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:
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.
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!
It’s early morning here in the Midwest. A bitter chill hangs in the air. Frost has come. Snow will soon follow. The sun slowly creeps over the horizon and the blurry orange light it brings with causes eyes to squint. Refocus. Adjust. Small misty clouds become visible, as warm breath after warm breath condense on the frigid morning air…
Well… not MY breath…
John’s breath.
Who’s John?
My neighbor. Out for his morning run. Getting after it. “Wow… good for you, John…” I mumble, while looking out the window and indulging in another glorious slurp of piping-hot coffee before turning back to my desk… “Not really my thing… but… good for you…”
I have other plans this morning… it’s time to invest.
No, not in the traditional sense. We’re not dollar-cost-averaging, or looking into the latest crypto-craze. Not shopping for stocks or mutual funds – we’re investing in bass.
Big bass.
Some fellas ice fish, and that’s probably a lot of fun – but with 2 jobs, 4 sons and a lovely wife, I prefer to save up my “fishing credits” and cash them in throughout the warmer months. Winter in our house is a time of recuperation. Upkeep. Grandpa Hauser taught me long ago that instead of sitting on your hands, you better be sharpening hooks and oiling reels! Sound advice for sure, but prior to last season I learned a few powerful tips that helped me catch more fish. Bigger fish.
They’ve become recurring investments I make into my bass fishing season.
… and the best part?
They don’t cost a dime, and the returns are outstanding!
AJ Hauser with a 4 pound largemouth bass taken from a small, hidden – and yes, public – pond in Illinois discovered using these simple techniques.
Let’s jump in.
1. Pick Several New Bodies of Water to Visit Next Year
First and foremost – it’s time to select some new bodies of water to explore this coming season. Get comfortable with the DNR website in your state. If they list fishing locations, pick a few.
Where I live, the Department of Natural Resources offers I Fish Illinois, and while the site looks a bit antiquated, it’s absolutely loaded with information. On the main page you can select one of 5 regions, which quickly filters the links. From there, you can click to access data on county, acerage, ramp availability, boat restrictions, recreational opportunities and the fishing outlook for the year. You’ll also see a bit of history, the local contact information, fishing limits and yes – stocking information.
The I Fish Illinois website offers a ton of information, and it is a great place to invest some time this winter.
Last season, this tool helped me identify new water that looked good within 90 minutes (the maximum distance I was willing to travel one way for a day of fishing). When spring hit, I still fished all the old honeyholes, but also made a point to get out & explore these new locations. It was exciting, and having created a list in advance made it very easy.
My winter research led me to beautiful areas I didn’t even know existed.
2. Utilize the Eye in the Sky
The Googlebox is always watching… is that creepy? Yes. Is it useful?
Also yes.
Before heading out, explore new terrain from the comfort of home. Open Google Earth and plug in any new location you plan to visit. Look for visible cover, as well as points, pockets, islands & coves. If you’re considering winding water, you’ll be able to identify bends, jams, riffles, runs & pools. This gives you a leg up and will help you hit the ground running!
But wait, there’s more. While satellite images are great, treetops can hide all sorts of goodies down below. Switch over to Google Maps and look for little blue blobs. That’s water. Mark those. If you’re in a state park or SFWA, I strongly suggest you check if you’re able to hike and access these less-obvious bodies of water, either from the shore, or in a small kayak.
When used together, Google Earth and Google Maps can help you find hidden gems that would otherwise go unnoticed.
We’ve all experienced the increase in fishing pressure on many popular lakes that are easy-to-access. It’s great that more people are getting outdoors, but frustrating when “our lake” starts to get crowded. Investing a bit of time to find new, hidden areas can be very rewarding!
It’s likely the little body of water over yonder doesn’t see much fishing pressure…… but the fish are there.
3. Seek Out Blogs by Local Anglers
We all like to brag about our catch. Pictures and stories can be seen all over social media, but by themselves… pictures are not very helpful. Last season, I noticed several public blogs written by nearby fishermen. All I had to do to find them was add keywords like “blog” or “fishing report” or “fishing news” when searching for the name of the next new spot I planned to fish.
Then, I’d comb through the results. Some blogs were current, while others were digital artifacts from years ago – but all of them contained information. Many of the angling authors clearly used these blogs as a place to store notes for themselves – but didn’t mind sharing.
This allows us to play detective, piecing together clues and matching bits of information to the assumptions we’ve already made in our mind after viewing satellite images. Very useful.
This small backwater area was mentioned in a blog, hidden by shoreline overgrowth. After reading the post I pulled up the satellite images and sure enough – there was a “blue blob” I’d missed...… it ended up being a great place to drag the jon boat and spend the morning!
4. Look for Local Forums and Facebook Groups
As you prowl the web looking for blogs, you’ll likely come across local fishing forums, or perhaps a Facebook group or two. Join them. Contribute! These can also be rich with information.
One thing to keep in mind though: I mention them after blogs because they typically tend to be centered around larger bodies of water. Bodies of water with more fishing pressure and pleasure boaters. If you’re seeking remote areas, you may find a few breadcrumbs worth following, but I tend to use them to get a feel for the bite and current conditions – then use the tips above to find hard-to-reach areas where a kayak or jon boat can slip away from the crowds.
