ALEXANDRIA — Recently, I wrote a column describing my wishes for the coming walleye season. In trying to be an equal opportunity writer and angler, I thought it only appropriate to do the same for the coming bass season.
So here goes, my bass wishes for the coming season.
Shallow water spring power fishing
Lots of largemouth bass call the shallows home during the early part of the season all across the Midwest. Hungry, shallow fish are often roaming fish too and so presentations that allow anglers to quickly cover water to locate and catch fish are great.
Spinnerbaits and swim jigs are traditional favorites for me during the early season. Last year, however, another angler put on a fishing clinic in my boat while casting and retrieving a Thunder Cricket vibrating jig and Blade Minnow plastic combination.
This spring, I will add that bait to my spinnerbait and swim jig power fishing arsenal, though a weightless wacky-rigged stick worm is always on my deck during early spring too. When numbers of shallow fish are found in a small area, or anytime they are a bit reluctant to hit a “moving” bait, a wacky-rigged 5-inch Ocho soft stick is my go-to presentation for tempting reluctant biters or trying to get the most fish from a school to bite.
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Big jigs in the summer weeds
When spring gives way to summer, a good portion of the bass population in many lakes can be found relating to mid-depth weeds on main lake flats or on the drop-off edges of those flats. For me this is “big jig” time as I break out a 1/2- or even 3/4-ounce Hack Attack Fluoro Jig and bait it with a Rage Craw.
This combination can be cast to sparser cover on the outside edges of weeds, the traditional deep weedline as it is called. For me, the biggest fish are often found in the summer buried in dense weeds right up on the flats. When this happens, I make short pitches or “drops” in any pockets or holes in the weeds, quickly covering water until I get bit. Often, one bite leads to several more as these fish have a definite tendency to school in prime areas.
This particular fishing pattern really takes hold in my area of central Minnesota near Alexandria during the heat of July and into late summer, but it is one that produces fish in other Midwestern waters featuring heavy weed growth too.
Kabetogama fall smallmouth
The biggest smallmouth bass of my life ate a soft jerkbait fished on a drop-shot rig on my very first cast on Kabetogama Lake in northern Minnesota several falls ago. Two fishing partners and I had absolute tremendous fishing action casting to rock reefs that day. These fish were plentiful, big, and hungry!
Since then, I have tried to get back up to Kabetogama during subsequent falls but, for various reasons, have yet to make it. This year, I already have some days set aside on my calendar for that return trip.
I can’t wait to stretch the string on some more big Kab smallies, though I’ll have a couple jigging rods and some big minnows in the boat as well. Kabetogama is a world class walleye fishery too and I won’t be able to resist the urge to try to put a couple big fall ‘eyes in the boat.
Here’s hoping you are making some fishing plans for your coming season too! As always, good luck on the water and remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors adventure.
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Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series. Visit
www.fishingthemidwest.com
for more “fishy” stuff.
