again: Leave the point buried in the plastic for a pure Texas rig or pop it out for a “Texposed” set up. If there’s a bend in the worm, that’s ok, it may provide added triggering action.

4 – “Texpose” the hook: When fishing sparse cover, Texpose the hook by pushing the point all the way through the plastic. Then pierce the point into the underlying plastic to prevent vegetation from accumulating on the lure. Just remember, if the hook point is not out of the plastic, you will have to set the hook harder to penetrate both the plastic and the mouth of the fish. 

5 – Add a weight: Attaching a bullet sinker of varying size at the front of your offering will help you deliver your snag-proof, fish-catching composition to any depth and at any rate of fall. I recommend Water Gremlin’s BullShot sinkers, like the one in picture five, for their easy-on application on the water.

Texas-rigged lures are great for slithering off of the shoreline into shallow weedy areas. Since they don’t snag up as often and look more natural when they don’t fall out of the sky into the water, this approach can be very effective. This rig has worked well for half a century, and now it is time to add it to your arsenal. Expand your horizons this year – try out a Texas-rigged soft plastic for bass in the region, and enjoy the easy summer fishing…in our outdoors.

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Smallmouth bass, like most species will be fast action in the month of May

“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” This line, an eye-to-eye plea by Matthew Broderick as the title character in the 1986 film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, sums up our very existence.

For anglers, month of May moves even faster. Between graduations, weddings, family trips and dozens of other activities, it can be tough to find the time to be outdoors doing something other than lawn maintenance. Take a moment to look at your calendar and pick a weekend or a day for some time on the water. If you don’t, there is a good chance the springtime opportunities will pass you by.

Lakes heating up

For walleye anglers, May is highlight reel time. The fish are coming out of their post-spawn funk and the bite can be as fast as Luis Castillo down the first base line. Places like Devils Lake, Lake Sakakawea, Lake Oahe and reservoirs big and small across the Dakotas are popular springtime spots. Meanwhile, in Minnesota, the second weekend of the month marks the opening date for the walleye fishing season. It’s a time of renewed interest in fishing as anglers flood the waters of Mille Lacs, Lake Vermillion and 9,998 others. The bite steadily improves throughout the month, leading into a summer of precise breakline trolling, returns to sunken reefs and the familiar tap-tap of a wary walleye.

The month of May produces some of the best walleye fishing all year

River of dreams

Of all the months in my fishing picture folders, May is usually the thickest. Dozens of photos, mostly those fat pre-spawn smallies from my home water, highlight the best bite of the year. Insects are hatching, crayfish become active and minnows begin to repopulate the shallows of many flows. It is not surprising that the predator fish follow suit in search of a meal or a nesting site.

Baits like the X-Rap by Rapala produce big fish, while the standard jig-and-grub combo is a constant go-to. Both smallmouth and walleye begin relating to current breaks and structure; the former in preparation to mate and the latter to forage on baitfish to replenish reserves spent in the same act. Find one such area on a nearby river this spring, cast out your go-to lure and the fishing can be phenomenal.

Full circle

Like a bluegill snapping up a pheasant tail nymph tied from the feathers of a bird taken the previous fall, May brings us full circle in the never-ending cycle. Mother Nature replenishes the cupboard for all her species and provides a jump start on the summer season. Invariably, she leads us into summer, never pausing to give an extra moment to sneak away from springtime events and duties. By the time the Bass Opener arrives and the extra five pounds of Memorial Day food and drink have been digested, summer will unofficially begin, leaving with it a feeling of bewilderment.

This sensation stems from the blur of events with the pomp of spring’s sunshine, green leaves and blue skies and the circumstance of flashing fins, big fish and even bigger smiles. This May, take a moment to stop, look around and make sure you don’t miss some of the best angling of the year…in our outdoors.

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The Rapala X-Rap is earning a good reputation in a short amount of time

Whether your treasure on the water is colored gold, bronze or silver, the X-Rap by Rapala (www.rapala.com) marks the spot for great fishing.

My experience with crankbaits has been limited; being predominately a river angler has restricted my usual arsenal to jigs and soft plastics which are comparatively inexpensive to most other lures. Crankbaits, for my style of fishing, have typically been reserved for those times that I’m trolling for walleyes on a summer breakline or working an area that is relatively snag-free.

This spring, like last year, I vowed to add a few new lures to my arsenal, and use those underutilized ones collecting dust in my tacklebox. The X-Rap -“the extreme-action slashbait”- was one such lure. Why I waited until now to employ it as a standard is beyond me.

The Rapala X Rap is a new generation of slashbait crankbaits

In the past I had caught several nice largemouth bass on it at a local reservoir two years ago and a number of pike last season. The X-Rap cranked well, responded to each snap of the rod and gave a good performance in the role of a stunned and dying baitfish.

Making good on my promise for this season, the first night we trolled the Grumman into position for some April smallmouth bass fishing, I flung out my offering – a large silver-black X-Rap – into the creek mouth and waited for the splashdown circles to subside.

One turn of the reel handle to gather up the slack and a jerk-jerk-pause got the night started. A 16-inch smallmouth had struck the moment the lure stopped and suspended in the water column. I leaned back on the rod and felt the hook hit jaw – the battle was on. It was a duel that would repeat itself a dozen times in the following hour. That night was only the beginning

The Rapala XRap comes in many sizes and styles for a variety of species

While at Devils Lake for some late April pike fishing, I had wandered away from the group looking for active fish on the windward side of the highway. Casting the silver-blue X-Rap out from the rocks, I managed several pike around two pounds, but nothing to get excited about. A few minutes later the report came from across the road, my brother had hooked into a fat 21-inch walleye.

“It just hammered it, right before I started to twitch it toward shore,” my brother recounted of the violent strike; “I was sure it was a pike,” he continued. Though it was the only walleye of the trip, we were all convinced of the X-Rap’s capabilities as a multi-species trigger.

That triggering power lies in the presentation of the lure. It doesn’t boast the obvious wiggle of Rapala’s other lures such as the Original Floater or the Shad Rap. What it does have is an action that mimics a spastic baitfish either fleeing from predators or dying in front of them. The action comes from a combination of the angler’s will and the body of the bait. It is meant to be worked in an erratic fashion, manipulated like a puppet with the angler as the puppeteer. A jerk-pause retrieve triggers bites, and can be sped up or slowed down or adjusted in length to the preference of the fish.

Coming in a multitude of patterns, the X-Rap can match most any forage species such as minnows, perch and shiners, or draw strikes with attractor hues of orange, pink and blue.

The elongated profile is perfect for setting off big game fish that feed on baitfish of similar size and shape. In sizes ranging from three-and-one-eighth, to almost six inches in standard, jointed, topwater and deep models, there is a size and a style for every species of fish from white bass to northern pike. The X-Rap is now a “must-have” in my tacklebox

Give one a try this season; it just might be the key to unlocking a treasure trove of success…in our outdoors.

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