Larger lakes can be very productive. My jon boat can’t compete with speedy bass boats or forward facing sonar, but pre-trip scouting helps me avoid the crowds & fish alone in hidden areas.
5. Talk (and Listen) to People
The last tip is the only one that will require you to leave your cozy home: get out and talk to people! We all know boat ramp etiquette is a must. Casual conversation by the lake can be enjoyable & informative… but take it a step further. Keep your eyes & ears open at work, church, school functions, the grocery store – everywhere – and I bet you’ll pick up a few more fish.
For example, earlier this year several workers were applying new blacktop in front of our house. While driving through, I thanked them for stopping so I could pass, and one commented on the kayak hanging over the side of my truck. After a polite back and forth I offered up where I was going, and he returned the favor, sharing one of the places he liked to fish.
Mental note. Check.
Later that week I took a quick trip, and you better believe a bruiser of a bass hopped right into my kayak! (I’d be willing to bet the worker did just as well at the place I mentioned to him. Win-win.)
Thank you for the tip, Mr. Worker-Man.
Here’s one more quick example: Last season the DNR “carded me” 3 different times. Each time, we had a polite, pleasant conversation. During the last one he said:
“You know… I see you in this jon boat all the time, have you ever taken it into the canal? Lots of guys have good luck there and it’s really shallow with tons of stumps and laydowns. Seems like the perfect spot for the kind of fishing you do.”
He was right.
A few simple conversations put me on some nice fat largemouth that I had driven by hundreds of times – they’d been sitting right under my nose all along!
I ended my season fishing in an area I had never even been to before, and these fish (plus many more) came as a result of talking – and listening – to others.
So, Fellow Anglers – Invest!
There’s always something to do. Something we can improve. It might be our gear, our storage setup, or any number of tasks and upkeep, but if you long for warmer days in the Midwest don’t just sulk or sit on your hands.
Take some time to invest in future fishing returns – you’ll be glad you did!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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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.
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.
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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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 write today from the snow-covered Land of Lincoln. (Yes… already… ugh…) This year, I was able to avoid getting stranded in the ‘ol jon boat – this is largely because of your generosity! (Thank you very much!)
I bought a new battery with your donations at the very beginning of the season after a lengthy conversation in the Bass Resource Forum. The battery that I was using… was rated at 50 Amp Hours… and I drained it more than once.
Let’s do some simple maths:
A Minn Kota Endura with 30 pounds of thrust will pull 30 amps at top speed. Theoretically, a 50 AH battery should provide power for (50 AH / 30 Amps = 1.67 Hours) 1 hour 40 minutes. Now, there are considerations when it comes to battery selection, such as battery type (flooded lead acid, AGM or Absorbed Glass-Mat, and Lithium Iron Phosphate or LiFePO4). These differ primarily in terms of cost, battery life, and power output. I decided to go with something that would provide good, level output for a full day on the water. This Mighty Max Lithium Iron Phosphate Battery powered my trips.
This new battery is rated at 200 AH, which easily gave me over 6 hours and 40 Minutes of run time (200 AH / 30 Amps = 6.67 Hours). It’s big. A pain to move, as it doesn’t live in the boat, but the peace of mind is worth it. The DNR stopped me more than once by the ramp this year, and each time he said “oh hey, I remember you, you’re the guy with that huge battery.“
He thinks I’m nuts.
He’s not wrong…
I also picked up a small battery to run my graph separately. Some people worry about interference when running a trolling motor and depth finder on the same battery – and sure, that can be an issue, but it’s not a big concern for me. I do want to isolate my power consumption, however. This Mighty Max Battery is small. It’s less than $40, sealed lead acid, and just 15 AH – but it easily powers my Striker 9sv all day.
I charge both with a Noco Genius 10 Battery Charger & Maintainer. This is extremely important for taking proper care of the larger, $550 Mighty Max. I’ve ruined a few older batteries by leaving them sit idle for too long…
Finally – this little Minn Kota Endura pushed my butt around all year, into all sorts of close quarter situations – which is one of the main advantages of fishing out of a small, flat bottom boat. I was able to get where nobody else done got!
We caught hundreds of fish out of the jon boat this year. Mapped new lakes and canals, and next year I have some killer locations lined up for fishing from spring through fall!
Jon boat largemouth…
… and smallmouth.
It was a great year.
I was able to do more, and catch more, because my tools were improved.
Next year?
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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.
Well, next year this battery will be dedicated to the latest upgrade – a Minn Kota Powerdrive.
Why? Because the Powerdrive will allow me to set paths and run ’em both forwards and back via GPS, and I can work my active presentations as the trolling motor pulls me about. This will result in more casts, and more fish – I guarantee it – and when you fish alone like I do… you need to look for every opportunity to make your trips more efficient.
The more casts you can make, the more fish you’ll boat.
This will become even more apparent over time, and it’s a good reason to INVEST in quality gear, and DISCARD the fluff. The more you minimize the crap, the more focused you will become. The more crap you discard, the better your pool of fishing equipment will be.
