Need replies to Mid-summer bass

[Rippinlip]

To BIGBASSMAN: First and formost I must apologize for the doubt in your catches. I took the info you gave me and went and applied it my favorite lake this morning, and WOW did I have the best 2 and 1/2 hours of fishing I have had in a long time. Started with a nice 16" fish and then proceeded to go 19 1/2, 2 17"'s and a numerous amount of 13 & 14's. Please accept my apology and keep the updates coming.

[Guest]

Rippinlip,
Congratulations on your fantastic day!
I can only assume that you were referring to fishing with plastics and slowing down your presentation. It truly does work.

Freckles,
I absolutely agree. Minnesota has some of the best Bass fishing that i have ever encountered. We caught big fish down south but never caught numbers like you do here. Growing up we would spend all day and catch maybe 12-15 fish. I tend to think of that as a bad day here. I don't quite mean that like it sounds, it's just that there are too many days here when a guy goes out, the fish are cooperative, and he catches 40 bass in a day. (If you've never experienced this one, try fishing docks on Minnetonka for a solid 8 hours in mid-June with rubber worms) I do love it here.

Canopy Sam,
I do fish quite a bit on waconia in the early part of the year. I love fishing it when the reeds are just coming up. Nine of my 5's, and five of my 6's were caught there this year. I like the lake a lot, but I just usually tend to fish it in the spring. I will probably hit it later in the fall as well, but I'll have my shotgun instead of my fishing pole.

CWMN,
I just wanted to share a story with you concerning the growth of fish. There is a lake that I fish quite a bit (let's just say it's within 200 miles of home) that is very hard to get on to fish. I have been fishing it now for four years. The DNR has done quite a bit of extensive research on this lake and five years ago performed an enormous tagging effort. The first year I fished there I was catching two pound fish. If I caught twenty fish at least ten of them would be tagged. The next year I was catching three pound fish. The next year four pound fish. This year as I have fished it I have been throwing those same tagged fish back and now they are weighing five and six pounds each. This lake is also where my eight came from, but she was not tagged. Lord willing I will catch that bass again next year, and just maybe she'll go nine pounds, but what thrills me is that within the next three years, All of those tagged fish will be weighing in at around eight pounds each. It doesn't hurt a lake to take a few fish home every now and then too eat, but the efforts of Bass Fishermen everywhere to catch and release, is one of the reasons that lakes like this exist. Keep catching em', and keep letting em' go.

To all,
Good Luck and Better Fishing

[This message has been edited by BigBassman (edited 07-14-2002).]

[Guest]

WOW!!!
Way to go BigB! starting WWIII
You need to realize us locals here spend all winter looking down an ice hole for months.
I know you so I can vouch for your fish catching. You started me on worming, but you know I'm the one that gets out on the water and will cast to ALL the spots that the ice covered just a couple months ago...and before the ice comes back by GOD I will hit every inch of the water with my lures as not to miss a single chance at catching something!!!!
I do the worm thing from time to time and just can't slowdown! I admit I love the feel when the hog sucks the worm in.
No biggy to me, YOU know how I'd rather watch the explosion of a BASS (or any fish for that matter) on the surface!!!!!
I think its more that I’m scared what might be down below!!!

I heard you are getting let go this week, Sorry to hear, I'm sure I’m gone soon too.
Lets hook up soon and pull out some piggys!!!!! Let me know when!!!

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If It Doesn't Break The Surface, Why Catch It?

[Smallie]

You guys are nothing but bass fishing fools, and I will add myself in that category.Bassman excellent year for you.
I live in Alexandria we have so many lakes but I don't fish to many big fish lakes just because it does me no good for tournaments.
Lake Minnewaska, Ida, chain these are the lakes I have been concentraring on. Yes I have had a some 20" plus fish plus.

These lakes have big fish in them but don't have big numbers of them yet. Catch and release is making it better. Any how last year I fished a ton of No Name Lakes, Sloughs, or areas where people arent willing to go.

There is no problem catching those numbers by no means. There are certain lakes that you can go to where it's possible to have 20 in 1 day over 5lbs in the middle of the summer, given the right conditions.

There are just some lakes that have everything that it needs to produce that size and quanity.

There was a fall tournament on Sauk Lake 2-3 years that took 37lbs on 6 bass to win. That sounds insane! I had to talk to a few people
to believe it. Thats more than a 6lb average.

Take a day off and head there in early fall.

Last year I went there and it was an excellent fishery we had 1 20.5 incher, else it was at ton of 16 to 17 inch fish.

But start taking a little time and fishing some lakes in the Alex area that don't have access or are just plain hard to get into.

Sometimes I take a canoe to get into little pig holes.

I have not done any of this this year because of tournaments but I do Know I had alot of fun last year.

If your ever up in this area swing into where I work and I'll send you to mind boggling lake.

I fished the Pro/Am on Lehommedieu Chain Last weekend with success. I consider a
2-3/4 pounder on the chain a big fish, and if it's over 3 to me it's a pig.

