Perfection isn’t an action. It’s a habit of meticulousness guided through fundamental process. As anglers, we can expect better of ourselves on the water on a daily basis so the next day of fishing is better than the last. To accomplish mistake-free fishing, we must learn from our past mistakes.

  Whether fishing a lake for the first time, or for the thousandth time, visiting its points is a shortcut to immediate fishing success. These topographical lake structures provide smallmouths with a multitude of benefits that are essential for feeding, homing, and survival.

  Winter relents. Spring creeps in. Ice has finished melting, and we have open water once again. While most anglers haven’t yet fired up their outboards, a longing for big smallmouths excitedly energizes the first trip of the year. Mid April has chilly days, but the ensuing hook sets and singing of the drag is

  Spring pre-spawn smallmouth patterns are solidified across so many fisheries throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes. Wherever in these regions you’re destined to fish, the smallmouth bass populations of natural lakes, rivers, and reservoirs are guaranteed to be feeding heavily at this time.  

  Legendary hockey player Wayne Gretzky once brilliantly summarized, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” You’ll never succeed unless you try. Additionally, that means you have to take action if you want dreams to become a reality.

  By Andrew Ragas Much has been studied, discussed, and written about in recent years about fall season river migrations when smallmouth travel downstream to their overwintering sites. On your river, smallmouth could be year-round residents. On my specific rivers in Wisconsin, most of their smallmouth populations are non-resident. Through personal experience and data to