It’s Monday, and there is a YouTubes I’d like to show you.
First, a quick story: when I sat down at my computer to edit this video, that’s all it was supposed to be: a fishing video. With fish in it. And baits. And fishy stuff. And fishing tips.
The end.
But… it’s not just a fishing video…
While playing the clips back over and over and over, I found myself smiling ear to ear whenever my son would catch a fish. The excitement and adrenaline, followed by his enthusiastic laughter – how could I NOT smile!? He’s so excited! He’s happy. He’s proud. He took on a task and succeeded.
So why does this matter?
4 years ago when I started The Minimalist Fisherman, I didn’t know what it would become, but I did feel a strong pull. Just go. Write stuff. Record stuff. Publish stuff. See what happens. Even with all that uncertainty, helping my boys become better anglers was a priority. We’ve talked before about how I struggled to put them on fish. My skills needed to improve, so that they could have more fun.
So that was the focus. Fun. As I gained more and more experience it paid off in terms of many, many more fish for everyone in my tribe… but… guess what the added (unexpected) benefit has been?
Real, genuine, father / son bonding.
I had completely missed it. Bonding was an afterthought, not a priority! Catching more fish, THAT was the goal. But through the development of this skill, something truly special has happened. My boys ASK me to go fishing all the time. I get to take them outside, away from screens, away from news, away from distractions and work in unison with them towards a common goal. We climb a mountain together, and God willing – we celebrate VICTORY.
It’s a beautiful thing, and I want that for you as well.
If you’re looking for a way to bond with your son or daughter – yes, even your wife – then fishing can be an extremely valuable asset in the relationship building toolbox. Keep this in mind during trips so you can do whatever possible to help them have fun and achieve success. On days like this it’s not about you, Dad – it’s far more important they catch fish!
But I promise… by focusing on them, you’ll walk away from the lake with something way more valuable than a couple of bites…
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One great thing about owning a small, lightweight kayak, is that you can carry it into a LOT of different places without breaking the bank… or breaking your back. It’s hard work, but since one of our main goals this year is to find new, remote areas to fish… hard work is simply mandatory.
GOOD.
Exercise plus fishing? Sign me up. Currently I’m lugging & floating in the noisiest plastic kayak known to man – a Lifetime Payette 98 sit-inside model. This nine-and-a-half foot, 44 pound kayak works, but you can hear it squeaking with every cast, every fish, every paddle…
Stealth is not an option, and one day I’ll upgrade… but for now we gotta do what we can with what we got. Here’s what I learned on this trip…
Kayak Fishing a New Lake in IllinoisClick the banner to jump to Stars & Bars Fishing on YouTube.
Jerkbaits can work as a searchbait, but they are a visual presentation – not a great choice in cloudy water after a storm. This is why the 80/20 Rule is applied to all Base Boxes.
Bass love to hide around (and cruise over) Chara Algae, especially during the springtime Midwest fishing season. Look for and cast to shallow clear areas, shadows, overhangs and finally deep transitions to other weed types.
Walking through State Fish & Wildlife Areas can be very productive. Ticks were not an issue… yet… but by mid-summer, they are a major concern. Be careful!
White and gray baits in cloudy water can reflect light. Don’t be afraid to try them, along with black baits that will cast a distinct silhouette. Experiment.
I like to fish small wacky hooks with o-rings so the MAXIMUM amount of HOOK is exposed. This boosts hookups, and the added benefit is that plastics last longer, but I don’t care about saving plastics & neither should you! After spending hundreds on gas & gear, saving a $0.38 plastic bait is NOT a priority, it is a distraction. Focus on the fish. If you need to spend $4.99 on more plastics because you caught too many – embrace that, it’s a good problem to have!
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It’s been a few days since we posted an article… but I assure you, the reason for the delay is good.
I’ve been fishing.
Oh Lord, have I been fishing… fishing with my boys, fishing by myself, fishing new areas, fishing in the kayak, huffing & puffing through the woods, falling through rotten tree trunks (really), and hitting one of my goals for the year: finding new, remote areas to fish.
