Northwoods Bass Fishing Report, August 2016

August was a month for trophies, and the inland bass fisheries of Vilas and Oneida County showcased its world class fishing for monster smallmouth bass. 

From July 28th thru August 11th, I was kept busy on the water. Since then I’ve been sitting at my desk like a normal human trying to make a living with a normal day job. Unlike the month of July where largemouth bass dominated, smallmouths finally warmed up to our inconsistent and poor summer weather, and owned all of this month’s stat-lines from my boat.

For the first time all season fish locations and behaviors were predictable. Despite lake surface temperatures ranging from 75-80 for the first half of the month, we finally had great weather and consistency. With great weather comes bigger and longer feeding windows, patterns that last several days, and awesome fishing. Finally, for the first time all season I can openly say that the fishing was the best its been all year!

My guests and I fished a variety of lakes this month, ranging in size from 80 acre ponds to flowages, and the largest waterbodies in Vilas County. Each lake is unique that they are all fished for bass differently, and none fish the same. Some are nothing but action while others have trophies only or are somewhere in between. With all of this available it’s impossible to get bored with bass fishing in the Minocqua region.

Our lakes have action. With my guests this month, we focused our efforts on action waters where fish average size is 12 to 18 inches, and 30 to 50 fish full days can be possible.

For instance my August 1st outing with John and Steven from Milwaukee, WI exceeded that number as we had a 60 fish half-day smallmouth outing in 8 hours. I gave them the knowledge and confidence to catch fish from gin clear waters. We caught so many fish that morning that I decided, after the 6hr half-day slot expired, lets keep fishing till our wrists fell off from setting the hooks. Meanwhile a few days later hosting friends, we had a 50 fish combo of largemouth and smallmouth bass. My beginner bass anglers that day went home with memories they’ll remember for a long time. Most importantly, everyone who fished with me came away with learning new techniques they can now apply on other waters themselves.

Size doesn’t always matter when the priority is catching and learning and having fun.

So, many lakes have action and provide rod benders, while many others have trophies but contain smaller population densities. On these types of waters, you can catch fish that you will remember for the rest of your life.

Until the first week of August, my boat had yet to catch a single smallmouth surpassing 20 inches. Seems like 20-21-22-23 inchers have been jumping into other people’s boats this year and not mine; or sizes are being greatly exaggerated across the internet landscape. Big bass are always on my mind, but I’m not complaining when my boat’s average size this season has been in the 15-18″ size bracket.

It would be so nice to finally catch a few 20’s. Thank God my turn finally came.

From August 7th to August 9th, I experienced a 2 day window (unfortunately by myself) in which monster bass were feeding heavily and I was in the zone. Between four different lakes, 7 smallmouths surpassing 20 inches were caught. The largest was a pair of 21 inchers, and heaviest fish were two at nearly 6 pounds apiece.

Trophy hunts are my favorite but not everyday will have positive results like I had on 8/8. Only 9 bites all day on two low density bass fisheries is exceptional. My top 4 over the goal of 20″ fish only went for nearly 22lbs! I tried for a fifth in order to hit 27-28# but ran out of daylight.

I get trip requests for days like this. But expectations are often unrealistic. We don’t catch many fish on these outings, but smallmouth bass of a lifetime, and rivaling anywhere else in the world are possible. I tell everyone who inquires that we might not catch much, but the fish that could be caught will remembered for a lifetime.

The smallmouth bass fishing in August was incredible. I’ll remember these catches and the enjoyment from my guests for a long time that’s for sure.

With the excellent weather we’ve enjoyed this month, some classic late summer patterns took shape and allowed each of this month’s catches to be possible.

Here’s how I’ve been catching them!

Drop Shots and Finesse Plastics

Early in the month, when air and water temperatures were at its warmest, we focused on fishing many of our clearest and deepest lakes. The depths and cool water of these lakes absorb less heat in comparison to many shallower and darker water lakes, and offer the best opportunities at successful fishing in the heat. While water clarity can be upwards of 10 to 20 feet avg. finesse fishing will catch numbers.

Drop shotting with soft plastics such as the Stankx Bait Co. Squirtz was the best presentation. Rigged with terminal tackle such as a 1/4oz Trokar tungsten dropper weight, a Trokar TK180 Light Wire Finesse Worm hook, and 4 feet of 10lb. Seaguar fluorocarbon connecting braided main line to fish, matching the hatch has never looked so realistic. On these fisheries, precise location and boat control outweighs everything else. Find the baitfish and proper depths and structural elements that congregate bass, fish will be caught. Lots of smallmouths were found around schools of yellow perch and bluegills (and coughing them up!), midlake humps with deep water access, and around dense areas of sand grass in depths from 10 to 20 feet.

The jig and wacky worm has been one of this summer’s top producers for action. Fished within rock piles, along the edges of sand bars, and crawled through and over wood and laydowns, the VMC wacky weedless jig paired with a 5.25″ Stankx Bait Co. Stix caught fish from everywhere all month.

Perch Patterning Smallmouths

In the past two weeks the perch migrations into weedlines began. Water temperatures are too warm at the moment, and this movement doesn’t officially begin once temps drop back to below 70. These baitfish schools aren’t yet concentrated and prey has moved on and off these locations. In turn, smallmouths too. As we move into September, the perch pattern will be one of the most consistent big bass producers throughout the month and into early October.

When the perch schools are in weeds, it’s my favorite way to tackle smallmouths in late summer and early fall.

Swimjigs with minnow and paddletail trailers swam through the jungles, carolina rigged flukes, and paddle tails such as the Stankx Bait Co. Damzel rigged on plain lead and rip-jigged back to the boat are my favorites for this style of fishing.