So thank you again, my friends. It is because of your generosity that I have been able to upgrade my humble rig. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the support, the feedback, the emails, the camaraderie – all of it. So many donations had messages attached to them that said some variation of:
“Be careful, and get back out there!!”
Noted, and will do.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
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Notice the back has a killer design. Dang! That’s SWEET! And as you work it over the muck and the pads… the bass are going to see… the white belly (if anything)…
That’s not bad, but it’s something to be mindful of when you are selecting your topwater. And sure, bass that see the frog at an angle might notice part of the top. If it rolls (not ideal) on the retrieve, they might be able to catch a glimpse… but for the most part if you go with a bait like this you’re simply throwing a white frog.
This Terminator Frog has some accent colors on top, but the entire body is black. Hence, you’re throwing a black frog.
This means you can probably minimize your frog box and focus on quality, not quantity.
2. In mucky water, the bass don’t care what your topwater looks like.
Say again?
If bass are set up below thick mucky algae, they don’t care what your bait looks like, because they can’t see it anyway. This is true when the water below the algae is clear, and even more true if the water is stained, tannic, or straight up pea soup.
They are reacting to the commotion – the movement – the easy meal.
Because of this, one of my favorite ways to target these bass is with a 4″ or 5″ Yum Dinger rigged weedless and weightless on a 3/0 or 4/0 EWG.
New honey hole with muck near shore, pea soup for water, and healthy bass.
Here is the gear I use when I’m rigging a Dinger on an EWG, including my mainline (braid floats) and my leader material (fluorocarbon line gets snagged up less than braid and is abrasion resistant).
As you can see, this is different than the gear that comes into play for throwing straight wacky worms around weeds or sparse cover. When I’m not fishing around muck, I’ll completely skip a weed guard on the hook to stay as invisible as possible, crisscross 2 o-rings to rig perpendicular to the bait which increases hookups, and go with a thinner fluoro with less memory:
When you throw a Dinger topwater, it’s essentially a weightless Texas rig. Slow-sinking, yes, but not heavy enough to punch through the mats. However, when you reach the edge of the mat, pull it off and let it slowly sink for a second or two. Often times bass that are watching the movement above will gladly shoot out and smoke the slow-sinking stickbait as it drifts right in front of their face.
That is… if they haven’t already SMACKED it right through the thick of it!
Largemouth Bass Strikes a Topwater Stickbait thru Muck
Quick Trip: Topwater Dingers in the Muck
I keep a selection of both floating and sinking stickbaits in my Base Box for Fishing Muck, but it’s also important to remember as a Minimalist Fisherman our goal is to travel as light as possible. On kayak trips when we can only select a handful of baits, frogs take up a lot more room that stickbaits.
They’re also less versatile.
FACT.
You can hit every depth with a stickbait, provided you have a few sinker & hook options.
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!
Have you ever struggled to keep up with something?
I have, and to be honest – I’m having a rough go of it lately…
What do we do as fishermen when we get a free second?
We fish.
Fair enough.
I’ve been fishing as much as possible lately. That means I haven’t been writing or editing videos as much. That’s a bummer – but on the other hand, it helps me stay sane. Helps me stay away from bad habits…
This year has been a wild one – and it ain’t over yet.
So far I’ve managed to almost sink my kayak, had ticks on my unmentionables, I’ve busted rods and reels, lost big fish, and I just discovered some fun new leaks in my jon boat. To top it all off, I’m recovering from a very painful allergic reaction to the antibiotic I had to take to help kick my incredible, amazing, MASSIVE, nose infection.
That was genuinely scary. I posted a quick video hoping it might prevent other fisherman from suffering the same painful fate. To warn them. It seemed to resonate with a few different online creators, and one in particular reached out to to let me know he planned to share the video, and send along some well wishes.
That gentleman was Rick Vogelbacher. We struck up a few conversations, and I asked Rick if he would like to contribute to the site. He obliged, and much to my surprise – he wrote a piece that dealt with one of my favorite presentations: The Jerkbait.
The following is just a straightforward 5-minute read, but it covers jerkbait use at different times of the year… plus some additional info I was unaware of…
It’s The 5-Minute Jerkbait Guide for BIG BASS. Check it out, and let me know what you think!
The 5-Minute Jerkbait Guide for BIG BASS
By Rick Vogelbacher
Author Rick Vogelbacher with a MONSTER 7 POUND SMALLMOUTH (and a beauty of a largemouth bass to boot)
Fishing jerkbaits for bass can be overwhelming with so many choices on the market. You have ones that float, sink, suspend, or dive to different depths. How do you know which ones to use? There are times when we make these choices a little more difficult than they need to be. It can be as simple as the time of year you’re fishing. It could be the body of water you’re on that helps you make the choice for the day.
Let’s go over some of the basic choices for the time of year you’re fishing.
Fishing Jerkbaits in Early Spring
Ahhh… spring time fishing. The water is cold and it’s the first warming trend since the winter months. I’ve caught them on jerkbaits with the surface temperatures ranging 40 to 60 degrees. The clear choice for jerkbaits during these cold-water days is a suspending jerkbait.
They come in deep diving variations, and mid-range models that dive just 3 to 6 feet. The package or product description should tell you if the model suspends, and how deep it dives.
