LAKES TO FISH AND AVOID DURING TURNOVER

IMPORTANT LAKE SELECTION LESSON PLANS

This systemic approach to lake selection guarantees you in catching more fish this fall.

SEPTEMBER HOT SPOTS

FISHING PROGRAMS AND LOCATIONS RIGHT NOW

Tapping into fisheries by dissecting their most prominent locations for early fall.

WHAT WE'RE THROWING IN SEPTEMBER

TOP LURES FOR SMALLMOUTHS RIGHT NOW

Search baits and horizontal presentations are now the boat's priority until turnover.

HORIZONTALLY SEPTEMBER

HORIZONTAL PRESENTATIONS THIS MONTH

September month searchbait secrets for smallmouths.

THE FEATURES OF FLATS

WHY SHALLOW FLATS APPEAL TO EARLY FALL SMALLMOUTHS.

Why shallow flats appeal to smallmouths in fall, and a breakdown of their most noteworthy fish-attracting features and high-percentage spot-on-spot locations.

SEPTEMBER SAND

SHALLOW SAND AND BEACH PATTERNS

Swimming the sand beaches and shallow flats for trophy smallmouth.

SEPTEMBER SWIMMERS

THE GOSPEL OF SMALLMOUTH SWIMBAITS

September swimmers are long-proven monster smallmouth producers and success stories for this guide and his customers.

TOP LURES FOR THE EARLY FALL TRANSITION

SEARCHBAIT STRATEGIES FOR DRASTIC CHANGES

What to throw for both species of bass while the atmosphere and all things underwater go seasonal changes.

FISHING ALGAE BLOOM LAKES

TROPHY LARGEMOUTHS FROM GREEN WATER

Green water shortcuts to finding and catching trophy bass. Algae bloom waters are my destination for big late summer largemouths.

SMALLMOUTH GRIND-OUTS

CRANKBAIT AND CHATTERBAIT PROGRAMS

Smallmouths on a tough summer bite - Triggering strikes with crankbaits and chatterbaits when nothing else goes.

DARK WATER SMALLMOUTHS

LEARNING THE DARK WATER SECRETS

Dark water lakes are the few remaining untapped Northwoods smallmouth fisheries. Giants thrive and hide in concealment beneath the surface, and few anglers are fishing for them.

FISH CATCHERS

BAITS THAT CONTINUE TO CATCH SMALLMOUTHS

Lures that keep catching smallmouths despite fishing pressure and lure conditioning negatively impacting them.

BIG BASS. BACKWOODS LAKES

OFF THE GRID TROPHIES

Finding fisheries and tapping into trophies off the grid. What it’s like to fish extremely remote places anglers rarely pass through.

THE BEST SPOTS YOU CAN FIND WITH SATELLITE IMAGERY

A HOW-TO WITH GOOGLE EARTH

How using Google Earth will help you find hundreds of new fishing spots.

THE BEST LAKE TYPES TO FISH BY SEASON

A MASTERCLASS ON LAKE SELECTION

The where's, when's, and why's behind my lake selection according to the season calendar.

TIPS FOR MORE FALL SMALLMOUTHS

FISHING THIS SEPTEMBER THRU NOVEMBER

After reading this, you should want to block off a few select weekends from September through November and make fall smallmouths an annual affair.

STARTING LINEUP FOR FALL SMALLMOUTHS

LURES YOU NEED THIS SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

Lures to consider for smallmouths this September and October.

BLADES OF GLORY

SMALLMOUTH SPINNERBAIT PROGRAMS

Burning blades for smallmouths, and profiling two of the newest players in the spinnerbait game.

FINESSE FOOTBALL JIGS YOU NEED THIS FALL

BOTTOM BAITS SCORE BIG FISH

These small jig packages work on every single crayfish-fed smallmouth fishery.

SYMBIOTIC SMALLMOUTH

RUSTY CRAYFISH RELATIONSHIPS

Examining the relationship between smallmouth bass and the invasive rusty crayfish.

WEED DISPENSARY SMALLMOUTH

FISHING WEEDLINE SMALLMOUTHS

How smallmouths use weed growth often during pre-turnover.

LOW WATER SMALLMOUTHS

SOLVING RIVER AND FLOWAGE DRAWDOWNS

Solving fall drawdowns on reservoirs and river systems. When water levels drop, smallmouths migrate deeper into predictable locations.

INDIAN SUMMER SMALLMOUTHS

PATTERNING FALL HEAT WAVES

Indian summer is one of the best trophy fish periods of the year.

WHAT WE'RE THROWING IN OCTOBER

TOP LURES FOR OCTOBER SMALLMOUTHS

Smallmouth strategies for before the tackle box closes entirely.

FALL HOT SPOTS

FINDING AND IDENTIFYING FALL SPOTS

A typical inland lake smallmouth fishery will have multiple overwintering areas.

