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.
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It’s raining here in the Midwest. Rained yesterday, too… and the day before that. Honestly, it doesn’t seem like it’s stopped raining this spring. At night the steady drip-drip-drip of droplets cascading off the gutters is calming. Peaceful. In the morning there’s splattering and pattering on the outer sill of the windows as the sun tries so hard to poke her head out from behind the clouds sitting right above the trees across the way. Bright orange colors sit just behind, as the thunder slowly rolls in and sporadic flashes of lightning remind me – you’re not fishing today.
Hmmm…
Frustrating, but we live in a world where turbulence seems to be the norm… so small breaks (even breaks that Mother Nature forces us to take) are a blessing.
Soggy mornings like these are the perfect time to discuss simple improvements that anyone can make. Improvements that will help you catch more fish. I’m talking about The 80/20 Rule. No doubt you’ve heard about this ratio in some sense before –
“20% of the water holds 80% of the fish.” “20% of the fishermen catch 80% of the fish.” “20% of my tackle gets used 80% of the time.”
Some will even bump these numbers up to 90/10. You can pick whatever ratio you prefer, but today we’re going to apply this rule in a slightly different way…
Putting the 80/20 Rule to work In The FieldClick the banner to jump to Stars & Bars Fishing on YouTube.
Apply The 80/20 Rule to Every Base Box
Base-wha?
Base Box.
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Over the years I’ve made many adjustments that help keep my on-hand tackle lightweight, compact and versatile. Minimalist. A Base Box is a single Plano container, pre-loaded with presentations that I have confidence in for a specific kind of fishing. Things I absolutely need to have for certain conditions. They’re always ready to go, so when ‘ol Billy Bob calls and says “BROTHER, LET’S FISH!,” I grab the appropriate Base Box, the Terminal Tackle Base Box, throw ’em in my backpack and head out.
Fishing from the bank? Just take that backpack. Fishing from a friend’s boat? Just take that backpack. Fishing from your own boat? Just take that backpack!
This helps me keep the clutter away. It keeps my mind clear so the focus is on catching fish, not organizing tackle. We’ve covered the Heavy Muck Base Box for targeting largemouth bass in thick cover, as well as the Wisconsin Bass Base Box for targeting smallmouth bass and other gamefish near Minocqua.
This year I’m working on a Muck Kayak Base Box, a Clear / Creek Kayak Base Box, and some others, but today we’re talking about how applying The 80/20 Rule to my Clear Water Base Box helped me turn a slow day into a great one!
First largemouth bass of the 2024 season.
Spring Bass Fishing in the Midwest
Here’s how the day went…
I decided to start small. Small, shallow ponds and lakes can warm up faster than large, deep bodies of water. This can translate into more activity, and more bites. One such puddle nearby, affectionately dubbed Snapping Turtle Pond, is home to some big bass… and big snappers.
Watch your toes!
Not all bass spawn at the same time. Smaller, warmer lakes might be the earliest to see spawning activity. I don’t target spawners, but paying attention to the local calendar period will help you find active biters. For example, if a very small lake gets the postspawn blues, head to a larger lake and see if you can find prespawn fish looking to chow.
The afternoon bite can be best in the spring. Midday, when the water is warmest and the sun is high in the sky, it’s not uncommon to experience the fish “turning on,” which means you don’t have to be up and out before dawn.
Moving baits can work in cold water. I decided to start with a 3″ swimbait, and follow that up with a 4″ stickbait in a natural green pumpkin color. Here were some key items in my Clear Water Base Box:
I fished for 2 hours without a bite. Tossed the swimbait, then the stickbait (again both in natural colors). These are confidence techniques for me… and they came up blank.
The water was chocolate milk. Probably from all the recent rain and runoff. I even had a 12 pound fluorocarbon leader tied to my braid because I thought they were going to be able to see my line. Not the case… and actually, I don’t think they could see much of anything.
