Category Archives: How To Fish

Learning Fishing Tips From Magazines and A West Point Tournament

I grew up reading the big three outdoor magazines of the time: Outdoor Life, Sports Afield and Field and Stream.  At one time I had every copy of all three from 1964 until about 2000.  Those magazines made me want to catch salmon in an Alaska stream and shoot doves in Argentina.

Sometimes an article applied directly to this country Georgia boy. I distinctly remember a tip that redwing blackbirds often lit in bushes hanging over the water and watched a bass under them, expecting the bass to injure a minnow the bird could than eat.

A few days later while fishing Harrison’s Pond with my trusty Mitchell 300 and a Devil’s Horse, I saw a redwing blackbird sitting on a small bush growing from the top of a stump about 40 feet off the bank.  It took me a couple of cast to place the Devil’s Horse perfectly and bring it by the stump, but I got an explosive strike from a nice two-pound bass.

More recently I had gotten my fishing stuff ready for a Jackson night tournament and was killing time waiting to leave. I read an online report on an Arkansas lake.  It said the bass were hitting a jig and pig at night.

I went out and tied one on for the tournament.  At midnight I had not caught a fish and had just two hours left to fish.  Remembering the article and jig, I picked it up and started casting it to a rocky point. I landed five bass on it in the next hour and won the tournament.

The big three magazines were national and covered everything about the outdoors. Then around my senior year in high school, 1968, I heard about a new group that published a magazine. But it was different. The Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (BASS) was nothing but black bass fishing.

Youth nowadays have almost unlimited information available to them and many of them take advantage of it. Some college bass fishermen have more bass fishing knowledge than I have accumulated in 65 years of bass fishing.  They constantly study and read about bass fishing.

I share recaps of my tournament here and hope they help fishermen catch fish.  Sometimes another fisherman sharing what they catch fish on and how they are caught is a big help. For the same reason I post a variety of fishing reports on my web site. You never know where or when a tip may help you in the future.

I hope somehow my reports help you catch a bass!

—–

I wish I had read something or heard something to help me at West Point last weekend!  That lake has been my bane this year in tournaments, finishing near the bottom in Potato Creek and a Sportsman Club tournaments in February.

Last Sunday 12 members and guests fished from 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM to land 40 bass weighing about 40 pounds at West Point. There were four five-bass limits and one person didn’t weigh in a fish.

Raymond English won with five weighing 10.31 pounds and got big fish with a 2.59 pounder. Second went to Billy Roberts with five at 6.33 pounds, third was Lee Hancock with five at 5.30 pounds and Jay Gerson was fourth with five weighing 4.97 pounds. My four weighing 4.69 pounds was fifth, one place out of the money again!

Before the tournament Lee said a big tournament there the day before produced a winning weight of 18 pounds.  He asked “How do they do that?”  I told him I thought they ran way up the river and threw topwater frogs around grass and other shallow cover, working hard all day for five bites from quality largemouth. I also said I could not fish like that anymore, my old body won’t let me.

Instead I tend to fish memories, trying to catch fish in the same places and the same ways I caught them the same time of year in the past.  Sometimes it kinda works.

After a club member helped me launch my boat and I sat waiting on blastoff Sunday morning, the fairly strong wind make me change my plans.  I knew the wind would be blowing right into three rocky points down the lake where I caught fish two weeks ago, usually a good thing. I decided to start there rather than a place upstream I originally planned to go.

Wind was blowing into the points and a crow walking the edge of the water, looking for shad I thought, made me think I had made a good decision. I quickly missed a bite on topwater and picked up a Carolina rig and landed a 11.9-inch spot. Not a keeper.

And it was the only bite I got until I ran back up the lake to where I planned to start at 9:00. I finally caught three fish on a shaky head worm on rocky points and one on a whacky rigged worm under a dock.

I hooked exactly five bass all day!  I just could not catch that fifth keeper.

Lake Hartwell Treated Me Wrong For the Fourth Year In A Row Two Years Ago

And it continued last year and again this year, although i did get big fish this year with a pretty 6.8 pounder!!

I seem to have a special jinx on Lake Hartwell. Last weekend, for the fourth Potato Creek Bassmasters tournament in a row, I came in one place out of winning some money. Every year I seem to come up just a little short. Last weekend was especially close.

In 17 hours of casting last Friday and Saturday 11 members of the club landed 91 keeper bass weighing about 142 pounds. There were 16 five bass limits in the two days and no one zeroed.

Glen Anderson won with ten bass weighing 21.37 pounds and Mitchell Cardell was second with ten at 18,64 pounds.  Third place went to Kwong Yu with eight bass weighing 17.12 pounds and his 5.31 pounder was big fish. Raymond English came in fourth with ten at 16.27 pounds.

I caught ten weighing 16.13 pounds for fifth. The club pays the top four places.

I camped at Hartwell State Park at exit 1 off I-85 in South Carolina, only 11.8 miles from the tournament ramp.  It was very peaceful and quiet until Saturday when some folks came to the site beside me. They had two dogs that barked constantly.

