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Gopher B.A.S.S. Federation Club Tournament

Mississippi River Pool 2, St. Paul Park, MN

Pool 2 of the Mississippi River is easily becoming one of my favorite bodies of water, which is nice considering the boat ramp isn't but 15 minutes from my front door. This stretch of river is chucked full of gorgeous largemouth and smallmouth bass, not to mention I haven't had an outing out there yet this year where I didn't catch at least one nice walleye or sauger, on accident of course, I mean I do have a reputation to uphold, I don't want anyone to get it twisted.

I set aside a couple practice days for this tournament, first day I spent checking areas that produced well last year and found success right away. The second trip I spent searching for new water and anyone who understands river systems especially upper pools of the Mississippi know that you spend more time searching than fishing. Generally everything looks so good on the river, but finding the key fish holding spots can be tough mainly because it's such a challenge to navigate backwater areas. In fact I spent over an hour idling a shallow flat trying to get to a deep rocky area, after I got a mile back I got stuck on a sand bar and spent even more time pushing myself off just to idle my way back and try a different route. However once you find that sweet spot you usually have something special.

After a long day I did manage to find a couple more spots, one was a beautiful shell bed in a backwater area that held an awesome school of smallmouth and also found a new cut that was loaded with rock and laydowns that had some nice fat largemouth. The shell bed was really something special, it lays off a rock point that has current and then slack water on both sides. My first cast with a Biovex 3/8 oz. Stangun Spinnerbait produced a 17" smallie and my second cast coughed up a gorgeous 21 1/2" rogue smallmouth.

Tournament morning started great, and my first cast produced a nice 18" smallmouth. After catching a few more I headed to my shell bed and just like clockwork the Biovex Spinnerbait was suckering smallmouth after smallmouth on cast after cast. I was upgrading my limit within the first hour.

Through out the day, whenever the bite would die down I could run to another and start catching fish. I spent all 8 hours in 4 different areas, recycling each spot and every time I returned back they would be biting again. In fact the fishing was so good that I must have caught nearly 60 bass by the end of the day. The only down side was that I only caught 2 over 17" and since this is a paper tourney I knew that was going to cost me. I weighed in at 16.14 lbs. only good enough for 4th place. I really thought I had the areas that could produce a winning bag, but just never got the big bites that I needed. With the exception of two break offs, I fished perfectly and made really good decisions on the water. I may not have won the tournament but I got a trophy, two ripped apart hands from all the bass I caught! That's what it's all about.

Speed Up or Slow Down?

The title of this entry is something I as a tournament angler fight with almost every time I’m on the water. Throw fast moving reaction baits or slow it down and go with more of a methodical approach? This is easily my worst fishing demon as I prefer to fish slow and methodical, trying to cover each and every piece of the key structure or cover. I have this problem of leaving a fish behind and in my mind have thought that if I slow down, I’ll catch every catchable fish in that area.

On the other hand, there’s anglers that go with the mentality that the more casts you make, the more fish you’ll catch. Instead of picking apart a key area, they instead fish a lot of key areas and catch the active fish.

The question is which is better? The answer is really simple though and honestly both would be the right answer. I have had a lot of success finding the fish producing areas and picking them apart. In fact, I’ve fished right behind some of Minnesota’s best bass fisherman and watched them catch a fish or two tops before blowing out of there and I catch a quality limit right behind them and go on to cash a nice paycheck. On the other hand, some of the world’s best bass anglers are power fisherman, most notably Kevin Van Dam and Skeet Reese. Rarely do these two ever slow down, in fact it can be exhausting watching guys like this fish. Cast after cast, burning calorie after calorie and the results obviously speak for themselves, they are hands down two of the best bass fisherman in the world and are living a life that all bass fisherman could look up to.

Still though, even the best two bass fishermen have bad days on the water and when they do, you usually see your slower fisherman like Denny Braurer, Kevin Short or Greg Hackney on top the leader board. The fish obviously weren’t all that active on that given day and the slower presentation produced the better results.

My goal is to be in the same conversation as all the anglers mentioned above. The key to this is versatility and even though I pointed out their strong suits, each one of those anglers can do it all and that’s why they’re on top of their sport. What I’m quickly realizing is that you need to be versatile to compete but can’t abandon your strong suites. Every angler has strong points and weak points, though the best have more strong than weak. They’re always practicing new techniques and building confidence in them which is by far the best weapon an angler can have.

There is still a common denominator in either approach, to have success you have to be fishing fishable water. That is by far the best part of a fisherman’s arsenal, the ability to find good concentrations of quality fish. It doesn’t matter if you fish fast or slow, you’re not catching squat if there’s no fish there. After you’ve found these fish holding spots, than the question is, what’s the best method to catch them? I am quickly learning the answer to that question can change at any time, there is just too many factors that one needs to consider. Time of day, weather, forage, time of year, activity level of the bass are all just a small fraction of the potential variables to consider when deciding which way to go.

I made a personal goal that I was going to start forcing myself to fish faster, but to be successful at this I knew I had to change my mentality. I have a habit of fishing slow because I hate the idea that I’m leaving good fish behind. This method of thinking hinders my ability to learn to be more versatile, because it doesn’t allow me to really be open minded when I’m throwing a crankbait on a structure that I would be more comfortable throwing a football jig on. It’s the confidence factor. To combat this, I make sure to line up a half dozen or so rods with my favorite go to baits, usually bottom dwelling baits like jigs and soft plastics. I also make sure to line a half dozen or so rods with reaction baits, like spinnerbaits, jerkbaits and crankbaits. This way I’ll fish each area that I find with both techniques, through trial and error I’m learning what baits are best for what situations. Like anything, added hard work is making me a better angler, I’m building that sixth sense for when, where and why should I be throwing the baits that will produce the best.

For instance, last weekend I was fishing pool 2 of the Mississippi River, practicing for an upcoming tournament. I decided to check some areas that I had previous success on. One of these areas is a very small rock pile that held a good amount of staging smallmouth. In the past, I always approached these fish by pitching a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver with a pegged ¼ oz. Tru Tungsten Weight and if the bite was tough, I would really slow down and fish a shakey head straight tail worm or a dropshot.

When I pulled up on this spot, I instantly went with good old faithful and started pitching my Beaver to the rocks. I got bit after about five or so casts but didn’t hook up, kind of a picky bite. So instead I picked up my shakey head and dropshot and after about 15 minutes without another bite, discouraged I blew out of there thinking they just weren’t there. As I got about a mile away from that spot, I started getting down on myself that I didn’t do what I promised myself I would do. I never once thought to throw one of the six reaction baits that were littered on the deck of my boat. Instead I let my stubbornness get in the way and went with my “trained” mentality that if fish where there, I would have got bit because I was sticking the bait in their face.