Colors can vary and depend on the body of water you’re fishing. Generally, jerkbaits are a good choice when you are fishing clear water. They are a visual presentation, and therefore excel in clear water situations. Stained water can be productive at times, but you will want to use a much brighter color so the fish can zero in on the jerkbait. They won’t travel as far in stained water to chase a jerkbait as they do in clear water.
One of the biggest things fishing a suspending jerkbait in the spring is to focus on the cadence of the retrieve. I would venture to say more often than not you will want to do at least a 3 to 5 second pause in between jerks with the lure. Typically fluorocarbon lines are preferred by pro’s, but I’ve been doing just fine with mono for years.
The biggest difference is the monofilament line tends to float whereas the fluorocarbon line doesn’t. The most common line diameter to use is 8 lb. test, but strength and thickness can vary from brand to brand. Typically, I will use 10 lb. line. There are times I will go as heavy as 12 lb. line, but not very often. The thicker the line diameter the less action you will get out of your jerkbait. Translucent, silver, light greens or blue mixed in colors work well on clear lakes.
Fishing Jerkbaits in the Summer
Fishing jerkbaits during the summer is a whole different ball game. The surface water temperatures can run 80 to 90 degrees depending on the part of the country you’re in. There is no bigger emphasis on cadence on the jerks of the lure than during this period. It can vary day to day, but the majority of the time you are working the lure much faster than any other time of the year.
The bass metabolism is at its highest and they are keened in on chasing and eating baitfish. You will want to jerk your lure much quicker with much shorter pauses. Often pausing it briefly and either do two quick jerks or three in a row before the next pause. Colors for clear water will be the same, but you’ll notice that bass in stained water will be more active and likely to hit the jerkbait. The largemouth in this video below show just how effective a jerkbait can be during the summer months.
When the water starts to cool in the fall, the productivity of jerkbaits can really start to shine. You will use many of the same retrieves and colors mentioned in the early spring pattern, with one major difference – the bass will be less active some days as the water cools down. In the spring the water temperature is rising and the fish get more active with those rising temperatures. In the fall the opposite is happening. The water is cooling down and the fish are trying to get accustomed to the falling temperatures which can cause some inactivity. This is the main reason you will want to go back to those long pauses on the jerkbait to trigger the strikes.
The difference in getting bites and not getting bites can sometimes boil down to the size of the jerkbait you are throwing. Most jerkbaits are referenced by length in millimeters. For instance, anything with 110 in the name is going to be 110 millimeters long (4.33 inches). One that has 90 will be 90 millimeters long (3.54 inches). There have been days where we have only caught them on the smaller 90 and can’t get a bit on the 110.
Additionally, jerkbaits come in 120, 150, or really small in the 60 range. It’s something to be aware of when you’re trying to match the hatch of the bait fish they are feeding on.
For more tips on jerkbait fishing and to see underwater footage of the jerkbait and baitfish they feed on. Check out the video below.
Big thanks to Rick for sharing his knowledge on the subject, and big thanks to you as well for checking this article out. There are many more coming down the pike, as this year has been very challenging – but also very rewarding. I’ve spent a lot of time these last 2 months in the jon boat. These next few weeks I’ll hit my pits as hard as possible, before everything slows to a crawl…
Fat bass caught skipping a Z-Man Trout Trick… although, the Z-Man FattyZ have been more productive…… and the jerkbait bitehas been good as well… for smallmouth and largemouth!
Get out & get some.
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!
So, I have these hooks… and they are vicious looking little dudes… but, I haven’t been able to find a good use for them for years. Gear that sits like this, unused, needs to be tossed, round-filed – minimized.
However, while rolling them back and forth in my hands, lightning struck. On a recent bank-fishing trip to Snapping Turtle Pond I was able to fish stickbaits and wakebaits very effectively, but there was a major problem…
When I would get a bass up near the shore, the act of lifting the fish 10 feet high in the air, up and over the tall reeds & grass, resulted in several lost fish. They would either get stuck and fall back in the water, or my little wacky hook would simply pop free – releasing the fish before I had a chance to give ’em a smooch.
I needed a longer pole, heavier gear, and a hook that would stay put when lifting fish up and out. The CHT Double Wacky Hook paired with a stout spinning setup and heavy braid-to-fluoro fit the bill. Now the good news is that I have about 6 more of these, and they will last for a while – the bad news is that I’m not sure if they’re still making ’em… if anyone has any idea, please comment. Might be a good idea for me to send them an email right now just to check…
If you fish from the bank, check this out and go get some hawgs!
Lifting Fat Bass High Into the AirClick the banner to jump to Stars & Bars Fishing on YouTube.
The Lunkerhunt Battle Beetle is something that I will try again. However, it has two exposed trebles on the back. On this trip the slight amount of floating debris made this bait unusable.
The CHT Double Wacky Hook allowed me to lift big fish up and over the tall shoreline reeds & grass. This hook did not pop free as easily as a single wacky hook on previous trips.
The o-ring allows the maximum amount of hook to be exposed – just like using o-rings with a standard wacky hook. Cool feature.
Big fish will hide right up next to shore if there is adequate cover and they feel safe.