In practice I tried to find some kind of pattern but caught only a few small fish. And in the tournament, I never got on any kind of pattern.  On Friday I caught one on an underspin off a bridge piling, two on a Carolina rig on a gravel bank, and two on a whacky rigged worm on docks. 

On Saturday I saw some fish schooling on top and missed two on topwater but landed one on a Sebile swim bait.  Later I got two on a Carolina Rig on a rocky point, one on a shaky head on a rock pile and one on the whacky rig. Both days I landed my fifth keeper with less than 30 minutes to fish. 

My biggest fish was a pretty spot but it weighed only about 2.5 pounds. Both days my smallest fish were skinny spots that weighed less than a pound.  I just could not get a bigger bass to help out my weight.

Well, there is always next weekend and next year!

The Finest Four Weeks For Walleye Fishing Start In Early May In Michigan

The Finest Four Weeks

  • By The Fishing Wire

From now through early June is arguably the best stretch to score walleyes on northern natural lakes

By Jim Edlund

Muskegon, MI – Spring is here – and with it, great Walleye Belt opportunities to put the smackdown on marble-eyes, which are more easily caught during this period than throughout much of the remaining seasons.

While walleye season openers vary from state to state (some states remain open year ‘round), early-season walleye behavior is similar wherever you fish, following their annual spawning rite that occurs when water temperatures are between 42- and 50-degrees accompanied by the right length of day and night (photoperiod).

First, following the spawn, male walleyes will stay in relative proximity to shallow spawning sites up to the first major breakline for up to a month, feeding opportunistically. Contrary to belief, they are not guarding the spawn site; neither male nor female accompany the biological mass after the spawning process. After quickly depositing their eggs, female walleyes vacate to recuperate in nearby, deeper water, a process that can take days to weeks, only feeding when the meal is easy.

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The Finest Four Weeks 1

However, combine something like a simultaneous spot-tail shiner spawn in the same locations and you’ll find a mix of both smaller males and good-sized females ready to feed after the metabolic drain of the spawn. Match the hatch? You bet. In many places (like Minnesota) the most popular live bait for early-season walleyes are spot-tail shiners presented on jigs. They aren’t cheap, but can literally be worth their weight in gold. Of course, you can also trap/seine your own to save money, but make sure you pay attention to AIS and legal restrictions before doing so, especially when it comes to transporting your own trapped bait. 

What makes for a good spawning site?

A good walleye spawn site typically comprises gravel substrate that the eggs easily cling to and provide the space for current or wind action to fertilize the eggs once the males deposit their milt. Rivers, streams, and creeks attached to main lakes are all good walleye spawn locations (and the areas surrounding), as are windswept shores, banks, and points or reefs on lakes lacking tributaries in and out that walleyes can utilize.

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The Finest Four Weeks 2

Location

Focus on the aforementioned areas whether you’re in waders, on the bank, or in a boat. Gravel shorelines are a no-brainer and farther out, emerging weed beds in 3-12 feet of water are often gangbusters with post-spawn walleyes. Windblown shorelines, too, can be key, where wind stirs up the bottom, attracts baitfish, and brings in hungry fish. Especially as weeks progress following the spawn, start fishing a bit deeper on the sand flats, targeting both sides of the first break or any bottom transition areas of sand to rock or mud to gravel.

Presentations

Given predominant post-spawn water temps under 55-degrees, slower presentations often work best. A simple jig and minnow is a mainstay – especially with a spot-tail shiner – but you can also catch fish on other types of minnows or a soft plastic fluke or paddle tail, as well as classic hair jigs. Just don’t overwork your presentation, carefully making bottom contact and hopping or twitching the bait with a slow cadence. Given depths under 10-feet for much of the period, 1/8- to 1/4-ounce jigs are most often used. A lot of anglers prefer longer shank jigs with a bait keeper for hooking and keeping expensive shiners pinned.

Although jig and meat or plastic get the most play, don’t overlook stickbaits like X-Raps, original floating minnow Rapala, Mad Scientist Tackle Predator Jerkbaits, Husky Jerks or Storm Thundersticks – actually, anything with a long, minnow profile. Especially fished in lowlight or at night, walleyes will crush minnow-shaped crankbaits, which emulate what they’re eating – typically spawning spot-tail shiners or young-of-the-year perch. 

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The Finest Four Weeks 3

Power Hours & Technology

While you can catch post-spawn fish during calm and sunny conditions, you’ll need to keep your distance to prevent spooking them. In clear waters, fish can often be spotted via polarized sunglasses, but that usually means you’re too close. This is where technology comes in. 

Sure, you can use forward-facing sonar, but with walleyes hugging bottom in most of these shallow areas, you’ll want to switch your transducer to landscape mode rather than forward. 

Side Imaging is really the ticket when locating walleyes on large shallow flats. Look for smaller pods of fish between a couple and a dozen and they’ll most likely be walleyes. Drop a waypoint, creep up with your trolling motor on low, and start casting from as far away as possible. If you spot larger schools of fish, say, 20-50 fish in groups, chances are you’re looking at suckers and it’s best to move on and keep covering water. 

