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Most Recent Articles
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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...
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Seekway Water Shoes: Product Review
By this point you can see that these shoes are designed for light duty. In that regard, they excel… Not that long ago, I received...
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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...
Popular Gear & Lure Articles
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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...
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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...
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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...
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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
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A Brief History of In-Fisherman
My brothers and I have vivid memories of the stacks and stacks of In-Fisherman Magazine that Grandpa collected. They were placed ever so carefully in...
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How the “Average Fisherman” Benefits from Professional Bass Tournaments / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
Some anglers look at tournament pros with pure disdain. “I could outfish that hack!”“They’re messing up the spawn and ruining our fishery!” “Put summore patches...
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Explosive Bass Fishing in the 60s & 70s / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
Over the last several articles we have focused on individual men & methods surrounding the development of largemouth bass fishing. Pioneers like Jason Lucas, Buck...
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Bill Binkelman & Fishing Facts Magazine / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
If you’re looking to have some fun, take a peek at all the ways people used to market their goods and services. For example, the...
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Elwood “Buck” Perry & the Spoonplug / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
The spoonplug. Odd little contraption if you’ve ever seen one. A chunk of bent metal adorned with some sort of painted pattern resembling anything from...
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Sports Afield Writer Jason Lucas / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
Like the colonists that came to North America by boat years before, the outdoor writers of the 20th century (the fishing authorities, if you will)...
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The Origins of Fishing Sonar / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
Throughout the 1950s, the first sonar units built specifically for fishing made their appearance. They were expensive. They were difficult to use. They were clunky....
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A Brief History of Bass Fishing in America / Learn to Fish Largemouth Bass
It’s damp & cold down here in the basement. You’ve come by to visit a million times. To the casual observer it might appear cluttered,...
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Checking Water Temperature from Shore for Better Fishing
Cold. Cold. Cold. Cold. Done with winter. Icicles are gone, but there are still random piles of dirty, crusty ice in sporadic locations all around...
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Solunar Calendar Fishing in the Midwest
Dang it. My inbox threw up all over itself again last night. There are emails everywhere. Whenever I answer a message, two more take it’s...
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Fall Reservoir Fishing Scenarios / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
The leaves look like a red, orange & yellow quilt against the bluebird sky. It’s a subtle reminder that the days will be getting shorter...
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Summer Reservoir Fishing Scenarios / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
There are few things as satisfying as the crackle of a piping-hot grill. Sharp, crispy-hot pops of delicious fat sliding off of that ribeye that...
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Prespawn Reservoir Fishing Scenarios / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
Spring has sprung! Well… spring has sprung in my head at least. At the earliest signs of melting snow and bright skies I’m ready to...
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Fall into Winter (70°F & Cooling) / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
The days are starting to shorten. It’s a grim reminder that another dark, dreary winter is coming; but there is still more work to do....
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The Summer Period (Over 70°F) / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
Still dark. Early. The faint smell of campfire hits your nostrils as you place your cap back upon your head. Some of the smoke from...
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The Prespawn Period (55°F to 65°F) / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
Finally. It’s the end of the suck. Winter is dying. The water temperatures are coming back up, and the bass… well, the bass are moving...
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Differences in Natural Lakes & Reservoirs / Learn to Fish Reservoirs
Lakes, rivers and reservoirs. So plentiful. So full of fish. But so different. Which of these 3 bodies of water would you say is most...
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Fishing New Kinds of Water
Life is full of changes. In fact, change is the only thing that’s consistent. Two years ago when I started this website, my intent was...
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Key Features of a Quality Swim Jig / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
Over the past several articles we have discussed the history of the swim jig, how and where to use it, different jigs, trailers and techniques....
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3 Killer Swim Jigs to Start With This Season / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
Now that we’ve gone over what a swim jig is, why swim jigs are unique, when and where to use them – along with our...
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Pro Tips & Swim Jigs Strategies / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
We can all use a little help from our friends… or… from professional bass anglers. The following quotes were something I came across in a...