It all comes down to balance. When I’m fishing clear water, I go as light and natural as possible, but in a place like this increasing the size & strength of the entire rig is a must.
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!
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!
Ok… not really… but it is probably not an awful idea to wear boots if you are going to be walking around ponds and lakes where there is a decent amount of fishing pressure:
Protect your dogs! Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
So I’m joking about the “attack”… but only slightly. It’s a good idea to be careful when you are fishing pressured ponds and lakes. Opt for some protective footwear unless you are really watching where you are stepping. Had I been wearing light flippy floppys… this would have been embedded in my foot.
That could have sucked…
Now with that said – here’s a funny little tidbit:
So the stowaway that almost killed me has more road to travel… he’s not done… his legacy is still being written!
After pulling him out of my boot with pliers, I straightened out the crooked hooks and sharpened them so he’s currently ready for action… if it ever stops snowing.
We’ll keep you posted… 😀
So watch your back and your footing – but make sure to keep getting out! I would trade 2 awesome topwater strikes like these for a hook in my foot any day…
Largemouth Bass Strikes on TopwaterClick the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
Let me know if you have a favorite pair of fishing boots, I need some new ones (plus a new fishing backpack now that I think about it) and take care of yourself out there!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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The advice that surrounds gaining confidence in a specific lure or presentation type is straightforward enough:
Use it.
Topwaters? Use ’em. Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
But sometimes… it’s just not that simple…
Or maybe… maybe it is simple, but we overthink and overcomplicate.
I did.
Sometimes it takes a certain event or limitation to force us away from the baits that we already have confidence in. “You can have my shaky head worm when you pry it from my cold dead fingers!” Not to mention, if we try to force a certain presentation into a situation where the conditions are not correct, frustration is just a few casts away.
Less than ideal fishing conditions…
… that seems like a great tagline for a new resort:
“1 of 5 stars. Would not recommend.”
Still, developing confidence in a new presentation is an important way to make progress and improve as an angler, which is something we should all be striving for.
Nice tubby smallmouth that came off a deep water hump.
So I’m going to echo what the others have already said:
If you want to gain confidence in a new presentation, you have to devote genuine time, energy and focus to it. Learn what it is meant to do, how it is meant to act, and the conditions under which it is most likely to work.
That’s been said time and time again, and it’s good advice as a baseline. But…
Does every presentation work “when it’s supposed to?”
No.
Does every presentation work out of the package without modifications?
Nuh-uh.
Does every presentation work on just the species it’s meant to target?
Of course not.
(Ever caught a big ‘ol channel cat on on a bass jig or a spinnerbait?)
Fat channel on a… jig??Bonus crappie on a… pike spoon??
If your goal is to gain confidence, strive to obtain the basic knowledge surrounding the presentation. Find the nuances that are considered best practice. Then when it comes time for you to tie-on and get on the water, try to make sure you are fishing in ideal practice conditions so you give yourself the absolute best chance of contacting fish. This will help you stay the course and avoid getting discouraged… which can lead to reaching into the ‘ol tacklebox for Mr. Shaky Head – or in my case Mr. Fluke – too soon…
‘Ol Faithful
2019 was the year that solidified my personal confidence in topwater baits. Specifically, soft-bodied poppers and toads (toads are like plastic buzzbaits that work around muck). I can’t take full credit for this success though, because it was born out of necessity. When I started to fish the pond, my go-to confidence baits wouldn’t work! I had to change. I was forced to change. I could either grow, catch nothing, or worse… give up…
The day I almost ruined fishing for my son…
We weren’t ready to give up… and man… looking back… I am so grateful for the challenge!
Let’s Get Better
If you’ve been with us for a while, you know that each and every time we take a trip, post an article or share a video, we try to get better. We try to minimize by discarding the gear and presentations that are simply being collected, and find ways we can improve and become better anglers.
Progress – in either area – will lead to happiness.
Making Progress = Happiness
I’m going to share some notes from an October fishing trip in Illinois. This trip helped me solidify my personal confidence in soft-body popper topwater lures, and there were several important takeaways that we can all benefit from:
Practice new presentations in the best possible conditions.
Talk with locals and share information.
Know your gear.
Minimize your gear.
Keep your chin up and persevere!
Practice New Presentations in the Best Possible Conditions
Watch the Weather & Plan for Success
If you want to get better with a topwater – start by practicing in traditional topwater conditions. Early morning, late evening, or overcast days can all be a great time to start chunkin’ topwaters – especially during the warmer months.
You’re Welcome in our Camp
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On this particular trip I decided to sneak out in the afternoon because the wind had whipped up something fierce after a morning storm, and I had a feeling this would push the forage around and activate the bass. My initial casts targeted the wind-blown bank which quickly proved to be the right choice, but I also made a mistake:
I took a popper style topwater on a choppy, windy day when I should have probably selected a toad or a buzzbait – something that would make a more consistent disturbance for the fish to track. It also happened to be the modified Pop Shad that we discussed previously with the cup removed so it could slide over muck better. As a result, I had to shake my rod a ton to create a disturbance that could actually get some attention – unorthodox yes, but it worked.