Instead of continuing on I turned the Ranger around and ran all the way back to that rock spot with a whole new open minded attitude. I first picked up a jerkbait and quickly boated two nice smallmouth, then after having to break off the bait because it got hung in the rocks, I picked up a spinnerbait and started catching smallmouth after smallmouth, on cast after cast. Not only was the area full of big smallmouth but I was also catching quality three pound largemouth right with them. I’m not exaggerating when I say this was some of the best fishing I have ever experienced, these bass where all but ripping my rod from my hands! All of a sudden I had a new, more confident attitude. Most important, I learned something that is very valuable. It was an overcast, low pressure day and there was also a strong wind blowing onto these rocks. Another thing I noticed was the abundance of shad that where around these rocks, I knew this because every cast I retrieved with the spinnerbait would cause the shad to jump out of the water, something I didn’t see when I was fishing slow with the Beaver and dropshot. The bass in this area were very active and they were gorging themselves on the shad, they were looking up not down.

Another way to force yourself to be more versatile is to fish with people that excel in other fishing styles than you. They most likely look at water in a different way than you, not any better, just different and you can learn an immense amount of knowledge in a rather short amount of time. You’ll see how they look at an area compared to how you would look at that same spot. Usually you’ll both learn something. Trust me, there’s no better way to open your mind than by getting your hind end handed to you by the guy your fishing with. If they’re throwing a lipless crankbait and you’re slow pulling a texas rigged worm and he’s out catching you 10 to 1, you’ll be throwing a lipless crank in no time. Again, a humbling confidence builder, but it goes both ways, he’ll learn something when you’re whooping him up with the worm.

There’s a time and a place for every lure in your tackle box, the best build a sixth sense for knowing which one will produce in that particular situation. Next time you’re out fishing don’t be afraid to experiment, you just might produce some new found magic.

** This is my most recent article from the Star Tribune's Outdoor Page, Minnesota's largest newspaper. Please check out this from time to time as I try to post different material as I have here at Josh Douglas Fishing. Click here to view my Star Tribune page.

Dick Hiley St. Jude Tournament

Mississippi River Pools 4 & 5, Wabasha, MN

This past weekend marks the second time I competed in the annual St. Jude Bass Tournament held on the Mississippi River in Wabasha, MN. An annual fundraiser tournament that in my opinion, is one of the most prestigious tournaments in Minnesota, mainly because it's for a great cause, but also because a lot of Minnesota and Wisconsin's best come out to compete.

Two years ago I left this event with my tail between my legs. If in any given tournament I don't finish as well as I would like to, I at least take some satisfaction in that I learned something that will make me a better angler and help me to cash more checks down the road. The first time I competed in the St. Jude I left not learning a thing except I knew nothing about the river this time of year and not only did I weigh only a few fish in both days of competition, other anglers whacked them! I was so humbled, I didn't know what to do. In fact, the next year when it was time to sign up again, I was still licking my wounds that instead I passed and headed to Iowa for the Okoboji Open. I wanted nothing to do with Ole' Miss that time of year, I was clueless.

This year was different, I had taken 2nd last year in the Okoboji Open my very first time fishing the lake and felt that I would best challenge myself by heading back to the river. I'm a competitor and I want to always be fishing against the best, it's what will make me better. After fishing the entire Bassmaster Weekend Series last year on the river, I felt I had a better grip on the water and when a good buddy of mine Connor Summers needed a partner, I was all in.

Practice was slow though I was covering water. Unlike two years ago, I was putting my self in better areas and was able to catch limits each day. I knew I wasn't on winners but was getting closer. There's just so much water to cover and understanding the current plays so much this time of year. Current plays a role all year on the river but it's much easier for me to pattern them in the summer when they're active and have food on their mind. This time of year is all based around the spawn and the bass are more worried about putting themselves around spawning areas and this is where my lack of experience really turns to a disadvantage.

Connor and I felt we had put together a pretty solid game plan and was pretty confident that if we could just get a couple big bites each day we would have a real good shot at cashing a check. We knew the big ones where on the move and hoped they would be moving right to us.

Of course we drew last, boat 70 and at take off decided to run down river to a spot where in practice I was able to catch a nice 4 pound smallie. I was only able to boat a small 14 incher and we decided to run to one of Connor's proven spots to try our luck on some largemouth. Unfortunately, we arrived and our areas where being worked over by a few other boats, with really no option we decided to fish some of the stuff that had already been worked. I was able to quickly boat a 16" largemouth on a Super K Swim Jig, but after going another hour or so without a bite we got out of there.

Fishing continued to stay slow and with only a couple hours left to go, Connor catches a 15" largemouth on a spinnerbait on a weed flat, but also dropped a nice 3 pounder. With only 3 in the box and an hour or so to go, we knew something had to happen and decided to run out of there and fish a cut that was loaded with wood. It was popping back there and even though Connor and I both dropped a couple 3 pounders, we still where able to catch a quick limit. We caught all our fish off wood on spinnerbaits, I was throwing a Biovex 3/8 oz. Stangun Spinnerbait (Baby Bass).

After a tough day fishing we still managed to put 6 in the box! We knew we weren't in the top 10 but knew we had a chance for tomorrow. In a two day tournament you can't win it on day one but you can surely loose it. At this point, we where just happy to be in contention. We weighed in our 6 for 13.39 pounds.



Day two, we started in the same cut and the fishing was just as good, though we weren't finding the quality we needed. Again I was throwing a Biovex Stangun Spinnerbait but the better keepers came off a Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver with a pegged 1/4 oz. Tru Tungsten sinker, largely because the fish weren't as active as they where the day before where the spinnerbait banged off the wood would initiate a strike every time.

We ran a few spots on pool 4, knowing we needed a couple big kickers. I did spook a nice smallmouth off a bed, but after waiting for 20 minutes, she never came back. We ended up rounding out our limit in the same cut and just never got our big bites, unlike yesterday when we dropped 3 good ones that could have helped huge and gotten us into the money. We weighed day two at 12.82 pounds and finished in a disappointing 36th place. Not what I had in mind, but WAY better than the last time I fished the Jude. I can happily say that progress is being made and I can't wait for this event again next year.

I want to congratulate Aaron LaRocque and Joe Hall for there outstanding first place finish, these guys spend a lot of time down on the river and really deserve the win. Also to Matt Larson, the defending champ and his partner Pat Schlapper and Jim Johnson and Eric Ronningen as these guys rounded out the top three! Not only did they whack them but combined they raised over 8 grand for the St. Jude Children's Hospital! Hats off gentleman!

BASSMASTER Weekend Series

Grand Lake, Martin's Landing, OK

I was pretty confident when I arrived at registration. I had my boat all ready to rock and relined all my rods and really felt I had a solid game plan for the tournament. I took a small setback when I drew boat 85 out of 92. This is a factor that can potentially hamper ones odds, especially in a tournament where bed fishing was going to play such a factor because it can be a first come, first serve deal. I started to change my tone when I instead decided to redirect my focus and use the fact that I didn't have to be back until 3:45 and the bigger fish where showing up later in the afternoon.

We awoke to cloudy skies and more rain in the forecast. It had rained all through the night but nothing to heavy. I wasn't really sure how this would effect the bite as I'm really not that experienced as a bed fisherman. I decided I would start just a few miles from the take off and try to capitalize on a quick bite and it really only took about a half hour and I caught a decent 16" largemouth and got the quick skunk out of the boat. I fished for about another hour and did manage to break off on a good bite but after not putting any more keepers in the box, I decided to make the run down lake.



