Tag: how to catch bass

Rowboat Bass Fishing for Big Fat Hidden Largemouth

Good morning brothers.

I’ve been gone for a bit – traveling (and fishing) with family, writing for a few new outlets, and just being blessed overall with some awesome new opportunities… but very busy. It’s time to get back into reviewing notes and fishing techniques that have worked well this year, and here’s an awesome little realization I’d like to share with you…

I’ve recently discovered there’s something different about a rowboat. Not just in how it moves – but in how it makes YOU move. How it slows you down. How it connects you to the water by removing things like electric trolling motors & sonar screens.

It’s different.

It’s also one of the BEST ways to gain access to big, hidden largemouth bass in the thick – and I mean THICK – stuff. Rowboat fishing is a physical activity and it will challenge your body in a good way, and after fishing everything from kayaks to charters to modern bass fishing boats that cost more than a house… there’s something special about stripping it all back. Drifting quietly with nothing but the rhythm of your own hands. Pulling big, fat bass into the boat from areas that NOBODY else is fishing, because their trolling motor would get eaten alive… yeah man, never thought I’d say it but… I love rowboat fishin’!

Big Fat Hidden Largemouth Bass Taken While Rowboat Fishing

One presentation you absolutely for fishing thick stuff is The Crowbar Rig.

Gear for Making The Crowbar Rig:

ToadZ

Mag

Float

Snake

Vendetta

Mach II

Reaction

Gold

When to Bass Fish from a Rowboat

First, when it’s too dang thick to get around any other way! (I considered testing out a push-pole in here, but it was just too clunky and surprisingly expensive.)

That’s lookin’ a little… thicc…

Rowboat bass fishing shines on small to mid-sized lakes, but you could also use it to your advantage on bigger lakes with large, choked-out bays. It’s also great if you simply want to enjoy a more peaceful approach. You’ll see things you would’ve missed. Bass cruising the edge of a sunken log. A pike darting around the cabbage. Panfish suspending beneath the reflection of an overhanging tree.

Thick-cover water like this rewards patience, stealth, and presence – and this method of fishing forces you to pay attention to what’s in front of you.

Additional Rowboat Fishing Gear To Have On-Hand:

Barometer

Temps

Scale

Pliers

Rowboat Fatty – never woulda caught her without my little dingy!

Another rowboat bass with some sort of deformity or sickness. 18″ long and way under 2 pounds – something was wrong with this one… not sure what…

Eat

– A –

Sammich

I’m not saying dump your electronics forever – but consider shoving off with nothing but a rod or two, a couple of oars and a small box of confidence baits. Fish slower. Enjoy the environment you’re in, get into the areas other guys aren’t exploring – and soak it up. It’s a different way to fish, and a different way to experience the water… and it’s GOOD.

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

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July 29, 2025
Be a FLEXIBLE Fisherman… It Pays Off! (Bass Fishing After a Storm)

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

The jon boat was finally ready, loaded, and trailing behind me as I sped toward my favorite canal. It was the fourth week of April, and even though it was a little brisk at 65°, it was comfortable. The only thing that made me uncomfortable… was the clouds up ahead.

But winter had finally released its grip on spring, and with the slight increase in warmth, life had to be stirring beneath the surface of the water. Clouds or not, I had to check. Within 55 minutes, the ramp came into view. I slammed the truck in park and walked over to the water to see how things looked…

Then the sky tore open.

Not a rumble. Not a flash. Not a drop of rain. Just a brutal, bone-deep crack of thunder following a streak of lightning so clearly visible it made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up.

I didn’t launch the boat.

Instead, I cussed, got back in the truck, and drove all the way home. “What a flippin’ waste of two hours,” I mumbled… but about halfway through the drive, something changed. I went from sulking to planning. When you’re a father of five running two businesses, there aren’t many days you get to fish. So, my options were to be sad – or be flexible.

I opted for the latter. Dropped the boat, grabbed a different Base Box, a backpack, rigged two simple rods, and drove to a nearby group of small lakes with shoreline access. If I hadn’t… I never would have caught her…

Sometimes the best days begin with a little flexibility.