Stick with me for a bit, and allow this article to stir your adventurous spirit so that you feel inspired to do the same!
This is an important question that we all ask ourselves after we’ve been cooped up all winter, unless you’re a madman and ice fish (respect… you lunatic).
“Where am I gonna start?!”
Well here in the Midwest, a lot of us will start by fishing small ponds and lakes that tend to warm up faster than the larger lakes. This usually translates to more activity, a better bite, and overall easier fishing as you’re not fighting with the spring wind in a little boat.
The downside of course, is that there is nothing romantic about these locations. You are usually surrounded by yappy dogs, locals out for their morning steps, and kids screaming at the nearby playgrounds.
It’s not bad… but it’s not the same as fishing when you’re surrounded by the Lord’s amazing creation instead of… lawn gnomes.
My first trip this year was to one such location…
Little suburban lakes can hold bass, but they come with a lot of “undesirable extras.”
Still… they can scratch the itch… this fat 2 pounder hit an Ocho on top of the muck.
Fun. But it only whet my appetite for isolation. So the next question was obvious – where can I go to get away from people?
The second trip was planned. A yak-attack at a local state park with a little waterfall lake. Beautiful area, but the lake was so full of snot and muck, I renamed it The Cheese Factory.
Kayak locations are a good option when you want to get away…
… here at The Cheese Factory, a topwater Dinger worked…
Fishing a Topwater Dinger at “The Cheese Factory”
1 bass. 1 green sunfish. 1 miss. 3.5 hours.
A good workout, some lovely fresh air… but not much fun. At least when I was fishing the bank in suburbia, I was catching fish!
After a frustrating day, I came home to do a bit more research. All this time I thought the lake was fed by the river… that is wrong. This lake drains into the river. It is fed by local runoff, which could explain the massive amounts of algae so early in the season… but whatever the reason, the truth was that it was just borderline unfishable – or at the very least, not worth the effort.
I’ve been yelled at more than once. Told to leave or be shot. You know – really fun stuff. So waltzing through the woods is not really an option, because you never know what (or whom) you’re going to find out there, and property owners here typically own the creek bed, even if the water is navigable. Once you step in it… well, you’ve really stepped in it!
Then it hit me.
Last year I started to explore some big deep pits with ultra-clear water. The fishing at these lakes has been extremely challenging compared to the nearby mucky ponds like the ones shown above. Stealth and light tackle move to the top of the list in terms of importance.
You simply can NOT fish the pits like you would the smaller lakes and ponds, or you will NOT get bit. Period. It’s challenging, but extremely rewarding… however, with as deep as these pits are, I wasn’t about to start my season here – they’ll remain colder, longer, and I can hit spawning and active bass in the smaller bodies of water now, then hit these larger bodies of water later to maximize the amount of fish caught.
The pits being referenced are located within a State Fish & Wildlife Area.
Hold the phone.
I’ve seen ponds there. I’ve noticed other lakes off in the distance as well. Bodies of water with no easy access. No boat ramp. I’ve never even thought to go fish them, because… well… no boat ramp! No road. No easy access. No obvious signs: FISH HERE DUMMY!
But what if we decided to hoof it?
What if we took the kayak to these little watering holes??
Is it even possible?! Will I get shot?!
A quick search on the IDNR website cross-referenced with Google Earth confirmed there are actually several small bodies of water located within this public area, and they are within the bounds of state property – it just ain’t easy to get to ’em… but I wanted to get to ’em…
So, we set out.
First we went up…
… then down…
Over the river and through the woods. A couple miles. Nothing crazy, but yes, challenging.
I didn’t see anybody. Launched my kayak in silence. Fished a down-sized presentation on a single rod with a tiny pack of plastics, sinkers and hooks, surrounded by steep woody shoreline.
Isolated.
Minimalist.
It was everything I was hoping to find.
The fish were there.
Started with a jerkbait, and switched to a white / smoke 4″ Dinger after zero action. Jerkbaits are visual, and the water was cloudy due to recent heavy rain. Twitching the stickbait allowed me to kick off vibration, making the bait easier to find.
