Northwoods Bass Fishing Report – End of October 2022

If 70 degrees on November 2nd is indicative of anything, it feels more like summer than late fall right now. Despite water temperatures in the upper-40’s right now, the end is nearer than weather’s deceptions show.

Last week was the end for me. It was a very good week of fishing.

I wish I hadn’t wasted two full days for muskies.

I wish I had more time to fish smallmouths.

I also wish I was fishing again this week too, but I had to shut it down.

Wish I fished more in July and August and we didn’t have to re-schedule so many trip dates, but that’s life.

On the bright side of things, for the first time in several years I didn’t winterize in snow showers or very cold weather.

This might be a beer upgrade for me, but what you don’t know is that I primarily drink Maplewood brew back home.

Cheers to your 2022 winterizations.

Hopefully this was the last time ever I had to winterize the Evinrude.

It is time for a new motor.

2022 was an overall good season. We had great trips, good fish, and good anglers whom I would host again any day. We caught more walleyes (and big ones) than I care to admit. Our lakes have a lot of up-and-comer 16 to 19 inch smallmouths too, which is exciting for the future. Meanwhile muskies were terrible, to the point I want to forget.

Muskies……. so dumb.

Since my last report and newsletter from second week of October, the lakes were turning over. That’s been long done, and now the bass are wintering. Whatever fish you catch from now to first ice will be in deep water and associating to some type of contour and bottom structure.

Following completion of turnover, deep staging fish finally concentrate together and move into their overwintering sites where they will camp at until ice out the following spring. This makes catching them pretty easy once you have their locations narrowed-down.

On most lakes, I find activity happening between 24 to 31 feet. On some shallower lakes, that activity could be in 15 to 20 feet. It all depends on what the lake offers in terms of topography/contour, basin depth, deep structure and wintering sanctuary.

In the two days I smallmouth fished last week, we caught a lot of big ones.

Some fish caught on slooooooowwwwwww rolling paddletails. Majority on very large live minnows – 5 to 7 inch walleye suckers and chubs.

It’s OK to carry live bait in the boat this time of year.

Whatever it takes.

I hosted Joe Novak on October 27th. Joe has fished with me since 2017. Joe remodels homes and is currently doing work for us, so this day was Home Builder Appreciation Day. He caught a pair of 20.5’s.

In between the bites, we had a lot of dead periods. The coldfront blowing through had a lot to do with it, along with the fish roaming around not holding to anything specific.

90% of the fish are now in 10% of the lake. Find the wintering holes, and you will find bass. If not equipped with good electronics and charts, and not good at interpreting what’s going on down deep below, you will struggle.

Be sure to NOT exploit these locations and reveal whatever fisheries you’re on. You have no idea how quickly these vulnerable fish and sacred waters can be wiped out.

The next day, I went solo and caught a good dozen while out in 36 degree air temps. You won’t catch them from the couch or while sitting in the office.

I then found my fish of the year 30 minutes before calling it quits for the day. She measured 21″ and went 6 pounds.

Figuring I wouldn’t be topping this one, I pulled the plug on 2022 right there.

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Video Report

Bass Bling

My tackle box closed quickly.

I was no longer carrying several St. Croix Rods in the locker. Also been eliminating more boxes of tackle that isn’t practical for post-turnover. During our last days, I was carrying ONLY cold water baits that included paddletails, football jigs, tubes, blade baits, lipless cranks, deep divers, anything that sinks quickly, and live minnow rigs.

In late fall, less is more.

What’s Happening Now

For those of you hearty, appears the window is going to be open for another 6-7 days before the next cold blast.

Everything you catch will be associating to their wintering areas.

90% of the fish will be found in 10% of the lake.

Vertical jig. Position fish. Drag a live bait rig.

To catch majority of our fish right now, vertical jigging around main lake basins in 20-30ft rock, and due diligence with my electronics is getting best results. This is what I call ‘video game fishing’. It’s not the most engaging method to catching fish, but if you’re patient like me and like to employ vertical presentations to catching fish, this deep water stuff with aid of good electronics is very fun!

Blade baits, damiki rigs, football jigs, and live bait rigs are my go-to’s.

And when you hook into fish from 25-30ft depths, play each hooked fish up from the depths slowly and methodically to avoid barotrauma injury such as bursting of their swim bladders.

November 2022 Fishing Forecast

Not sure of who’s still fishing. If you are, best of luck until the end. This is the coldwater period.

As water temps drop into the mid-40’s, 100% of your efforts should be done over deep water incorporating jigging, casting, and position fishing.

Target whatever is your best of the best….. big fish waters only….. It’s unicorn time.

Feeding windows are rapid and mostly non-existent right now. Catch one, you may quickly follow up with 5 more. Then the bite dissipates, only to return with a flurry of more fish hours later.

Slow and subtle presentations such as dragging tube jigs, hula grubs, and football jigs are my jam. Vertical jigging and carolina rigging with flukes, spoons and blade baits, and drop shot techniques must be attempted as well. Even deep cranking too. Specialty rigging with live bait (4-6 inch walleye suckers lindy rigged with lancet circles), done as the last resort, is worth consideration too. Usually, a jig and paddletail swimbait, and swimming grub slow-rolled to the bottom, retrieved slowly will trigger the most aggressive strikes and from the largest fish too, but not with same frequency as all these slow and subtle strategies.

Nothing more special than November smallmouths.

While deep schooling, non-dormant bass are often catchable, the presence of nearby food greatly enhances catching them. The food needs to be present down deep where smallmouths are beginning to home for the winter. Schools of yellow perch and bait balls of cisco should be nearby. Crayfish also burrowing themselves in deep mud bottom too for their overwintering.

Until conditions finally tell you to stop, fish solely wintering locations….. looking for deep rock, saddles, holes, structure, and regions of the lake where ciscoes come up to spawn at during 42-45 degree water temps.

Fish will be wintering. Go find them, and catch them. They might not be active, but if they appear to be suspending a few feet off the bottom, they’re catchable and hungry.

Virtual Guide Service

Winter is the best time to take advantage of this program.

Hire Northwoods Bass Fishing Adventures for your Northern Wisconsin fishing trip without having to join me on the water. If unable to fish with me, this is the program for you.

I offer lake maps for sale, consultations, and training sessions.

LAKE MAPS | CONSULTATION | VIRTUAL GUIDE SERVICE

Today’s generation relies heavily on virtual communication. People want to communicate and do business conveniently through video rather than spend more time to do it in person. More businesses are turning to the sale of virtual products, sale of content, and virtual communication in order to accommodate this growing customer demographic.

Personally I’d rather be on the water, but I can also guide you successfully from my home office and that is very unique. It also makes my wife happy. If unable to physically come for a day of fishing, this is the next best thing.

Even though each map exchange and lesson will be executed in thorough detail like I always provide, it’s still your responsibility as an angler to apply and implement everything I’ve given you on your own time.

On your virtual guided fishing trip, you will tour through a simulation of the lakes and regions you desire to explore and fish. I will share with you personalized lake maps, screenshots, photos, lake data and history, locations (non-GPS), access points and directions, and accommodate your additional requests. You will receive instruction and strategies from me that will be custom-tailored to your fishing skill level, fishing goals, and expectations.

Regions covered: Oneida, Vilas, Iron, Forest counties.

And it’s super easy too. We’ll book it on our own time. All sessions are Zoom and Facebook video conferences.

2023 Trips and Fishing

Need a new motor first.

I need a break also.

Lets start talking about ideas and plans after Thanksgiving.

Lord willing, Chubs will continue fishing with us in 2023.

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