19″ of Pure Largemouth Attitude Exploding Topwater on a Crowbar.

Vendetta

Mach II

Reaction

Gold

ToadZ

Mag

Float

Snake

Fishing Flexibility

In a nutshell, fishing flexibility means this: don’t force it.

The scenario above is true – you’ve experienced it yourself. We make plans to fish a certain lake, a certain way, for certain results. God laughs. Heartily. Then tells us otherwise. If we can pay attention to these signs – to our surroundings – we can usually make better decisions. Decisions that will make us safer, make us look smarter, and, in truth, help us catch more fish.

Rain? I’ll fish it. Clouds and even a bit of distant thunder? I’ll fish it. Lightning?

I’m out.

Don’t put yourself in a position where you are the tallest, most attractive thing on the lake – unless you’ve always dreamed of transitioning into a lightning rod.

“My pronouns are cooked / goose.”

Flexible Fishing Techniques

Leaving the canal was hard – not only because it meant I’d have to wait to explore an area I know holds big fish, but because I had to adjust how I would approach the fish at the next location. I had to pick somewhere I could take cover quickly, which meant staying on foot. This limited the rods I could carry, and so two bank fishing techniques got the early-spring nod:

1. Fling-a-Ding

I love throwing YUM Dingers around, but the problem with Flingin’ a Ding is that they have very little weight. They’re durable, cheap, and they catch fish – all good – but they look dead unless you impart some action into them. There are several ways to do this, but the easiest is to put your Dinger on a Reaction Tackle Weighted Wacky Jig.

Even in clear water, it seems like bass focus on the bait, not the weight. They’ll inhale your Frankenstein’d hot dog like it’s a gourmet offering! I’ll still opt for internal weights and super-light wacky hooks in pits with 500-foot visibility… but in semi-clear water like this, I don’t feel like I’m missing fish because of the exposed weight. Plus, the hooks are nasty, and the weight adds a pulse to the Dingers that is otherwise nonexistent. Very important. Very effective.

The color white (or in this case, a more subtle smoke / pearl laminate) is perfect for overcast days as it creates a soft glow in the water. At times, it’s the best thing you can throw.

Fling-a-Ding on Reaction Tackle Weighted Wacky Jigs

Ding

– A –

Ling

2. The Crowbar

The Crowbar is a combination of the components listed above: a Z-Man Goat Toad, a Trokar Magworm EWG with a bait keeper, two internal rattles inserted with the Rattle Snaker tool, and a floating bullet in front of your uni-knot to keep things ultra-muckless on your 40-pound Seaguar Gold leader.

This setup was developed to pry big, mean bass from thick, heavy sludge. It’s a battering ram with a fishing license – like calling in an airstrike to deal with a raccoon problem. Brutal, yes – but effective.

The single hook delivers a much better hookup ratio than a frog hook – especially when you consider that the extra weight of the solid ElaZtech gets flung in the air less than a hollow-bodied frog. The legs give you the ability to buzz or pause. You can twitch, hop, skip, and everything in between. The fluoro is less visible and abrasion-resistant if you want to work around stumps and laydowns.

I could go on, but the bottom line is this: The Crowbar is an extremely versatile topwater presentation that I will leave tied on from the time the water hits 55° until the end of my season. Period.

It’s a flexible technique for the flexible fisherman.

Clear water? No problem. Buzz. Pause. Twitch. Brace for impact.

Crowbar Bass

Crowbar Bass

So yes, it can be frustrating… but if you focus on improving your flexibility – becoming a flexible fisherman – you’ll make better decisions, safer decisions, and make hay.

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

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May 29, 2025
Canal Fishing for Big Bass (Simple Largemouth Bait)

*pop* *pop* *pop-pop* *POP*

The rhythmic sound of what seemed like hundreds of topwater strikes made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up. I’d never heard so many bass eating all at the same time! Unbelievable. Today will be the topwater bite to end all topwater bites! Instead of launching the kayak I decided to grab a spinning rod and quickly work a stickbait across the top of the muck that filled the narrow Midwest canal, right there at the launch.