The fishing still remained relatively tough as these fish really weren't interested in a meal. Instead they had mother nature on their minds and were not going to bite a bait unless they felt they had to. I knew eventually the bite would pick up, I stayed the course and by noon I managed 4 keepers, only 1 short of my limit. I had switched to a texas rigged Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver with a small pegged 1/8 oz. Tru Tungsten Worm Weight. These bass weren't much to brag about, but I knew I needed to fill my limit and I'd be putting myself in the thick of it.

With only a couple hours left in the tournament, I decided it was time to start heading back, I had a few more spots I thought I could catch my limit fish and maybe even pop a kicker. As I was idling out of the cove, I noticed a real nice laydown on some rock that I hadn't even checked in practice. It just looked like it had to have a bedded bass on it. As I approached it slowly, I couldn't see the bed and instead started pitching the laydown and as I got to the other side I noticed a pretty nice bass spook from a bed and head to deeper water. What to do here was a real gamble. I had spooked a female bass off a bed and have no real true sight fishing success to my credit and could be wasting valuable time putting in the effort. Though if I stayed and I did it right, it could be a HUGE momentum swing and really give me a chance to make a couple key culls and put me high in the money.

You can't succeed without taking a chance, so I decided I'd let the spot rest for a couple minutes and instead used the time to retie my bait, no need for any added drama if you know what I mean. I slowly creeped my trolling motor to about 20 feet from the bed. I crouched down and waited another minute or two and finally the bass came back to the bed. I didn't want to spook the fish by letting the bait smack the surface of water, so instead I pitched the bait a good 5 feet over the bed, onto the bank itself. I carefully pulled the Beaver onto the bed and the bass at first swam away. I repeated the process and the bass started showing that it was getting annoyed with the bait and started to focus her attention. I couldn't really see my bait to well so after a couple more pitch's, I ripped off the Beaver and instead threaded on a white tube. On my first pitch, the bass instantly showed extreme displeasure, she started fanning her fins and was nose to nose with the bait. I could really tell I was getting close with this fish and knew I had to stay calm and persistent. On the next pitch, she got nose to nose with the tube again and then turned to her side and I tapped her with the tube. Instantly she turned and just barely smacked the bait with her mouth. I was really working this bass's nerves and knew I was getting close, kinda like when I try to purposely annoy my wife Bri. I reeled in, pitched the tube again and for a split second my white tube disappeared, I set the hook and I saw her mouth open at the surface and a second later I boated my fifth keeper, going 2.8 pounds. I cannot express how cool of an experience that was, I listened to myself, trusted myself and was rewarded with a limit. That was the first time I had ever truly sight fished a largemouth successfully and I thought I wasn't any good at it, when in fact, I just wasn't that experienced at it. Minnesota protects the spawn, so I can't practice it year after year, though that was by far one of the most addictive catches I've ever had. I've caught thousands of bass in the 2 pound range, but that sole fish is easily in my top three catches ever. I was shaking for a good half hour after that, it was awesome!!!




**Above Picture: Reaction Innovations Sweet Beaver, 4/0 MiHatchii and a pegged 1/8 oz. Tru Tungsten Weight.














**Above Picture: 1/2 oz. Tru Tungsten Jig and a 5/16 oz. Picasso Shakedown Jig with a 5" Amp Lures Mimi.


After making the run back closer to the weigh in, I was able to make two small culls on a riprap bank by slowly working my shakey head. With only 20 minutes to go, I ran back to the spot where I had caught that 5 pound toad the first night. I pitched a Tru Tungsten Jig (Fall Craw), meanwhile I was envisioning my line cutting to the side and setting the hook on a 5 pounder just like my first night of practice. I knew a kicker like that would catapult me into the money. Just then my line starts running under the boat, I set the hook only to boat another 2 pounder, not exactly what I was envisioning, but hey it was still a cull.

We weighed them in and I ended up with a respectable 12.27 lbs, good enough for 37th place out of 92. I sign up for tournaments to win paychecks, yet my main goal is to always be in the thick of it. This event tested me and really forced me to fish outside of my comfort zone and I know I left Oklahoma a far better, more confident angler. That can prove to be more rewarding than a check. Then add in the time spent with my Dad and the look on his face when I weighed in, it was a great trip!



Now back in Minnesota, I'll be headed down to one of my favorite fisheries, the Mississippi River, to start practicing for the St. Jude. This tournament means a lot, it's for a great cause and the best of the best will be there. I'd really like a strong showing at this one. Wish me luck!!

Bassmaster Weekend Series Practice, Grand Lake, OK

You have no idea how excited I was to get out of Minnesota and head down to one of my favorite bodies of water, Grand Lake, in Northeastern Oklahoma. Joining me for this trip was my Dad Kenny, who made the even longer trip out from the mountains in Colorado. Being that my Dad just opened his new bar "The Vintage Moose" in the small tourist town of Idaho Springs, he was in dire need of a get away.

Researching for this trip I had mixed emotions. I was really hoping for cooler water temps and staging fish, mainly because this is what I had so much success targeting on Grand in years past. Though I had never been to Grand this late in the year, I was still thinking that I had a good chance. When I started to see reports that the main lake's water temp was already heaving into the high 60's and the backs of the coves hitting the low 70's, I knew the odds of catching them the way I was hoping was diminishing fast. Then when I saw the extended forecast called for sun and temps in the mid 80's all week, I started scraping my game plan and leaning toward a spawn bite.

When I arrived on Tuesday evening, I decided to hit the water and run all the way to the back of a major creek arm that offered a giant shallow flat in search of bedding fish. There's not many shallow flats in Grand Lake, mostly everything falls from zero to 8 ft. to 20 ft. and then off to 60 plus. It's a deep reservoir with no vegetation, which is one of the many reasons I like the lakes in this area. Being that I have much experience in our weed choked lakes up north, Grand offers something totally different and since I'm always trying to up my game to be a better tournament angler, it's essential that I learn how to fish these types of waters.

When I arrived in the back of the creek, I noticed the water was much more dirty than it was mid way when I launched. I started by working a jig and a texas rigged beaver along a riprap bank that had a nice laydown every 15 feet or so, not a bite. I starting fan casting a Super K Swim Jig and a Biovex Stangun Spinnerbait across the flat,again nothing. It was starting to get close to dark and I decided it was time to head back to load up and check into our resort. When I pulled up to the ramp I noticed a nice deep water staging area, very similar to what I've done so well on in years past. I made no more than 5 casts with a 1/2 oz. Tru Tungsten Jig (Fall Craw) with a 2.75" YUM Chunk (Green Pumpkin), when suddenly I noticed my line start cutting back toward the boat, I set the hook and up came my first bass, weighing 5.2 pounds! Man was I stoked, this had me thinking that I could run my old water that I've gotten so much confidence on in the past and whack myself a 20 pound limit.



The next morning we launched way down by the dam as I wanted to spend all day checking these proven staging areas and pull on fish so that I could start heading back north looking for new water and to leave these fish alone days before the actual tournament. My first couple spots produced not even a bite and when I was just about to get discouraged I caught another bass on the Tru Tungsten Jig going all of 4 pounds! I remembering saying to my Dad that this is fine, if I can just get 5 to 10 bites all day, they'll be the right ones. Anyone who knows me knows that my confidence level is through the roof when I have a jig tied on, I have zero problem taking my time and milking these areas, cause when I get bit, it's a good one.

