The question comes up often - and who can blame: “if you could only pick one presentation for bass fishing, what would it be?” I’m sure the answer to this question is different for everyone and can sometimes be determined on the body of water most frequented, or the region you’re fishing in. The answer might be a swim bait for those anglers looking to target giant California bass, or it might be a live Redtail minnow for those searching for trophy smallmouth bass on the Mississippi River, but regardless of the answer, confidence plays an important role. For me, confidence comes in the form of 'being easy', not just in terms of catching fish, but easy for friends and clients to use and catch fish on as well. And when you’re talking about an easy, productive option from spring to fall, ... [ Read More ]
Getting No where Fast !
There comes a time when you just have to stay put, especially if you’re trying to put a hurt on a boat full of walleyes, work a bedded bass, or maybe keep chucking a bait at a monster musky. In this fast paced world of run and gun techniques and chasing down active fish; there are times when you might fly right on by the best thing going which might not be going anywhere all! Anchoring up or dropping the hook is what we’re really talking about, which can be the perfect method for extracting fish when you’ve got them pinned down. Likely “pinned down” hop spots include rocky reefs and weed flats in natural lakes, timber and weed flats in freaks of nature like Devil’s Lake in North Dakota, and wing dams on bigger rivers. The common denominator in all of the above is that you’re ... [ Read More ]
Ignite a new passion for the sport: take a kid fishing!
Want to take a kid fishing and introduce them to the joys of your favorite sport? You can make sure that everyone has the first of many great days out by taking care of a few simple things before you hit the water. “A lifelong interest in fishing can be ignited or extinguished in a few introductory fishing trips,” Ledermann said. “And let’s face it, kids have plenty of competing ways to spend their time these days. That’s why it’s so important to have a game plan before heading out.” Remember that it's going to be far less fun for everyone if the kid is cold, hungry, insect-bitten, bored, frustrated, or beholden to an adult who can’t put down their own fishing rod. “Fun and safety are the most important considerations while bringing kids fishing,” said Jeff Ledermann, angler ... [ Read More ]
Catch the early season Rainy River walleye bite
Winter’s demise signals the beginning of an annual rite of spring, as schools of pre-spawn walleyes surge upstream into rivers across the Walleye Belt. Although the water is cool and fish location often changes day by day - even hour by hour - savvy anglers can enjoy some of the year’s best fishing, especially where rivers flow into larger bodies of water, such as the Rainy River at Lake of the Woods or Detroit River at western Lake Erie. In these situations, these Rainy River walleye from the main lake gather at the river mouth in late winter, then move upstream toward spawning areas as the ice recedes, boosting the river’s walleye population to its highest point of the year. I typically start my search at the river mouth and work my way upstream, checking channel edges and a variety ... [ Read More ]
Getting A Grip On Transitional Bass
Getting A Grip On Transitional Bass When pertaining to giant bass in transitional modes, we need to take into consideration, not only the movements and transitions that bass make season within season. Daily transitions also occur throughout each season within season through the entire year. Lets first breakdown the seasonal transitions and then cover all aspects of variables that cause daily or nightly transitions within these stages of each particular season. The first seasonal transition occurs during the late Winter / Early Spring time frame, as the largest fish in the system migrate from Wintering areas in main lake basins following migration routes to eventual secondary staging zones. Consecutive fronts during this time frame create a scenario where giant bass will stall, ... [ Read More ]
Go Small or Go Home
Modern day society continues to push the mentality of doing things “big” and bold. “Go big or go home” is no longer just a term used on the sports field, but also rather in the office, at the factory, or even in the classroom. We are wired to take things to the max and “push it to the limit.” But what about fishing? Or better yet, what about those first few weeks after ice-out when the panfish are still in “ice mode” trying to find their appetite? “Go big or go home” might send you off with the latter, but “go small or go home” could be the ticket to an amazing day on the water. So what does “ Go Small or Go Home ” mean exactly? For me, it means keeping you ice fishing tackle with you when you first hit the open water scene. When you sit back and think about it, you just finished up ... [ Read More ]
Jigging for walleye Ten Tips to Catch More Walleyes with Jigs
By Jason Mitchell Jigging for walleye the most versatile method in any walleye fishing technique guid, and jigs are the most versatile tool in angler’s tackle box. Like any technique, In walleye jigging there are details and nuances that can make you successful or unsuccessful. If there is one aspect of jig fishing that is often overlooked, it would be the importance of versatility. There is not necessarily a right or wrong way to fish a jig. When the fish are biting, you can fish a jig in a lot of different ways and get bit. When conditions get tougher however, we often see a particular stroke or jigging style produce and catching fish is all about locking into that specific mojo. The best jig anglers can tap into that mojo. The cadences and strokes can vary dramatically from ... [ Read More ]
Lessons Learned From the Lake Commandos
What happens when you dump two expert anglers on unfamiliar water and tell them to conquer it … and each other? A Texas buddy of mine and I pulled up to a bar that started in 19 feet of water and topped out in 5. We were both fishing a Carolina rig, and both using a Berkley Chigger Craw for bait. So why did he catch five bass in the next 10 minutes while I remained skunked? It’s hard not to be fascinated with the factors that affect fishing success. And as much as one tries to break things down to key elements such as bait selection, speed, location, color, etc., the more frustrating it can be—the number of possible combinations is endless. When we launched Lake Commandos our goal was simple: to highlight the thought processes successful anglers use when developing effective ... [ Read More ]
The Skinny on Bulls – Late Season Panfish Ice Fishing Adjustments
Some of the shallowest panfish we catch each winter happen in March during late ice on many fisheries. Fun sight fishing patterns often emerge. Fish can sometimes be found in a few feet of water under the ice. Shallow weed patterns often come alive at late ice. Many anglers assume that aquatic vegetation has to be green and vibrant in order to hold fish. While still green weeds do hold fish, dead stands of weeds will also hold fish if the weeds provide cover and there is good oxygen. When the ice begins to rot along the shorelines and water begins to seep into the lake along the shorelines, shallow water can be extremely productive. One of my absolute favorite locations for looking for shallow water bluegills at late ice is really shallow pencil reeds. Pencil reed beds are ... [ Read More ]
Spring Time Panfish.
Spring Time Panfish My favorite time of year is quickly approaching. The time when the Red Wing Black Birds start arriving, when the call of the Loon greets my morning, and the chill of the crisp morning air hits my face as I launch the boat on to one of my favorite crappie waters. YES, I love chasing springtime crappies! Typically they are eager to bite if you put in the time to pattern them at this time of year. I usually start my open water fishing within 3-4 days of the ice melting off my favorite lakes. Shallow, dark bottom bays will attract the ‘bugs’ and minnows…and the crappies and ‘gils will follow as they are interested in putting on the feedbag before the spawn. A few people have the misconception that the fish are spawning during this early period, because when they ... [ Read More ]