Fortunately I had already applied The 80/20 Rule to my gear. 80% of my equipment was focused on clear water techniques. Natural colors, natural patterns, natural movement, small or invisible line, and exposed hooks. (Think crankbaits, topwater poppers, lipless cranks and natural plastics on jigs.) However, 20% of my equipment was focused on the exact opposite… and thankfully, I had the high-vis low-snag option you see here:
“Here I come to save the daaaaaaaaaaaay…”
A Coppertreuse Hula Stick (soaked in Dr. Juice attractant to mask human scent) on a Texas Rig with a Mustad Light Wire Grip-Pin hook and a 1/16 ounce tungsten Nako bullet weight. This saved the day, because the conditions were not what I expected!
#2
#3
#4
On my very first cast with the high-vis presentation, I caught a fish. Same thing happened on the second cast! We ended up catching five fish (and missing one) this afternoon, with four of them being right at or over the 2 pound mark. All bites came within a 40 minute window on the wind-blown side of the pond.
I had almost given up. Even took a 30 minute break to map with my Deeper Pro+ Sonar to try to “salvage the awful day.” But it wasn’t awful. The answer wasn’t to quit – the answer was to adapt.
If you apply The 80/20 Rule to your tackle, you’ll be more prepared for anything that comes at you, without needing to carry around the entire tackle shop. Take a minute to review what you have on hand, and maybe make a few changes.
This can be the difference between a complete bust… or a great day of fishing!
Tight Lines & Godspeed, Patriots.
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The days are shorter. The nights are colder. The daydreams are beginning to intensify.
There is a picture frame that lives on our counter. One of the best investments I’ve ever made. It cycles through photos from trips we’ve taken, constantly reminding the kids about their victories. It makes them want to fish and spend more time with family. It keeps the memories fresh, and they love to tell the story of “that fish I caught” and “that place we went” when different images pop up. It keeps them excited…
… truth be told… it has the same effect on me and my wife…
A simple digital picture frame cycles through memories, victories, and keeps “the good stuff” fresh and top-of-mind! Ours currently has 1,500 pics and that number increases every time we fish.
We’re so excited in fact, that I’m in the market for a new boat. Need something simple, minimalist, something that can run shallow and slam into rocks. We’ll be fishing The White River in Arkansas by next November, after all… for trout, yes, but also walleye and smallmouth bass. Lord knows, my wife is an amazing fishing partner, but she is NOT a fan of my 3.5 foot wide jon boat! It’s as wobbly as ‘ol Uncle Butch after his 9th whisky sour. I need to get something wider. More stable. As that search continues, end-of-season cleaning ensues.
Yesterday I came across my Wisconsin Bass Base Box. The presentations in this box accounted for many, many bass this year, including the 5 biggest smallmouth from our annual trip up north. Who caught #1 you ask? …
My wife and her MONSTER Minocqua smallmouth bass. (Told ya she was a great fishing partner.)
This bruiser came out of just 7 feet of water. In July. Often, when largemouth are not the dominant species in a lake, you’ll find smallmouth spread out to many different depths – including the warmer, shallower areas that are rich with forage, weeds, and wood cover. We assume that smallmouth prefer crayfish and deep, rocky, cold water, but sometimes they use deeper areas because they have to.
It takes longer to digest a crayfish than it takes to digest a baitfish.
So, in Wisconsin lakes where largemouth are present but not especially dominant, make sure to explore the weedy, warmer areas as well as the deep rocky humps – and everything in between – until you find what the smallmouth, walleye, crappie, pike, panfish & muskie prefer.
These baits will help you target bass throughout the entire water column effectively.
Let’s get into it.
What is a Wisconsin Bass Base Box?
A Base Box is a single Plano container, loaded with presentations that you have confidence in for a specific kind of fishing. This container is something that you can pick up with zero notice – it’s always ready to go. So when Billy Bob calls and says “BROTHER, LET’S FISH!”, you simply grab the correct Base Box along with the Terminal Tackle Base Box (which is always on hand no matter what), load the backpack and head out.