Take a little extra time to think ahead and make sure you do whatever you can to give your practice run the best possible chance of success. This can give you that extra push to stick it out instead of throwing in the towel.
Talk With Locals and Share Information
One of the things that I really miss now that we’re all under Coronavirus lock-down, is talking with other people on and around the water. Having brief, friendly discussions with other people is not only good for the soul – it’s also a really good way to gather information about a body of water (provided you take it all with a grain of salt).
On this trip I had a gentleman walk over to me to check out the first bass that I landed. He asked what I was using, and when I told him, he shared that he had seen guys catching fish in two particular areas using “some sort of brown crustacean looking thing with all these appendages“. This immediately gave me two spots to try some sort of plastic crayfish or hawg – which were baits that I had not had any success with on this body of water. Then he told me a story about how he “dulled up the finish” on some of his personal childhood baits using sandpaper per advice from his father, and that the reduce in flash increased his hookups. Worth considering!
I also asked him if he wanted to give the fish a kiss before we let her go and he said no… then we laughed – good times!
Want to give ‘er a kiss?
Later on, when I was leaving I spoke to a few guys about places where their family had some success earlier in the summer, and one guy mentioned how he taught a kid to fish that still thanks him to this day.
I miss the stories and the camaraderie. Not everyone is friendly, but the good sure outweighs the bad in my experience. The tips and tricks are a nice bonus.
Know Your Gear
As we work to become better minimalist fishermen, we’ll find that we start to carry less and less gear with us on trips. This is good, it makes things less confusing and more comfortable – however, it does add a new problem… when things break, we don’t have multiple backups. Actually in some cases, we won’t have any backups. This means that we need to learn more about the gear that we choose to use, and be able to fix it on the fly.
If you’re not comfortable taking your gear apart and fishing it in the field – get comfortable doing this, especially if you are carrying your gear and fishing from shore.
Fluorocarbon line is notorious for twisting up and jumping off the spool, causing nasty snarls even on spinning gear. This happened to me during this trip, and I needed to do a quick field strip on the fly. This reminded me how important even simple repairs can be. Without this knowledge I would have been done using that setup for the remainder of the day.
Fields strip… readyyyyyy GO!
Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.
Minimize Your Gear
As you reduce and remove unused gear from your boxes and bags, you’ll notice it takes less and less time to “load up and go”. You’ll also find you are less impulsive in the tackle shop, and less anxious when working a presentation. You won’t be thinking about “what’s next”, you’ll be focused in hard, working the current presentation to the best of your ability.
This change has made a huge impact in my life and on my behaviors. In the past I would delay, need to rig up 23 presentations and have a plan broken out into 15 minute fishing windows before I would hit the water.
This caused me to skip many trips because I felt unprepared, like I didn’t have enough time. “You can’t catch a fish in 45 minutes, you need 6 hours to really work a body of water!“
That was wrong.
That was so wrong.
I lost so much time because of this… which is sad to think about.
These days, I have a minimized fishing bag, and I can grab a rod or two and hit the water in under 5 minutes. (We’ll talk more about what this looks like later on.) This topwater fishing trip was a prime example of that. My wife walked into my office and shook me and said “you need to get out of here and fish!“
In the past, this would not have been possible… but not anymore!
(Also yes, my lovely wife is awesome and I am so grateful she is supportive of my hobbies. I try to return the favor as much as I can.)
Keep Your Chin Up and Persevere!
Let’s get better.
Fishing isn’t inherently easy.
Sometimes everything goes right.
More often… it doesn’t.
Before this topwater fishing trip I had been out 4 other times. Once with my son when we got rained out (and also had the cops called on us), once with a neighbor at some strip pits, and twice to the pond. I caught zero fish on any of these trips.
One of the cool things about doing articles and videos is that I can cherry pick the days that were great, and quietly disregard the trips that were unsuccessful… surely… no other fishermen do this… right?!
HA! Of course they do. But that won’t really help us get better, and it sets unrealistic expectations.
Think about that. 4 trips in a row. Zero fish.
It would be easy to get negative, or to say things like “well the fish just weren’t biting!“, instead of taking ownership of my inexperience or poor decisions or lack of technique.
If you can relate… don’t get discouraged – just make sure you are learning or practicing something on the water each and every trip! Work presentations, practice casting, look for signs presented by nature. Keep notes in your journal on the conditions and things you saw, because even though getting skunked stings, if we focus on improving at every opportunity, none of it will be a waste of time.
Keep this in mind as well. Are you fishing pressured water?
GOOD.
I can think of no better way to force yourself to focus and improve your presentation selections and technique faster than pursuing fish that are on high alert. I used to want to avoid fishing pressure, but now see it as a positive. It’s like fishing on “Hard Mode!”
No matter what waters you fish, stick with it and you will be rewarded.
