Tuesday, 08 October 2019 / Published in Fishing Reports

Northwoods Bass Fishing Report September & October 2019

Fall season 2019 has treated us very well. September from mid to end of month was excellent most days, and now in early October the fishing is getting better! Good bites will continue through the end of month, and my season will conclude then. I’m off the water now until October 20th.

I returned to the water again on September 15th. Water temperatures then were pushing 70 degrees. Fish of all species were being caught. During the next two weeks, they finally steadily fell to the low 60’s. Now, we are at 54 to 59 degrees. Smaller and shallower lakes coldest, big water the warmest. Some waters could be pushing warmer with this little Indian summer week thru Thursday.

In September, summer patterns were still very much in play. Lots of shallow water casting atop sand and gravel flats, weedlines, run and gun approaches, and aggressive fishing strategies with search lures dominated. By October 4th, these tactics all mostly expired due to deeper water movements. Right now, jigging and cranking is catching most fish.

Besides the third week of September in which high humidity and warm daytime temps delayed fall’s arrival, we’ve had a very good fall season and gradual cooldown this year in the Minocqua area. This has resulted in very good fishing, predictable patterns, and making smallmouth easier to locate. Feeding frenzies were experienced during most days and guide trips with customers.

Since October’s arrival, surface temperatures have fallen from the low 60’s to now the middle/upper 50’s. Fall patterns, fishing strategies, and bass locations are now definitely in play. The cold snap expected for this weekend may shut down the fish temporarily, and prevent anglers from getting out. However, wait until next week when cooler weather arrives, turnover completes, and by then big smallmouth will showcase their deep, coldwater fall feeding behavior.

Since end of September, we’re exclusively fishing for big smallmouth bass only. Really no action fishing, and if the interest is in numbers September and October are the wrong months. These past few weeks, 10 to 15 fish days of mid-size to large fish have been the usual result. Meanwhile, 20 to 30 fish days were enjoyed too, and exceptional.

The recent coldfronts got the bass retreating to deep water. It was just a short week ago where shallow and mid-depth fishing produced the best results and biggest fish on every trip, and our bites were coming in 5-10ft on many casting presentations. At this writing, mid-depth from 14-18ft, and deep water fishing from 25 to 30ft is now producing the best fishing results. Now, we are mostly vertical jigging, getting our baits to the bottom, and position fishing.

As lakes are in the process of turnover, or just starting or completing, you will want to focus most efforts on deep structure and potential wintering areas. The shallows will vacate, and when the lakes fully clear themselves up, the shallows will mostly be empty!

These past few seasons, I’ve observed some unique fall movements that I have been able to pattern on many lakes. These movements repeat themselves annually and are all centered on the stages of turnover. As the water cools into the low 60’s, smaller SMB that might have been prevalent in the shallows during the warmer weeks prior vacate, and will move into potential wintering sites first. I notice this from late September thru the first days of October when I check out wintering sites located in 22-30 ft depths. Many of these locations are in the safe zone above the lake’s thermocline. I always find the mid-size fish in these areas first. While smaller SMB’s move deep first, the largest SMB’s of the system slide up to the shallows for one last chance at heavy feeding on the food sources that are still available. As waters continue to cool down to the upper 50’s, bigger fish will then retreat to mid depth locations where they will stage at until turnover’s completion. At 57-54 degrees, the lake undertakes its annual cycle. Fish movements at every depth temporarily stall. Then at the completion of turnover, those big smallmouth we were catching during pre-turnover have finally migrated to their wintering sites to join the other members until ice out.

This might not be the case on all lakes, but that’s my findings on lakes I fish, and how I prioritize location over everything else this time of season.

What’s Happening Now

Turnover is what’s happening. Small to mid-size lakes are in the process of flipping. Large waterbodies up to 1000 acres of moderate depth will be next up. They should get going and complete quickly starting sometime this week. The big water will then go next week.

