Welcome to The Minimalist Fisherman
Join us. Become a better angler, and a better man.
Most Recent Articles
-
Winter Investments for Bigger Bass
This article originally ran in Midwest Outdoors Magazine.Please support them. Click here to set up your subscription, or add your email to receive their Free...
-
2024: The Return… and Writing for Midwest Outdoors
Good morning brothers. I hope that all of you are having a great 2024! I’ve been quiet lately and wanted explain why… Last year, one...
-
Illinois Topwater Bass Fishing (Post Spawn)
Good morning brothers. The Post Spawn Period, I have come to learn, is surprisingly unique. Bass can have an insane case of lockjaw, and at...
-
Illinois Bass Fishing During Post Spawn (Tough Bite Tips)
Good morning brothers. Isn’t it amazing how much a body of water – or more importantly, the bite – can change from day to day?...
-
How To Catch Your Next PB (Personal Best)
Good morning brothers. Here’s a fun question: will Minimalist Fishing lead to your next personal best? Yes. Full stop. Why Does Minimalist Fishing Leads to...
-
Ron D’s Bait Modifications: V1
Good morning brothers. Periodically readers will contact me to share tips, tricks, strategies – even send me physical gear and lures for use & review....
Popular Gear & Lure Articles
-
The Ultimate Guide: Best Baits for Big Wisconsin Bass (Minocqua Fishing Tips & Tackle + AJ’s Base Box)
Good morning brothers. It’s chilly again, here in the Midwest. The days are shorter. The nights are colder. The daydreams are beginning to intensify. There...
-
Bruiser Bass in the Muck: A Mucky Muck Base Box for Fishing BIG Midwest Largemouth
Have you ever set up a Base Box? Good morning brothers. I’d like to share a few tips that have helped me minimize the pre-trip...
-
Top 8 Baits for Borrow Pits
Good afternoon brothers. Fishing starts Monday. I’m hitting the water rain or shine, enough waiting – tomorrow we’re headed to Southern Illinois for Prison Ministry....
-
Top 4 Stickbaits for Largemouth Bass (NOT a Senko!)
Stickbaits catch largemouth bass. Period. Article over! (Just kidding.) Stickbaits work… but… WHY? Why do bass attack a piece of cylindrical plastic that resembles a...
-
Popular Bass Fishing Presentations for EVERY Feeding Strategy
Happy Friday, Patriots. Today, we’re talking fishing. Straight. No chaser. So buckle up, wipe off that booger-pickin’ finger and get to scrollin’! (Sorry… I’m already...
-
Top 5 Swim Jig Trailers / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
Even though we just took the time to list out the Top 10 Swim Jigs – the trailer that you pair with your selection is...
-
Top 10 Swim Jigs / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
In the previous article we talked about when and where to use a swim jig. It’s a great way to get started and absorbing this...
-
Top 5 Baits for Streams & Rivers / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Over the past two weeks we’ve pulled together a plethora of information to explain the makeup of rivers & streams; how they change, how fish...
More Fishing Articles
-
2 Topwater Fishing Secrets: Dingers vs Frogs?!
Good morning brothers. Today, I’m going to let you in on a little secret for packing light and fishing mucky water. Well, 2 secrets actually…...
-
The 5-Minute Jerkbait Guide for BIG BASS by Rick Vogelbacher
Good morning, brothers. Have you ever struggled to keep up with something? I have, and to be honest – I’m having a rough go of...
-
MONSTER BASS at Snapping Turtle Pond!
Good morning brothers. So, I have these hooks… and they are vicious looking little dudes… but, I haven’t been able to find a good use...
-
3-Second Fishing Rod Holder (Very Clever Product)
Good morning brothers! I am happy to report that my ridiculous nose-infection has dropped back down, from 100% swollen to about 12%. So, that means...
-
2 WARNINGS for ALL FISHERMEN! (I’m in SEVERE PAIN right now…)
Good afternoon brothers. I almost didn’t make this video because… well… LOOK AT ME. I’m a grotesque mess, and this infection (or whatever it is)...