To further optimize your time on the water, fish early morning, evening, night, and during windy/overcast conditions. And given these conditions, don’t be afraid to fish really shallow – as in right near shore up to about four feet. If there’s one thing anglers have learned over past decades, it’s that there are a lot more walleyes up shallow than we ever thought. With natural lakes coming alive with weed growth, all kinds of biological matter stirred up by wind, and the presence of baitfish – if the minnows are in skinny water during this time, the walleyes will be, too. 

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The Right Stuff

When picking out a rod and reel from the garage for early-season walleyes, it’s best to keep things on the light side. A medium-light power, fast or extra-fast action, 6’8” to 7’2” rod is perfect, typically paired with a 2500 or 3000 size reel for long casts. 

I’m a big fan of the budget-friendly DAIWA TD Eye paired with a 2500-size DAIWA TATULA MQ LT spooled with 10-pound braid and a 10-pound fluorocarbon leader. If fish are super shallow, I’ll carry the same rod with a 1000 size TATULA spooled with 6-pound monofilament and tie my jig direct, the buoyancy of mono providing some extra loft to 1/16- or 1/8-ounce jigs in such skinny water.  

Take Home

The bounty of shallow, early-season walleyes in natural lakes doesn’t last long – about a month after the spawn, so best get while the getting’s good. Following this period, you’ll notice fish on or past that first breakline, and fish behavior and subsequent presentations need to be changed. So, have fun during the month of May, keeping mind of lake-to-lake slot limits, regulations, and walleye year class densities to determine what you keep for the fryer. 

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The Finest Four Weeks 5

SPRING WALLEYE GEAR from WHITEWATER

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The Finest Four Weeks 6

NEW Riparian Jacket FEATURES:

The Riparian™ Jacket is a hardworking, two-layer rain jacket built for ultimate weather protection. Constructed from tough mini-ripstop stretch nylon with a smooth polyester lining, it’s designed for durability and easy on-and-off wear. A dual storm flap design, combined with a waterproof, windproof laminate, and fully taped seams, forms an impenetrable barrier against the elements. The three-piece hood features multiple adjustment points for a customized fit, while hook-and-loop cuff closures help lock out rain. Strategically placed reflective tape ensures visibility in low-light conditions. AquaGuard® zippered handwarmer pockets keep your hands dry, while two chest and two waist pockets offer ample storage for gear. A heavy-duty D-ring provides a secure attachment point for your safety kill switch cord, making the Riparian™ Jacket a reliable companion for any storm.

MSRP $269.99

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The Finest Four Weeks 7

NEW Riparian Bib FEATURES:

The Riparian™ Bib features adjustable suspenders with a silicone grip-enhanced design and low-profile buckles ensure a secure fit, so you can focus on the catch not your gear slipping. Constructed from durable mini-ripstop stretch nylon with a smooth polyester lining, these bibs offer flexibility and comfort, while leg zippers make them easy to slip on and off. A dual storm flap design on the main front center zip, along with a waterproof laminate, fully taped seams, and zipper storm flaps, creates an impenetrable barrier against wind and rain. AquaGuard® zippered handwarmer pockets provide a dry refuge for cold fingers or a secure place to store your belongings. Multiple reflective tape placements on the back and chest enhance visibility from all angles. Two spacious cargo pockets on the legs provide ample storage for essentials such as your phone, keys, or an extra pair of gloves, ensuring everything you need is within easy reach. The two Velcro waist adjustments allow you to dial in the fit for maximum comfort and secure wear throughout the day.

MSRP $269.99

About Whitewater

Whitewater performance fishing apparel gives anglers distinct advantages whenever Mother Nature’s unpredictability conspires to ruin angling adventures. Whether faced with wind, rain, snow, sun, or extreme temperatures, Whitewater apparel equips anglers with the ability and confidence to overcome the elements, so they apply their focus and energies on fighting fish, not the conditions. Whitewater is a brand by Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. Learn more and order at whitewaterfish.com.

Young Coho Salmon Offer Fantastic Early Spring Fishing In the Great Lakes

  • Fisheries

Big Fun in Small Packages

  • By The Fishing Wire

By Jim Edlund

Muskegon, MI – There’s an electricity in the air this time of year along the Great Lakes as anglers turn out for an annual bite that’s tough to pass up. As soon as the launches open, you’ll see all manner of small boats (and pier fisherman, too), forming lines to chase near-shore coho salmon. 

Although these fish leave something to be desired in size – with most fish between a pound and 3 pounds – their table fare is excellent, with many anglers preferring the young, bright red flesh for everything from grilling and baking, to pan frying and filling up smoker racks – to the larger species that occupy the Great Lakes. 

One angler who loves the annual rite is charter captain and Great Lakes Angler editor, Mike Schoonveld, of northern Indiana, who started fishing them this spring in March. 

“What happens is the cohos that were two years old last fall migrate to the south end of Lake Michigan, because that’s where the water temperature stays in their comfort range the longest. Once they get down here, there’s no place to go. Then, in the spring, when the water starts to warm up, the fish that are in the southern basin of the lake storm the beaches in Indiana, southern Michigan, and the south side of Chicago, because those are the parts of the lake that warm up the quickest,” noted Schoonveld. 

“Basically, what you’ve got are two-and-a-half year-old cohos in the lake crammed within a few hundred yards of the shoreline and streams,” added Schoonveld. 