True signs of fall turnover is once lake temps hit 55-57 degrees or so. Lakes with a summer thermocline, that also have clear water, may be browning and becoming green in clarity during this phase. Additionally, the surface will be littered with plant matter and other debris. Currently, the smaller 100 to 500 acre lakes are flipping over. I have also seen signs of large lakes 1,000 acres and up just beginning the process too. The best solution is to fish ahead or behind fall turnover. If the lake you are about to launch at is showing these symptoms, go fish elsewhere.

In the coming days, strong winds and cold weather will get turnover completed on many lakes. I anticipate the largest lakes to follow and also complete quickly. Note that only lakes that develop summer thermoclines only turn over. You can go fish shallow lakes, flowages, and rivers without any worry.

Need some location advice?

Worthwhile locations and money spots are fish cribs and deep wood, where dormant and coldfront affected bass will like to lay. Additionally, deep rocks with nearby mud transitions from 25 to 29 feet held bass most frequently and are typical overwintering locations for BOTH crayfish and smallmouth. Steep breaklines and shelves dropping into deep water are also holding some fish too.

Main lake basins and deep underwater structure. Rocks, boulders, gravel, hard bottom. All in, or near proximity to their wintering locations. Look for all of this on your favorite smallmouth lake right now. Once turnover completes, majority of that water’s bass will be in their wintering locations. Each lake will have multiple wintering areas for bass.

Speaking about flowages, they’re all in draw-down but at full pool. We’ve gotten hammered with lots of rainfall and this has flooded the Wisconsin and Flambeau River systems, making them each very difficult for accessing. I love river fishing in fall. This will be the year I’m unable to float both river systems.

Bass Bling

I can write and talk about the great casting and flats fishing we enjoyed in September with topwaters, swimbaits, spinnerbaits, fluke minnows, and lipless crankbaits, but that’s old news already and will not be the winning strategy at most lakes in October.

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!

The bass are smacking our baits.

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.

I forgot to take a new photo for all the candies I’ve been working with this fall. But this old photo from 2018 is repeating itself here in October 2019.

The tackle box is becoming simpler and dwindles each week. By end of the day I literally have only a few rods out: A deep diving crank; Ned Rig; A paddletail swimbait on 1/2 oz and 3/4 oz head; Chompers hula grub on football jig; A blade bait to vertical jig and rip with; And a light and heavy size skirted football jig with assorted craw trailers.

Each of the baits my boat is using must get down quickly to the depths SMB’s are holding at. The assortment of deep diving cranks, heavy paddletails, sculpin imitators, tubes and football heads, and blade bait have been scoring best bites currently. Most jig sizes and weights being used are in the 1/4 oz. to 1/2 oz. size category.

Don’t be afraid to throw football heads heavier than 3/4 oz. and match with a supersize craw trailer such as a Bizz Baits killer craw (alabama craw). This rusty crayfish (I call em pissed off prawns) I snagged up was humongous. Big bass want big baits right now.

After turnover settles next week, vertical jigging and dragging presentations from deep water will outfish all casting. 90% of the fish will then be concentrated in 10% or less of the lake.

Feeding windows are short and sweet. 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 is catching most fish. Vertical jigging and carolina rigging with flukes, spoons and blade baits, and drop shot techniques is catching fish also. 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 catching a few fish also. Usually, a deep diving crankbait such as a Rapala DT-10 and 16, jig and paddletail swimbait, and swimming grub retrieved slowly through mid-depth ranges will trigger the most aggressive strikes and from the largest fish too, but not with same frequency as all these slow and subtle strategies.

October’s bounty is providing many numbers days, when we find the fall mother-lode. This late in the season, I don’t care for numbers unless I can locate schools and fish are of excellent quality average size. We want big bites.

In order to locate most of this month’s biggest bass, I always spend more time motoring around and slowly idle around key spots and wintering locations before fish are confirmed on the screen. Only then, with waypoints marked and a track established, would I even consider fishing and drifting across the specific location.