Fishing from the bank? Just take that backpack. Fishing from your friend’s boat? Just take that backpack. Fishing from your own boat? Just take that backpack!
My Wisconsin Bass Base Box is focused on targeting smallmouth bass in clear Wisconsin lakes (high visibility) with rocks, weeds, and woody cover.
Over the past 20+ years of fishing in Wisconsin, we’ve boiled it all down the the following presentations. Presentations that I absolutely need to have with me to fish with 100% confidence. This is very different from my Clear Water Base Box, and my Muck Bass Base Box… which we will cover in another article…
These items are all that remain after years of reduction. Minimizing. In the past, I’d take a complete bait store with me! These days? I take this box, a few bags of plastics, and some terminal tackle… and we all catch more fish.
The River2Sea Rover 98 was a surprise hit this year, with a walking Live Target Yearling Baitball coming into play when I wanted a slightly smaller profile.
Topwater is fun, and in clear Wisconsin lakes, fishing a topwater in 8 foot of water or less – especially over thick weeds – can be intense. It’s also a great way to cover water. Big pike and the occasional muskie are not afraid to hammer your topwater offerings as well, and that kind of pandemonium is a blast – I don’t care who you are!
I like to start out with a moving bait featuring a natural pattern. Something medium-sized that walks, like the River2Sea Rover 98. I’ll rig this up on a baitcaster, braid, and a 20 Pound Monofilament Leader. This does two things – it floats better than fluorocarbon, and yes – it is slightly less visible than straight braid – but more importantly, that mono is less likely to get twisted up on your guides in-between casts.
Straight braid can be a pain at times, especially if it’s windy.
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #2: Popping Topwaters
Having a few popping topwaters on hand will allow you to do two things:
First, they give you the option to present a smaller profile with distinct pauses, and at times this will coax bites better than a walking bait. (Experiment with a dressed rear treble. If you have follows but no takers, swap it out for a plain treble or try to change the color of your popper.)
Second, they give you one of the tools to make a Pop ‘n Drop. A Pop ‘n Drop is a popper with the rear treble removed, exchanged for a fluorocarbon dropper line, wacky hook and a trailing stickbait that sinks slowly, coming to a rest anywhere from 1 to 3 feet below the popper. This helps you put something irresistible in front of those fish that follow, but just won’t bite.
AJ Hauser with a healthy Manitowish smallmouth bass that could not resist the Pop ‘n Drop.
The popper gets their attention – the stickbait seals the deal.
Clear Wisconsin lakes are known to have expansive weed beds. In some places, they can stretch for miles and miles, and while you can jig fish them to target clearly defined transitions, pockets or other submerged cover (and you should), this makes covering a lot of water difficult.
If you’re searching for bass, consider running a wakebait right over the top of these weeds. You might be surprised at what lunges out!
The StrikePro Hunchback is a great wakebait that runs less than a foot, but they are expensive and harder and harder to find. Luck-E-Strike Cajun Wakebaits are a cheap alternative. A Rebel Teeny Wake-R is a lot of fun to throw on light line for numbers if the wind is calm, and a Mann’s Baby 1-Minus has been a staple in my arsenal for a while now – plus, it brings rattles to the table. I mark the running depth on most of my lures with a Sharpie.
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #4: Jerkbaits
Two years ago, I decided it was time to learn – yes, I said LEARN – to use jerkbaits. I’m glad that I dedicated time to the technique, because jerkbaits are fun, and they work.
I take a few with me when I fish Minocqua and the Manitowish Chain ‘O Lakes. They are great for covering water, especially around sandy flats with sparse weed clumps, stumps and logs. However, they are not the best option for the thick weed beds mentioned above.
I’ve had days where they were lights out – and days where they were ignored outright.
Take a few & test ’em.
