Andrew Ragas splits time between the Chicago area and Wisconsin's Northwoods. Based in Minocqua, WI, he specializes in trophy bass fishing and offers guided trips from May thru October. While big bass is the passion, he dabbles in multi-species as well. He may be visited online at www.northwoodsbass.com
Saturday, 07 June 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Top Lures and Tactics for Early Summer Largemouths

  June is an action-packed month, wherever you’ll fish largemouth bass at. It’s a month for numbers and trophies. A lot is going on between location, conditions, habitat, and biologically everywhere you’ll go.
Tuesday, 03 June 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Gear Reviews, Smallmouth Bass

What We’re Throwing in June

  June is a busy month on the water, and the month’s patterns evolve quickly. While smallmouths in general will be hungry as they recuperate from spawn, the month is filled with numerous challenges relating to mayfly hatches, forage overabundances, and habitat relocation for the summer months.
Saturday, 31 May 2025 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – Mid to Late May 2025

  We just completed two weeks worth of smallmouth trips. I’m tired of hot weather, cold weather, poor weather, cold fronts, quitters, and uncooperative fish. In the last week, I also had 1 canceled trip, 1 no-show, and two other days in which anglers gave up. 4 days of lost work – this cannot happen
Monday, 26 May 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

The Importance of Wood to Smallmouths

  Long considered a hard bottom oriented fish, smallmouth bass have evolved to adapt to the habitats provided by the lake. Only specific conditions must be present for them to survive and thrive.
Friday, 16 May 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

Fishing Rock Shoals for Spring Smallmouths

  Isolated rock shoals are integral to finding and catching spring smallmouths. Fish that use these locations are known to stack and stage along their deeper edges. On lakes that have them, they’ll be smallmouth magnets.
Saturday, 10 May 2025 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – Early May 2025

  It’s the season of brown bass everyone, and hopefully you shall be the recipient of many timely, relevant, and frequent fishing reports throughout 2025. Even though my year is only 3.5 days old, it has been excellent despite the very small sampling size. The sun and I did plenty of damage to the fisheries
Friday, 09 May 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Hotspots for Spring Largemouths

  Across many lakes, largemouths will go as shallow as nature allows. They’ll sun bathe and absorb all the newly created oxygen being produced by emergent plant life and other organisms. Nearly all fishing efforts will be taking place in depths of 5-feet and less.
Monday, 05 May 2025 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

Catching Shallow Sand Smallmouths

  Sand pockets, isolated beaches, and shorelines with exposure to southern skies are major fish attractors as waters warm into the 50’s this month. These nearshore hot spots tend to be the most overlooked lake regions on any smallmouth fishery in spring because most lake charts and maps don’t reveal them. As a result, the