Bass Fishing Tip of the Week Official Post.

[Deitz Dittrich]

I'll find out.

[cjac]

Great thread going here, nice work setting this up Deitz!

I like Ray's post a lot, and it me think of how I river fish bass. The "home" cabin has a river cut in and out at one end of the lake, so I've been up and down often looking for bass, often in "combat" mode as RK mentioned.

There's a particular stretch where the river curves so the current cuts underneath the bank, creating a nice deep hole with an overhanging bank. Problem was, fishing it from downstream I couldn't get my bait (usually a J'n'P) up close enough and up under the bank as I wanted. If I did, it went through too fast.

I went to the top of the curve and tied up to shore, similar to Ray's points above over a log jam. From there, I was able to let my bait ride the current through the deeper hole and underneath the bank. Granted, I wasn't smart enough to think of "upping" my odds with an exposed hook, but I caught more fish as a result. I was able to control the speed of the jig moving down the current and underneath the bank (and further under the overhanging edge) much better from above vs. being downstream. Bag of 5 fish from 18"-20" in two hours, mostly smallies, not bad for a muskie guy, eh?

Biggest thing I got from this week's tip is the reminder that the current can be a benefit, not a detriment.

Thanks for the post Ray!

[st.crioxfishin]

Great post Ray! All this river talk really makes me want to get out there!

[Ray Esboldt]

cjac,

Right on. That's something I'll do with overhangs. Plant the boat upstream and drift the bait into cover. Now, in that case you were probably best served by using a semi-snagless bait because you're bound to be making contact with something that will hang you up. But, I have always said that river fish live and die by the one-second opportunity. They are masters at grabbing something and dropping it in the blink of an eye. An exposed hook ups your odds of a hook-up when you can tolerate fishing that way.

And, you mentioned current. The technique I described doesn't work very well when there is no current. Fish in current seam to be generally more tolerant of you getting close to them. Though I could be wrong about this. Dirty water seems to help as well.

[JConrad]

Ray, I enjoyed reading your tip very much. My son and I fish the Mississippi north of St. Cloud quite a bit plus a few smaller rivers. We really like to use small buzz baits around the wood piles before we move in closer to work right in the wood. We have always used crawdad color tubes rigged texas style with a tooth pick holding the weight up against the tube. Has worked very well for us. This bait is also very good out in the river in fast current in deep pools or behind big rocks. Really amazing how good the rivers are for big smallies. On some days we will catch and release upwards of 50 bass. Some of the biggest fish (20" plus) come from the big log piles...

Great tip and nice to see others enjoy the river fishing like we do.

Thanks!

[Chisox]

Try some kind of minnow pattern on this one. I do alot of fly fishing on the river and I pull more smallies out of the wood with minnow patterns than anything else.

[TonkaBass]

Well it looks like it's my turn...

Spring time is just around the corner and some of the years best fishing will come with it. This time of the year people catch fish on almost every lure. One lure that I think doesn't get utilized enough is the crankbait. In particular the Storm MagWart. This is a crankbait that is fished a little differently than most of the other big profile cranks. I throw it with a stiff graphite rod, 7' MH and use a heavier line, anywhere from 12-17pound mono. It is an awesome bait for newly emerging weedbeds that fish use to rest at during their spring migrations. I fish it with a stop-and-go retrieve while it remains in constant contact with the milfoil. Often you will notice that the lure will get hit during its first tickle of the weeds. I also swap the hooks for some #2's and replace the split rings for a smaller size (I believe it give the lure a better action). My favorite color is the red craw. The depth I like best is the 7'-12' range. Another thing to remember is that if buy one that seems to catch a lot of fish compaired to others, don't loose it to a musky. These baits vary in their action from lure to lure, but when you get a good one it can be an awesome lure. I have also had good catches with this lure in the old dead bullrushes from the year before. Good Luck and give it a try this spring!

[Cecil]

Ahh, the old spring special on Minnetonka.

[Craigums]

Thanks Tonka, Ill have to give it a try this spring

[Central Bassman]

Great Tip Tonka!!!

[Ray Esboldt]

Tonka, you are right on. I have caught more fish on Wiggle Warts than any other hard bait - by a ton. And, they are a dynamite spring bait. None of them run straight, and there is no point in even attempting to tune them. In fact, some of the best fish catchers I have ever had are the ones that completely roll over about every 10 cranks.

[polarsusd81]

It is crazy how that works. I get frustrated at times watching my bait roll over, but when the bass smashes it, you remember why you don't clip the line in lieu of another bait.

[goblueM]

I've heard that red color over spring weedbeds is a killer. Specifically the Rattle-trap type baits. And the storm wiggle wart is a wide vibrating bait too. Do i see a pattern?

[TonkaBass]

Red is a really good color for the spawn period.

[Muddog]

Please excuse me for being slow on this response.

