2023 Fishing Itinerary

Here is a complete itinerary of the type of fishing we could be doing during the 2023 fishing season.

April

If we are able to fish by late April, I am preparing to fish the last week of April into the first few days of May. Early season smallmouths and largemouths are a favorite of mine. Prioritize midday and afternoon fishing times. Crappies can be mixed in as well, in between.

• Backwater largemouths
• Swim jig and warm water jungle fishing largemouth early season
• Largemouth bass lake hopping
• Flowage smallmouth
• Staging smallmouth on lakes
• Coldwater tactics for smallmouth
• Crappies

May

May trips can run first days of the month, and after Mother’s Day Weekend until we see it being still worthwhile. May weather has been God-awful these last several years, between massive cold fronts shutting down the activity, to intense heat waves that prompt fish to being nesting without any regard for their surroundings. Traditionally, the spring peak and best fishing of the month takes place during the third and fourth weeks of May until Memorial Day Weekend. Last year’s spring was a wash due to funerals and boat repairs. Prioritize midday and afternoon fishing times – full days only, please.

• Lipless cranking largemouth
• Swim jig and warm water jungle fishing largemouth early season
• Largemouth bass lake hopping
• Big water smallmouth and trophy hunts ALL 3rd and 4th weeks of May
• River and flowage smallmouth
• Cold water paddletail and rip jigging smallmouth
• Suspended jerkbait and fluke minnow fishing for smallmouth
• All pre-spawn fishing for smallmouth
• Crappies

During May we prioritize capturing fish like this specimen.
 

June

I like fishing anytime from June 15th through July 1st. This assures bass spawn completion and normal fishing tactics resume. Finesse plastics and tube fishing produces huge numbers. Topwaters can too, on calm humid days. Hair jigs are a top producer for numbers and if mayfly hatches are present. Don’t want smallmouth? Largemouth bass explode in June, and I personally enjoy fishing them most during this month. Largemouth are more responsive on foul weather days and anytime smallmouth aren’t going. Additionally, their spawn finishes quickest, fish recover quickly, and we enter their summer patterns. On junk weather days, my preference is to do mixed bag fishing – a foreign concept to most. I do not host bed fishing trips during spawn season.

• Post spawn largemouth and smallmouth
• Drop shot and finesse plastics smallmouth
• Wacky worm largemouth
• Mayfly hatch and hair jigs
• River systems and flowages early month
• Smallmouth cranking
• Topwater smallmouth
• Frog fishing largemouth
• LMB and SMB numbers fishing

The entire tackle box is open in June. This is an awesome month because every day can fish differently. All species of fish are active and feeding heavily.
 

July 

Summer fishing patterns are in play. The 4th of July Holiday week delivers the most boat and vehicle traffic too. Heat waves come too, which shuts down the fishing, driving most species deep where they will be un-catchable and non-survivable. With heat and high fishing pressure & boating traffic, I only fish in July before or after the holiday. I will also stay away from popular lakes with heavy recreational (non fishing) boat traffic. My July trips ONLY take place during the third and fourth weeks of the month. I will not be able to fish the last week of July this year, as I traditionally do, because of weddings to attend. I should be available the 3rd week of the month, however. This time of season early mornings, evenings/nights, and traveling to lakes off the beaten path are prioritized. July trips will be under advisement. We’ll keep a close eye on the heavy lake traffic and potential for vacations.

• Night fishing smallmouth
• AM and late PM topwater smallmouth
• Power cranking smallmouth
• Swimbait and suspended open water smallmouth
• Cisco lakes
• Mayfly hatch smallmouth
• Surface frog and slop fishing largemouth
• Crayfish patterns and the molt
• Onboard and offshore
• Bluegill patterning largemouths
• Remote & wilderness lakes

July is an accommodating month if you seek action and numbers. I am able to host anglers of all skill levels and fishing backgrounds. I do not want to guide on busy summer weekends, none whatsoever.
 