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Custom Swim Jigs Made to Order / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
After you’ve selected a few of the more common swim jigs to try out (see our Top 10 Swim Jigs for some great options you’ll...
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6 Swim Jig Strikes! / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
Now that we’ve spent some time reviewing how we can all get better at using a swim jig, covering new jigs, trailer options – and...
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What is a Swim Jig? / Get Better at Swim Jig Fishing
The jig. Possibly the greatest fish catching contraption of all time. In it’s simplest form, it’s a hook with some lead attached for weight… then...
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The International Scale of River Difficulty / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Before you load up the ‘ol kayak and attack a river – make sure you do some research to see if you can find information...
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Hazards & Locks / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Any river you fish can have hazards that you would be wise to look out for. On every body of water there are certain things...
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The Rules of River Navigation / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
If you drive, you are probably (hopefully?) familiar with the “rules of the road”. But how many of us are familiar with the rules of...
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Threats to Stream Habitat / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Fishermen care about the environment. The same could be said for hunters and many outdoor enthusiasts. We all appreciate and understand that we need to...
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Fluctuating Water Levels / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Within just a few hours of a heavy rain, water levels in a stream can rise as much as 10 feet, the current speed may...
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How Streams Change / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Have you ever returned to a river or stream – heck, even a lake – after say a long winter or a few seasons away,...
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Food & Forage / Learning to Fish Rivers and Streams
Stream fish are opportunists. If you’re like me and you want to catch more fish, and it’s a good idea for us to study the...
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Changing Temperatures in Rivers & Streams / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
The only constant in life… is change. Yesterday, we took a look at some of the different water temperatures that fish prefer (with a focus...
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Preferred Temperature Ranges of Warmwater Gamefish / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Different species of fish prefer different water temperatures. The fish you have access to in your local stream or river will depend on the temperature...
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![Cover & Current Breaks [Part 2] / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams](https://theminimalistfisherman.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/cover-and-current-breaks-part-2.jpg)
Cover & Current Breaks [Part 2] / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Now that we have gone over some of the different kinds of cover, where the most cover can be found, and areas that fish consider...
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![Cover & Current Breaks [Part 1] / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams](https://theminimalistfisherman.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Cover-and-Current-Breaks-Rivers-Streams-Part-1.jpg)
Cover & Current Breaks [Part 1] / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Now that we have looked into current and the affect it has on the fish in a river system or stream, we should go a...
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What is Current in a Body of Water? / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
Recently, we discussed what a channel within a river or stream is and where it is located. This knowledge will help you find the deepest,...
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What is a Channel and Where is it Located? / Learning to Fish Rivers & Streams
To the angler that does most of their fishing in lakes and reservoirs, approaching streams and rivers can seem quite foreign. (I’m speaking as someone...
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Wear Boots When You’re Fishing!
I WAS ATTACKED! Upon returning from a recent fishing trip spent throwing topwater baits from shore on a windy day, I noticed there was something...
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October Topwater Fishing w/ Z-Man Pop ShadZ
After my second trip to the pond in Illinois, I started to find myself more and more anxious to get back out. In years past,...
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Ned Rig ElaZtech Damage to Other Baits
The Ned Rig is super popular right now – and while it is a great presentation, it’s not magic. We’ve already discussed some of the...
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Sébile Pivot Frog vs. Strike King KVD Sexy Frog
First and foremost, I want to hit the most important point: It’s pronounced SUH-BEEL… as in Patrick SUH-BEEL… … you uncultured swine! To tell you...
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VMC Weedless Wacky Hook + 4″ Strike King Perfect Plastic Ocho
The mighty wacky rig. It’s one of those things that looks so silly… but it can work so well. You see it in the water....
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Ned Rig + Hula Stick
The Ned Rig is one of my all time favorite baits. It’s something that you need in your tacklebox, and I can tell you that...
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