Quote:

Rk- it's baffled me too. Other than this suspended smallie techinque, I couldn't think of another way to troll where a guy would outfish casting and retrieving. Trolling just doesn't seem like that good of a way to catch bass compaired to casting imho

Have you ever read, Spoonpluging by E. L. "Buck" Perry? The book is not so much about a lure as it is A way of fishing. BASS FISHING! This book is a fundemenal to fishing Bass and if you have read and understand it you would understand the importance of having deep water nearby.

[TonkaBass]

i actually have and his theories on structure fishing. I would like to see a guy with a spoonplug beat a touring pro casting and retrieving. He did a lot for how people fish, I agree.

[Muddog]

Spoonplugging is not a lure. A spoonplug is a lure. My tip is SPOONPLUGING

[Muddog]

Here’s my tip.

Quote:

A fish is a fish, is a fish. He is no different in the north, south, east or west. He is no different in a pond, lake, stream or reservoir. He has a pea sized brain, and never had an original thought in his life. He can’t ‘size’ up a situation and measure any consequences of his action. What he does, he does despite himself. If he ever does any THINKING--- it’s after I get him on the stringer.

E. L. “BUCK” PERRY

Fish live in deep water “sanctuary“. One or two times a day they will move to shallower water to feed. They do not do this in a haphazard way. They follow given routes. This is a “Migration route”.

Have you ever seen how salt water fisherman throw chum in the water to attract fish? The chum hit’s the water and slowly sinks and moves with the currant. The big fish sitting in the deep water smell the chum turn up currant, staying in the scent trail until they reach the fishermen. Bass do this too. Small fish eating plankton and such in the shallow give off a scent ([PoorWordUsage] and other excretions ). The smaller particles slowly sinks and move with the current. This current moves deeper as it cools finding deeper fingers or troughs in the bottom. Theses troughs funnel the cooler water and scent to the deeper water. Bass sitting in the deep pick up the scent follow the scent up the trough to where the fish are. Thus shallow water with deep water nearby. As the water cools and becomes more dense (specific gravity) these scent partials become suspended and no longer sink. Fish have no reason to go deeper then this and usually don’t, The thermalcline.

On the other side of the lake (up wind) you have an up welling of the water. Here you will find Bass sitting at the break line or in the shallows near the deep water.

So when a front comes through the wind changes, the currant change and the system falls apart. If the wind change stays from the new direction for a few days it all sets up again but in new spots on the lake (there is a new up wind with the new wind direction).

You don't have to believe it, Just keep it in mind and read or reread Spoonpluging!

[Juan Grande]

Great post Muddog, thanks!

So if the bigger fish are out deep and only come into the shallows to feed twice per day, then are you trying to invoke a reaction strike when targeting deep fish?

Are those deep fish typically looking for food or are they simply being badgered into biting?

[TonkaBass]

So how does this explain how fish can be on one spot for two months straight? Not disagreeing, just wondering...

[Muddog]

Quote:

Great post Muddog, thanks!

So if the bigger fish are out deep and only come into the shallows to feed twice per day, then are you trying to invoke a reaction strike when targeting deep fish?

Are those deep fish typically looking for food or are they simply being badgered into biting?

Yes and yes.

When fish move shallow it does't mean they go to 1' of water they could only move a few feet. In the case of Walleye fisherman with there jig and leach I would have to say; badgered into biting? When the bite is not on you will find me looking for the reaction bite.

If there food source is crayfish or a stream comes into the lake in a area are just two things that could keep fish in a area for longer times, or spawning. I guess you would need to ask yourself what you think is keeping them in the area and find other places where it occurs.

[st.crioxfishin]

Tip of the week: March 1st (can you believe its already march! so close yet so far away until opener...)

I couldn't decide on a single tip so here are two of them. I will also preface this by saying that I personally cannot take credit for creating these tips myself but they are ones that I do use...

#1 To save time when you are stripping off old line on a reel try using a drill (cordless or with a cord, does not matter) and a #2 wooden pencil. Simply lock the pencil into the drill like a drill bit, tie your line to the middle of the pencil and start "drilling". You will be able to strip the old line off your reel much faster than manually pulling it off the reel. This is especially helpful the night before tournaments or at the beggining of a new season when you need to take off old line to replace it with new line.

#2 To help in solving the agonizing pain of rusty hooks put a small silica packet into each tackle box that contains any kind of hook whether it be a bunch of single worm hooks or a box full of crankbaits. Silica is one of the best moiture absorbing products you can find. Companies place these silica packets in products that could potentially be affected by moisture (ex: shoes, knives, medicine pills, leather jackets, etc.). The best place to find these silica packets is at the stores that sell these kinds of prodcuts. I got mine from the store that I work at here in Iowa since we get these packets by the loads with our clothing and shoe products.

Hope these tips help in the upcoming season!

[champion198elite]

I could have used Tip #2 earlier today!! I threw away at least a couple hundred dollars worth of hooks today!! Thanks for the tip Croix.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Great tips Bob!!!! Thanks!

[TonkaBass]

Nice tips! I'll have to try them