My jerkbait collection includes a few Rapala RipStops that run shallow and stop on a dime, along with several Husky Jerks in different sizes. Huskies have been a staple for serious anglers for many years now – and as I’ve learned – it’s for good reason. I round out my collection with a few discontinued baits, which I will use until I lose ’em…
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #5: Lipless Crankbaits
Pike will destroy a lipless. I love to throw them when the water is a bit cooler and the big fish are active. We usually visit Minocqua during “the dog days” though… so pike fishing is hit or miss.
When I’m fishing areas with toothy critters, I’ll usually add a fluorocarbon leader to my line. Seaguar AbraizX is a great choice, and I prefer it over Seaguar Red Label. Neither are as tough as a steel leader, but it gives you a great chance of avoiding a bite-off while remaining invisible to the more finicky fish.
Smallmouth bass are not to be underestimated, as they will demolish a lipless crankbait as well – when they’re active. A great way to catch ’em is by throwing a lipless crankbait over the tops of the weed beds – then ripping your bait free when it gets hung up. My wife landed this beauty just minutes before a big storm rolled in using this technique. (You should have heard her warcry ring out across the empty lake as the bass came aboard and thunder rolled – it was truly epic!)
Nice smallmouth bass on one of my Dad’s Rattlin’ Rapalas. The (Discontinued) Bomber Ratl RRR A
We like Rattlin’ Rapalas, Rat-L-Traps, and I also throw Bomber Ratl RRR As that my buddy, Brother Ron, sent in a care package not that long ago. All three are great options.
Finally, swim jigs round out our bulky bait repertoire. The added weight, weed guard and skirt on a swim jig allow you to control the depth of your swimbaits while remaining very weedless and adding girth.
You can retrieve these bulked-up baits right through the cabbage and grass to get the attention of any number of species – they go where the trebled jerkbaits dare not tread!
Some of my favorite swim jigs can be seen here – just remember: opt for natural colors most of the time in the clear Wisconsin water.
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #7: Hair Jigs
Now that we’ve covered our moving baits, it’s time to sloooooow down a bit… hair jigs have increased in popularity over the last several years. Bass fisherman (largemouth, smallmouth and spotted) stayed tight-lipped about them for quite some time, but anglers like Kevin VanDam were seen using them in major tournaments, and us “normies” started to get wise…
I keep several on hand in different colors (usually natural or black with a highlight color for attraction) sized from 1/16 to 3/8 ounce.
Now, you can fish these a few different ways… some anglers like to fish them as-is, working them up and down and drifting them out from shallow to deep water with a simple pendulum motion.
This can work – but I prefer to tip mine with live bait…
Leeches.
One of my best bass from an especially slow morning came on a light hair jig tipped with a leech. We were sitting in about 30 feet of water casting towards the entrance of the lake which had a steep rocky drop-off. This bass followed my jig all the way to the boat and hit when it was 5 feet away – wild!
The hair adds bulk, motion (especially the marabou) and slows the rate of fall. If you use a black jig with a leech the color matches well, and the motion and taste of the leech can help to create a surprisingly effective package.
A 3/8 ounce VMC BKJ Bucktail Jig will help you get down to those deeper fish, faster. This means more casts, and more chances to get bit.
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #8: NedlockZ & BulletZ
While fishing the Manitowish Chain ‘O Lakes this year, I spent quite a bit of time fine-tuning The Snakebite Rig. Even though this rig was originally developed for fishing the heavy muck here in Illinois – a few modifications allowed me to slither it through thick weedy areas that dropped into deeper water.
Tip ’em with plastics, leeches, crawlers, minnows – you name it. One of my favorite techniques for “bonus fish” involves setting up an extra pole with a slip-bobber rig. I’ll set this in a rod holder and allow it to leisurely drift behind the boat with a leech on one of these Lindy Live Bait Jigs while I’m simultaneously fishing a more active presentation. The weight of the jig removes the need for split-shot.
