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!

Bass Club Fishing Is Important To Me

Although bass clubs seem to be a thing of the past, with young fishermen wanting to fish for money and not joining clubs, they are still very important to me. I joined the Spalding County Sportsman Club in 1974, the Flint River Bass Club in 1978 and the Potato Creek Bassmasters in 2015 and currently fish three club tournaments each month.

All three clubs start their new tournament years this month, with Flint River starting Sunday, January 8. All are accepting new members and I have an open seat in my boat for the Flint River Club if anyone is interested in joining and trying club fishing.

The Flint River club meets the first Tuesday each month at Panda Bear and fishes our tournaments the following Sunday. We have two two-day tournaments each year. Dues are $20 annually and tournament entry fee is #25 with a $5 daily big fish pot. We also have two additional optional pots, $5 for the cumulative pot that increases until someone catches a six-pound bass and a $5 points pot that is split with half going to the points winner at the end of the year and half going to a raffle for all that are paid up.

The Potato Creek Bassmasters meet the Monday after the first Tuesday and fish our tournaments the following Saturday. We have three two-day tournaments each year. Dues are $50 a year and entry fees are $30 and the daily big fish pot is $5. There is an optional $5 cumulative pot.

The Sportsman Club meets the third Tuesday each month and fishes our tournaments the following Sunday, with two two-day tournaments. Dues are $50 each year and entry fee is $25 with a $5 daily big fish pot. There is an additional $5 cumulative pot.

Both Potato Creek and Sportsman Club have Club Classics. For those a member must fish at least 8 of the 12 monthly tournaments or finish in the top 8 in the points standings the previous year. Part of club entry fees are saved all year to make a nice payout in those tournaments for the top five fishermen in them.

There is a point system in each club and the top fishermen each year get plaques. Trying to place high in each club is important to me, probably more so than for most other members. Club competition is at a lower level that other types of bass tournaments but as long as I can compete at the club level I will keep trying.

In the Flint River Club 100 points are awarded to first place in each tournament. Second gets 90 points dropping ten points per place like that to 10 points for 10^th. Fishermen catching a fish but finishing lower than 10^th gets five points. In addition, ten points are awarded for attending the meeting and 20 for attending the tournament.

In Flint River this past year I placed first with 1410 points and caught 46 keeper bass weighing 75.7 pounds in 12 tournaments. I was the only one to attend all 12. Don Gober placed second with 890 points and 26 bass weighing 35.63 pounds. His grandson Alex was third with 800 points, 25 bass and 32.03 pounds.

Fourth place went to Niles Murray with 660 points, 35 bass and 46.25 pounds. Fifth was Lee Hancock with 530 points, 25 bass and 35.38 points. Doug Acree rounded out the top six with 480 points, 22 bass and 28.13 pounds. My 4.19 pound largemouth caught at Sinclair in March was big fish.

Potato Creek awards 100 points for first down to 10 for tenth and five points for catching a fish if you fish lower. Each meeting will get you five points and you get an additional 20 points for attending the tournament.

In the Potato Creek club I placed first with 1015 points and 72 bass weighing 131.09 pounds. Raymond English came in second with 900 points, 65 bass and 111.44 pounds. Third was Lee Hancock with 760 points, 58 bass and 91.67 pounds.

Fourth place went to Michael Cox with 680 points, 36 bass and 65.85 pounds. Fifth was Kwong Yu with 595 points, 61 bass and 83.91 pounds. Caleb Delay completed the top six with 560 points, 44 bass and 72.60 pounds. Tom Tanner had big fish for the year with a 5.78 pounder.

The Sportsman Club gives 25 points for first dropping one point per place down to one point for 25^th. One bonus point is awarded for each meeting attendance, tournament attendance, weighing in a limit and having big fish.

With 301 points and 56 bass weighing 93.01 pounds I won the Sportsman Club standings. Jay Gerson was a close second with 299 points, 56 bass and 82.17 pounds. Raymond English placed third with 289 points, 55 bass and 95.14 pounds.

Fourth place went to Kwong Yu with 283 points, 53 bass and 73.93 pounds. Fifth was Zane Fleck with 39 bass, 55.56 pounds. Glenn Anderson was sixth with 199 points, 31 bass and 48.34 pounds. My 5.63 pound largemouth caught in September at Oconee was big fish for the year.

Club fishing is a lot of fun and can be educational. Contact me at [email protected] for more information on the clubs in Griffin.