Over a 3 hour session, I caught 16. A few were just over 2 pounds, and I lost a monster…
Later in the day this bass swooped out from a steep bank with a large overhanging tree providing shade and overhead cover. Light line & tackle were key because the water was clearer in areas with these steep banks where I found most of my fish.
But that’s ok.
She’s still in there… and we’ll be back.
My friends, these places are out there, and they are worth the effort when you find them.
So that’s what I’ve been up to. That’s what I’ll be up to again soon. And I hope by reading this, it has rekindled your interest in exploration. Pull up a search on local SF&W areas, and see if there are a few bodies of water off the beaten path.
Maybe I’ll see you out there… but hopefully… I won’t.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Muckin’ bass is something that many of us have experienced. It involves manually removing bass from… well… loads of muck.
In 2019 when I started The Minimalist Fisherman, I had made the incorrect assumption that cover like this was simply unfishable.
“Just look at all that nasty algae. No bass in there! If there are, they’re untouchable – gotta wait until we go up to Wisconsin to catch some fish out of clear water with very distinct weed edges I GUESS…”
So negative. So silly. So WRONG.
The bass are in there, and as soon as I realized this, it became my mission to find the best way(s) to extract ’em. This has led to the development of several new skills and modified rigs.
It’s a blast.
In this video, I’ll explain a bit more about The F4 Rig, which was originally developed to help fish flukes through heavy cover. Here’s how you rig it and what you can pair with it – and just for good measure, a few good examples of what you can pull out of heavy underwater sludge & cover – even when the bite is tough!
The F4 Rig is a great option for muckin’ bass & adjusts easily on the fly.
Early in the season when the greenery is sparse, you can get away with treble hooks and sloppy knots sportin’ large forward-facing tag ends… but as the season progresses, you need to adjust your approach if you don’t want to spend more time removing debris (and pulling your hair out) than fishing. As the snot & muck thicken… rigs like this become more and more useful.
A Healthy Largemouth Bass on the ‘ol F4 Rig
Add it to your repertoire, get after it, and let me know how it goes!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Yesterday I was going over a trip from last June while working on a video for the fishing vlog. We had been getting rain off and on for about 72 – 48 hours – but nothing super heavy… so I thought I could go out and have another day of smallie bashin’… well, the water was high & muddy – like chocolate milk.
Fortunately, I was able to call an audible after 30 minutes of unproductive fishing. My F4 Rig was getting snagged up on all the creek bed debris, but my Pop ‘n Drop rig allowed me to make enough noise to attract fish in the muddy water and keep my trailing plastic off the bottom.
Check it out!
Chocolate Milk & Smallmouth Bass – Breakfast of Champions!
When the water is high and muddy like this, bass will move. They might move up or downstream. They might get in really close to cover (including the bank, boulders, timber – anything that can make them feel more secure or offer a current break) and they might seek out eddies or wider areas with slightly slower current.
They could have lockjaw… but… you’ll never know until you get out there and look for ’em.
Check out both of the techniques mentioned here, get after it, and let me know how it goes!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
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The rain is pitter-pattering outside my window. Tiny taps followed by the occasional PLOP as a big cold drop travels through space from the corner of the roof to the sill…
… pat pat pat pat pat PLOP pat pat pat…
It’s calming, but… I’m restless. Restless because we have rain. Not snow.
Snow is the devil.
Rain means the snow is dying.
Good riddance.
I was talking with a friend last night about dealing with depression. He called it “being lost in the wilderness.” You can probably relate. There are times when everything seems to be… just… blegh. Right now in this country, you can feel an overwhelming sense of dread.
Stories of chemical spills, huge layoffs, corruption without justice, $7 eggs, any number of cultural issues – it’s enough to drive a man insane… it’s oppressive.
You feel it?
One of the ways to combat these feelings is to stay busy.
Busy with prayer. Busy with work. Busy with family. Busy with hobbies.
Getting busy (giggity?) can give your brain a chance to break away from the weight we carry day-to-day, even if it’s subconscious. Not that we should ignore the issues – quite the opposite – but at times, we need a break.
Fishing is that break for me, and winter is my enemy… because it slows me down.