Remember, 90% of the bass in every lake are only living in 10% of that lake! Right now.

Once these deep water bass are found, they are really easy to catch for the first half hour you’re camped over them.

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.

With big fish on my mind in October, I only focus my bass fishing efforts on a half dozen different lakes throughout the month. Due to short feeding windows and thanks to the process of eliminating dead water it’s illogical and poor strategy to drive all over the place and lake hop like normally. The lakes I limited myself to in October tend to fish well for bass in fall. I have systemically patterned their specific fall bass movements, and know where wintering holes are located.

Good Bass Bites

September 16th –Indian Summer is here this week, and it’s big fish time! Do work at any quality smallmouth lake or flowage, and you will reap the rewards of some explosive shallower water fishing. The bite won’t last long, and it might vary by lake.

Yesterday I spent the day exploring and puttering around one of the area flowages. This is something I had barely done all season.

Good window had from 10am – 1pm, and in typical flowage fashion the bite was dead in afternoon. I would have gotten on the water early after sunrise, but big fog advisory kept me on land until 8am.

Best areas were offshore humps and points / long shoreline extensions. Bottom and topography containing a combination of rock, boulder, sand, and assorted weed varieties. All depths 6ft or less. I hit about 10 smallmouth, with a pair of 19 and 20’s.

5″ Kalin’s Fishing Jerk Minnow (chartreuse), and Rapala Skitter V caught all smallmouth. On these waters I like to throw search lures 99% of the time. Keep er moving, cover water till you find pods of bass, and jump spot to spot. I tinkered with other baits that included cranks, jig & paddletail, football jigs, swim jigs, spinnerbaits, and no lookers on anything but minnow and topwater.

September 18th – Day 1 with Dave and Pat was a success. They traveled all the way from Wyoming to experience northwoods bass. We toured 3 different lakes on the trip. Some nice fish caught, but had to work hard for each bite we had. Some fun rod benders, with a pair of 17’s and 18’s.

Whatever strange front with clouds that moved through yesterday evening and overnight into this morning really shut down the fish. Lots of inactive smallies on the screens down below from depths as shallow as 10-15’ and deep as 26-30’. All rock, boulder, and crib related.

Slow moving jig and plastics caught most fish. Nothing on search lures or fast power moves. Nothing either from shorelines or bank beating.

Tubes, Freedom Tackle Corp. swinging head jigs, ned rigs, and darter plastics on football heads caught everything.

Beyond the shallow and mid depth structure I like to fish this time of season, always be sure to check and scan around the deep structure around main lake basins and in the vicinity of potential wintering sites on each lake (on lakes that don’t stratify, or with very deep thermoclines). Fish are migrating towards them now – but mostly nurseries of smaller fish are on them at this time. Towards the end of the day, we were rip jigging and vertically jigging blade baits to Smallmouth in 30ft depths.

September 19th – Much better day of fishing with Dave and Pat for their second day with me. Lots of fog and cloud cover resulted in a slow morning, but once it burned off and sunlight returned, fish became happier and more active.

Wood and rock from 5-10ft held all the fish from the two different lakes we worked.

Water temps 65-67 and near 68 by day’s end. Our best window took place in a steady wind from 145-230pm in which we hit a pair of 18’s plus more action. Pat had big fish of the week sealed but let the fish make a run for it away from the boat before I had the chance to land it 😭 hook popped free, a big 20” all the way…..

Football jigs with craw trailers, crankbaits, and paddletail swimbaits caught everything for the boat. Yesterday fish wanted nothing to do with these search lures, while today they were getting best feedback.

At 3pm the wind completely died and lake went stagnant. We stopped catching fish after then.

Each day this week was a contrast of bites, fish activity, and strategies. Be prepared to try everything now.

September 23rd – Mike and I hit a pair of 21 inchers and others while jigging midlake humps earlier this week.