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Big Fun in Small Packages 1

Where Schoonveld fishes off the Indiana coast, limits are five cohos per person, but he says you can also catch the errant brown trout, lake trout, steelhead, or Chinook salmon. And the chance of a mixed bag only increases as spring progresses. Average cohos right now are 16 or 17 inches to 22 inches – “basically eater-walleye size.”

The bite is ongoing and will last until the water temperatures reach the mid 50s, around May 1stduring a typical, warm spring. The bite can last through the middle of May if temperatures stay cooler. 

Even when it does warms up, Schoonveld says you don’t have to abandon the fight, just move a few miles offshore where the fish migrate to colder water. But then you lose the advantage of fishing near the shoreline and have to be cautious on what days you go out if fishing from a smaller boat. 

And when the fish leave the Indiana coast, they tend to follow the shorelines up the Lake Michigan coast. There are typically fish off the north coast of Chicago by May 1st, as well as up around Kenosha and Racine, Wisconsin. The same thing happens over on the Michigan side with fish moving from St. Joseph towards Grand Haven. 

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Big Fun in Small Packages 2

Small Boat and Tackle Friendly Bite

One of the coolest things about the annual coho bite is that it’s accessible to anglers with smaller, multi-species boats, as well as pier anglers. You don’t need a large charter boat to access these fish, with a lot less worry about the weather given proximity to shore. And you won’t see a lot of large boats out on the bite either; most are still iced up where they’re moored for winter.

Plus, you don’t need downriggers to fish springtime cohos. The fish are high in the water column and susceptible to shallow-diving crankbaits fished on standard gear.

“For whatever reason, they love orange,” says Schoonveld. “There are literally millions of cohos so you can catch them on pretty much anything, but you’ll probably catch them faster if you’re using orange-colored lures – and most bite in the top several feet of water. There’s no reason to use riggers to get your baits down 15, 20, 30 feet or whatever. Most anglers are running bigger planer boards or walleye-sized line planers.”

Of all the crankbaits Schoonveld runs, his favorite is the Storm Rattlin’ Thin Fin, but says Flickr Shads and Rapalas are fish-catchers, too.

In terms of gear, when fishing occasionally with buddies, Schoonveld runs 12 pound hi-vis monofilament on his trolling rods, but if he’s making daily trips, he’ll size up to 20-pound, which stands up better to the use and abuse.

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Big Fun in Small Packages 3

Schoonveld says orange is the color de jour for spring coho salmon.

“I like the anti-freeze colored lines so I know exactly where all of my baits are when running planar boards. And I use 20-pound fluorocarbon leader to attach to my crankbaits.”

With three lines allowed per angler and up to four anglers total in his 21-foot boat, Schoonveld has become accustomed to running up to 12 lines – typically three planar boards off port; three off starboard; plus Dipsy Diver’s and downriggers in the rear, just because he has them.

“But 85% of the fish will come on the planar board lines. I don’t use weights or anything, just whatever the lure will dive. And maybe 10% of the fish will come on the Dipsy Divers and you’ll catch one or two fish on the downriggers. The ‘riggers are permanently mounted on my boat, so I figure why not use them.”

As far as rods, he’s using the same kind of gear walleye trollers use – in his case, 8’6” medium light trolling rods for the planar boards. He does go heavier and to nine feet with the Dipsy rods and the same thing for his downriggers.

“We’re not really expecting huge fish, so I stick to light walleye gear for the cohos. Later in the season, we’ll start catching bigger fish regularly, so I’ll move up to medium or medium-heavy rods.”

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Big Fun in Small Packages 4

DRESS FOR COLD DESPITE WARM LAND TEMPS

While the tendency is to dress for fishing according to land temperatures – which might even be in the 70s as spring progresses – Schoonveld advises anglers not to forget that we’re in a time of year when Lake Michigan water temperatures are in the 30s to low 40s.

“Even if it’s 50 to 60 degrees on shore, it’s more like late-season ice fishing out on Lake Michigan. You’ve got wind, rain, sleet, snow, and squalls will blow through. It can get chilly if you’re not dressed for the part.”

To combat the weather and stay comfortable on his daily coho forays, Schoonveld has been wearing the aptly-named Whitewater Great Lakes Pro Insulated Jacket and Bib, and has been impressed.

“The past few weeks have been pretty cold and I’ve worn the Whitewater suit and it’s performed. From shedding water, spray, and easy clean up from blood and scales, it’s been great. And comfortable. It bends at the knees and elbows and all the places you move when getting in and moving around a boat setting up a rods and fishing.” 

He also says that the suit is warm in and of itself, not requiring the layers he’s normally worn underneath other winter parka and bibs he’s used in the past.

“Besides warmth, you also need to make sure you take the precautions necessary for this time of year,” added Schoonveld. “I wear an inflatable PFD underneath my Great Lakes Pro jacket, and I file a flight plan.”

TABLE FARE

When asked if he has a favorite way to prepare cohos, Schoonveld says he has “dozens of favorite recipes.”

