What another wet and wild month of May, 2016 it was! The weather was lousy, but bass fishing good enough. Thank goodness the season started! Now rain, please go away. It rained 4 inches on us in Minocqua last week.
Last month I had the privilege of fishing throughout the northwoods from May 14th through the 31st. Being my first season of operation, I would like to personally thank all friends and guests who joined me aboard my vessel thus far in 2016. I’m glad to fish with, and host, a number of different great people, and instruct and share knowledge with bass anglers of all skill levels. I look forward to scheduling outings with new anglers as 2016 rolls on.
In the last few weeks northern Wisconsin avoided a spring season altogether, as in one week we went from 30 degree snow showers to 80 degree sun. Summer already happened, and it took place on a Wednesday this year. In consequence, water temperatures rose from 48 degrees on May 13th, to as high as 65 degrees by May 21st. This resulted in one of the most difficult and lethargic bass fishing bites I had ever encountered. Just think of how a pet goldfish reacts to acclimating itself from the transport bag into a large aquarium. Upon release into that aquarium of significant different water temperature that goldfish will go dormant and lethargic from shock in order to adjust to its new environment and water temperature. For almost an entire week, the bass were doing the exact same in acclimating themselves to this drastic difference in water temperature.
This is no longer a theory. It’s a fact, and when it happens we just fish harder.
In turn, we went from ice out bass fishing tactics to spawn season fishing before we even knew it. There was no such thing as pre-spawn bass fishing season in 2016.
The fishing was okay, with a few big bass per day, but the sheer numbers of spring and pre-spawn fishing techniques I crave for each spring such as jerkbaiting, swimming plastics, and jigging did not happen this year. My boat has yet to enjoy an outing surpassing 30 caught fish. This unusual trend in weather, absurdly warm water temperatures, and premature spawning period led to utilizing new and abnormal techniques which I would seldom consider for May northwoods bass fishing. June will lead to a drastic improvement as I expect a prolonged post-spawn bass period.
Despite having to fish differently and adjust my lake selections in the early going of 2016, I have a lot of photos from the month of May to show for our efforts. Based on some of our catches, between myself and guests who fished with me, we did pretty good!
As I write every March and April, fishing the warm water sources early on generally leads towards best results. Like most spring seasons when fishable and water levels allow, the Wisconsin River system and all lowland flowages in the north provide outstanding bass fishing opportunities when weather and natural lakes all run cold. In May, I spent the course of 4 days floating and fishing various sections of the Wisconsin River. The typical 50+ fish days of spring didn’t happen, but average fish size was exceptional with several 18 to 20 inchers boated on an assortment of craw imitating plastics, jigs, soft jerkbaits, and crankbaits.
While the rapidly warming rivers and flowages treated us exceptionally well, the shallow dark watered and heavily vegetated eutrophic lakes were excellent themselves for largemouth bass.
Largemouth bass have become a very underrated resource, and are now mostly disregarded up north with an open harvest season year round. While harvest of overabundant 12 to 14 inch fish is encouraged, I preach the release and conservation of our trophies, 18 inches and larger, as these are the specimens to build healthy, trophy fisheries. I like to largemouth fish when smallmouth fishing goes tough, and when they’re bedding, and huge largemouths still abound on many of our lakes. As largemouths spawn later, they are an awesome alternative angling option.
May 2016 resulted in more 20″ and bigger largemouths than I have ever caught in a single month……. and any season!
This 20 incher from a shallow eutrophic 400 acre Oneida County lake highlighted a 40 fish afternoon, and devoured a 3.5 inch Storm WildEye Shad. It already had a 5 inch bullhead stuffed down its throat!
Mike Piorkowski, of Schaumburg IL, with one of several quality largemouths we caught on this windy day. Mike loves Vexan Bass Rods now!
Brushguard jigs paired with an assortment of craw trailers from Berkley Fishing and Stankx Bait Company did a number on big largemouths around wood and piers. The combination also took the two fish pictured below.