MULTI-TASKING FALL SMALLMOUTHS

LIVEBAIT AND ARTIFICIAL LURE PROGRAMS

Pursuing fall smallmouths with a combined live bait and artificial lure program.

LIVE! NUDE MINNOWS

NORTHWOODS LIVEBAIT SYSTEMS

Suckering and chubbing smallmouth bass in fall when the cold-water period is coming.

THE LIVE BAIT PROGRAM

NORTHWOODS LIVEBAIT FISHING TRADITIONS

The peak for live bait usage and reliability in my boat happens when water temperatures range from the low-50's to low-40's.

HOW LATE INTO THE FALL IS STILL GOOD?

LATE FALL SMALLMOUTH FISHING

The great debate and examining bites in the 40-degree water temp range.

BOTTOM FEEDERS: SMALLMOUTHS AND SCULPINS

BENTHIC ZONE SMALLMOUTH PATTERNS

Sculpins in Northwoods lakes - Uncovering an overlooked forage connection, and discovering new benthic zone smallmouth patterns exclusively for late fall.

SCULPIN AND GOBY BAIT CHEAT CODES

SMALLMOUTHS ON INLAND LAKES AND THE GREAT LAKES

These few baits are what you'll need based on this goby & sculpin connection.

CATCHING SMALLMOUTHS IN NOVEMBER

DON'T STOP FISHING UNTIL ICE PREVENTS YOU FROM GOING

What to do and where to go when November is still fishable.

BETTER UNDERSTANDING WINTERING SMALLMOUTHS

LOCATIONS AND BEHAVIORS VARY BY FISHERY

What we thought and what we knew about wintering sites and smallmouth overwintering are not the places and behaviors we were led to believe, and what recent fall fishing discoveries have confirmed.

THE DEFINITION OF WINTERING HOLES

THESE ARE NOT SPECIFIC SPOTS

Wintering locations and their depth placements are shaped by the fishery and confines of it.

CATCHING POST-TURNOVER SMALLMOUTHS

DEEP STRUCTURE SMALLMOUTHS

The cold water period calls for slow and meticulous fishing.

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NORTHERN WISCONSIN BASS FISHING GUIDE SERVICE

Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC is Wisconsin's top trophy producing bass fishing guide service and bass fishing online informational resource. Located in Minocqua, Wisconsin, Andrew Ragas fishes the waters of Vilas, Oneida, Iron and Forest Counties exclusively for trophy bass, and looks forward to hosting you.

Get the Fishing Education of a Lifetime!

Big fish are our obsession. The waters surrounding the Minocqua lakeland region teem with world class bass fishing. The mission of this specialty guide service is to provide guided fishing trips and membership-based online fishing instruction with the objectives of educating & instructing how to catch big fish. For the last two decades, your host Andrew Ragas, has dedicated himself and invested thousands of hours to the pursuit of trophy smallmouth bass.

FISHING WISCONSIN'S INLAND WATERS

Our region of northern Wisconsin encompasses Iron, Vilas, Oneida and Forest Counties. This 4 county region is the Northwoods Bass fishing jurisdiction, and we have no need to ever travel elsewhere. There are hundreds of thousands of different lakes to pick and choose from on a daily basis.

EXPERIENCE THE BEST WISCONSIN FISHING


Bass are America's favorite sport fish. Every season, our customers catch and release big fish and their personal bests. Each day's fishing goal is to educate and instruct, as well as catch 20 inchers. Whether you are beginner, intermediate, or expert angler, I will help make your bass fishing dreams come true on the inland waters of Northern Wisconsin.

VIRTUAL GUIDE SERVICE

Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC offers fishing instruction and products for sale. Lake Maps, Consultations, and more!