It’s like having an extra set of hands, and even when I’m retying I always have a bait in the water. If the panfish are a problem, I’ll swap the leech out for a small plastic and drift that instead.
“Bonus Fish” on a drifting leech.
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #10: Mushroomhead Jigs
Mushroomhead jigs have been around for a long time. They pair perfectly with plastics, allowing you to keep a low profile with minimal negative cues. I keep an assortment on hand from 1/16 to 1/4 ounce in both weedless and extra-weedy varieties. (Notice that weedless and standard jigs live in the same compartment in the Wisconsin Bass Base Box, so they take up less space.)
The Northland Tackle Deep-Vee Jigs are a bit of a hybrid, and more importantly, they are extremely effective. The tend to stand up, they have a light wire hook with a longer shank, and they also have an angled head with large, realistic eyes.
That light wire hook makes for easy penetration in the mouth of a fish, so it’s a great option for younger anglers and old pros alike.
This jig, paired with a small plastic, was responsible for the biggest bass of the trip. Sure they’re pricey, but DO NOT sleep on this jig!
A 1/8 ounce Northland Tackle Deep-Vee Jig helped my wife land this MONSTER smallmouth bass. You can see the jig hanging from her rod on the left in this picture.
The Bait Rigs Slo-Poke Jig is a must-have item for fishing live bait in the weeds. The inline eye increases hookups and reduces snags. The center-balanced weight has a slower, more horizontal fall than a ball head jig, which falls vertically. The hook shank is strong and compact.
It’s very likely that this jig will be the one you keep tied on the entire trip…
Walk into any Wisconsin bait shop, and they’ll have a tray with Slo-Pokes in many weights & sizes. Grab an assortment, both with and without the weed guard.
You’ll thank me.
The Bait Rigs Slo-Poke Jig is unique, and a consistent favorite of both walleye and bass anglers – for good reason.
I like to stick with 1/16 to 1/8 ounce jigs, and I can usually get away with fishing without a weed guard. Black and orange are great colors, and everything you see in the image above is in my tackle box. I prefer to tip with leeches, and Dad likes crawlers.
My first 17″ smallmouth bass this year came off of a flat with sparse weedy cover near stumps and logs on a Bait Rigs Slo-Poke Jig tipped with a leech. Jig was 1/16 ounce, line weight was 8 pound fluoro – a bit oversized, and the water depth was about 10 feet. My wife with a 16″ smallmouth bass that came off of a weedy hump in 20′ of water. Leech on a Slo-Poke. Badda-bing badda-boom. Dad landed this 19″ smallmouth bass on an orange Slo-Poke Jig tipped with a leech in about 12 feet of water…… and last year this 4-pounder smoked the exact same rig tipped with a crawler instead of a leech. Experiment!
Slo-Poke Jig & Live Leech Fishing
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #13: Terminal Tackle
A small assortment of Must-Have Terminal Tackle includes the following:
It looks like a grab bag, but there is a method to the madness: steel leaders, o-rings, slip bobbers, split-rings, nail weights, bullet weights, beads and bobber stops allow you to make a wide variety of rigs.
With these components you can make Neko Rigs, Dropshot Rigs, Trailing Slip-Bobber Rigs, Texas Rigs and Carolina Rigs – provided you also have the following hooks…
Minocqua Must-Have Bait #14: Weedless Wacky Hooks
Wacky hooks with and without a weed guard are a must. They can be used for wacky rigs of course, but they also work on dropshot rigs. The dropshot was something new I played with this year for fishing weedy humps all the way down to depths of 25 feet.
(Check out Dad’s All-Star Scoop on this one right as the hook popped free!)
Testing the Dropshot on Wisconsin Bass
I caught a few, but next year I’ll be dedicating more time to the dropshot and adding in some Hayabusa Spin Muscle Dropshot Hooks. These have worked surprisingly well here in Illinois in my deep, clear pits. Make sure to toss a few Eagle Claw Offset Octopus Hooks (size 2) in here as well, for your trailing bobber rigs when you switch from leeches to 3″ plastics.