If there is a particular waterbody I want to fish for trophy largemouth bass, I’m taking my guests and I fishing to the Minocqua Chain. These two horses at 21 inches, and just under 5 lbs. apiece were caught on creature jigs skipped into the wood. On this specific day, 6 largemouth bass at 19 inches or larger were caught!
Love my Vexan spinning rods for all bass fishing applications. They handled masterfully in extracting these fish from thick cover with 20 lb. Cortland Masterbraid.
In May, smallmouth bass fishing our lakes is the most popular and frequent draw. But with drastic weather and water temperatures fluctuations, and the quickest spawn I have ever witnessed in my life, they were the most difficult to pattern and consistently catch.
Excellent fish were caught, but it was nowhere near as good as it normally is. We are still waiting for our first day of 30+ smallmouth bass. Nonetheless the following is a collection of our good fish from May.
From May 19 thru 22, I hosted Cory Painter of Madison WI. He caught some awesome fish with me, which we measured to 19.5″. These were the final specimens caught prior to the dreaded period of spawn which I do my best to avoid fishing. Bed fishing is like playing bozo buckets. Guests and I don’t resort to it like most others would.
Our best bites during this period of May came on Dynamic Lures JSpec and Travado suspending jerkbaits, Rapala X-Raps, Rapala Shadow Raps (regular and deep), fluke style minnows, and tube jigs.
By the last week of May, smallmouths had begun spawning on most lakes. The fishing grew even more difficult, as we had trouble locating active biters. At this juncture lake selection is critical because when they start spawning on smaller lakes, we seek the largest and deepest lakes we can find with hopes of capitalizing on a last second pre-spawn bite. Then when spawning on largest lakes, we revert back to fishing the smaller lakes where post-spawn feeding and movements have begun.
The spawn period is still taking place and will be concluded at some point by the end of first week of June. In the last few days I had already started catching fish on spinnerbaits, topwaters, and crankbaits.Time to do some real fishing.
This past Memorial Day weekend I hosted my sweetheart Amanda for 4 days and we had an enjoyable time of angling. My smallie girl caught a new personal best, 19.5 incher with me, and has become an expert with slinging and dragging the Strike King Coffee tube. She’s learned a lot and become a successful angler in only 7 days of fishing with me so far!
Besides bass, we do our fair share of fishing for some bonus species too.
Tune into the next few weeks of John Gillespie’s Waters and Woods as I joined aboard as guest to fish alongside friends, Rob Manthei and Matt Raley.
Mega pike that struck from beneath the backyard pier, while reeling in a 12.5 inch crappie. Pike was hand-landed then released. Crappie did not survive but made for an awesome free dinner.
An evening of largemouth bass exploration on a new lake turned into an epic outing of mondo size bluegills. Can’t remember having so much fun, and it felt like I was a little kid again, but this time consistently fighting 8 to 10 inch bluegills (all released).
At this writing smallmouths are at the peak of spawning on most lakes while some others (200 acres or less) will have concluded spawn. Largemouth bass have already started theirs. Post-spawn fishing techniques such as spinnerbaiting, crankbaits, swim jigs, topwaters, drop shotting, and jig worming plastics will rule the game for much of June. Some of the best bites of the year are set to come!
These next few weeks I have open fishing dates to accommodate up to 2 anglers for full and half day trips. I invite you to visit me online at www.northwoodsbass.com to learn more as I am licensed, insured, and registered with the State of Wisconsin to teach, educate, and catch and share the experience of my daily life with you.
June 2016 Available Dates: 6/7, 6/8, 6/9, 6/10, 6/14, 6/15, 6/16, 6/17
Thanks all for reading. I wish I had more time to go into detail more with strategy and specifics, but you can book your trip to learn and hear more!
Andrew Ragas
www.northwoodsbass.com
tel: (708) 256-2201
andrew@northwoodsbass.com