AJ with a topwater largemouth bass
Notes From The Field
The following journal entry is the summary of the windy day and the two fish that attacked my topwater. Remember, keeping a journal is very important for many reasons, and I share these with you to give you an example of the different items that I personally log:
October 21st – Pond Fishing in Illinois Weather: just pushing 68 when I left this afternoon at about 2:00 p.m., but very windy! I mean really blowing hard. It rained all morning up until about noon too. When I left it was bluebird skies and bright, very comfortable – again, aside from the wind. When I got to the pond I noticed that the fountains had been turned off, and the bathrooms were locked as well. I threw around my modified Z-Man Pop Shad (black and silver with some glitter) and started just to the left of the spot where I’ve caught a few fish, well down from the bridge, but pretty far to the right of the main deck. The wind was blowing straight into the shore I was on, so I was throwing the topwater way out, twitching it hard, then letting the wind carry it back in over the weeds and the submerged mats. I got my first fish on my 4th cast. I believe that this is because the fish was active and looking for the wind to carry in some food. I fished this same way for 30 minutes then went to the other side of the lake. I was able to slow down a bit and get a few casts in with the weightless Zoom Trick Worm, but only where it was really shallow – otherwise the wind was too bad. I had a local tell me that some guy “caught a lot of bass over by the bridge using a brown bait that looked like a crustacean with a lot of little appendages”. Maybe a hawg? Maybe a jig? Noted. I kept fishing topwater and caught my second fish by the first bench, about 40 feet off shore doing the same thing – but this time the wind was at my back (so I could cast really far). I could see a lot of underwater mats that I was casting to. Both fish were either right at or slightly over 2 lbs. Really a fun day. I think the wind got them worked up, and I’ve noticed that the muck on the top of the water changes and moves so much. I like to look for the real seedy looking light green stuff (possibly duckweed, not sure). In the summer that was what I caught my first nice fish through. Not the super thick snot. That said, I have missed a ton of fish in the super thick snot. I prefer a single hook over the dual-tipped kind that come on most frogs. This makes 3 fish I’ve caught on the Pop Shad, 2 on a fluke weightless, and 1 on a Strike King hollow belly frog with a little rattle in it. I have also missed a lot on that last bait, and several on the Sebile Pivot Frog in bright orange (I don’t like that color – ordered a black one because I think the bait could work, but we’ll see… also ordered more Pop Shads so that I can modify and use them more too). Overall I fished for about 2 hours and it was a lot of work but a ton of fun. Today was a day when I actually wish that I had the popping cup on the front of my bait – I had recently removed it to make it come over the muck and snot better. Today was all about ruckus and playing the wind – cool day!
Now Take This and Put In The Work
Keep on fishin’, my dudes and dudettes.
A few Illinois topwater bass.Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
Take these notes and digest them, then apply them to your next fishing trip. If you’re working a new presentation, use it under the best possible conditions. Talk with the locals the next time you’re out and see if you can share and gather new interesting information. Make sure you know your gear so you can fix it on the fly, and minimize in between trips so you can get up and go on a whim.
Finally – persevere.
Stick with it, and let me know if you have any success with a new presentation. I’d love to hear from you.
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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Catch More Fish Than Your Friends. Laugh At Their Tears.
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I’ve talked to many anglers, and it seems to me people either love ’em or hate ’em. They’re hot or cold on the subject. Some guys will go with a worm 100% of the time, or a Senko – but personally, I love to throw a fluke – and I’ve caught a ton of quality largemouth bass on them.
When possible, I’ll rig them up weightless. A lot of times I like to use a slightly larger, thicker EWG hook and heavier fluorocarbon line (10lb test) on a stout spinning rod & reel combo so that I can slightly increase my rate of fall without adding additional weight.
In terms of movement speed – I usually keep it pretty slow, but not always. One of the great things they bring to the table is a compact design that seems to get hung up less around weeds and timber. I’ll throw them in places that you would traditionally throw a wacky worm or a stickbait, and even toss them out in thick muck and bring them across the top. There are also times to speed up and work them with a series of quick jerks followed by a pause.
Some people will even take this a step further, rigging up two flukes in tandem (one in front of the other) and jerk that presentation along so it looks like one fish is chasing another.
The Donkey Rig
Versatility…. check.
Right now my favorite is a classic – a staple – the Zoom Super Fluke (or Salty Super Fluke). These guys are cheap, they work well, and at just 5.25″ all you need to rig them up is a bit of terminal tackle. Rod, reel, line to hook to bait. Boom.
As with most soft plastics, this could also work on a Carolina rig, drop shot rig, as a jig or spinnerbait trailer, or pretty much any other application where to need a slender, sinking baitfish profile.
That said, my favorite way to fish them is weightless, and as you’ll see in the video they catch fish both small and large.
Catching Bass with FlukesClick the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
A Bit More About Flukes
Flukes are known fish catchers, and they attract multiple species in both salt water and fresh water. Because of my location, I prefer using them for largemouth bass. They have a natural fish shape – or profile – and even though they don’t have a ton of detail, they look like an easy meal and get SMACKED. (This again raises the question regarding what the fish can actually see – can they see the little details on baits? We will continue to discuss this…)
Rigged weightless, you can make the bait glide and dart through the water column with a simple flick of the rod, but don’t work it too fast. If you are in a situation where you are trying to imitate an injured baitfish, consider how slow that baitfish might be moving – and impart that action into your presentation.
One other benefit to this weightless bait and terminal tackle setup is the fact that it is harder to “fling” once a fish is hooked, since there is no weight getting whipped around as a fish thrashes their head.