Rip jigging the damzel through weedlines (where perch present) resulted in some of my best bass bites of the year in mid August, with fish to 21″ caught.

Long casts, let it swim and fall, jerk rod up and pump it through the grass when you feel it tick the tops. Huge strikes and drag pulls. But most importantly, the perch needed to be there for bass to be present.

Unless foraging specifically for baitfish, or displaced by other gamefish species, smallmouths will seldom utilize weed habitat. But when they do, they’ll often conceal themselves in open pockets and along the fringe of the weedbed as they ambush unsuspecting perch schools.

Pounding and Dragging Plastics

Sometimes the fish want nothing more than a dead-sticked tube, or a creature bait rigged with a football head and dragged along the bottom while drifting across the sand flat at half a mile per hour.

I guess we can call this finesse power fishing, and it’s entirely done with a 7ft medium heavy fast action spinning setup. Bomb cast, then drag and pound your plastics along the bottom as necessary.

Rigged with an assortment of 1/8 oz. and 3/16 oz. tube jig inserts, the Strike King Coffee Tube is a mainstay in my boat and accounts for more smallmouths each season than almost everything else. But this summer I’ve enjoyed dragging Chompers Hula Grubs and the new 3.5″ Dopplgangr by Stankx Bait Company. I rig both on 3/16 oz. Northland Lip Stick Jigs.

Pounding and dragging plastics accounted for several smallmouths throughout the month, with some up to 4 and 5 lbs.

Topwaters

I wasn’t able to find an awesome dog days of summer topwater bite like I’ve experienced the past few seasons. Despite that, I still keep my favorite Rapala X-Rap Pop tied on a rod at all times. Always have one ready.

Although topwater produced one of this month’s monster smallmouths, the usual action of numbers and excitement we tend to have with them during early mornings, windless midday hours, and evenings and after dark periods didn’t amount to much success. It still resulted in one of this month’s biggest, the the most loud and obnoxious retrieves and water displacement succeeding.

Late Night Cranking and Milk Runs

During the dog days of summer, I live for catching big smallmouth bass after sunset. I work a milkshake express run on a few lakes.

The dog days of summer triggers a late night feeding binge. Deep dwelling gamefish species retreat from their mid-lake open water locations and cool water sanctuaries, encroaching shoreline areas and littoral zones, and along the perimeter of midlake rock bars in search for prey. On the many natural lakes and flowages I fish, smallmouth bass undertake this short-distance movement to feast on the abundance of rusty crayfish and unsuspecting preyfish and insect hatches. During a nocturnal period when most anglers think smallmouth bass go dormant, loud surface topwaters and vibration-emitting hardbaits score gargantuan fish that are feeding heavily to retain their weights. The late night show begins.

A unique feeding window emerges on some of my favorite northern lakes, which I’ve been able to successfully capitalize on for the last 3-4 years during the hottest climates of summer. Lasting anywhere from four to six weeks usually in August, depending upon region and climates, I’ve observed more big bass feeding at night rather than daytime. Triggering this feed are consecutive warm, humid, windless nights with air temperatures warmer than 70 degrees. Moon phase and light levels can play a role also, though it’s a minor factor. During these prime conditions, the late night show fishes best on lakes with rusty crayfish infestations as it’s an easy food source and crayfish themselves are most active at night.

At a nocturnal period when most anglers think smallmouths go dormant, loud vibration-emitting crankbaits score gargantuan bass that are feeding heavily.

I start each night on habitat-rich shorelines of rock and wood, and main lake flats and shallow rock bars that are known crayfish and smallmouth feeding grounds. I meticulously cover these areas by power cranking, fan-casting with loud rattling crankbaits such as the Rapala Crankin Rap 05. I swap the dull factory treble hooks in exchange for Trokar TK300’s. Even the slightest bump or nudge of the crankbait from even the laziest of smallmouths will result in a solid hookup with these hooks. As my most successful nighttime smallmouth lures to date, I have found these crankbaits to possess the loudest rattles and widest, most compact vibration. Both properties are critical to triggering strikes like these at night.

Not every lake is good for night fishing, I’ve learned. More on this later.

Unlike July, largemouth bass weren’t targeted much in August and none of the specimens caught were picture-worthy. As water temperatures begin to cool down and fish focus more on baitfish and start their fall movements by congregating around deep weeds and offshore locations, I’ll be targeting largemouths more in September. Catching them on suspending jerkbaits, swim jigs, deep diving cranks, and swimbaits is a blast.

Whether seeking trophies, or looking for a challenging experience in learning new water, this time of season through early autumn is my favorite – despite the shortening of daylight. So many techniques work. Fish can be caught from so many spots, depths and various habitats. There’s never a dull moment bass fishing this time of season!

As we head towards Labor Day weekend and progress into September, there will be some movements of smallmouths into the shallows. This will relate to presence of forage and cooling water temperatures. Rock bars and offshore points are great areas to start. Then we will have the perch migrations, and a lot of smallmouths will be found utilizing deep weedlines. Things will be excellent till we drop to 55 degrees and at that point………. I don’t want to think about that just yet.

I’ve taken requests for Labor Day weekend and I hope to be scheduled with guests each day. So far I have guests for 9/2, and 9/3 and 9/4 are still unconfirmed. Meanwhile 9/1, and 9/5, 9/6, 9/7, and 9/8 remain available. Now’s a good time to contact me if interested in bass fishing during your holiday weekend. Please contact me by email and telephone if interested next week, and in a specific date not listed. As soon as September 22nd, I will have full availability until my bass season ends following the first week of October. Contact me for these early fall dates as well.

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