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
Successful fishing is all about right time, right place. The right time and place for my boat to catch the biggest fish of the year is in May, and later in September and October. The spring spawn, September feeding, and October wintering periods create vulnerabilities for smallmouth, where the biggest fish are most apt
Spring offers early season largemouth opportunities and a bevy of shallow water action. Largemouths awaken quickly from their winter dormancies to feed heavily in preparation for their impending spawn. At fisheries they’ve been dialed in, their whereabouts and behavioral tendencies can be predictable. April and May will be the best two months to try
Most years, I strive to be the first angler on the water targeting smallmouths at ice out. Doing this well before everyone else has become a unique fishing experience. While catching smallmouths from 39 to 42-degree water temperature is not an easy task across every Northwoods lake, results can be achieved if you are
In the past, some fishing partners have given me grief for fishing too slow and methodical. There is a reason for this madness, which has been developed over several years of patterning big bass and understanding their locations as it relates to season, feeding times, and behavior on many of the specific waters I