Any tournament on Lehomideu with a 2-3/4 pound average that's already money in the bank if it's an 8 fish limit.

It's getting to be a better fishery for big fish. There was 1 over 5lbs in the tournament.

I runb WED Eve Bass tournaments and last year there was 5 bass over 5lbs and 1 over 6lbs so its got hope.

Good Fishin some excellent talk on this site.

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Cory Putnam
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[Smallie]

You guys are nothing but bass fishing fools, and I will add myself in that category.Bassman excellent year for you.
I live in Alexandria we have so many lakes but I don't fish to many big fish lakes just because it does me no good for tournaments.
Lake Minnewaska, Ida, chain these are the lakes I have been concentraring on. Yes I have had a some 20" plus fish plus.

These lakes have big fish in them but don't have big numbers of them yet. Catch and release is making it better. Any how last year I fished a ton of No Name Lakes, Sloughs, or areas where people arent willing to go.

There is no problem catching those numbers by no means. There are certain lakes that you can go to where it's possible to have 20 in 1 day over 5lbs in the middle of the summer, given the right conditions.

There are just some lakes that have everything that it needs to produce that size and quanity.

There was a fall tournament on Sauk Lake 2-3 years that took 37lbs on 6 bass to win. That sounds insane! I had to talk to a few people
to believe it. Thats more than a 6lb average.

Take a day off and head there in early fall.

Last year I went there and it was an excellent fishery we had 1 20.5 incher, else it was at ton of 16 to 17 inch fish.

But start taking a little time and fishing some lakes in the Alex area that don't have access or are just plain hard to get into.

Sometimes I take a canoe to get into little pig holes.

I have not done any of this this year because of tournaments but I do Know I had alot of fun last year.

If your ever up in this area swing into where I work and I'll send you to mind boggling lake.

I fished the Pro/Am on Lehommedieu Chain Last weekend with success. I consider a
2-3/4 pounder on the chain a big fish, and if it's over 3 to me it's a pig.

Any tournament on Lehomideu with a 2-3/4 pound average that's already money in the bank if it's an 8 fish limit.

It's getting to be a better fishery for big fish. There was 1 over 5lbs in the tournament.

I runb WED Eve Bass tournaments and last year there was 5 bass over 5lbs and 1 over 6lbs so its got hope.

Good Fishin some excellent talk on this site.

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Cory Putnam
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[Guest]

Smallie,
Our tournament of Champions for our Sunday night league will be fished on Le Homme Dieu in late august. Unless we fall flat on our face somehow, we will be there (as only the top five teams will go). Have never been up that way, but I will keep your numbers, as you will no doubt hear from me probably the week before our tourney. Thanks for the info, looking forward to talking with you.
Also if your ever coming down this way, send me an e-mail and I too can put you on a few honeyholes.

Thanks and Good Luck.
Tom Wilson

[Smallie]

Big Bassman,
Thanks for your reply.
Yes make sure you either call me or swing into Northeast and I can give you some advice.

I spend a minumum of 4days a week on the chain.

Good fishin.

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Cory Putnam
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[Smallie]

Big BassMan,
Excellent bite last night. I run Tuesday an Wenseday night tournaments. We had 12 boats show for Lake Oscar last night which rained all night.

we run a 4 fish limit first four we put in the box we were never able to get rid of.

We brought 17.16 lbs to the scales on four.
Are Big Bass tipped the scale at 5.87 lbs

Excellent night of fishing cold front had no effect on those fish.

Good fishing.

Ps. I think if I brought that kind of weight in tonight somebody would have to call an ambulance cause I would fall over dead.

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Cory Putnam
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[Guest]

Smallie,
Nice average there man for only four fish.
I love fishing in the rain. There is nothing that turns them on harder than a good rain (without lightning). Were these deep, slop, or dock fish? Just curious. Also, is this lake oscar part of the Chain?
Baby's screaming gotta go, but Congrats on the killer weight.

Good luck

[Smallie]

Big BassMan, Lake oscar isn't part of the chain it's west of Alex about 15 miles rught off Hwy 27 West.

As for the fishing this lake is full of milfoil and stumps every where.

I got two of our keepers right in thick slop, where the rest came out of hard wood.

Good fishing.

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[RandyFish]

Again, I shall ask...any body catching deep water (15 or deeper) bass right now.

As I am sure others have been doing, I have adopted Big BassMan's "Slow Texas rig off Milfoil wall," but my success has been very limited. I fished twice in the last 4 nights, from 4 p.m. to sunset. Caught only one nice bass, otherwise skunked. **** Rookie hits a learning curve. (I may have to return to throwing spinner baits into the weeds.)

When I came off Tonka the other night, a guy said he several bass, including one around 5 #, while trolling for walleye. He said he caught them in more than 20 feet. I am assuming that unless he was really haugling but with super fat lipped crank baits, that those fish were suspended.

My question: Is this a "drop shot" situation...where we can put a worm down to, say 18 feet, in 20 feet of water.

News and views are welcome. And no fighting this time, boys.

RandyFish