After a few quick day dreams of me bringing a giant 20+ pound sack to the scales a few hours went by and I was quickly brought back down to reality, after my first two fish being good ones, I went the next 7 hours without a bite and I was fishing all my best water. As night starting to close in, I decided to work my way out of the cove I was in. I tied on a Megabass Ito Vision 110 Jerkbait (Wakasagi), since the water was much cleaner down by the dam, I figured it would be a good choice. I did manage to catch fish, but no real keepers, maybe one or two of them would of bumped the 14" mark but they weren't the fish I was looking for. I finally loaded my boat and on the way back to the cabin knew it was time for a new game plan.



The next morning I was on the water while it was still dark and had all the motivation in the world to crack Grand Lake. I picked one of the major creek arms and decided I would fish my backside off until I found a solid pattern, then go from there. I started by fishing that spot where I popped that 5 pounder, nothing. I moved to the back of a creek that still had some deep water in it, I pitched jigs, tossed jerkbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, crankbaits, nothing. I powered up my Humminbird and starting scanning nice ledges and secondary points, I threw a prototype Biovex Deep Crankbait, a Picasso Football Jig and a Carolina Rig, nothing. Though on another note, I did find some awesome ledges that will be popping once the summer bite comes around.

Now starting to feel like an out of place yankee, I ran back to the resort that we where staying in to grab my paper map and make a quick sandwich. I pulled my boat into the resort marina and as I ran up the plank that connects the slips with the land I noticed I spooked a nice largemouth. She was literally on the bank, on it, like in six inches of water. This was the shot of adrenaline that I needed! I knew the bass had to be bedding but wasn't finding the beds, now it was obvious that I was searching all the wrong areas. I'm accustomed to searching the backs of shallow weedy flats up here in Minnesota, but they just weren't back there, instead they where on the rocky banks that lined the coves.

This quickly gave me mixed emotions, I felt awesome that I had found the fish but was really discouraged in catching them. Being from Minnesota, I don't have a lot of experience with bedding largemouths, Minnesota protects the spawn. The little experience I do have is nothing to be confident about. In fact, I had never successfully caught a largemouth off a bed by visually sight fishing it. I just have always written it off as a weak point in my repertoire. I always seemed to spook the fish or just never had the patience to actually annoy the fish into biting. Being that I want to be the best of the best though, I was up for the challenge. There's no better time than now to become a better angler.

I pulled out the fairy wand (spinning rod) and tied up a shakey head using a straight tail 5" Amp Lures Mimi Worm (Green Pumpkin) with a Picasso Shakedown Jig. I starting slowly creeping up down the banks, casting the worm literally on the bank and pulling off the rocks and before I knew it I had managed to catch a few limits, nothing giant but plenty of 14" to 16" fish.

The next morning and final day of practice, I headed down toward the dam again and picked two of my best coves and started searching, as the afternoon wore on I starting coming across more and more beds. Knowing that I didn't want to stick these fish the day before the tournament, I instead kept my rods in the rod locker and just cruised the banks with my trolling motor on 100. Whenever I saw a bass on a bed, I would just save a waypoint and move on. My plan was to fish these areas and try to pick these bass off by long casting my shakey worm without actually seeing the fish, this way I'd avoid spooking them.

That night I had confidence that I could catch 10 to 12 pounds, but knew I was going to need to pop a couple big ones to end up in the high teens and since I hadn't caught a good one since the first day of practice, I was a bit concerned. I knew that most the fish I had been seeing on the beds where the males and was yet to see a pair, all I could do was hope that tomorrow the big girls would move up and put me in contention for a win. I was happy though with my practice and knew that no matter what, I had learned a ton and would leave this place a better overall fisherman. All I can do now is stick with my game plan and hope my areas could hold up against a 92 boat field of locals. Bring it on boys!

Shaking Off the Cobwebs!

First off, I'd like to thank the good Lord for the early spring season as winter is long gone! The best part is, this weeks most recent warm spell pushed 70 degree weather into the Twin Cities and opened all the major lakes, freeing them from their depressing layers of ice. This is exactly the fix this bassaholic was jonesing for.

I was able to get out to Bryant Lake Wednesday morning for a few hour run around. Bass fishing season is closed here in Minnesota until May, with the exception of the Mississippi River and some other less known bodies of water. With fishing being a none issue on this day, I took every opportunity to make sure my boat was up to par and the rest of the time I spent learning my new Humminbird 998. At first, I got all worked up, but like anything new it just takes time. I had to remind myself of the day I couldn't fish a jig, I never fished them much and had no confidence, though with a little time and determination I started building that confidence and now you can't peel a jig rod out of my hand. In fact, I'm more confident with a jig than I am with any other lure ever made. The Humminbird is to be no different, I'm determined and though getting off the water that day I was still a bit discouraged, I know it'll take time and what's better than spending my spare time learning how to better find fish? Bring it on!

Friday and Saturday where even better in that I got to hit one of my favorite bodies of water with two of my real good buddies, Chris Campbell and Eric Aske. These two have been buddies of mine for a long time and I really enjoy being able to get out and stick toads with these two any chance I get, it really reminds me why I love bass fishing. With my hectic tournament schedule, I don't get the chance to get out on the water enough with these two fools, so I really cherish every time I get the opportunity. Don't let me fool you though, there's nothing charismatic about these guys, they can fish with the best of them but they're absolute clowns, we have a riot in the boat! My stomach still hurts from all the laughing!

The water was surprisingly warm when we arrived and I spent the morning again screwing with my Humminbird. I can now say, it's awesome and I can't wait to get out on the lakes and really start putting in the work. I was able to really pick apart the water and find things that would have taken so long with standard sonar. It shows weeds, rocks, bridge pilings and wing dams perfectly, this should be one of my best tools for years to come.

Once I had both Chris and Eric sold on the benefits of side imaging, it was time to go hog hunting. The bite started a bit slow, but like any other prespawn spring pattern we had to search out the warmest possible water and as soon as we found it, we got bit. Most the bass where on the small side but again, when it comes to spring fishing, all the bass move shallow, it's really the only time of year that you can catch a half pound bass and then haul off and boat a five pound giant. Which is exactly what happened, as we worked toward the back of a flat we came to a very small, shallow cove. I fired my spinner to the back and instantly hooked up with a peanut, probably the smallest bass I've ever caught, seriously the thing was meant for an aquarium. As I was trying to get the little guy off my hook, Chris fired into the exact same spot and all hell broke loose. In the end Chris landed what ended up being his biggest bass ever, 7.4 pounds. Congrats Buddy!





Saturday was a bit different in that the weather changed and made the shallows cool rather dramatically. Again the fishing started slow but as the afternoon wore on the shallows again started to produce. The fish overall where much smaller, where Friday we where catching 3 pounders with relative ease, Saturday was producing their babies. Eric had an idea to try a smaller flat that he'd done well in the past. The fishing wasn't much better and as we where talking about leaving his crankbait rod loaded up on another toad. After a good fight he landed a absolute whopper going 6.3 pounds! Man the fishing is good right now!

