The late summer period, just about two weeks prior to turnover, have produced multiple trophy largemouth and smallmouth summer bass for my fishing partners and I for more than 50 seasons. Chasing off-shore giants during the latter part of the summer season has been quite rewarding. The largest bass in the system can be locating on main lake basin forage in various parts of the water column, or by pounding crawdads on pelagic humps, ledges and basin channel depressions as the hot weather period is just about ready to start to change. Big bass seem to sense the oncoming seasonal change and slight variance in water temperature preceding the start of the first stage of turnover, and gorge themselves for approximately a 2 week time frame. Looking back at our meticulously kept logs and data ... [ Read More ]
When to feed and not feed line when Lindy rigging
What separates Lindy rigging from other walleye presentations is the use of a sliding weight. A jig has the lead molded onto the hook, a split shot rig has the spilt shot weight pinched securely on the line, a bottom bouncer has the leader tied directly to the trailer wire. The sliding weight on the Lindy rig can be used to let the fish run. I use the words “can be” because there are many days on the water when rigging, where you do not have to feed line. Let me back up and explain rigging to those of you unfamiliar with rigging. Again the key component to a rig is that the fishing line slides through a hole in the weight. So when a fish bites and you feed line to the fish, the line glides uninhibited through the weight, and the fish feels the weight far less than if the weight was ... [ 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 ]
Minnesota’s Lake Vermilion
This Northwoods gem offers world-class muskie fishing, plus great opportunities to catch walleyes, northern pike, crappie and more. The channel that separates Ludlows Island from Lake Vermilion’s south shore isn’t terribly wide, but when you step aboard the classic wooden boat that shuttles guests to Ludlow’s Island Resort, you step into another world – a world strangely distant from modern day worries. A self-contained island resort with waterfront cabins connected by woodland trails, Ludlow’s has been operated by the Ludlow family for more than 70 years. Despite stretching over more than 40,000 acres, northern Minnesota’s Lake Vermilion seems intimate in most places because of the 365 islands and 1200 miles of shoreline that break up the lake’s clear but dark waters. It has the ... [ Read More ]
4 Bass fishing tips – Bass on a Tightrope
Bass on a Tightrope - Bass fishing tips by Matt Johnson We make mistakes as anglers, and oftentimes it’s those mistakes that make us better. We try certain tactics, tie on certain baits, fish certain spots, and sometimes no matter what you do things don’t seem to go your way. Don’t get discouraged. Bass fishing can be a game of “walking the tightrope,” where sometimes you have no choice but to focus to stay on path. Understanding that there are situations where you need to buckle down and take things slow in order to achieve a result can be the difference between falling off the rope and making it to your goal. So slow down, take a deep breath, and focus on the little things produce that big outcome. 4 Bass fishing tips Boat position can make all the difference. If I had to pick ... [ 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 ]
Secrets to Spring Slabs – by Ron Anlauf
Taking on big slab sided crappies is a respectable challenge and can be a real gas when you put it all together. Catching early season crappies is simple and easy enough but we’re talking real slabs (those in the thirteen to fifteen inch and beyond range), and they’re not everywhere. But the fact is they do exist and they can be caught if you have a little inside information. When it comes to producing behemoth crappies less is usually more. The lakes that hold big numbers are more likely to produce smaller fish. Probably big enough to put in the pail and that’s perfectly fine, but were not looking for the run of the mill keepers here. Our target is the largest of the species and it’s the lakes that have fewer fish that harbor the real monsters. Some of the best include medium to clear ... [ 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 ]
Tick protection: creepy crawlies giving you the heebie-jeebies?
It's about more than just that skin-crawling sensation when you feel those little insect legs creeping up inside your pants or down your neckline; ticks and other biting insects can pose a real health concern. Addressing biting insect and tick protection as part of your hunting and outdoor activity prep is vital to avoid a multitude of diseases. Throughout human history, mosquitoes carrying disease have killed way more people than any war or natural disaster combined. And even with our modern medical technology, we're still not out of the woods yet. In my home state of Michigan, ticks currently carry Lyme Disease, as well as Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and Ehrlichiosis to name a few. Mosquitoes carry the West Nile Virus in the US as we speak. In Africa, Malaria spread by ... [ 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 ]