FIRST POSITIVE CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CONFIRMED IN GEORGIA

What Does It Mean For Hunting with FIRST POSITIVE CASE OF CHRONIC WASTING DISEASE CONFIRMED IN GEORGIA

SOCIAL CIRCLE, Ga. (January 23, 2025) – The Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ (DNR) Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) has confirmed through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories that a hunter-harvested deer sampled for routine surveillance in Lanier County has tested positive for Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). This is the first case of CWD detected in Georgia.

The sample was taken from a two-and-a-half-year-old male white-tailed deer harvested on private property. Immediately following the positive confirmation, WRD staff implemented the CWD Response Plan and are taking additional samples from the area.

“I want to assure our hunters that deer hunting will continue to thrive in Georgia, despite this current discovery,” said Walter Rabon, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “Working together with our hunters and all Georgians, we will manage CWD and maintain healthy deer herds.”

What is Being Done?

The DNR CWD Response Plan is in effect and a CWD Management Area is established. The CWD Management Area includes the county where the positive sample was found and any county that touches a 5-mile radius around the location of the positive sample. The current CWD Management Area includes Lanier and Berrien counties.

The critical next step is to determine the geographic extent and prevalence rate in that Management Area (i.e., how far it has spread and what percent of deer have CWD). The Department will do that with landowner cooperation through “cluster sampling” in the immediate area.

What is CWD?

CWD was first discovered in 1967 in Fort Collins, Colorado. CWD is a fatal neurological disease of deer, elk, and moose caused by infectious, misfolded proteins called prions. There are no current treatments or preventative vaccines.

CWD in deer, elk ,and/or moose has been reported in 36 states and 3 Canadian provinces: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming as well as Canadian provinces Alberta, Quebec, and Saskatchewan.

There is no known transmission of CWD to humans. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that hunters harvesting a deer, elk, or moose from an area where CWD is known to be present have their animal tested for CWD prior to consuming the meat and do not consume the meat if the animal tests positive.

How You Can Help Prevent Spread

Don’t move live deer. Moving live deer is the greatest risk for introducing CWD to new areas.
Dispose of carcasses properly and don’t bring whole carcasses into Georgia from out of state or move whole carcasses outside the CWD Management Area. Any carcass parts you don’t intend to consume should be left on the property the deer was killed, sent to a landfill, or buried.
Report sick or abnormal deer to your nearest WRD Game Management Office.

The Georgia DNR with its partners – Georgia Department of Agriculture and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study – will continue to update the public as more information becomes available.

For more information on Chronic Wasting Disease, visit https://georgiawildlife.com/CWD.

Getting On the Water When Its Too Cold To Go Fishing

Someone jokingly said “lets go fishing” last Saturday. With a low of 8 degrees and a high well below freezing at my house, not nearly enough degrees out there, I declined. But I have been out there fishing in weather about that bad.

In a January Sportsman Club tournament more than 20 years ago I drove by First National bank at 5:30 AM on the way to Sinclair. The bank thermometer read 11 degrees. About a dozen of us showed up at Little River landing just before sunrise but the lake was so low we could not use that ramp.

Rather than giving up we all headed to Sinclair Marina where the ramp is much steeper and goes out into deeper water. The first boat was launched with no problem, but when the trailer was pulled out the water running off it froze on the ramp.

The next person backing down the ramp warned it felt slippery and when he pulled out he had to spin his tires to get up the ramp.

By the time I backed down the ramp I started sliding before my trailer tires hit the water. Luckily I slide straight, and as soon as my van tires hit the water I stopped. The ice ended at water’s edge. Then I had to “burn rubber” all the way up the ramp, melting through the thin layer of ice all the way to the top. Everyone after the first two had the same experience.

It was miserably cold but I ran the few miles to the Highway 441 Bridge where I felt I had my best chance of getting a bite. Every cast I had to dip my rod in the water to melt the ice out of the guides. The water temperature was in the upper 30s, as low as I had ever seen it.

Since I knew the bass would be very sluggish I tried casting to the pilings and reeling my crankbait very slowly by it. I had to slow down to a crawl, just barely keeping the bait moving, but I caught seven keeper bass, enough to win the tournament!

Luckily the sun on the ramp melted the ice so we had no trouble pulling out. But when I went by the bank on the way home at 5:00 PM it showed the high for the day, 17 degrees!

A February Flint River tournament at Jackson gave me a thrill but not from catching fish. When we took off I headed up the lake on plane, running about 40 MPH just before sunrise.