“There’s really no bad way to prepare them. The easiest is to fillet them, leave on the skin, add a little bit of seasoning and salt and lay them on a high grill for six or seven minutes. That’s absolutely perfect. But I’ve had them fried, which my kids used to like, and lately I like to smear them with a Panda Express Thai Chili sauce and grill them like that. My wife likes them grilled with ranch dressing. And you can smoke them. Bake them. Whatever. I’ll also make salmon cakes, fry them up, and eat them on a sandwich with a slice of cheese and some tartar sauce. In fact, that’s what I just had for lunch. But like I said, there’s no wrong way to cook coho. They are probably the best eating of all of our Great Lakes salmon.”

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About Whitewater

Whitewater performance fishing apparel gives anglers distinct advantages whenever Mother Nature’s unpredictability conspires to ruin angling adventures. Whether faced with wind, rain, snow, sun, or extreme temperatures, Whitewater apparel equips anglers with the ability and confidence to overcome the elements, so they apply their focus and energies on fighting fish, not the conditions. Whitewater is a brand by Nexus Outdoors, headquartered in Muskegon, Michigan, USA. Learn more and order at whitewaterfish.com.

Targeting Spring Bass with the Right Gear

Targeting Spring Bass

  • February 17, 2025
  • By The Fishing Wire

In just a few short weeks, anglers across the United States will be gearing up for one of our favorite pastimes: spring largemouth bass fishing. Depending on where you are located, spring bassing could mean cool, crisp mornings, long days in the sun and rod-bending action for hours. No matter if you’re flipping soft plastics into heavy cover, casting buzzbaits or just plugging the shoreline of your favorite lake or reservoir, you’ll benefit from a good pair of fishing gloves.

Just as you’d wear a glove for golf or baseball batting practice, fishing gloves can help your game on the water by greatly reducing hand fatigue. Fish Monkey gloves have just the right amount of padding in all the right places plus a superb grip area that works as well when wet as it does dry to help relieve the pressure on your hands from making hundreds of casts every day. Another benefit: They offer good hand protection and reduce those fin pricks, scrapes and small cuts from hooks, gill plates, braided line and more. You can also virtually eliminate “bass thumb” —those scrapes on your thumbs from lipping and releasing largemouths—with a good pair of gloves as well. 

One of the most popular options is the Stubby from Fish Monkey. This design has been a best-seller since the first season it was introduced, and for some very good reasons. First, it was crafted for comfort and all-day wearability, with ultra-lightweight, quick-drying fabric and a second-skin fit, plus shorter fingers and cuffs (hence the name). The Stubby offers UPF 50-plus sun protection for the sensitive skin on the backs of your hands and has a non-slip silicone palm print. 

For those who want a bit more protection, check out the Half Finger Guide glove. It differs from the Stubby in that the fingers and cuffs are a bit longer. It also retains the same qualities of quick-drying fabrics, second-skin fit and UPF 50-plus sun protection too. 

And for something that’s a bit of both, there’s the Pro 365 Guide glove. It has a bit less coverage than the Half Finger but a little more than the Stubby—it’s just right. Designed for those guides, captains and professional anglers who spend long hours in the sun, it has unparalleled comfort, UPF 50-plus sun protection, padding where you need it and a wet-or-dry grip that won’t quit. 

Make the most of your spring bass fishing this year with Fish Monkey performance fishing gloves. Interested in becoming a Fish Monkey Hunt Monkey dealer? Click here for more information! 

Fishing Rather Than Watching The Super Bowl On A Rainy Sunday

    Rain rain go away – and it did just to come another day for the Flint River Bass Club tournament this past Sunday. I camped at Don Carter State Park Wednesday through Monday and had no rain until late Saturday afternoon, although Linda said it rained a good bit here in Griffin.  I guess 100 miles can make a big difference!

    Three members of the club were brave, or dumb, enough to show up on a cold, windy, cold, rainy, cold day.  Did I mention it was cold as well as rainy?  Thank goodness for good rain gear and insulated clothes. My three layers on the bottom, including flannel lined jeans, and seven layers on top, kept me dry and warm enough to fish the eight hours.

    In the tournament we landed four 14-inch keeper spotted bass weighing 7.58 pounds. One person zeroed but he had to leave at 11:00 due to a problem at home.

    My three weighing 5.68 pounds was first and my 2.14 pound spot was big fish.  Brent Drake’s one weighing 1.58 pounds was second. 

    Due to the cold and rain and wind I stayed in sight of the ramp most of the day, fishing banks protected from the wind. After all, I knew if I caught one keeper I would place at least in the top three, and when I saw Zane leave I knew I had at least second place points wrapped up! 

I missed one small tap on a jig in a treetop in the first hour but I think it may have been a crappie or bream.  Then at about 8:30 I missed a bite on the jig on a rocky hump but on the next cast caught a 14.5 inch keeper.

    About 30 minutes later I saw a group of fish swimming out in 30 feet of water on my Panoptix Livescope.  They acted like bass so I cast a shaky head worm toward them and watched them follow it to the bottom.   But then bait and bass disappeared.

I figured like happens so often they followed my bait then ignored it. But when I raised my rod top there was weight on it and I set the hook and landed the 2.14 pound spot. I would have never known that bass was there without my electronics.