This brings me to another topic. I spent Easter morning with my wife Bri dropping off my guide brochures to all the major hotels around the metro, before enjoying the rest of the afternoon with our families. I've already been booking trips and am expecting even more now. If you have any desire to hit the water please contact me as soon as possible and reserve your dates. Maybe we can get you the bass of your life!

After an awesome weekend it's back to work. I need to start preparing for my upcoming tournament on Oklahoma's Grand Lake. I've been anxiously awaiting this event because the bass grow big and the timing should be perfect for busting a nice bag. I do have some experience on Grand though I've always been there in late March and early April, this tournament isn't until the 17th of April which is giving me mixed feelings. I'm not exactly sure what the fishing will bring, in the past I've done well by fishing staging areas and catching big females that are on the verge of moving up to spawn. I'm hoping that these areas will still produce, though I'm expecting some spawning activities to be in the mix as well. Hopefully if this is the case, the post spawn fish will also pull back to these areas and I'll be able to capitalize on them as well. If this doesn't hold up I'm all in on throwing reaction baits looking for pods of good fish. I want to be sure to not just show up and fish memories and instead focus on the moment and use my past knowledge of the lake to assist me in finding where they are. Either way, I'm confident and that's all I can hope for before a big tournament. I'm quickly learning that there's not another more critical tool in a bass fisherman's arsenal than confidence. It's a mental game, your lost without it!



I'm planning on heading out to some lakes here in the metro this week, since the bass season is closed up here, I'm going to devote the entire time at working with my Humminbird. Might as well find a few money making spots since I can't fish and instead pay my dues. See you on the water!

Tackle Update: Navionics

With the MN Sport Show rolling in for their annual visit, I got to man the Navionics booth for the past three days and educate all the fisherman on the advantages of using these lake map cards to hunt trophy fish on their favorite bodies of water. Sure, most people understand the importance of why it's necessary to use some sort of mapping chip for their sonar and GPS units, I want them to understand why Navionics is leading the way.


For those that don't know, Navionics Hot Maps are small media cards that provide in depth lake mapping for your favorite GPS units. They have thousands of lakes per region within six regions, North, East, South, West, Canada and the Great Lakes (Fish N' Chips). These maps are loaded with detail providing structures, reefs, drop-offs, vegetation in contour lines up to 1 foot, not to mention navigational aids like hazards, lock and dams, channel markers, boat ramps and wing dams.

The obvious reason that Navionics is the first choice for any serious angler is that each chip is arranged by region, not just by state. They have by far the biggest assortment of lakes on each chip, for instance the North chip is made up of all of MN, WI, MI, ND, SD, IA and even a small part of Canada, including all the major border lakes like Rainy and Lake of the Woods. This is by far your biggest bang for your buck.

Another reason I choose Navionics is because how simple it is to navigate a body of water without any confusion. Each map shows depth in both numbers and colors, so when traveling at high speeds I can easily tell where I need to be without running risk of damaging my prop or lower unit. This is a must for any tournament fisherman.


Another "must have" from Navionics is their new iPhone application. This app, which is marked at under ten dollars, offers everything that the chip does and turns your iPhone into a hand held GPS, capable of navigating any body of water. It's a no brainer at under ten bucks! Click here to download to your iPhone.

All for now, with the extended forecast in the 60's and 70's and the ice finally giving way on our Minnesota lakes I can finally say, see you on the water!!

Pimp my Ride

At last, Spring is officially here! Up here in the Northern US it doesn't exactly feel like Spring but I'm not complaining either. In fact, it could be much worse. We haven't seen snow fall at all in March and the extended forecast looks as if we won't see any in the future either, at least not till next winter. The average high this month has been in the high 40's with some high's floating near the mid 60's. The negative though is that the temp is well warm enough to be fishing but the lakes and rivers are still unfishable because the ice hasn't given way yet. Though we are days away in some areas and I'm thinking by Easter most all the lakes in southern Minnesota and around the Twin Cities will be good to go.


Since I haven't been able to wet a line since returning home from Falcon, I've been curing my fever by getting my ride ready for a full season of hardcore tournament fishing. Last weekend I spent down at my buddy Brent Haimes place, rigging my new Humminbird 998 as well as remounting my three Lowrance units. I'm very excited about my new setup, It'll change the way I practice in that I will be way more efficient with my time. Time is money and this is an advantage that I no longer could afford to ignore.

Another added feature that we installed was a LGC-4000 GPS Receiver Antenna to replace the older LGC-3000 puck. The advantage of the 4000 is that it communicates with it's satellites 5 times per second as opposed to 1 time per second with the 3000, this will definitely give my Lowrance Units a extra boost and assist in navigating backwater as well as zeroing in on my waypoints, plus it gives me a better overall GPS connection.

I also took care of some much needed maintenance by going over all my electronic connections and cleaning them as well as greasing them with dialectic grease, assuring a good connection. I put on a brand new shiny prop, with the intention of keeping it that way. Mind you that I use the word "intention", there's no guarantee with me, ask my beautiful wife Bri, she'll easily attest to that.

After all that I pulled the Ranger out and gave her a good bath as well as put in an order for a new seat skin. The boat looks great, all winter it was over at Bottom's Up Repair, getting any and every blemish in the fiberglass repaired and anyone who knows will easily back me when I say there's no one better at fiberglass work than Jim at Bottom's Up. I mean that, he matched the glitter perfectly.


Now that I got everything taken care of with my money maker, it's time to focus on the fishing. I leave in a few weeks for a Bassmaster Weekend Series tournament down on Grand Lake, in northeastern Oklahoma. I do have some experience on this body of water and am really looking forward to catching some good fish and hopefully cashing a much needed paycheck right away to start the season. Then once back home, I'll be spending all my free time down on pools 4 and 5 of the Mississippi preparing for the St. Jude Bass Classic. I'm glad I'll be able to fish this event again this year, it's an awesome fishery against an awesome class of fisherman and best yet it's for a even better cause. If you have any desire at all to donate money to a fantastic cause, please contact me either by email, josh@joshdouglasfishing.com or on my cell at 952-412-8088.

I'll also be working the Navionics booth at the annual Northwest Sport Show this weekend. I'll be working mostly nights, so if you have nothing going on, come down and enjoy the show and be sure to drop by the Navionics booth and say hi!

Summer is around the corner, be sure to follow the ice out report for your favorite body of water by following this link.

Happy Spring!

Peter Perovich for Minnesota Senate

If you know me well, you probably know my take on politics. For those that don't, let me give you the very quick run down. I don't side completely with any one party, in fact, I think it's a bit irrational to 100% completely agree with any one side. If you can't find at least one thing on each side to agree with than I think people are being a bit biased. This is one reason I never talk politics on my site, however, now I find myself making the exception. Please understand that I am not supporting any one party but instead supporting a candidate that I know can represent Minnesota well and be the voice we need in that position.

Peter Perovich, who I've come to know through the Minnesota B.A.S.S. Federation, where he does an excellent job of heading the board of directors as president. Peter's values and beliefs when it comes to the environment are what first caught my attention. When I learned that Peter was running for a seat in the Minnesota Senate, I couldn't have been more thrilled. We as bass fisherman and outdoor enthusiasts need someone who can hear our concerns and actually care to do something about them. That's when I started looking deeper into his campaign and found that some of my values, especially when it comes to the sport of fishing, aligned on the same side. Below I've pasted a article from his campaign.