Suddenly there was a horrible grinding sound. I stopped the boat, just knowing I had blown a power head. But then I saw the sheet of ice running from bank to bank. It was only a half inch thick, but when the boat hit it the sound was awful. That is one of the few times my bass boat was an ice breaker!

For some reason on my Christmas trips to Clarks Hill, every year the weather seemed to get much worse after Christmas Day. On year back in the 1990s I woke to howling wind and sleet. It was not comfortable, and everywhere I tried to fish the wind made it impossible.

I finally pulled in behind an island where a rock pile was protected from the wind and caught an 8.2-pound bass on a crankbait. It was the only bite I had in the four hours I forced myself to fish.

One year I took Linda to the Augusta Airport the day after Christmas to fly to Salisbury MD to visit her folks. My dog Merlin and I went back to the lake. We were staying in my small camping trailer and the only heat was a small electric heater.

During the night Merlin jumped up in bed with me. She always slept on the floor by the bed so that was strange. But when I got up the next morning I saw why, her water bowl on the floor was frozen solid.

The little heater kept it tolerable about three feet above the floor at bed level, but the uninsulated floor was below freezing.

That got me worried. Back then I heated my house on Rebecca Circle with a wood burning insert. There was no heat in the house while I was gone. I called my neighbor and ask her to check to see if she heard water running. She called back and said she did not hear water but my well pump was running steadily.

I knew what that meant and headed home. I learned how to solder copper pipe the next day, there were 11 split pipes under the house. The well pump had pumped the well dry and that is why it was still running.

I have been ice fishing one time in my life. One January a hard freeze got my upper pond hard on top. I went out to the end of my dock, knocked a small hole in the inch thick ice with a pipe, and dropped a piece of fish food on a small hook into the water.

After a few minutes a small bluegill hit it and I landed it through the ice. That remains and probably will always remain the only ice fishing fish I have caught.

I think I will hook the boat up and head to the lake!!

Winter Showdown On Tap For First Bassmaster Opens Event At Clarks Hill Reservoir

Is there a Winter Showdown On Tap For First Bassmaster Opens Event At Clarks Hill Reservoir?

By The Fishing Wire

Evans, GA — A true winter showdown is on tap for anglers fishing the first tournament of the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season at Clarks Hill Reservoir. Even with the cold temperatures and a daunting practice forecast, the potential for big bags is high, and 2024 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship Classic Fish-Off winner Tyler Campbellbelieves any section of the lake could produce winning bass.

“You typically see some solid weights this time of year,” the 2025 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour qualifier said. “There is a potential for 25- to 30-pound bags, and once every couple of years there is a double-digit-class bass caught. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a mega-bag, but low to mid-20s is about the average winning weight this time of year.

“Six of the Top 10 anglers could be doing something completely different from one another,” the Emmanuel University graduate added. “It is a very diverse fishery, and I think it will show out. I’m excited about it.”

Competition days are scheduled for Jan. 23-25 with daily takeoffs and weigh-ins to be held at Wildwood Park in Appling, Ga. The full field will compete the first two days of the event before the Top 10 competitors vie for the trophy on Championship Saturday. The winner, given they are signed up for all four tournaments in Division I of the Opens, will punch their ticket to the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

Those registered for all of the Division I events will also earn points based on their finishes throughout the season, with the Top 50 anglers from Division 1 as well as the Top 50 anglers from Division II of the Opens qualifying for the Elite Qualifiers Series, a three-tournament series that will determine the nine anglers moving on to the Elite Series in 2026.

Straddling the border between South Carolina and Georgia, the Savannah River impoundment has hosted plenty of Bassmaster events in the past, from the 1973 Bassmaster Classic won by Rayo Breckenridge to several Bassmaster Elite Series events in the early 2000s. Last February, B.A.S.S. returned to Clarks Hill as the College, High School and Junior Series took on the massive reservoir and brought impressive bags of largemouth and spotted bass to the scales.

Depending on how much rain the lake receives, Campbell anticipates that anglers will be able to spread out and fish their strengths.

“You will see some guys run to the very north end. The cool thing about Clarks Hill is you can win in any region of the lake. Guys will catch them deep and shallow. It is really weather-dependent. If we get a couple of good, bright, sunny days, you will see the shallow bass turn on.”

This is the first time in a long time Elite Series veteran Jason Williamson, who won the last Elite event that was held on Clarks Hill in May 2010, will be fishing a true winter tournament. December was mild across the region, but as soon as the calendar turned to the new year, Old Man Winter made his appearance.