However… upon closer inspection, it became apparent that the ruckus wasn’t coming from largemouth bass, but another fish… one with silvery-gold scales the size of quarters, massive girth, cold dead eyes and a mouth shaped like a… well… there is no pleasant comparison. Fill in the blank yourself.

Carp. Hundreds of ’em. Mating? Maybe. Eating for sure. Rolling around in the shallow water, kicking up silt and mud. Over the next few hours these freshwater whales would decide to keep me company (even though I didn’t ask for it) while I caught big bruiser bass after big bruiser bass.

It was minimalist fishing in the truest sense. I took one rod, one hook, and fished one kind of bait all day long with great success. The weather was favorable. The timing was perfect. And yeah… there may have been a bit of luck involved…

Midwest Canal Bass Fishing

Best Baits for Canal Bass

One thing that you have to keep in mind when it comes to canal fishing, is that these areas can often stretch hundreds of miles. They can be very wide or strikingly narrow, and you’ll find productive stretches (or “pools”) surrounded by dead water. In the summer when muck covers the surface, it becomes extremely difficult to see if your casts are landing in 2 feet… or 2 inches.

I just shared this in an article for Midwest Outdoors, but it bears repeating: the best way to avoid wasting time, is to explore the areas you plan to fish in the cold months when the algae is dead and you can see into the water. Make notes, then avoid dead water when the summer gunk fills back in.

Because canals are usually so shallow, I’ll lean on a good muck-resistant topwater, and a good weedless sinking stickbait 80% of the time. Remember the 80/20 Rule in Bass Fishing? It applies here as well.

Big fish will attack topwater baits. A favorite that I’ll use all season long is something I call The Crowbar. The Crowbar works in both clear water and heavy muck, and it can be used to pry big fish from the thick slop or snaggy bushes & branches overhanging the bank. Once the water gets above 50° I’ll start flingin’ it. In fact, just yesterday I landed my first Crowbar bass of the year on a super-windy day with 60° water temps. She dwarfed everything else I’d brought onto the shore so far this season!

The Crowbar getting it done

I’ll share the critical modifications in another post…

A good weedless, sinking stickbait is also a must, and that’s what worked so well in the video above. Now, in the past I’ve mentioned quite a few that I like, and at different times in different locations, one or the other will usually get the nod on some sort of a Texas Rig (weightless to weighted).

Pro-V

Magworm

Grip-Pin

Reaction

Senko

StickZ

Ocho

Dinger

But in super-shallow areas, rigging up a traditional wacky can accentuate a horizontal fall. It’s excellent in canals. Some stickbaits are very salty and sink well on windy days, but they tear easily. I try to avoid using o-rings because while they can make your wacky rig more weedless, they lower your hookup ratio (fight me). Others are more durable but they float and have zero action. Adding weight can increase vibration, but also increases hangups and muck collection.

Fortunately the Strike King 3X Zero Worm merges several of the attributes I want when fishing canals. They are heavily salted so they sink without extra weight, and have “flavor.” They are also made of ElaZtech, so they are very durable and you can rig them without an o-ring and catch many, many fish on a single bait.

Strike King Zero

But, as with every bait, there are a few cons to the pros. While Zero Worms are heavily salted, that salt will begin to dissolve the minute you toss one into the water. So they do sink… for a while… once that salt is gone they float, and the leftover ElaZtech is very spongy, full of tiny little salt granule cavities.

The salt will also dissolve in the package if you squirt some scent in with ’em ahead of time. I made this mistake more than once before realizing what was going on…

There are a few new modifications I’ll be testing In The Field this season to see if we can reduce or eliminate these issues, but in certain situations like the ones below… the pros still outweigh the cons. I paired a Shimano Catana reel with a Bass Pro Graphite 6’6″ medium heavy spinning rod. Both are very inexpensive, and that rod is stout. I’ll also swap in a Lew’s Speed Spin or a Berkley Lightning Rod at times, and these are very budget-friendly as well. Throw on your favorite 8-strand braid (20 to 30 lb) and tie straight to a Berkley Fusion19 weedless wacky hook – boom – you’re in business.

