Andrew Ragas splits time between the Chicago area and Wisconsin's Northwoods. Based in Minocqua, WI, he specializes in trophy bass fishing and offers guided trips from May thru October. While big bass is the passion, he dabbles in multi-species as well. He may be visited online at www.northwoodsbass.com
Thursday, 02 May 2024 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – End of April 2024

  Season’s greetings everyone, and hopefully you shall be the recipient of many timely, relevant, and frequent fishing reports throughout 2024. Even though my year is only 4 days old, it has been excellent. The only species I have focused on up this point are largemouths.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Spring Largemouth Hot Spots

  Up here, the seasons can change in a flash and weather patterns evolve quickly. As lake surface temperatures slightly warm, bass instinctively sense these changes and go on the move.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

Top Spring Largemouth Patterns and Tactics

  We’re well past ice-out, and by now anglers have greater open water fishing opportunities presenting themselves. Ponds, flowages, drainage lakes, backwaters, swamps, rivers, and channels would be such places to start looking at.
Wednesday, 01 May 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Smallmouth Bass

Spring Smallmouth Hot Spots

  Usually by late April, another spring season has arrived – for me, anyways. The cabin gets opened for the year, I pick-up my boat from winter storage, and scramble to make preparations to fish within the next day or two. It’s the most exciting time of the year!
Monday, 22 April 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Short Stories and Timely Tips, Smallmouth Bass

River Smallmouths Early and Late

  My region’s river systems provide some of the best and most exciting smallmouth fishing early and late in the year. This year (2024), will remain to be seen, as we are in a major drought right now.
Monday, 15 April 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass, Short Stories and Timely Tips

Location-Driven Largemouths

  In my region, the spring season is short and condensed, lasting from ice-out through spawn. Its duration varies each year, as it relates to both.
Monday, 08 April 2024 / Published in Short Stories and Timely Tips, Smallmouth Bass

Window Fishing

  Successful fishing is all about right time, right place. The right time and place for my boat to catch the biggest fish of the year is in May, and later in September and October. The spring spawn, September feeding, and October wintering periods create vulnerabilities for smallmouth, where the biggest fish are most apt
Monday, 01 April 2024 / Published in Bass Fishing Articles, Largemouth Bass

The Spring Playbook for Largemouths

  Spring offers early season largemouth opportunities and a bevy of shallow water action. Largemouths awaken quickly from their winter dormancies to feed heavily in preparation for their impending spawn. At fisheries they’ve been dialed in, their whereabouts and behavioral tendencies can be predictable. April and May will be the best two months to try