A collection of VMC, Berkley and Trokar wacky hooks.
I typically take what I use here in Illinois where a heavy weed guard is required: Berkley Fusion19 Weedless Wacky Hooks have a thick fluorocarbon weed guard. VMC Weedless Wacky Hooks are even more rigid and come with a very stiff wire weed guard.
However, this year I realized that both of these were too heavy. The Trokar Weedless Wacky Hooks gave us better hookups, due to their light wire and softer fiber weed guard, and still came through the cabbage effortlessly. By the end of the trip we were using these exclusively, because they also allowed us to lighten up our line – a huge advantage in clear Wisconsin water.
My wife with a stocky 18″ smallmouth that slammed a Neko Rig with a 4″ Dinger on a Trokar Weedless Wacky Hook. Neko Rigs are great because they will catch all sorts of gamefish, like this quality largemouth bass.
My main “worm hooks” include a simple variety of Mustad and Trokar offerings.
Stick to 2/0 or smaller if you’re targeting smallmouth bass in clear Wisconsin water. Maybe grab a few 3/0 hooks if you like to use bulkier plastics: tubes or creatures for example… I’ve had some luck on these baits, but not enough that I plan to put away the leeches or smaller plastics… well, most of the time…
Nice fat Wisconsin smallmouth on a Z-Man EZ Tube in the middle of the day.
OH! Before I forget…
What plastics catch bass in Minocqua?
We talked about all of the tackle and hard baits, but what else will we need aside from live bait? There are a lot of plastics that will work… but here are the ones I’ll be taking next year, after testing many, many, many different baits:
Z-Man TRDs: Great for Ned Rigs around sparse cover.
Z-Man Hula Sticks: Great on Snakebite Rigs & Deep-Vee jigs in and around thicker cover.
3″ Yum Dingers: Great for trailing bobbers when you’re out of leeches.
Any color will work as long as it’s green pumpkin.
😉
99% of the time I’m fishing natural colors. Green pumpkins, natural baitfish colors, some white and gray and maybe a touch of purple or red flake. A few ElaZtechs in coppertreuse for overcast days. Don’t overcomplicate this – and try to mimic the local forage.
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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.
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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.
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You can spend your time showering… like a girl… or you can stink and fish… LIKE A MAN!
On this day in history… I chose to stink… and it was worth it.
Catching Fat Illinois Bass on Swim Jigs & Stickbaits!Click the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
After the weather warmed up a bit it was time to get back out and fish the ‘ol swim jig again… but not without taking the Strike King 4″ Ocho, which had also recently started to produce. Even with all of the wind today, this provided a really nice one-two punch and allowed me to fish fast and slow without stopping in my limited window of time.
This might work for you, too.
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!
During this season that started to become apparent. We pulled a few out of shallow, cold water, and some off of rip rap. To be honest… I had never fished a swim jig this early before…
Shhhh… don’t tell anyone.
On this day I was once again shut down by the quarantine police, but after calling an audible, contacted fish and make a good afternoon out of it. (Remember: we don’t quit. Keep casting, and if something is preventing that, figure out a way to work around it!)
As always, I appreciate and look forward to the fresh air, exercise and casting practice. The fish – well… they’re just a bonus!
Check out this gorgeous swim jig color combination:
Let me know if you have any suggestions for improving, or a pond or creek to fish, or just want to say hey in the comments or social media. I’m always trying to improve and I appreciate your input.
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!
Got out to do some quarantine bass fishing – and it wasn’t easy… when I arrived at the regular lake I noticed a large NO FISHING sign, and honestly… I couldn’t believe it.
But cooler heads prevailed and with a bit of exploring I found a few other spots to fish… and it was definitely worth it!
Have you been able to get out during Covid? Let me know!
Bass Fishing During CovidClick the banner to jump to The Minimalist Fisherman on YouTube.
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!