“It’s been cold. So, the water temperatures are going to be pretty low,” he said.

He isn’t going away for this tournament, either. While this coming weekend is supposed to be relatively mild temperature-wise, forecasts call for heavy rains to accompany a cold front on Saturday and Sunday. When anglers start practice on Monday they will be greeted with 20-degree air in the morning.

It will only get colder, as another weather system is expected to move into the area with the potential to drop several inches of snow. Whether the snow forecast actually comes to fruition is yet to be seen and likely won’t be accurately determined until one or two days out, but it could throw a wrench into some competitors’ game plans before some milder weather moves in for the tournament days.

With this set of ingredients, Williamson anticipates plenty of spotted bass being caught in deeper water. Those bass will likely be chasing blueback herring, a staple baitfish in the Savannah River. Natural rock in deep water and deeper brushpiles will be key elements. Shaky heads, drop shots and minnow-style baits like a Zoom Winged Fluke will all come into play.

“The spots are going to bite. The herring are going to be out deep,” he said. “The consistency will definitely be with the spotted bass. Guys that are good with their electronics, finding bait and structure, those are the guys who are going to shine. Sun and clouds are going to make a big difference. Cloud cover hanging around early in the mornings will change the game big time.”

While largemouth may be more lethargic that time of the year, Campbell anticipates whoever wins will likely land some of the better largemouth the lake has to offer.

“(For the top half of the field) I would say it is going to be predominantly largemouth, but there will be plenty of quality spotted bass too. But guys near the top will have all largemouth or three or four largemouth and a spotted bass or two.”

Natural rock on top of deep humps will hold largemouth offshore. On the bank, meanwhile, Hurricane Helene provided plenty of new laydowns for the bass to hunker down around. Shallow crankbaits, jigs, spinnerbaits and ChatterBaits could all produce quality bites if the conditions are right.

“Conditions will be set up for power fishing,” Campbell said.

Daily takeoffs are scheduled for 7:15 a.m. and anglers will return for weigh-in beginning at 3:15 p.m. Full coverage of the tournament will be available on Bassmaster.com.

Visit Columbia County is hosting the event.

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Platinum Sponsor: Toyota
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Premier Sponsors: Bass Pro Shops, Dakota Lithium, Humminbird, Mercury, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Power-Pole, Progressive Insurance, Ranger Boats, Rapala, Skeeter Boats, Yamaha
2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Supporting Sponsors: AFTCO, Daiwa, Garmin, Lew’s, Lowrance, Marathon, Triton Boats, VMC

About B.A.S.S.

B.A.S.S., which encompasses the Bassmaster tournament leagues, events and media platforms, is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting-edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), TV show, radio show, social media programs and events. For more than 50 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN, Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Qualifier Series presented by Lowrance, Strike King Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Strike King Bassmaster High School Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Team Championship, Newport Bassmaster Kayak Series presented by Native Watercraft, Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship presented by Skeeter and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour.

Memories Of Christmas Past Are Melancholic

Memories of Christmas past are melancholic for me this time of year. Almost all my memories have hunting and fishing involved and most include family time, too. But those times are only memories now.

Most memories when I was in elementary school involve decoration with homemade, nature sourced items. We sprayed pinecones and sweetgum balls different colors and used them in a variety of ways, from making small “trees” by piling them into round pyramids to making wreaths for the door.

We collected “smilax,” also known as greenbrier, to outline out front door. We built manger scenes with pine bark and green pine limbs. And we made toothpick and ice cream stick decorations.

One of my jobs from ten years old on, after I was allowed to take my .22 out into the woods by myself, was to shoot down mistletoe. Many of the big oaks in the woods on Dearing Branch had clumps of it, mostly way up in the top. I prided myself on bring down a twig with every shot.

Through middle and high school I did all that and included hunting trips after a big family lunch. Daddy often took me out quail hunting when we had pointers. After we stopped trying to find quail, even back then wild coveys were getting harder to find, I would go rabbit hunting with my friend with his pack of beagles or squirrel hunting by myself.

After I went off to college a trip home usually included all the above. Then after Linda and I got married we would visit my folks in Dearing then drive to Salisbury Md where her folks lived.

We bought our first bass boat in 1974 and that year I found out bass would bite in late December, addicting me. Most every year after that I would go to out place at Clarks Hill the day school got out and stay by myself until Christmas day.

By then Linda had a job in a doctor’s office and had just one day off, so I would meet her at my parents house for Christmas dinner then head back to the lake when she headed back to Griffin. I would stay at the lake until I had to come back to Griffin the day before school opened back up.