September 24th –Yesterday we enjoyed the best fishing of this early fall season! I hosted Tyler and Courtney, who traveled all the way from Tennessee to experience the best inland Smallmouth fishing Wisconsin has to offer. They booked a great day to fish!

We fished two different lakes on the day. First lake had primarily a jigging bite, but action very slow. And out of the 1 dozen different areas we worked, only one of them had any kind of concentration of fish. 10 fish caught on ned rigs, football jigs, and tubes. By lunchtime we bailed and headed elsewhere.

On second lake we focused on windblown areas of the lake and covered water with swimbaits and paddletails. Bomb casting the flats, sand beaches, and rock in 5-8ft depths on numerous drifts, we caught 15 big quality fish during the afternoon from 130-4pm. Action was steady, and most fish caught in pods of 2-3-4 other fish.

Tyler’s best 5 went approx 18-20lbs, also nearly besting his personal best. Largest at 21”, 20.5, and other 20”. Courtney also caught her PB and joined the 20 inch club – which from my boat is now a membership of several dozen anglers these past few years 👊

Water temps 64-67. Things are heating up. If one lake isn’t producing, load up and travel to your nearest second lake. Be mobile, flexible, adapt to everything, and don’t waste too much time sitting in a car. If the jigging bite is off like it was for us early in the day, go casting. Feeding windows very short, prioritize mid afternoon hours.

Fantastic and entertaining afternoon of fishing. I just drove the boat and navigated, tied knots, fixed wind knots, and really didn’t have to cast! Thank you for putting on a show.

September 25th – I hosted Smallmouth hunter Mike from Chicago. We had a great outing that was on fire during the morning from 9am to noon. During this time, we fished one big area of the lake. Because of this, we camped out on the same lake all day and proceeded to catch 18 Smallmouth, 4 walleye, and 1 chunky pike.

To my surprise, last night’s messy weather and big storm didn’t kill the fishing. Morning was good, but afternoon noticeably slower. Big wind and cold air likely responsible.

We began the day casting craw imitators and covering water. But after the first 30 minutes of nothing, and then marking several fish beneath boat, we busted out the ned rigs. We then didn’t tie on another lure all day.

Water temps 64-65. All fish caught relating to deeper wood and cribs in 8-20 ft depths. On this lake if you were bank beating or way offshore you weren’t going to catch. All Smallmouth caught were attached to wood.

Nearly all fish in the 2-4lb range, and a handful at 18-20 inches length. Great light bites and dead weight (and several drops!) for a windy cold front day.

September 26th – From zeroes to heroes!

Yesterday I hosted Joe Novak for a sunrise to sundown adventure. Joe traveled round trip from Chicago to catch nice fish just for the day and return afterwards. His trip and long commute was very worthwhile!

We hit two lakes. We got shut out on the morning lake from 745-1115 am. Bad cold front gave them lock jaw, but marked dozens of them in mid depth rock from 10–15 ft depths. No fish other than walleyes by lunchtime, so we made a switch. Joe might have been worried about this, but I was not. I think every lake would have sucked like this in the morning, no matter what.

Second lake – I went back to where my customers and I left it from our trip on Tuesday. It was on fire. The expected midday feeding window between 1-3pm took place. Also, and handful of other smaller feeding bursts throughout the afternoon and evening happened too.

Joe and I caught and released 33 Smallmouth from noon to 645 pm. Many fish were relating to windblown flats, sand beaches, and shallow grass in 3 to 8ft depths. Many fish caught and found in pods of 2-3-4 fish. Feeding heavily and following perch schools. Bites very rapid and fierce.

Two baits were needed all day……

Trokar boxing glove jigs with an assortment of Kalin’s Fishing 3.8” Sizmic Shads and Strike King Rage Swimmers caught the most fish. On rock areas and other hard bottom spot on spot locations, downsized football jigs with Bizz Baits craw trailers caught those fish. Biggest fish of the day near sand and grass, smallest fish of the day on rock.

Several fish in the 16-20” class boated. Best fish was a 21” monster (my largest of the year) that found her way to my swimbait.