It gives me something to chase, something to work on, something to improve, something to aim at… even if the target is a bit cloudy as the tires on the truck crunch their way out of the driveway…
Let’s just go.
… and so today, as winter continues it’s slow death… my daydreams become more vivid. The plants are greener, the air is crisp, and the fish… they are plentiful. Plentiful, and so much fun to catch on ultralight gear.
If you’re like me, daydreaming about those action-packed afternoons – the 4 presentations used in this video are absolutely killer for panfish!
Click the banner to jump to Stars & Bars Fishing on YouTube.
1. The Kalin’s Crappie Scrub
The Kalin’s Crappie Scrub is an inexpensive plastic bait with no salt or scent, but twin paddle tails that thump and vibrate aggressively on a straight retrieve.
Speaking of retrieve, you can see in the video that I’m using a Pflueger President spinning reel (size 20 I believe), which is just an absolute unit. Make sure you have one (or four) of these classic workhorses in your arsenal. Check out this monster green sunfish that fell for the Crappie Scrub – landed in the Trophy Room, actually.
2. The Donkey Tail by Mule Fishing Supply Co.
You’re probably sick of me talking about these… but… well… I don’t care.
They catch fish man!
I like the Jr., and my favorite color is Pasture Fire. Click below for a full review, and consider hucking these on another simple workhorse that Brother Mike (aka Brother Wiggly Worm) down at Table Rock Lake reminded me about just yesterday: the Berkley Lightning Rod.
They are cheap, and they work – I have seen more Lightning Rods on the boats of fishing guides than any other make & model.
3. The Bobby Garland Itty Bit Swim’R
This is the smallest plastic I have ever fished. Like the Crappie Scrub and Donkey Tail, they have no salt or scent that I am aware of – but they are just the right size for aggressive panfish.
They catch all kinds of gamefish, and pair well with small (1/32 oz) jig heads. There are all sorts of jigs on the market, but the Mr. Crappie offerings are always a good choice.
4. The Strike King Bitsy Minnow
Finally, if the cover allows for it – test mini crankbaits like the Strike King Bitsy Minnow (or Bitsy Pond Minnow, depending on who you ask). It has a tight little side-to-side wobble and pairs perfectly with Stren monofilament.
The extra stretch helps keep the small hooks pinned in the mouth of fish, and makes it harder to toss – or for us to tear it out. It also allows the bait to acheive maximum wobble!
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Yesterday, I used this simple 4-step plan to get out of my fishing slump. Not only did it help me catch bass – it helped me methodically break down a local lake that has changed drastically due to the fact that all of the large algae pods the bass used to get up under close to shore are gone (removed with chemicals).
In short – the plan worked. Here are the 3 best from yesterday:
Largemouth Bass #3 – 2.25 lbs
Largemouth Bass #2 – 2.5 lbs
Largemouth Bass #1 – Just Under 3 lbs
This was the key:
My downsized wacky rig was weedless, but I used heavier tackle and added a little bit of heft. There was a swivel between my braid and fluorocarbon leader for weight, plus a 1/32 ounce bullet weight. (Yes, you read that correctly – tiny!) This allowed me to cast a bit further, fish a bit faster, and find the deep grass edge these largemouth bass were set up next to.
It worked again and again (smaller fish not pictured). Here was the gear:
This got me thinking about a video I did a while back, when I was using VMC Weedless Wacky Hooks with a wire weedguard exclusively. I missed a lot of fish using these… but I still have them on hand for the heaviest of cover. It’s worth considering so you’re a bit more versatile… but remember… only get ’em if you’re gonna use ’em!
Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
Even though it’s a bit older, if you have any feedback, I’m all ears.
Hope you fellas get some fishing in this weekend.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Oh Mylanta – this is cringe-city! Lord… I was also like 15 pounds heavier. At least.
You can tell in these older videos that I was completely depressed. Quite literally sad, as my business and home life were both on the rocks. There are a few jokes & smirks, but you can actually feel the anxiety and stress bubbling under the surface. Fishing was something I was trying to focus on to keep busy, to learn more about, to help me lay off the bottle.