Peter Perovich, a life-long resident of Anoka County, has announced his candidacy for the Minnesota State Senate, District 48. Perovich, who is seeking DFL endorsement, is a first-time political candidate who is running to give local communities a more proactive voice in state government.

“I want to work on the quality-of-life issues that I believe will strengthen our communities today and in the years to come, and that currently are receiving less-than-ideal attention and support in the State Legislature,” Perovich said.

He cited concerns with current funding and support for education, healthcare, and environmental protection as key to his decision to seek DFL endorsement, calling it “the party that most closely aligns with my positions.”

“As a citizen and as a father, I believe these are the areas government can impact for the betterment of society and also where it has a responsibility to be involved in order to protect the interests of those without a voice or monetary resources to protect themselves,” Perovich explained. He said his orientation on social issues was directly impacted by growing up in the small town-turned suburb of Anoka, which he credited with having had a strong sense of community and shared purpose.

In the years that followed, Perovich said his career as a realtor and mortgage banker gave broader insight into the challenges many families face every day as they work to secure their futures. “As a state senator, I would be committed to representing the interests of every resident in District 48 and to uniting diverse interests for the greater good,” he added.

Perovich became interested in elected office while working in support of Minnesota fishing and environmental protection. He serves on the Department of Natural Resources’ Citizens Budget Oversight Committee (BOC), Fisheries Division—a position appointed by the DNR Commissioner

In addition, he serves on the DNR’s Bass Advisory Committee and Tournament Organizers Advisory Board and, in 2009, was the lead speaker for the Annual DNR Stakeholders Roundtable.

Perovich also holds leadership positions in statewide fishing organizations. He is treasurer of the executive board of Anglers for Habitat. And, after serving as the state director and second vice president of the Board of Directors of the Minnesota Bass Federation, was elected this past December as president of the organization, which represents more than 500 angler’s state wide.

“I look forward to extending my civic activities to public office and anticipate a grassroots campaign that will elevate the interests of citizens throughout our local communities,” Perovich said, adding that he wants to give voice to the issues area citizens feel demand more attention in the public arena.

Perovich resides in Ramsey with his wife, Sally, and their four school-age children.


For more information, contact: Peter Perovich, 763-421-3689 or email him at perovichforsenate@yahoo.com

el Lago de Falcon, Zapata, Tejas

Man, what a lake! Falcon is no joke and either is the size of the fish that inhabits this 80,000+ acres of ridiculously good looking water. For those who have never been, imagine flooding a national forest and calling it a lake, the cover in this fishery is beyond conceivable. Everywhere you look there's trees that could hold the bass of a lifetime! The problem, is which one?


The forecast for the week was favorable with the exception of cool nights. The moon phase was also a negative strictly because this time of year you ideally want warm days and nights and a full moon phase. Some of the bass have spawned and are in a funk, the biggest group of bass are on the verge of moving up to spawn but the cooler water temps in the high 50's and very low 60's are keeping them back. The only common denominator is that these fish are scattered and if you can find the key staging areas, your liable to catch the sack of a lifetime. With all the structure and cover in this lake, that little chestnut is easier said than done.

Joining me on this trip to the Texas/Mexico border is good friends Brent Haimes and Don (Hootch) Hanson. Both Brent and I had goals of catching the biggest bass of our lives. Brent's big largemouth of his life was 6 lbs. flat and mine was 7.14, caught last April on Grand lake in Northeastern Oklahoma., barely edging out my 7.6, caught in Northern Minnesota. Falcon, known for it's gordo largemouth, gives us the best shot of accomplishing this very feat.






















Things started tough and bites where few and far between, though when we did set the hook it was a good one and Brent's second bass coughed up a new personal record at 6.33 pounds. I managed a nice 4 pounder on a 3/4 oz. Picasso Football Jig, fishing deep hard spots on the main lake. We couldn't get anything going shallow at all, which is extremely humbling when everything shallow looks better than anything I've ever seen before. So after three days of desperately trying to make the shallow trees work, we refocused all of our attention on deeper staging areas that had bigger females on it. Though the bites where scarce, the result was far worth it.

We used a combination of our Lowrance Sonar and Hummingbird Side Imaging units, to carefully dissect the deeper areas, keying in on hard bottom areas that held bigger fish. Without the use of Side Imaging, we never would have found all these areas, and that's a pretty powerful statement, but it couldn't be more true. Over the next few days we where able to find a dozen or so very small areas that when everything was right, held big fish. The key was simply being there at the right time. On one day in particular, we fished these areas for five or six hours without a bite and all of a sudden I caught back to back six pounders on consecutive casts. That's a first, never in my life has that happened to me and I have to say it's easily the most addictive feeling in the world. Then a few minutes later, Brent hauls off a new record and boats a solid 8.33 lb. giant, crushing his personal best!






















The very next day, after a really slow start I finally got bit and also got to celebrate my new record when I boated a 8.27 lb. largie, out of about 24 feet on a Hootch Plunker rig. In fact, all of our big fish came of this rig with the exception of a 4 and a 5 that came on the Picasso Football Jig. The key about this rig is that it's a heavy finesse presentation and with all the pressure these fish had, I truly believe it was the difference maker between getting bit and getting blanked. Though the heavy equipment was essential in winning the battle to the boat, I was using a G Loomis GLX (BCFR 894) Flippin' Stick with 50 lb. Power pro braided line, perfect for hook penetration and steering the fish away from all the cover.

On the last day of the trip, I joined FLW co angler Jeff Ziermann, who was on a shallow flippin' bite down lake. We where able to boat around 35 bass total by flippin' the trees, no giants but no peanuts either. Jeff caught two nice ones going five and six respectively and I managed a couple just shy of four. Both of use where using 3/4 - 1 oz. Tru Tungsten Flippin' Weights and I added the MiHatchii Pro Flip Hook and several different soft plastics. Meanwhile Hootch and Brent found success by winding a spinnerbait through the shallows and because of the stormy front that moved in the fish where in the mood to chase.

In the end, the trip was awesome and I can't wait to get back down there. I learned a lot and was able to catch some real nice bass even when the lake was fishing tough. If you've ever had thoughts to fish Falcon, GO!! You won't regret it. I'm expecting this lake to bust wide open in the next couple weeks!

Zapata, I'll see you soon....

From Smallies to LARGIES, Literally!

Being that I've been a worthless pile the last week because of my upcoming trip to both Lake Falcon and Fork, I decided I had to get out one last time and do some much needed smallmouth fishing before our season ends. I went with two of my real good buddies, Chris Campbell and Eric Aske. The bite was slower than usual, but in the end we all managed a few good ones and a couple dozen mid sized smallies as well. It's odd to think that in a few days I'll be fishing in extremely different ends of the spectrum. Instead of chasing 3 pound smallmouth in 20 degree weather here in the north country of Minnesota, I'll be fishing for 15 pound largemouth in 80 degree weather in extreme southern Texas along the Mexico border.

