Published articles by Andrew Ragas. The most comprehensive bass fishing library for Wisconsin bass fishing and across the Midwest.
River Smallmouths Close to Home
Monday, 06 May 2024
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.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass
Spring Largemouth Hot Spots
Wednesday, 01 May 2024
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.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass
Top Spring Largemouth Patterns and Tactics
Wednesday, 01 May 2024
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.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass
Spring Smallmouth Hot Spots
Wednesday, 01 May 2024
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!
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass
River Smallmouths Early and Late
Monday, 22 April 2024
My region’s river systems provide some of the best and most exciting smallmouth fishing early and late in the year. This year (2024), will remain to be seen, as we are in a major drought right now.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Short Stories and Timely Tips, Smallmouth Bass
Location-Driven Largemouths
Monday, 15 April 2024
In my region, the spring season is short and condensed, lasting from ice-out through spawn. Its duration varies each year, as it relates to both.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass, Short Stories and Timely Tips
The Spring Playbook for Largemouths
Monday, 01 April 2024
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
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass
Conquering Cold Water Smallmouths
Monday, 01 April 2024
Cold weather and water temperatures affect anglers more mentally than physically. Cold affects smallmouths too, but not as drastically as it does to humans. Isn’t it funny how smallmouths are heartier than people?
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass
Early Season Backwaters and Ditches
Monday, 18 March 2024
From shallow sloughs and oxbows winding off of major river systems, to the slop-choked bays and flood plains of lowland flowages, and the ditches and small creeks inletting into drainage lakes, backwaters offer unreachable populations of big largemouths that are least pursued.
- Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass, Short Stories and Timely Tips