-
Don’t Give Me Any Lip! (A Lipless Crankbait Story)
A few months back I received a “care package” from Ronald Richards, who I affectionately refer to as Brother Ron. That package contained about 20...
-
Father & Son Bonding Through Fishing
Good morning brothers. It’s Monday, and there is a YouTubes I’d like to show you. First, a quick story: when I sat down at my...
-
The Snakebite Rig: A Weedless Heavy-Finesse Presentation for Bass Hiding in Tall Grass & Thick Vegetation
Good morning brothers. We’re at it again! It’s early and I’m sitting in the main room of the boathouse that rests on the shore of...
-
Kayak Fishing New Lakes in Illinois
Good morning brothers. One great thing about owning a small, lightweight kayak, is that you can carry it into a LOT of different places without...
-
This is the Price of Smallmouth (A Fishing Story)
“This is brutal… I’m not sure how much more of this I can take…” The weight of the kayak had increased dramatically over the last...
-
Is the F4 Rig Different than the California Rig for Bass Fishing?
Good morning brothers. I’ve been in the field a lot lately. Since this is my last full season in Illinois, one major goal is to...
-
Where You Choose to Fish Makes a Difference
Good morning brothers. It’s been a few days since we posted an article… but I assure you, the reason for the delay is good. I’ve...
-
Fishing with my Son
Good morning brothers. This past weekend I went fishing with my son for the first time. Not the first time ever, mind you, but the...
-
How to Fish a Jerkbait: Part 1 – Jerkbait Gear Selection
Good morning brothers. A few minutes ago, my left pointer finger was impaled with the razor-sharp rear treble of a Rapala 08 Husky Jerk. Anytime...
-
Muckin’ Largemouth Bass from the Bank
Good morning, brothers. Muckin’ bass is something that many of us have experienced. It involves manually removing bass from… well… loads of muck. In 2019...
-
Best Way to Tie a Fluorocarbon Leader to Braid
Good morning brothers. I was sitting up last night tying rigs. We’ve had yet another cold snap here in Illinois, with nighttime temps dropping below...
-
How to Fish CHOCOLATE MILK (High Muddy Creeks & Rivers)
Good afternoon, brothers. Yesterday I was going over a trip from last June while working on a video for the fishing vlog. We had been...
-
What are Borrow Pits and Can You Fish Them?
Good morning, brothers. I came across a video last night, where a YouTuber was complaining about the amount of people on their favorite local shoreline....
-
Reader Feedback: Light Line Fishing Techniques w/ Brother Ron D
Good morning brothers! I hope all is well – the weather has gone from over 80 degrees to the low 30’s with snow in the...
-
Reader Feedback: Does Minimalist Fishing REALLY WORK?!
Good morning, brothers. I think it’s time to start a new thing… Every day I get emails from readers and subscribers that have become friends....
-
WARNING: Read This Before Spooling Up with Braided Fishing Line!
Good morning, brothers. This is a warning. It’s also not as dramatic as that just sounded… These days… everything is a code red… but I...
-
Be a Good Person First. A Good Fisherman Second.
Sometimes the good Lord puts us where we’re supposed to be – not where we want to be. Good morning, brothers. I was sitting in...
-
How Much Fishing Line is Left on my Spool?
Good morning brothers. Have you ever wondered how much fishing line you have left on your spool? I’m not asking if you’ve wondered how much...
-
Set Your Fishing Goals: The Plan for Midwest Bass Fishing & Beyond…
Tap… tap tap tap… tap tap tap TAPTAPTAPTAP… My leg is about to bounce right through this desk. I’m jittery. Sitting here in the office,...
-
What Affects the Strike Window of Largemouth Bass?
Good morning Brothers. Yesterday, I did a little bit of online shoppin’. Picked up 3 new jerkbaits in the exact same finish and size. Should...
-
Largemouth Bass Strike Windows
Mornin’ Brothers. The days are getting longer. Have you noticed? I sure have… as someone who suffers from the “winter grumblies” (which is a cute...
-
Prevent Fishing Injuries (3 Easy Steps)
Afternoon, Brothers. Fishing injuries are a real thing. You know this, but guys that don’t fish aggressively would hear that and think: “Dude how in...
