Northwoods Bass 2019 Fishing Itinerary

Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, with your host and instructor Andrew Ragas, is committed to providing the most successful, informative and educational fishing experience possible. Bass anglers who fish with me (newbies, veterans, or pros, whichever you choose to be) will learn how to locate, approach, and catch bass on our region’s waters. Here is a complete itinerary of the type of fishing we could be doing during the 2019 fishing season!

I always give my loyal repeat customers first priority and opportunities at re-booking with me, on peak season weeks and especially during the weeks I plan on fishing. You guys know my fishing philosophy and drill. I schedule most of my fishing times and commutes from IL around these peak windows throughout my 5 month season. I urge you to contact sooner rather than later, and look forward to your correspondence, repeat business, and friendship.

Month of May has limited dates available. June as of now is nearly booked to capacity, but some dates have re-opened. July will have a few open dates. TBD. August I’m getting hitched and will be away for honeymoons and fishing vacations.

If you book trips with me from mid June through end of July, I will need flexibility and potential alternate fishing dates from you. I might be unavailable some weekends for wedding planning, moving days, and events. If that happens you will be notified well in advance. There might also be a few occasions we might have to re-schedule your preferred fishing dates to my next available open dates before or after the month of August.

After August 1st, I will not be able to fish again until sometime after the big day. As a result, month of August dates, and summer peak guided trips will not be available in August, 2019.

September and October will resume a more normal fishing schedule and we will prioritize big fish trips.

WANT MY FULL CALENDAR? – VISIT THIS LINK

May Fishing

This May, my season will begin the week of opener. Lots of fishing time will be available in May 2019. Traditionally, the spring peak and best fishing of the month takes place between May 14th through Memorial Day Weekend. I do not host bed fishing trips during spawn season.

• Lipless cranking largemouth
• Swim jig and warm water jungle fishing largemouth early season
• River and flowage smallmouth
• Cold water paddletail and rip jigging smallmouth
• Suspended jerkbait and fluke minnow fishing for smallmouth

June Fishing

I like fishing from Father’s Day Weekend 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. 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. Additionally, their spawn finishes quickest, fish recover quickly, and we enter their summer patterns. I do not host bed fishing trips during spawn season.

• Post spawn largemouth and smallmouth
• Drop shot smallmouth
• Wacky worm largemouth
• Mayfly hatch and topwater smallmouth
• LMB and SMB numbers fishing
• Offshore and deep grass cranking largemouth

July Fishing

Summer fishing patterns are in play. The 4th of July Holiday week delivers the most boat and vehicle traffic too. With that kind of pressure, 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. This time of season early mornings, evenings/nights, and traveling to lakes off the beaten path are prioritized.

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

August

I get married the second week of August, so that means no fishing for me until after the big day, honeymoon, and some much needed vacation time. Don’t fret, I’m not retiring. I just have to do more adult things.

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, while other years we’re already fishing around wintering areas.

• 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

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. Some days we may incorporate the usage of specialized livebait rigging.

Nearly all bass trips for the year are completed by October 15th. But 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.

Andrew Ragas
Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures, LLC
Licensed and Insured
Specializing in Northern Wisconsin inland bass fishing

tel: 708-256-2201
email: andrew@northwoodsbass.com
web: www.northwoodsbass.com