That was it for the next three hours, no more bites. And the fish I had seen suspended and moving around off the bank disappeared. I have no idea where they went unless they went to the bottom and held right against it. I did see one fish come up off the bottom and move off on my sonar as my boat went over it, so that may have been it.

At 12:00 I had fished back to the tree in the water where I missed the bite earlier. Dragging my jig through it I felt it get heavy and set the hook, half way expecting to hook a limb. Instead another two pound spot pulled back and I landed it.

That was it for the day.  Even though it was cold, wet and rainy, it was fun catching those spots.  It was a lot better than sitting around watching a football game to me, anyway!

A January Club Tournament Shows Why Bass Like Jigs

The Flint River Bass Club held its first 2023 tournament last Sunday at Jackson. In it, six of us fished for eight hours in a mudhole to land 12 bass weighing about 14 pounds.  There was one five bass limit and no one zeroed.

I landed five weighing 5.70 pounds for first, Doug Acre came in second with two weighing 3.36 pounds and had a 1.94-pound fish for big fish and Lee Hancock had three weighing 3.1 for third.  Fourth went to Alex Gober with one at 1.71 pounds and new member Scott Smith had keeper weighing .63 pounds for fifth.

When we started at 7:30 AM I could tell the water was very muddy even in the cove at the ramp. My first cast I found out how muddy, my crankbait disappeared about two inches deep.

I fished one place in the muddy cove without a bite for about 30 minutes. When I headed up the river to try to find some clearer water to fish, I was shocked and scared when I saw all the wood floating in the water.  Everything from twigs to logs twice as long as my boat covered the water from bank to bank.

That made me stop on a point and try to fish, although it was very muddy and almost every cast produced some kind of trash on my line and lure. After about 30 minutes the light breeze had moved the wood away from one side of the lake enough to run on plane if you were slow and careful.

I had hoped to go up the Alcovy River above the mouth of the South River where the water is often clearer, but when I got to the mouth of Tussahaw Creek I changed my mind. The wood going up the river covered it even worse from bank to bank and the wind had not made any open water at wall.

That condition made me go up Tussahaw Creek where there is often some clear water.  And it did get better above the bridge, I could see my bait down a solid six inches!

I caught a small keeper spot by casting a brown three sixteenths ounce Bitsy Bug jig with a green pumpkin Creepy Crawler trailer to a cement seawall. Of course I dipped the tails of the trailer in chartreuse JJs Magic. There are rocks at the bottom of most seawalls and bass will hold against them to feed on crayfish and baitfish.

I kept fishing seawalls like that and every one of my fish, two more spots and two largemouth, hit the jig on a seawall.  Lee was fishing the same area and caught his three on a variety of baits.

I invited the spots I caught home for dinner. When I cleaned them they had parts of small crayfish in their stomachs. That is why they liked my brown jig with the twin trailer arms!

Mike Frisch Explains What I Learned Walleyes

What I Learned – Walleyes

  • By The Fishing Wire

By Mike Frisch

As I wrote about in another blog detailing bass fishing recently, the past open water fishing season was one of the best that I can remember!  Various fishing partners and I were fortunate to be on several bodies of water when the fish were biting, we were lucky to catch lots of fish, and were fortunate to catch some big ones.  Here are some of the things I learned, or at least was reminded of, as it relates to walleye fishing during 2024’s fishing. 

Forward Facing Sonar (FFS) Rules, Or Does It?

In 2022 and in 2023 we caught lots of walleyes by “looking at them” out ahead of the boat utilizing FFS. These fish were often suspended and moving and we caught them by casting various lures to them, often a jig and minnow or jig and portion of nightcrawler.  The FFS helped us monitor the walleye movements and let us see how high they were holding in the water column.

We used the same method in 2024, but this past season, however, we caught lots of fish using traditional 2D sonar technologies to find and target the walleyes.  Don’t get me wrong, we still realize the effectiveness of FFS, but we found that we could also catch walleyes using traditional methods.  

Pulling Plain Through ‘Em!

One of the very first bites we were on in early summer of 2024, was one where the walleyes were in the 18-22 foot mark relating to the drop-off edges of a couple underwater points.  We cruised these areas, saw and marked the fish on 2D sonar, and then started to fish.  We employed a rig we call “plain” which is simply a heavy bottom bouncer weight, rigged with about a 40” CONTRA fluorocarbon snell, and with 2 hooks tied in.  We thread a nightcrawler on the 2 hooks and move through the fish cruising at around .8 mph.  Often, we find walleyes that can’t resist this method and this summer was no different.  The first “plain” walleye of 2024 pushed 30-inches, followed by a 28” a few minutes later. 

On our first pass of a subsequent fishing trip on another lake, the day’s first walleye was 25 inches long, followed by several more good fish.  Safe to say, “plain” continues to get lots of attention in my boat when walleyes are the target.