Lightning

Reaction

Fusion19

Zero

FAT canal bass on a Strike King 3X Zero Sinking Worm

Another chonk largemouth on a Strike King 3X Zero Sinking Worm

If you pick the right color, you might also catch a surprise or two…

A nice little Illinois… trout?!

As our weather & water continue to heat up, we can expect a dramatic spike in the activity level of the bass. Shallow canals and ponds will warm up first. Don’t miss out!

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

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April 23, 2025
Bank Fishing

Good morning brothers.

Are you tired of the cold yet?

Tired of the wind? The chapped lips? The dark dinners? Heart-attack shoveling? Split fingers? The icicles of death? (See Die Hard 2 for reference.) The SUCK?

Golly man. I understand some of you masochists like to set up little tents and dangle the ‘ol worm deep down below the frozen ice. If that’s you, God bless ya, but I am absolutely clawing at the walls, waiting to get out and start the season off the same way I always do: Bank Fishing. I can’t wait for the dew to soak my shoes, the sun to cook my goose (I’m not sure what that means) and the bass to gnaw on my thumb.

“My goose is cooked!”

But as I worked through some footage from last April, I almost felt like I was doing something wrong…

Is Bank Fishing OK?

I’m a Midwest Fisherman, and in April we typically see water temps anywhere from the 50’s to the low 70’s. These temps fluctuate based on depth, wind and weather, but the bass are going to spawn. You can see them clear as day from the bank. They’ll be on beds. Or around beds. They won’t all spawn at the same time, and this can be confusing to anglers. Myself included. What triggers that spawn? Is it the temperature? The length of the day? Something else? A combination? The “why” is a discussion for another time, but the “what are you two doing in there?!” is pretty obvious…

Some beds will have “fry guarders” hanging around, some will have big, fat, beautiful females. Because of this, bank fishing (or specifically “sight fishing”) can be extremely productive… but there is a conversation to be had about a big problem with bank fishing for bass on beds…

I saw you… but you saw me, too…

These bass are up shallow, doing the hibbidy-dibbidy or guarding the results of said dibbidy. Giggity. But you know they have to be getting pestered all day. They’re just too close to the bank, especially in areas with lots of foot traffic.

You can see them. They can see you. The tension builds. Slowly, carefully, you pitch a half ounce Texas Rig with some outer-space-looking plastic thing that breaks the surface of the water with the subtlety of a cannonball. On ANY OTHER DAY, that bass is going to bolt – especially in such shallow water! But not today… today that bass looks up, annoyed, rolls her eyes and slowly does what she knows she has to do… she saunters over and slurps up your ridiculous offering (not having thumbs means in the mouth it goes, like a toddler) and tries to remove it from the clearing… SNAP!!… “I DONE GOT HER GEWD!!“, you bellow. She rolls her eyes a second time, allowing yet another goober to hoist her onto the bank, snap a picture, and (hopefully) put her right back.

Yes, I am the goober in this story. Yes, it is an exaggeration, but do you see the problem? On any other day that fish is going to run (swim) or at the very least, develop an immediate case of lockjaw as soon as they become aware of your presence. Could be your shadow. Your footsteps. Your B.O. (hopefully not that). I’m really struggling with the ethical side of this equation.

But… (there’s always a “but”) they are SO HARD to ignore. I mean look at this fish – how am I supposed to quit you!?

Everyone needs a few more heifers in their life…

Are bank fishermen “better” than tournament anglers? Are tournament anglers “worse” because they target bedding bass, throw ’em in the livewell, take them miles and miles back to to ramp for an official weigh in… only to release them there, instead of taking them back home?

(Pro-Tip: always plan a trip to go fish around the ramp a week after any local tournament wraps up. You can thank me later.)

Surely us bank fishermen aren’t that bad… at least not as bad as them… after all, we put ’em right back and that’s better… right? Hard to say. I don’t think it’s a question of “better or worse,” those are just shades of gray.

On the flipside: bass eat bass. Are we protecting the newly hatched fry that can’t protect themselves? When you consider both males and females eat baby bass by the mouthful… maybe we’re actually filling the role of a bassy savior?!