Yeah that's right, I said 15 pound bsndckssqld wsmndkswnd qlkdsqapjkd.

(Sorry, I couldn't type there for a second, my arm was twitching from the very thought of it.)

I'll be joining two others, one being my good buddy Brent Haimes. This trip is sure to be a good one, every time Brent and I get in the boat together we manage to catch some good fish. Late last summer on a trip to northern Minnesota's Lake Pokegama, we managed to catch all sorts of tanker smallies and had a blast doing it. This trip should be no different, all things are coming together to potentially set up for a whack fest. The temp should stabilize perfectly the whole time we're down there and the shallows should warm up quickly into the low 70's, forcing those giant Jim's (or should I say Betty's) to move up and put on a feeding frenzy preparing to spawn.




















**Above Picture: Brent and I with some Lake Pokegama tankers smallmouth.

The reports are saying that fish can be caught anywhere between 2 feet to 40 feet, but the vast majority of the fish are staging in about 7 feet and hanging tight to all the submerged trees that litter the entire reservoir. They're simply waiting for a solid week of high temps and they'll be all over the place, as long as the weather report holds true, we just may be there for the best week of the whole year. It's safe to say that both my fingers and toes are crossed.

After doing a ton of research I was able to zone everything down to about six rods, mostly all are flippin' sticks of course and if the rod blank doesn't have the word "heavy" on it than it doesn't make the trip. I made the commitment that I was after quality not quantity, I don't care if I catch one bass as long as the scale tips past 10 pounds. I've never caught a 10 before and I would love to check that off my list of things to do.

I've attached pics of my set ups that I'm anticipating will do the trick. I'll be sure to give a in depth report on what did and didn't work once I get home. Here's the starting line up.


This rig is sick!! It's a Zoom Brush Hog on a MiHatchii Pro Flip Hook, a Gambler KO Flippin' Skirt, with a 3/8 oz. Tru Tungsten Flippin' Weight pegged with a Tru Tungsten Smart Peg. I'll be using this to flip the wood on a G Loomis GLX Flippin' Stick, and a Shimano Core, lined with 65 lb. Power Pro Braid. I'll be hard pressed to set this rig down.


Here I got a 1/2 oz. Tru Tungsten Jig with a YUM Trailer. No matter where I'm fishing around the country, you can always be rest assured that I'll have one of these tied on.


With reports of some real lunkers still being caught deep, and when I say deep I mean it, up to 40 feet, there's no way I won't be employing my favorite technique of throwing heavy roller jigs. If I can catch a 10+ out of deep structure on a football jig, I don't even know what to say, I'd be speechless and anyone who knows me knows damn well it's tough to make me speechless. Here I got a 1 oz. Super K Football Jig with a Gary Yamamoto Twin Tail Grub.


When you think prespawn shallow water, a spinnerbait better come to mind and this is no ordinary spinner. It's a 3/4 oz. Biovex Stangun Spinnerbait, after I land the fish of a lifetime I want this bait to be absolutely pretzled beyond repair, it'll be a trophy all on it's own!

All for now, be sure to follow me via Facebook for updates from this trip and all others in the future. Wish us luck!

Tricks of the Trade - Swim Jigs 101

There are all sorts of different lures on the market, all offering different styles and actions, promising extraordinary results. One of these baits is the swim jig, the spinnerbait with no blades. At first glance there's really not much to a swim jig, a cone shaped head, a silicone skirt, weed guard and a stout hook, but once you couple this with an action filled trailer and add some tried and true techniques, this simple bait turns into a bass catching machine.

**Above Picture: Two Super K Swim Jigs in black chartreuse and white flash.

Being a self proclaimed jig fisherman, this technique is actually somewhat new to my repertoire. To be honest, I never really saw all the hype in the bait and just thought a crankbait or a spinnerbait would be a better bet, therefore I ignored most of the rumors and never really gave the technique a fair shake. It wasn't until this past spring when I signed up to fish the Bassmaster Weekend Series, where all the events where scheduled on different pools of the Mississippi River. A swim jig, amongst others, is known on the river to be an effective method to catch nice limits of both smallmouth and largemouth bass. Going into the season I hadn't had a whole lot of previous experience fishing the Ole Miss and after finishing 2nd in the AOY points standings the year prior fishing popular lakes throughout northern Minnesota, I was looking for any advantage I could get.

I made a sincere commitment to myself that I would take the time and figure out why this bait was so popular. It didn't take long and it quickly became one of my go to techniques and not only did I find success on the river, but also found the swim jig to be equally as lethal on lakes and reservoirs. This bait straight up catches fish and big ones at that. My first time really using it was on a trip to pool 2 of the Mississippi where I managed to catch 10 to 15 solid keeper largemouth, while my two friends couldn't buy a bite on any other bait.

A month later, I counted on a Super K Swim Jig to help catch some prespawn smallmouth at the first event of the Bassmaster Weekend Series and was able to ride the success to a first place finish. When it came to a reaction bite, I couldn't find any bait that could better perform and the quality of these fish was surprising. Being a jig fisherman, I've always said that jigs are big fish baits and the swim jig is no different.

The key to a swim jig is that it's a finesse bait that can be power fished. Not a lot of flash and a very subtle action that can catch pressured fish. Rich Lindgren, my good friend, tournament competitor and fellow Tru Tungsten Pro Staff member agrees, "Swim jigs are one of many great baits or tools in my arsenal. I also catch fish on spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and chatter style jigs, which often cover the same water column. I like swim jigs when the fish are more pressured because it's a more subtle presentation that gets a bit overlooked by other anglers."

Another factor in a swim jig is its versatility, you can truly fish them almost anywhere. They come through snags and vegetation better than any other bait. I' m able to fish this bait in areas that the only other option I'd have is a topwater frog. Rich couldn't agree more, "The swim jig really shines around thick vegetation and slop where other baits would foul up and if your bait is consistently fouled then you're not being efficient with your casts." He continues by saying, "When I have a wide variety of cover I lean toward the swim jig strictly because of its versatility; if I come to a stump, dock, laydown or hole in the grass that I feel like needs more of a vertical presentation, I can pitch and hop my swim jig like a normal jig through it and not have to switch baits or rods, plus I can skip a swim jig into places that would be tough with other baits."

Since this is generally a shallow water presentation, you'll want a rod with both a light tip capable of throwing 1/4 oz. swim jigs, as well as a strong backbone capable of pulling big fish through thick vegetation. Both Rich and I use a 7' heavy action baitcasting rod (G Loomis IMX MBR 844), and a fast 7.1:1 gear ratio reel. I find most often that 15 or 17lb. Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon line works best, but if I'm in the real thick stuff I'll opt for 30lb. Power Pro Braid, to insure that I get the fish through the mess without breaking off. Also a sensitive rod is real important to me because depending on the bite, a swim jig strike can feel awfully similar to that of a worm bite. All you feel is a "tick" as the bass engulfs the bait from behind, knocking slack into your line. This is also why line choice is so important, you really only want to be using fluorocarbon or braid, because mono has way to much stretch, making hook sets a real gamble.