The “Other Rod” For Success

We caught walleyes pulling plain in good numbers in 2024.  We also caught them on jigs and minnows and, in fact, often joked that we only need 2 rods for walleye fishing, a plain rig baitcasting rod and an extra fast walleye spinning jigging rod.  We’ve settled on a 6’10” Lew’s Speed Stick jigging rod with that action that we use for light jigs of 1/16 ounce and also on heavier jigs up to ¼ ounce and even heavier!  This rod has a cork handle, is lightweight, and is very sensitive.  Plus, it’s very affordable.  We used that rod, along with FFS, to look at fish early in the season on a bite where we fished the jigs with shiner minnows as bait.   Again, the FFS allowed us to keep track of the fish and where to cast for them.

Starting in September and lasting into late October, we also used a jig-n-minnow combination, this time a big fathead or sucker minnow, to cast to walleyes.  Some of the times we found the FFS to be important, while at other times the fish seemed to hold in the same area and we could simply cast repeatedly to productive spots.

We were fortunate to find productive walleye fishing spots in 2024 and are hopeful for the same, or similar type successes in 2025.  

And, as always, remember to include a youngster in your next outdoors activity!

Mike Frisch hosts the popular Fishing the Midwest TV series on Sportsman Channel, World Fishing Network, and FanDuel Sports.  Visit fishingthemidwest.com to see TV schedules and all things Fishing the Midwest!

Photo – Walleye ace Shane Gesell with a giant walleye from last summer!

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

11 Pound Guntersville Bass

Also See:

Jeff Nail’s Lake Lanier Bass Fishing Report

Lake Hartwell Fishing Report from Captain Mack

 

Lake Lanier Fishing Report from Captain Mack

Lake Guntersville Weekly Fishing Report from Captain Mike Gerry

Lake Country Fishing – fishing reports on Lakes Sinclair and Oconee, and more. (subscription required)

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Freshwater Fishing Reports

Texas Parks and Wildlife Weekly Saltwater Reports

Fishing Report 1/18/24


I was on the water just a couple times this past week as the cold and wind were just not my
preferred fishing conditions. We did have some success, but it seemed like every time we
located fish the wind would blow us off the location and force us to have to move to make
the trip enjoyable.


We were preparing for the rattle trap season so all we fished, was the SPRO Aruka Shad rattle
bait the entire time we were on the water each day. The results were great for size and
average for numbers but getting ready for trap season that was a great result.


It’s time to set up your spring fishing days for bass or crappie, I believe it’s going to be a great
year as the numbers of small fish caught this past fall was impressive. Leaving me assured
that the lake is healthy and full of fish.

Come fish with me we have days available for the
spring we wish with great sponsor products Mercury Motors, Boat Logix mounts, Vicious
Fishing, Toyota Trucks, Duckett Fishing, Missile Baits, Tight-Line Jigs, Lowrance Electronics,
Costa Sunglasses, Dawson Boat Center, Power Pole, Lew’s Fishing and more.
Looking to entertain your customers we do corporate trips, family trips and have a group of
guides available to entertain your customers, or family so you can thank your employees for
the job well done or entertain a family affair. Call me today for details!


Bait Size Matters


As winter slowly moves on it is a time of year where size matters; at no time during the
fishing year is the size of your bait more important than now! If your wanting to catch big
quality bass, fish with big baits, like 7 inch swim baits, ¾ oz. jigs with large trailers that give
the jig a bulky look; even ¾ to 1 oz. spinner baits with large willow leaf blades will produce
that big bite.


The thing many fishermen do not realize is that slow lethargic large bass pick their prey and
the bigger the better as their feeding is very selective and large presentations entice that big
fish. I know you all have heard that saying that this time of year (winter) you’re fishing for a
few bites; I believe this is true so if the bites are limited than the presentation of large bait
becomes even more important. Size does matter; large bass are selective, they want slow
moving baits, easy prey and that large presentation as they can lead you to that 30-pound
sack we all hunt in winter fishing. Large baits do have some negatives as some days it can
reduce the number of bites, but the bigger fish make it all worth it. Be color aware as
wintertime fishing color does matter!


Some of the baits I like with large profiles are ¾ to 1 oz. Spinner baits with big willow leaf
blades that get to the bottom easily and becomes a great large profile bait to slow roll on the
bottom this time of year. I also like ¾ oz. football jigs you combine that big jig with a Missile
Bait D-bomb trailer or Drop Craw, or big Missile Craw and it will produce big bites with this jig
as it really entices those big females. Don’t underestimate the power of a big swim bait, some
of those very expensive large swim baits when worked slowly over shallow grass can become
your best friend; these baits can be very expensive, but wintertime proves their worth.


Big baits produce big fish, and you’ll have a big time on the water; you just have to get on the
water to prove it; call me I’ll help you become a big bait fisherman!


Fish Lake Guntersville Guide Service



Come fish with me I am booking for the fall and would love to take you fishing call today 256
759 2270. We fish with great sponsor products Mercury Motors, Ranger Boats, Boat Logix
Mounts, Toyota Trucks, Cornfield Fishing Gear, Costa, Duckett Fishing, Dawson Boat Center,
Vicious Fishing, Power Pole, and more

Can You Be Successful Wading for Speckled Trout 

Wading for Speckled Trout 

In most of the Gulf States, the speckled seatrout is one of the most popular targets for anglers because they are often plentiful, aggressive, and willing to bite various lures. There are many ways to catch them, but wading for them is an excellent option as they typically stay close to the beach and allow anglers to be as stealthy as possible as they target them.