Those days were my favorites. For about ten days each Christmas it was just me and my dog Merlin at the lake. I seldom saw anyone else. I ate when hungry, slept when sleepy and fished or built brush piles the rest of the time.

The lake was so uncrowded that, after reading the regulations carefully, I kept my 30-30 in the boat. As long as the boat was not moving from motor power and the deer was not in the water it was legal to shoot one from the boat. If I read the regulations right.

I killed five over a six year period. They were so unused to seeing a boat in the winter that they would just stand and stare at me. All were young does, but that is what I wanted to shoot for the meat.

One year I went back to the lake after dinner on Christmas Day and did not see another person for five days. I would not have seen anyone the sixth day but I had to go into town for gas for the boat!

I caught many bass and learned a lot fishing the lake when it was completely peaceful and the water was down from five to seven feet, exposing rocks and stumps for me to fish later when the water came back up.

The first brush I put out really fired me up. There was a bare bank with two stumps on it and nothing else for 100 feet. I seldom caught anything on that bank. Up in the edge of the woods, someone had cut a big cedar tree and cut the trunk out for a post. The remaining top was about 15 feet tall.

I dragged it to the edge of the water and tied the base to a stump right on the edge of the lake. After flipping it over, the top was out in seven or eight feet of water.

The next morning, I went to that bank and ran a crankbait by the tip of the tree and caught a two-pound bass. That fired me up to put out many more brush piles that year and the next few.

In 1975 I found with my first depthfinder what turned out to be an old underwater roadbed running across a ridge. I took two big cedar trees out there and dropped them on the edge of it, anchoring them in 15 feet of water and 50 feet apart with five-gallon buckets of cement.

Those trees are still there. They never rot since they are never exposed to air. And I still catch bass out of them on many trips to the lake!

I have great memories of staying at the lake during Christmas but, unfortunately, after my parents died in 2000, I have a hard time going to the lake and staying by myself. I get way too melancholy remembering all the spring and summer trips with them there.

I guess the ghosts of the boat club and all the memories get to me when I am all alone.

B.A.S.S. Announces 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Schedule

B.A.S.S. Announces 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers Schedule

By The Fishing Wire

Birmingham, AL — B.A.S.S. has announced the schedule for the 2025 Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers series, and the slate offers up three of the hottest fisheries in the country for anglers to compete for the opportunity to walk across bass fishing’s biggest stage.

For the 2025 season, the St. Croix Bassmaster Opens Series presented by SEVIIN evolved into an eight-event season comprised of two divisions, each featuring four tournaments. Anglers placing in the Top 50 in each division’s Angler of the Year race will advance to the newly installed Bassmaster Elite Qualifiers series. This stand-alone series will feature three events, spanning from September through November, to qualify anglers for the Bassmaster Elite Series.

“This schedule is strong and will be a challenge for the group moving from the Opens to the EQs,” said Executive Director of Tournaments Hank Weldon. “It’s a diverse schedule, and I think we’re catching each of those fisheries at a really good time for anglers and fans alike. I’m looking forward to seeing how the new EQs shake out this year.”

The first EQ event is scheduled for Sept. 18-20 at Lake Champlain in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Champlain checked in at No. 6 in the Northeastern Division ofBassmaster Magazine’s 2024 100 Best Bass Lakes list. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass are abundant in this lake that features everything from shallow grass to deep, rocky structure.

Next up is Pickwick Lake in Counce, Tenn., Oct. 2-4. Giant largemouth, smallmouth and spots can fill a bag on this body of water which ranked ninth in the Southeastern Division of Bassmaster Magazine’s 100 Best Bass Lakes list, and bags of more than 25 pounds are the norm.

The third and final EQ stop on the slate will be Nov. 13-15 at Lake Okeechobee in Clewiston, Fla. Okeechobee is known for giant largemouth — just ask Bassmaster Elite Series pro Scott Martin who, in the 2024 St. Croix Bassmaster Opens presented by SEVIIN season-opener at Lake Okeechobee set an Opens record for the heaviest one-day bag with the massive 33-pound, 2-ounce limit he weighed in on Day 1 of the event. Martin went on to set another Opens’ record at the same event for heaviest winning catch with a three-day total of 90 pounds, 6 ounces.

In addition to the 100 anglers qualifying from both divisions of the Opens, all current Bassmaster Elite Series anglers will be eligible to compete in the Elite Qualifiers, as well as the second- and third-place finishers from the 2024 Mercury B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Lowrance.