August 

The same fishing patterns and strategies from end of July carry-over into August. The fishing improves drastically at the onset of summer peak, as trophy hunting patterns become more predictable. Much of the fishing we do is out in deeper depths; for smallmouth onboard and offshore, and mid-depth and deep structure. I prioritize targeting the deep and cooler-water cisco based fisheries, and lakes with high crayfish populations.

Largemouth fishing peaks on the year too, with us frequently fishing algae-bloomed and eutrophic lakes, targeting offshore locations and 10-15ft grass and weedlines. Depending on water temps and weather, some shallow water opportunity is available early and late in the day.

In August, we prefer targeting trophy largemouth and trophy smallmouth. Schedule is TBD due to personal vacations being likely.

• Night fishing smallmouth
• AM and late PM topwater smallmouth
• Power cranking smallmouth
• Swimbait and suspended open water smallmouth
• Surface frog and slop fishing largemouth
• Bluegill pattern largemouth
• Crayfish patterns and the molt
• Ned rigs
• Drop shots
• Onboard and offshore

September

This is the big transition month when all fishing, strategies, location, and lake selection is based on weather and the timing of turnover. Some years we are still fishing shallow water and pounding the flats, while other years we’re already fishing around wintering areas. Following young of the year perch schools throughout the lake often pays off for catching big smallmouth. Paddletails, swimbaits, football jigs, and crankbaits are some of our preferred methods.

September trips can take place all month, but typically start within a week after Labor Day weekend. This month is commonly in-demand by my most serious anglers and die-hards.

September is my favorite month of fishing, and for smallmouth we prioritize trophy hunting and full day trips only. I reserve these months for my experienced and experts. THIS IS NOT THE MONTH FOR NUMBERS AND FAST ACTION.

• Swimbait and suspended open water smallmouth
• River and flowage smallmouth
• Midday and afternoon fishing times prioritized
• Shallow flats swimbaits and lipless cranking smallmouth
• Offshore and deep grass largemouth
• Vertical jigging smallmouth
• Football jigging
• Blade baits and rip baits
• Largemouths on Indian summer days
• Muskies (repeat anglers only please)

September is full day trophy hunts only where we prioritize seeking the biggest fish of the year. September is my most popular month of the year, high demand, and most dates get filled by mid August. Most years, September has a 100% occupancy.
 

October

I don’t host wintering trips because exploitation of wintering holes and sensitive lake locations isn’t of interest. October fishing is similar to September’s strategy. Except now we enter post-turnover and coldwater period. Many of the same fishing strategies from September are still utilized in early October. After turnover mid-month, almost 100% of our fishing is over deep water, incorporating jigging, casting, and position fishing. Some days we may incorporate the usage of specialized livebait rigging.

Most bass trips for the year are completed by turnover, but I keep the 3rd and 4th weeks of the month always open before I call it quits for the year as weather and fishing can still be productive. A pro-longed productive season may still continue into late month and November 1st depending on weather, climate, water temps, and ice formation. We are finished bass fishing for the season by the time water temps reach below 45 degrees. During October month, the tackle box closes. I also limit my lake selection to a rotation of about 5 to 10 different lakes whose fall patterns and locations have been specialized.

• River and flowage smallmouth
• Midday and afternoon fishing times prioritized
• Shallow flats swimbaits and lipless cranking smallmouth
• Deep water position fishing
• Vertical jigging smallmouth
• Football jigging
• Blade baits and rip baits
• Live bait rigging
• Muskies (repeat anglers only please)

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0168.JPG

October trips are full day trophy hunts, and smallmouth trips only. Midday and afternoon hours are prioritized. We’ll only fish 1 lake for the full day. This is not a numbers month. Live minnows are carried in the boat for insurance purposes. Trips can last through end of the month, weather and water temps permitting. 

 
I’ll be keeping flexible this year. I ask you all to consider weekday and mid-week trips. Usually, we are the only boat on some waters.