Noted Texas guide and tournament angler, Capt. Brett Sweeny of Matagorda specializes in inshore species such as redfish and trout and guides clients during the “trophy season” for trout in the winter. One of the best ways to target these spooky fish in shallow water is by wading and making precise casts to their hiding spots. It’s a nice change of pace for anglers accustomed to fishing from a boat, and Sweeny says it gives anglers the best chance at catching a trout of a lifetime.

Trophy Trout Time

Sweeny is looking for fish that weigh seven pounds or more or are twenty-eight inches long on the Texas Coast to classify as a trophy. He says the winter months are best for these fish, primarily because their diet changes and where they live.

“The trophy season usually starts around the first of the year, and by February and March, those fish are the heaviest they will be all year,” he said. “When it gets colder, they adjust their diet and eat more mullet. Plus, in that colder water, they don’t swim or travel as much to burn off as much of that food.”

Whether he’s guiding clients near his home in Matagorda or spending time further south in Port Mansfield as he does for long stretches every winter, the chance for a trophy trout is real every trip, and wading offers an excellent opportunity to catch them.

Wading for trout can be as simple as gaining access to a beach, walking out into the water, and casting, but Capt. Sweeny takes his clients to prime locations via boat, where they enter the water and stalk the shallows. He’s a huge fan of fishing this way because it’s effective and adds a hunting aspect to fishing.

“It’s more like hunting because you are creeping up and making casts to specific targets instead of just blind casting around,” he said. “Getting into the water makes you much more efficient than fishing from a boat and lets you work the holes in the grass more efficiently. The other benefit is less noise because these fish are very spooky, and they won’t hear the waves slap on the boat’s hull or anglers making noise as they walk around in the boat.”

What to Look For

Grass beds are critical habitat, and there is plenty to fish on the Gulf Coast. Sweeny looks for ambush areas, holes in the grass that they call potholes.

“In those big grass beds will be big sand holes in the middle, about the size of a truck, and it’s not just a bare spot but a little depression with slightly deeper water. That’s what you want to find,” he said. “Those fish are going to lay in there, right on the edge of the grass, and when mullet come into that pothole, it’s the perfect ambush point for a big trout.”

The water depth they fish ranges from “knee deep” to “belly button deep,” as Capt. Sweeny puts it. Even minor depth changes are enough to attract trout, and like everything in saltwater, tides make a difference. 

“These depressions could only be 8 inches deeper, but that’s enough to hold those trout,” he said. “When it’s sunny, they’ll be in the shallower stuff, and as it gets colder, they’ll be in deeper holes. The best tides are typically incoming in the winter, but if you have some movement either way, it will be better fishing.”

Walking in waders, Sweeny and his clients move from one pothole to the next, and he says the anticipation of each new target is part of the fun.

“It’s easy to lay out a plan together as we creep up to the next pothole; it’s very visual, which is why everyone I take out likes it so much,” he said. “We can ease around and not make a bunch of noise, and it gives you a better chance to catch these fish since the water can be pretty clear this time of year.”

Targeting Trout in the Potholes

The aggressive attitude of trout, even in the colder months, allows them to be caught with several lures. Capt. Sweeny prefers suspending baits such as a MirrOlure Paul Brown’s Original or a “Corky,” as many know them, or Down South Lures Southern Shad paddle tail swimbait. He prefers natural mullet-imitating colors and fishes both on medium power rods with extra fast tips and a Bates Fishing Co. Salty reel spooled with 30 lb Seaguar TactX fluorocarbon with a five-foot leader of 25 lb Seaguar Gold Label fluorocarbon leader connected by a Double Uni knot.

“I like Gold Label because of how much thinner it is. I can go up a size and not lose anything, and I feel like it ties better knots because of how supple it is,” he said. “I also like the feel of TactX because I’m a four-strand guy, and it’s a very strong braid that casts great. It’s a personal preference, and I know some anglers doing this with the Smackdown braid.”

When fishing these lures, especially the suspending twitch bait, Capt. Sweeny mixes up his retrieves based on fish activity, but the pause is where many bites happen.

“I always like to go with two twitches of the rod and then a pause, almost like working a jerkbait for bass in freshwater,” he said. “You want to twitch the bait over that grass, and then you want it to sit as long inside that pothole as you can before you twitch it again.”

Casting accuracy is also critical for getting the best time inside the strike zone possible. “It’s important to make a good cast because if you miss the cast by a few feet, you’re going to be up on top of that grass bed, and they probably aren’t going to eat your bait,” he said. “That’s another reason why your line is so critical, and having a good casting line like TactX makes you that much more efficient.”

For a change of pace and a chance at a massive speckled trout, jump in and wade as you stalk the shallow water. It’s a surefire way to have fun and catch big trout during the winter months when they are at their biggest sizes of the entire year.

Seaguar TactX Camo Braid is available in 150- and 300-yard spools in 10 to 80 lb tests.

Seaguar Gold Label Fluorocarbon leader is available in twenty-five and fifty-yard spools in 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 & 12 lb tests for freshwater use, complementing the 15, 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80 lb test leaders available for saltwater.