Hmmm… check this out and let me know what you think. Then I have one final question for you…

Bank Fishing the Worst Possible Way

Senko

StickZ

Ocho

Dinger

Pro-V

Magworm

Grip-Pin

Reaction

Quick Sidenote: the best bank fishing equipment is pretty simple. Stickbaits, first & foremost. Getcha some Senkos or Ochos if you want to fish weightless. Go with Dingers if you need to save a few bucks, but plan to use weight to add some movement to the lifeless plastic. Bang StickZ are a good option if you want a stickbait that will last all day and float, but again, they are lifeless on their own.

Hooks? The Trokar Pro-V is a NASTY little bugger. You hook ’em on these and they stay hooked – plus you can use up to a 4/0 and still stay relatively low profile with the baits mentioned above. The Magworm and the Grip-Pin are great options for stretchy morsels you want to lock in place (a la Bang StickZ), but they will tear “regular” plastics, especially those loaded with salt. Reaction Tackle makes a nice little bread ‘n butter EWG that is a good combination of strength and thickness. It’s not super-chunky, but you probably won’t straighten it out. I discovered Reaction Tackle years ago ordering on Amazon and assumed they were a foreign company, but they’re actually headquartered just 2 hours away from me – right in Big Bend Wisconsin, USA. If you want to reload the tackle box they have some quantity discounts worth considering, plus you can get 15% off of your first order. I plan to get up there for a visit later this year (and hopefully a video) to talk more with Cody Dobberstein & Chad Hoover. Good dudes!

Load Up: Take 15% Off and Buy in Bulk. You’ll be set on hooks (pun intended) for a LONG time…

The Ethics of Bank Fishing

So GEAR is always fun to talk about… but back to the matter at hand. Is bank fishing for bedding bass ethical? Is it OK? We all know it’s fun… but are we doing something wrong, or are we just enjoying a natural (renewable) resource?

I’m curious to hear what you think.

Hey buddy…

See you soon?

Warmer weather will be here before we know it. I’ve moved from sharpening hooks to loading the backpack and planning with great excitement in anticipation of some big, fat, springtime bass. Bank fishing is without a doubt one of the greatest ways to spend the morning…

Question is… do we bother them in bed?

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

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February 26, 2025
Ebike Fishing (Best Ebike for the Money)

Good morning brothers.

It’s been a minute. As we close in on the (bitter, cold, dark) end of 2024, I find myself following the traditional year-end routine. Reviewing notes. Looking at stats. Checking to see what fishing goals were achieved, and dreaming about setting new goals for 2025.

It’s a beautiful, never-ending cycle. One that I love. It’s also a nice distraction.

A few weeks back, my younger brother passed away. My family is crushed (to say the least). November flew by. It was like being in a trance. Each day mushed together with the one before. I told our boys, the days leading up to the funeral will be a blur. It’s going to be a complete whirlwind, and after the dust settles we will find ourselves standing there, alone, 1 man down.

This has come to pass.

I have an archive of videos to edit. The surplus was something I considered deleting, just starting fresh this coming season, but now… now those videos are invaluable. Vaughn didn’t fish with me as much as I wanted, but he did fish with us from time to time.

Vaughn and his infamous tiger muskie on “the spoon,” a black perch Daredevle that he never took off.

This summer, the boat will seem a little light. Dad and I will continue to fish. We’ll have too much room. Won’t be bumping into anyone. Perhaps it’s time for my boys to join us more often? Probably. But even if they do, we’ll be standing there, fishing, 1 man down.

We would do anything for just one more trip.

Dad, Zach, AJ & Vaughn at Grandpa’s Place in Wisconsin

But we have to keep moving. It’s what Vaughn would have wanted, and though my heart is heavy, I rest my sadness at the feet of the cross. I pray he is with the Lord, and I take comfort in the fact that he is no longer suffering in this fallen world.

The days go on. We all take steps. We stay busy. We look ahead.

Still, every evening when the house is finally quiet, I find myself in the dark kitchen, staring at a digital picture frame that cycles through hundreds of family photos. Many include my brother. A few go by… there he is. A few more, there he is again. Holding Fish. Hugging kids. Smiling at my parents. Sitting by a fire. Laughing with me. Joking around with my wife…

… and I just stand there, broken & sobbing, 1 man down.