I have tried many other flukes in the past, and I always come back to the Zoom Super Fluke – it works. It lasts. You’ll usually catch several fish on a single bait. This year I am also going to take some time to test the BioBait 5″ Switchback Shad, another fluke style bait that looks really, really cool.
BioBait Flukes I Plan to Test…
(I know I know, I just asked whether or not the little details on baits make a difference… but… this one looks so good – I have to test it!)
Why Flukes?
Over the last 4 trips to the pond, I had been skunked twice and caught two nice bass on topwater presentations – a Z-Man Pop Shad, and a Strike King KVD Sexy Frog. Walking around the pond had allowed me to really start to understand the layout on the shore and the little inlets, bends, the feeder creek and dam. I knew where I could cast, where I could walk, and where I had seen fish.
One thing that really bothered me was the fact that I had watched a few fish swim up to – and reject multiple presentations – worms, stickbaits, Hula StickZ… why? What was the forage? What was I doing wrong here?
I wanted to give the fluke some time, and I took a topwater as well. I started with a Strike King Rage Tail Toad, black with red flake, so that I could cover more water – but I quickly found out that those cast like crap. Tons of wind resistance, probably because of the flappy legs and Rage Tail cup – not sure, but it was definitely noticeable… maybe even user error… but… well, let me share the afternoon:
The Fifth Day at the Pond
October 8th Pond Fishing in Illinois Weather: around 72 degrees and clear skies, but it was 40 degrees this morning. I went out at 4:15 p.m. and planned to fish and tape until 6:00. There were a lot more anglers around at this time of day. Maybe 8 or 10 compared to zero in the early morning. Still the same amount of walkers and bikers. I started out with a black and red sparkle Strike King Rage Toad, which I thought would help me cover more water, but it was really not the right tool for the job. It didn’t cast all that great surprisingly, and I had to move it really fast to keep it on top. Plus, it just didn’t come over the muck like I thought it would. I switched to a frog after 15 minutes as I worked my way around the left side of the lake. This time I also took a Zoom fluke rigged weightless. Mosquitoes were terrible this evening – not sure why. Maybe they’re not active in the morning as much. I saw fish on the far left side and slowed down to throw the fluke at them. Had a follow but he didn’t bite. It was actually really bright and clear and he got a great look at the bait, I bet he would have hit a worm, but he inspected the fluke and swam off. I fished the frog a lot as I worked my way around the lake and missed yet another fish in that back bay area across from the parking lot. By this point I had about 30 minutes left and I wanted to make sure I fished the area where I had caught my 2 fish, so I headed that way. Before I went around and across the bridge I tossed the fluke out in front of a bush overhang and caught my first bass, a little beat up 1 pounder. I cast a few more times then went over the bridge and threw the fluke around and after about 5 casts caught a really nice 2.5 pound bass near the same area as my previous trips. I noticed in this shallow calm water, you can see a lot of activity if you pay attention. For example, when a fish eats on top, you can see it. When they dash after something, they create a wake or bulge on the surface, so you can cast around them. When they move under the muck either to eat or run, they create movement. Watch for this along with telltale signs of caught fish like lines and blow up holes in the muck, or piles of water grass left behind on the ground that anglers take off of the fish they catch. Really a good afternoon.
For more footage of just the actual fishing – not the analysis like we have listed above – check this video out:
Two nice fluke bass.Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
What We Learned on Day 5
Strike King Rage Tail Toads don’t cast as easily as Z-Man Pop ShadZ, and they have to keep moving so they don’t sink. This can be good if you want to drop them into holes around weeds or pads, but not ideal if you want to pause on top.
While watching my surroundings this trip, I learned that I could see the water bulge up in shallow areas as fish chased food and moved about. This allowed me to make a cast towards what I believed to be an active fish – and it paid off.
You can see where fish have been caught before if you look for blow up holes in the cover, or piles of weeds that people either pulled off of their baits or a fish.
So Ends Trip #5 to the Pond
By the end of this afternoon trip, I had evened up the score and caught two fish on topwater, and two fish on a finesse presentation out of the pond to date. This was a good sign.
The First Fish – A Beat Up Little 1lb Dude
I left the pond that day thinking about the fact that I could see the larger of the two bass moving about underwater without actually laying eyes on him. We were far away from all the other fishermen on the shore, and I was able to creep up while he was preoccupied.
Such a cool experience. Another one that I am very grateful for.
Next time you go out, try a fluke on your body of water – especially if you usually fish worms and senkos – and see if the smaller baitfish profile helps you snag a few fish. Hit me up on social media if you do!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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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!
You know, I spend a lot of time writing for The Minimalist Fisherman so that I can share my personal development as an angler. This is important to me, and I hope it is useful to you and my kids as they become more and more interested in the sport.
My goal with all of this is to get better, to reduce the clutter and confusion, and help you do the same.
That’s why I write long-winded articles, and record long-winded videos, and share a bit TOO much information. I do it for the people that want to sit back and review for a while, then casually contemplate where they’re at and where they want to go.
Other times – we just want to catch some fish! Here were two sweet largemouth bass on a fluke caught early evening late summer. Fun stuff!
Bass Fishing With FlukesClick the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
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!
