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
Monday, 20 May 2024 / Published in Short Stories and Timely Tips, Smallmouth Bass

Attacking Staging Sites

  At this time, smallmouths are schooling together and stacked; programmed to undertake structural migrations to where they will stage and set-up in preparation for their spawn which could be any day now.
Monday, 13 May 2024 / Published in Short Stories and Timely Tips, Smallmouth Bass

Shallow Wood and Sand Patterns

  The most active smallmouths will attract to lake regions that are warming. The shallows with ideal bottom substrate and exposure to sun warm rapidly. They could be up to 10 degrees warmer than anywhere else on the lake. Smallmouths can gather and loiter around in depths as shallow as 1 foot to as deep
Wednesday, 08 May 2024 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – Early May 2024

  It’s an excellent feeling to be pursuing and casting for smallmouths once again! For the remainder of this month and the limited time I will have through May 20th, my boat will be targeting them exclusively unless a junk weather day or repeat of last week necessitates having to return to largemouths.
Monday, 06 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

River Smallmouths Close to Home

  Wherever you live in the Midwest, I’m willing to bet a fortune there’s a major river system located a drive away that’s teeming with big smallmouths. If you’re willing to explore and find them, prepare yourself for some life-changing events and newfound fishing addictions.
Thursday, 02 May 2024 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – End of April 2024

  Season’s greetings everyone, and hopefully you shall be the recipient of many timely, relevant, and frequent fishing reports throughout 2024. Even though my year is only 4 days old, it has been excellent. The only species I have focused on up this point are largemouths.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Spring Largemouth Hot Spots

  Up here, the seasons can change in a flash and weather patterns evolve quickly. As lake surface temperatures slightly warm, bass instinctively sense these changes and go on the move.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Top Spring Largemouth Patterns and Tactics

  We’re well past ice-out, and by now anglers have greater open water fishing opportunities presenting themselves. Ponds, flowages, drainage lakes, backwaters, swamps, rivers, and channels would be such places to start looking at.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

Spring Smallmouth Hot Spots

  Usually by late April, another spring season has arrived – for me, anyways. The cabin gets opened for the year, I pick-up my boat from winter storage, and scramble to make preparations to fish within the next day or two. It’s the most exciting time of the year!