-
Listen to the Birds
Happy Monday, Brothers. This will be a short entry. Something popped out at me yesterday while editing another video for the fishing vlog. My son...
-
Dinger Days: Fishing in Honor of YOU!
Good morning brothers! Today’s post is all about my appreciation of you! The biggest THANK YOU to everyone that makes a small monthly contribution to...
-
4 Outstanding Panfish Baits for Ultralight Fishing
It’s cold today. Bitter cold. Overcast. The rain is pitter-pattering outside my window. Tiny taps followed by the occasional PLOP as a big cold drop...
-
Grandebass Airtail Wiggler
Last year I tried a lot of new baits. Well… they were new for me, at least. The 2021 season was all about hammering along...
-
The WORST Day of Creek Fishing
I’ve never been a morning person. There are only two things that get me up & at ’em before sunshine pokes over the dark horizon...
-
Largemouth Bass Seasonal Movement (Calendar & Patterns)
What season is best for bass fishing? We’ve all asked a questions like this. What is the best way to target bass in [ENTER SEASON...
-
What is Fisherman’s Elbow?
What is Fisherman’s Elbow? Well, for starters… it’s freakin’ painful. It’s discouraging. It’s frustrating. It deflates egos. It reminds us of our mortality. It ruins...
-
Tennessee Prison Ministry: Be Fishers of Men
Good morning brothers – it’s Monday. Still cold here in Illinois. Freezing, but just barely. This week I’ll be headed south – but not for...
-
How Do You Treat Fisherman’s Elbow? (Tennis Elbow) Pain Relief & Non-Surgical Recovery Plan
SNAP… CRACKLE… POP!!! That’s a sound we all know and love… if we’re talking about cereal. If we’re talking about elbows… ugh. If you’ve fished...
-
The Best Fishing Advice You’ll Read Today
Happy New Year, Patriots! I hope you had a great time ringing in 2023 with family and friends! Maybe you partied hard… Or… maybe you...
-
Smallmouth Bass Fishing Tips from Matt Straw (In-Fisherman)
I’ve met a lot of really cool dudes since I started working on this website. Guys will reach out and let me know what they...
-
Do Bass Prefer Vertical or Horizontal Presentations?
Well hello my friends – I hope you and yours had a very Merry Christmas! We sure did… We’ve now entered into that weird week...
-
Christmas Break
Merry Christmas a bit early, Patriots! What a year it’s been! So much to be thankful for. I’ve been reflecting on the good, the bad,...
-
Dad Advice: Happiness Isn’t Acquired by Acquiring
I’m working on our Christmas card photo today. Sitting in my office here in Illinois. Inside. A nasty chill is seeping off the windows, fighting...
-
Don’t Be Stupid: It’s Dangerous to Fish with Underpowered Boat Batteries
“Row row row your boat, straight into the wind. Merrily merrily merrily merrily batteries died… again…“ I am so sick of rowing. This year I’ve...
-
The Most Important Creek Fishing Tip for More Bass in the Fall
I almost quit for the season. Threw in the towel. … but something kept nagging at me… “We don’t quit. We don’t quit.” FINE. Fine....
-
Largemouth Bass Vision: Horizontal vs Vertical
One of the things that has been on my mind a lot lately, is how well largemouth bass can see. My bank bite has been...
-
Fishing Outside Your Comfort Zone
“This is my jerkbait. There are many like it but this one is mine. My jerkbait is my best friend. It is my life. I...
-
How To Fish Ultra-Clear Borrow Pits & Rock Quarry Lakes
Clear water can humble a man right quick. When the largemouth bass are up shallow, prowling the mucky clouds of green snot, working in and...
-
Vicious Fishing: Pad Runner Hollow Body Frog Product Review
I’m a sucker for good looking baits. The finishes on these frogs are fantastic – I only have two complaints… The Pad Runner by Vicious...
-
Xcite Baits: Xtreme Stix Product Review
I want so badly to love this bait – especially because it’s made in the USA. I’m anxious to use other Xcite products… but these...
Recent Comments