When it comes to river fishing, the swim jig has turned into a staple for fisherman because it consistently catches fish. Brent Haimes, well known river rat and Bassmaster Classic qualifier, uses this technique every time he's on the water. Sure he admits that there can be other ways to better catch them, but says when the conditions are right, there's no better bait than a swim jig. "When fishing secondary channels, a guy would normally need a buzzbait (tight to the bank), a spinnerbait and a jig to cover all the areas that fish hold, where a swim jig covers all these." explains Brent. He adds, "What I really like about the Super K Swim Jig is the weed guard is soft enough where hook ups aren't an issue, but stiff enough that it doesn't get hung up in the wood."

After having much success throwing swim jigs on the river, I decided I needed to start incorporating this method on some natural Minnesota lakes. I really wasn't too surprised with my findings, swim jigs catch fish on any body of water, the key is to match the forage that the fish are biting. Usually rivers and southern reservoirs require your standard shad colors as well as darker hues when the water muddies up. Lakes on the other hand, require more of a bluegill or perch presentation. Gregg Kizewski, a Wisconsin tournament angler and creator of the Super K Swim Jig, has daily success fishing swim jigs in lakes and has really turned me onto the tactics in which he approaches this style of fishing. "On natural northern lakes, I look for weight in regards to my swim jig fishing", explains Gregg. "Many of our northern lakes have weeds in 8 to 20 feet, soft plastics and plunking jigs are not the only methods to pull fish out of these deep weeds. Often times the fish will want a moving bait and a 3/4 oz. swim jig with a FG30 weedguard is made to order for this application."

For this deeper style of fishing, Gregg suggests to beef it up with a 7' 11", heavy action graphite rod, a slower 5 to 1 gear ratio reel with 50 lb. braided line. I particularly find this deep bite to be more productive in the middle of the summer and into the fall when bass are relating to deeper water. This is also where some of the gnarliest vegetation is as well as some of the lakes biggest bass, it's essential to have beefed up equipment to get the job done. I do my best with a 7 ' 5" G Loomis GLX Flippin' Stick and a fast 7.1:1 Shimano Core Reel with 20 lb. Seaguar Invizx Fluorocarbon. I like the faster ratio reel for catching up the slack before setting the hook, where as a slower reel is better for presenting the bait during the retrieve.

Swim jigs are made of five key elements, a weighted head, weedguard, skirt, hook and some sort of trailer. In my opinion, Super K offers the best version on the market. Some of their qualities include a weedless cone shaped head along with a custom hand tied skirt. The hook is all muscle using a 5/0 Gamakatsu Round Bend that Gregg custom bends to 28.5 degrees.

The trailer is important because it's what gives life to the swim jig, by imparting a vibrating action into the water. Dan Elsner, owner of Get Bit Baits, and founder of the popular Hypertail Grub, insists that the action of his grub when used as a trailer will elicit a feeding response from all game fish because of its unique vibration. "Bass feed off prey by detecting vibrations in the water column through use of their lateral line." he explains. "The Hypertail Grub will trigger their natural instinct to grab an easy meal."

Although grubs tend to be the most popular choice amongst swim jig fisherman, there are other options that can be more effective depending on the conditions. When the water's dirty, I like to use a bait with dual appendages like a Sizmic Toad or a Zoom Speed Craw, largely because these baits will disperse more water, making it easier for a bass to locate it. Also baits like a Basstrix Paddle Tail or a Lake Fork Live Magic Shad, provide a great look when bass are hitting larger prey like gizzard shad or tilapia.

When retrieving these bait's it's important that you play with your speeds. Most of the time I get 'em by using a slow standard retrieve and occasionally killing the bait and letting it free fall as if to suggest it's injured, yet at times burning the bait will get the best response. Smallmouth are especially vulnerable to this tactic, a fast retrieve can really activate a school of rogue smallies in a quick hurry.

**Above Picture: Me with a Old Hickory largemouth, caught on a 1/4 oz. Super K Swim Jig (Darin's Shad)

Next time you're out on your favorite body of water, pick up an extra rod and tie up a swim jig. If you're not a believer now, you will be in no time.

Tight Lines!

Vamos Pesca de la Lubina en el Lago Falcon!

Yeah, that's right! If your not up to date on your espanol than I'm sure you'll understand this, We're going bass fishing on Lake Falcon! The mecca of giant 10+ pound largemouths located on the Texas and Mexico border.

In a few weeks, myself and two buddies will be making the long 23 hour haul from ice covered Minnesota all the way to the border for what could set up to be some of the best fishing any of us have ever experienced.

Lake Falcon is the hottest lake in the world right now for the chance of catching true lunker bass and numbers of them as well. Every tournament held there seems to break records and if your not holding a 30 pound bag every day of competition than you ain't cashing many checks. I mean a 40 to 50 pound bag is a definite possibility. It's crazy, but it's true! I just got done watching this video on YouTube of a guy catching donkey after donkey and when he was done his best five tipped the scales at more than 56 pounds! Could you imagine if he did that four days in a row? He'd have a four day total of over 200 pounds!!??

My only goal for this trip is to catch a 10+ pounder. My personal record is 7 lbs. 14 oz, caught last April on Grand Lake, in Oklahoma. My previous big bass was 7 lbs. 6 oz. caught in Northern Minnesota which my Dad had gotten a replica made for me. I've always said since that I wouldn't get another replica until I caught a 6 pound smallmouth or a 10 pound largemouth and I'm hoping this trip is the one that yields that award.

Mid to late February on Lake Falcon is a great time in that we should see all three stages of the spawn, the pre spawn, spawn and post spawn. During this time, large females are up and moving making them a easier target for a self proclaimed "trophy hunter" like myself.

I decided I am going to make the most of this trip by adopting the "don't bring a knife to a gun fight" type of attitude. I'm throwing big baits for big fish, something I don't get the chance to do everyday living in Minnesota. I'm stocking up on baits like the Weedless Huddleston and the Tru Tungsten Tru Life Swimbaits, heavy 1 oz. Super K Plunking Jigs and plenty of large 1 oz. Biovex Stangun Spinnerbaits. I'll also have plenty of 20 pound Gamma Edge Fluorocarbon as well as a few spools of 65 lb. Power Pro Braid to handle all the flooded trees that Falcon is known for. The last thing I need is to hook into a fish of a lifetime and then break it off.

With all this I've also been preparing for next season. I'm especially anxious for my trip to Oklahoma's Grand lake where I'll be competing in the Bassmaster Weekend Series. Grand is an excellent fishery and I've managed to do well there in the past. My Dad is also driving out from the Rocky Mountains to join me in practice and then he plans to compete on the am side. I've never visited a lake that fishes to my strengths as well as Grand, it's a jig fisherman's dream!

I also put in my order for a new Hummingbird 998 SI Combo, to compliment my two Lowrance Units. There's no doubt the addition of side imaging to the fishing world has some serious advantages. I plan to be out on my favorite lakes the day the ice breaks getting accustomed to all that the Hummingbird has to offer. I'll be able to accomplish so much more during my practices and I'm hoping better practices will help get me a spot this year at the Silverado Championship, held on good ole' Lake Minnetonka. Last season I felt I struggled a bit in a couple tournaments and the difference between cashing a check and getting a early start on your ride home, was done in the few days leading up to the event. Tournament day should simply be execution.

All for now, stay warm!