So I post this today with two hopes:
I hope that my inexperience and funny mistakes will inspire youto create. We’ve talked about how Motivation is Worthless, and Developing a Drive is Necessary, but being willing to suck and look like an idiot in public – for a long time – is also necessary. I still have a lot to learn, but just remember: if you don’t thicken your skin you’ll never create anything. That would be a shame.
The Pop ShadZ have been a staple in my Base Box for almost 3 years now. With that in mind, it’s worth watching this video to glean the tidbits that make it such an interesting largemouth bass bait.
Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
Even though it’s a bit older, if you have any feedback, I’m all ears.
Hope you fellas get some fishing in this weekend.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
Get Articles & Videos First
Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
I’m packing today. Headed to Iron River, Wisconsin with ‘da boys for the annual BroTrip. I’d love to tell you it’s a fishin’ trip, but the truth is the primary focus will probably be whiskey-fueled storytelling around the fire by the cabin. Reliving memories. Sharing new ones. Good times.
My buddy James and I started this tradition many moons ago, going consistently every year. The accompanying cast changes slightly. It’s nearly impossible to coordinate eight or nine schedules when there are kids and wives involved. James has an older brother named Mike who is flying in this year, and he likes to fish. There was a bit of chatter as we were making plans: “… so Hauser… you got a hitch on your truck?“
Sure do.
Let’s make it happen, cap’n.
God willing, I’ll be fishing in Wisconsin tomorrow afternoon, and you can be darn sure these will be with me:
You can fish a lot of areas thoroughly just by having these 5 items with you, plus a handful of assorted weights. Here’s a few getting used last summer while fishing up near Minocqua, Wisconsin.
Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
* The hair jigs tipped with leeches are the sleeper hit… but even if we can’t get our hands on any leeches (as it is pretty late in the season for that), jigworms can help you cover an area well. Just adjust your weight depending on how fast and deep you want to fish!
This is a bit different than what I lean on in Illinois for smallmouth bass fishing, but if I’m in Wisconsin, you can bet these items are in my tackle bag.
If you have any questions, just let me know.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots!
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Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
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It’s no secret. I currently travel the Land o’ Lincoln in search of the mighty largemouth bass. Some days the fishing is incredible, other days… not so much. Probably user-error more than location… or maybe Abe doesn’t want me catching all his fish?
“Walk on home, boy.”
Whatever the reason, there are 4.3 presentations that I ALWAYS have with me no matter where I’m fishing in Illinois. I did a video on this last year (below). Based on the comments, some people loved it… others didn’t care for the fact that I made fun of our state.
Whether I’m fishing up around northern Illinois, or way, way down south (we got a looooong state y’all), these baits are with me so I can cover many kinds of water and fish the conditions effectively.
If you have any questions, just let me know.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots!
Get Articles & Videos First
Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
Fixing fishing rods is something that has fascinated me for a while now.
Several years ago I started working on an outdoor social media project with a few friends. We tried our best, but fizzled out. During that time I broke an important fishing rod – one that helped me catch a lot of larger bass early on in my fishing journey. I’d become attached to it, and when it snapped, it broke my heart. Surprised by this sentiment, I decided to try my hand at repairing fishing rods.
This video shows how I completed my first fishing rod repair, the next shares the improved rod repair method.
Going through this process showed me what to do, but more importantly, what not to do. After testing the repaired rod in the field, I came up with a new, stronger method for repairing fishing rods.
If you have a broken fishing rod that needs to be repaired, I would suggest you check this out and see if you can apply the methods and tips within these two videos.
While it might make sense to just go out andbuy a new rod instead of spending the time and effort required to perform the rod repair, I can tell you from experience that the knowledge you’ll gain from going through the repair process is extremely valuable. You will develop new skills and a deeper understanding of the tools you’re putting to use on the water.
Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
If you have any questions, just let me know.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots!
Get Articles & Videos First
Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
Your support directly funds the creation of weekly articles and videos that promote the development of better anglers and better men. Our country (and our kids) need both. Please share this site, and consider a monthly, weekly, or one-time donation. You are helping us make a difference!