B.A.S.S. remains committed to the “win and you’re in” concept for the 2026 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Classic presented by Under Armour. Anglers who fish every event in a division of the Opens will receive a berth to the Classic if they win an event. The same applies to the three-event EQ series, taking the total to 11 berths to the Classic, which is an increase of two berths from years past.

Also new for 2025, the number of anglers who will qualify for the Elite Series has been increased to 10 (nine qualified in each of the past two years). Additionally, the EQ series rules will mirror those of the Elite Series, meaning the “no-info rule” is currently in effect and soliciting information for these bodies of waters is now prohibited.

EQ entry fees will be $3,500 per event. For full details please visit Bassmaster.com.

2025 Elite Qualifiers

Sept. 18-20, Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Oct 2-4, Pickwick Lake, Counce, Tenn.

Nov. 13-15, Lake Okeechobee, Clewiston, Fla.

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Title Sponsor: St. Croix

2025 Bassmaster Opens Series Presenting Sponsor: SEVIIN

About B.A.S.S.

Reading About Fishing Can Give You Tips To Help Catch Fish

Sometimes ideas that help catch fish come from reading about others’ fishing trips. That is why I try to give some details of where what and how when I am lucky enough to catch a bass.

Years ago on a Saturday afternoon before a Sportsman Club night tournament at Jackson I was reading a fishing report from a Texas lake to post on my website. It said a jig and pig was working well for bass at night.

I did not have one tied on for the tournament but went out and rigged a rod and jig for fishing. That night, with less than two hours left to fish, I had one small keeper in my livewell and was not very happy.

I decided to try the jig and pig, I had not thrown it all night. But in the next hour I caught five keepers, culling the one in the livewell and winning the tournament.

That jig and pig worked well during night tournaments for the next four years helping me win or place second. Then the club decided they would rather fish during the day when it is hot, there is lots of boat traffic on the lake and the fish didn’t bite. So we stopped fishing at night when it is cool, there is little boat traffic and the fish do bite.

Reading about other fishing trips almost got me into serious trouble when I was 19 years old and a sophomore at UGA. An article in Outdoor Life magazine talked about the good trout fishing downstream of the Hartwell dam on the Savannah River.

I skipped classes one Monday and drove over there early that morning. When I got near the river I stopped at a small store/bait shop to ask for information.

The owner showed me an ice chest full of rainbow trout and said his two sons caught them that morning before school. He said the hatchery truck dumped fresh trout in the river at the old steel bridge and told me to turn at the next right and it would take me to the bridge and I could fish there.

I bought a can of kernel corn since he said that is what they were hitting, they were used to eating pellet food in the hatchery. When I got to the bridge about 10:00 AM I found a place to park and crawled down the steep bank to the edge of the river. It was almost a half mile wide there and there were streams and rivulets running over an expanse of flat rocks all the way across, with scattered bigger pools of water.

I tied on a #2 Mepps spinner and put a kernel of corn on one of the hooks. I waded upstream of the bridge casting to small streams and pools in the rocks, and caught a limit of ten rainbow trout before lunch.

After going back to the truck, putting my fish on ice and eating a sandwich I started fishing downstream below the bridge to look at new places. After about an hour I had caught two trout and had them on a stringer attached to a belt loop. I was right in the middle of the expanse of rocks, maybe 200 yards from the bank and that far downstream of the bridge.

A car went over the bridge and the driver blew the horn. I turned and waved and turned back to fish, but something was not right. Looking back upstream there was a fog bank rolling down the river almost to the bridge.

I realized the Corps of Engineers had released water at the Hartwell dam about four miles upstream. The ice cold water rolling down the river caused the fog.

I grabbed my fish and took off running across the slippery rocks as fast as I could. When I got to the bank I was standing in water about ankle deep. By the time I put my rod and can of corn on the steep bank and hooked my stringer to a bush, the water was up to my waist and I had to hold on to a bush to fight the current!

Looking back to where I had been a few seconds before, a torrent of ice cold water several feet deep rushed across the rocks. If it had caught me there is no way I would have survived. Whoever blew that car horn saved my life.

I stopped at the store and the owner told me someone had drowned there the week before after being caught by the current. I told him I thought the Corps blew a siren at the dam to warn folks when they released water and he said they used to but locals complained about the noise.

I “thanked” him for warning me and left, glad to be alive.

Read fishing tips and try them but be careful!

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

St Croix Rods for LARGE-LURE ANGLERS