Can’t join me on the water? Consider any of the following virtual guide services and available products.
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Preston Brown
February 11, 2022
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Couldn’t recommend Andrew’s services enough. He’s easily the top smallmouth fishing resource in the Northwoods region. My buddy and I booked a trip with him this past summer after being an avid follower of his newsletter and in-season fishing reports and using his tactics on our own vilas co adventures. Andrew was extremely accommodating, easy to communicate with throughout the pre-trip planning process, and worked to customize an option for us that maximized lakes we hadn’t fished before. Even in tough conditions, Andrew put us on +18” smallies. Great boat setup and excellent gear (especially if you’re a St Croix rods junkie). Whether you’re wanting to learn the area for the first time or new to the smallmouth game… or you’re an experienced angler looking for the “spot on spots” and unique insights, Andrew is your guy.
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Eric Engbretson
October 11, 2019
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Andrew Ragas (Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures) understands lake bio dynamics better than any other Wisconsin fishing guide I know. The reason he's able to reliably put his clients onto fish is because he truly understands the characteristics of both the lakes he fishes and the bass he targets. Make no mistake, bass have a myriad of preferences that are driven by dozens of factors and pressures. To know what bass are doing on any given day, you need to be very tuned into details. Andy is intimately aware of the slightest nuances happening below the surface. Talking to him or reading his newsletters is truly an education in fish behavior. His respect for fish is both refreshing and admirable.
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Tyler Reid
September 26, 2019
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I have been following Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures on Instagram for about a year, finally made a trip up here and was not disappointed... caught 3 fish over 20" and some other quality smallmouth, one was probably my PB. My girlfriend even got one over 20"... usually on a guided trip it never lives up to the expectation but this was the best smallmouth trip I've ever had and I am a die hard smallmouth fisherman! Thank you again Andrew!
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Peter Linn
September 6, 2019
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My friend and I were looking to learn some Vilas County lakes for smallmouth fishing around Labor Day weekend. Andrew offered us the option to split our time between an "action" lake and one with more trophy potential. On the action lake, we learned several key spots and learned some new techniques for rigging stick baits. I hooked an extremely fat specimen that was regarded as one of the largest he'd seen on that lake. We then went over to the trophy lake, and while the bite was understandably slower, we did hook into some large fish (which we were unable to land). We learned some new spots for the future there. Andrew put in extra time on the water for us and worked very hard the whole time. I would highly recommend his guiding service.
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Josh Chrenko
November 15, 2018
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I’ve never fished with Andrew, but he has been a wealth of knowledge for smallmouth fishing in Upper Wisconsin. His articles, social media, and personal advice have been very helpful in making my trips up to that area a success. As a fellow smallmouth fanatic, I can tell you that the guy is a top notch fisherman and knows what he’s talking about. He also seems like a great guy!
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Scott Anderson
August 11, 2018
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The half day I fished smb with Andrew, mother nature threw us a curve ball with a very tough bite early on, but the trip still turned out to be everything I was hoping it would be. That was due to Andrews’s relentless commitment in trying to find fish at many different spots …..he even had “spots on spots”. Eventually the weather became more favorable and Andrew was ready for it and had us on good fish right away. That hot bite happened as my trip time was ending but Andrew didn’t head off the lake, he had us stay until we took full advantage of it…class act!! What also made the trip priceless was Andrew’s vast bass fishing knowledge that he was very willingly to share, it helped on the day of the trip but also helped on my own in the future. This was my first fishing trip with Andrew, but it will not be my last as this will be a yearly outing for me …. Great trip, great guide, highly recommended …..
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Ron Bacza
July 25, 2018
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I fished with Andrew on a day where conditions were less than optimal. He decided at the onset of the trip to attack smaller area lakes due to a stiff Northeast wind. We got into fish within a few minutes. He was able to position the boat in a manner in which we fully covered the spots most likely holding fish. His Ranger is outfitted with top of the the line electronics. Many of the spots we fished were marked as way points from previous outings. I had the entire bow to myself as he operated the trolling motor from the back of the boat. If you want to learn different techniques, catch fish and have fun, I recommend a trip with Andrew. I will be booking again soon. Ron Bacza Naperville, IL
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James Lang
June 29, 2018
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I took a trip up to Vilas County to fish with Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures. To say the fishing was spectacular would be an understatement. Andrew gives you the front of the boat and full access to his graphs. Customers always fish the water first. He freely shares his knowledge and is in constant communications with other guides and fishing buddies to stay up to the minute on conditions and patterns. Everything about his rig is spot on. It is comfortable and perfectly set up for the northwoods. The effort he puts in is astounding. We were on the water by 7:00am, fished three different lakes getting off the water at 9:00pm. What you will learn from Andrew will help you be a better fisherman. A day with him will make your trip to the northwoods a fisherman’s dream I will be back up this summer and have already booked another trip with Andrew. I still owe him a dinner. The restaurants were closed by the time we got back. BTW, the guy is a connoisseur of good rock music.!
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Barry Humiston
July 6, 2017
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Just a quick note to let anyone thinking of a trip with Andrew to book it now! ….he’s a top notch guide. I recently hired a very well-known guide and got to watch him fan cast for Smallies off the front of the boat while his guests fished over the areas he already covered. Not with Andrew, he puts his guests up front and is focused on getting you some action. Let me tell you….you will fish ALL day! He teaches, shares information, and leaves you at the end of the day a better fisherman.
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Mike Mcbride
July 5, 2017
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Andrew is willing and able to accommodate anglers of all skill-sets. Andrew has a wealth of knowledge to pass along to his customers and my parents had a great time fishing with him. I will continue to refer people to Andrew and him alone for Northwoods Bass fishing.

WISCONSIN'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE, TIMELY, INFORMATIVE, RELEVANT AND NON-BS HONEST BASS FISHING REPORTS.

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Fishing trips are scheduled in limited number, focusing on peak-seasons and better bites preferably. Spring and Fall Trips are FULL DAY ONLY. Please contact to get into my calendar. I look forward to hosting you!

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