Love you brother. Godspeed.

Speaking of taking steps & moving ahead…

There was a new little toy that changed my fishing options last year – an ebike. Specifically, the Rattan Quercus. Odd name. Odd looking. You’re asking yourself… “how in the heck does a freaking BIKE help with FISHING?”

Great question.

Let me tell you…

The Rattan Quercus is a super-practical ebike that opens up a new bass fishing opportunity for anglers with limited time.

Where I live, there are several canals that run for hundreds of miles. I’ve fished many areas along the way in…

… my kayak and…

Kayak Largemouth Bass Fishing

… my jon boat.

Jon Boat Largemouth Bass Fishing

But canal access is somewhat limited when you consider how many fishable miles there are. It takes a long time to paddle long distances to explore new areas. However, with an ebike, I can rip through many unproductive miles quickly (even along paths that don’t allow motorized vehicles) stopping only when I come across a pool that looks fishy.

Find a place that looks good? Park the Rattan Quercus, pull out some gear from the satchel, fish it for a bit, then pack up, go and repeat the process. This is a great way to quickly find productive water from the bank!

Hop off. Fish it. Catch something? Stay. Don’t catch anything? Leave.

Repeat.

At the end of this season, I scheduled two different trips on the ebike. Let me tell you… I caught a few good fish on day one…

Enjoy a ride on the Rattan Quercus, park, fish, catch a few, repeat. My best on day one went 2 pounds.

But day two, that was when I found a killer little honey hole 10 miles from where I started, sporting crystal-clear water and good shoreline access, absolutely LOADED with unpressured bruisers!

A nice, fat 3-pounder. The first fish I caught on my second ebike fishing trip. That’s a good sign!

I recorded both days so that I could share them with you:

Ebike Fishing for FAT LARGEMOUTH BASS

Using my Rattan Quercus to catch FAT BASS

Bank Fishing Secrets: Catch MORE LARGEMOUTH BASS

A Rattan Quercus breakdown and real-world use scenario

Here’s a collection of pictures from the trips.

Rattan Quercus: Ebike Fishing

One of the things that we always need to do is find ways to make the most of our limited time. If bank fishing is something you love – look for tools that can help you move around faster and with less effort, like what I’ve outlined here.

If you do, you can enjoy more casts, more fish, and more fun.

Learn more about the Rattan Quercus (along with other models) over at the manufacturer’s site.

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

Go hug your people.

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December 6, 2024
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.

Oh really??

Why Does Minimalist Fishing Leads to More PBs?

The primary tenet of Minimalist Fishing is to constantly optimize. Optimize yourself, optimize your knowledge, optimize your experiences, and finally – optimize your gear. Gear is mentioned last on purpose. The emphasis is on getting better in every way – not becoming a collector.

The gear we use (think baits, rods, reels, boat, electronics…) is not as important as the know-how.

What good is any tool, without the knowledge to use it?

What good is any weapon, without the experience to wield it?

By focusing on the (dull!) education & theory surrounding fishing, instead of the (shiny object!) nifty new baits – we become better anglers. New tools are cool… they’re addictive and fun to buy… but they come second. Do not put the cart in front of the horse.

If you embrace Minimalist Fishing, you will probably start to enjoy learning, build a stronger foundation – and beat your PBs. I guarantee it, and I’ve seen it happen twice this year alone.

My wife with her PB smallmouth bass…

Here’s how she did it!

Brother Marty with his PB largemouth bass…

Here’s how he did it!

It ain’t rocket surgery… but it is an ongoing (extremely enjoyable) process. Sign up below and I’ll send you emails when new articles & videos post, so you can start to build a stronger foundation right alongside us – and hopefully, contribute to the conversation as well.

You’re Welcome in our Camp

Add your email below and we’ll keep you up to date on new articles, videos & events. Join us as we continue to work on becoming better anglers – and better men.

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It’s never too late – or to early – to start.

My kids have all caught more & bigger fish than I had at their age… that alone is worth the time & effort. You can do the same for your family.

Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.

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November 17, 2023