Cold front finally dropping water temps. 63-64 today. Fish will continue to snap like this into next week. I expect some good fishing then also.

Always a good and entertaining day of fishing with Joe. Thank you again! Looking forward to next time!

October 2nd – No bass trips scheduled yet for October, but I’ll go catch them anyways. After a rough few days of muskies (many blown hookups) and even a shutout on SMB during Saturday’s bad coldfront (thankfully solo), I pushed on. A great day was finally had, but in difficult conditions. Fall has finally arrived!

I haven’t had much good weather and favorable conditions to work with in the last week. No rain during the daytime yesterday, so I went on a monster quest.

Water temps now at 59-62. This latest cooldown has the bigger fish finally on the move. Much transition and changes in patterns have taken place since last week. Fish were shallower then, and really chasing and feeding in frenzies. Right now not as much. Numbers of fish are moving and holding in deeper water until turnover passes (15-25ft), while a few pods of big fish are roaming around in shallower water. These fish will now be sliding into deeper water next. Each lake is different, and what’s happening won’t be the same everywhere. This cooldown has the big fish feeding, and more of them grouped together.

On the particular lake I was on, crayfish patterns rule. A heavy 3/4 oz. Gregg Kizewski football jig paired up with a Bizz Baits craw did all the damage. Bomb cast and crawl it up the slopes and drag thru the shallow flats. If a fish was there, it was getting smoked. For the shallower depths, I downsized the same bait to a 3/8 oz.

Besides bigger, more aggressive fish in shallower water, fall wintering is now being observed. Smaller fish are now in these areas. I was able to extract these fish from 18-25ft depths with vertical jigging. 1-2-3 fish up. Then they’d condition and scatter until the next little feeding window arrived.

Best bites today went from 830-9am. Then dead for the next 4 hours, before really heating up and on fire from 230pm to 5pm.

If you’re on a good lake and bass fishery, camp on it all day to take advantage of these short feeding windows. They can happen at any moment during midday.

Top fish was just short of 22″, largest and heaviest of the year. Other notables a pair of 20.5’s, and a handful of 18-19’s. 10 quality fish caught and released. Some pics are duplicates.

Awesome day of beast mode.

Multi-Species Reports

Crappies and muskies provided worthwhile fishing for us in September and October. I truly enjoy not bass fishing on some days!

September 16th – Caught and (mostly) released some outstanding beautiful big crappies recently. Photos from September 16th. After a day of Smallmouth fishing.

Keepers from 10-12”…… big ones to 15” released. Jig and Kalin’s Fishing crappie scrub.

September 21-23rd – Fall can come any day now. Enjoyed an awesome and challenging weekend of multi species fishing with my dad + family friend.

Friday crappies and mixed bag. Saturday & Sunday muskies. We caught fish despite a front that didn’t seem to trigger much activity in response.

More September Muskies – Cooling water temps resulted in a very good shallow water musky bite. Hit some nice ones on bucktails.

October 4-5-6 – This past weekend (Oct 4-5-6), my good buddy Brian came to visit. I was forced to retire the bass rods. Great musky weekend! 12 fishes caught Fri thru Sun. 10 casting, 2 live bait. Fun northwoods numbering. One rod broken in half on strongest hookset in history, and thankfully no broken dreams. The best of fall season is yet to come, maybe in a week or two.

In order to keep both of our marriages intact, we then returned home to our wives afterwards. I’m off now until October 20th.

Musky bites will heat up again with this incoming cold snap.

October (and later) Fishing Forecast

To catch some big bass towards the end of October is a bonus. Every bite to me until the end is precious. You never know when that particular 20 incher could be your last one for the year.

After fall turnover completes on lakes, 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.

As we get into the latter parts of October, water temperatures will drop into the upper 40’s. This is about when I call it quits on for the season, at the very latest. Some fishing opportunities may still remain for the die-hards, as cisco feeding patterns take place, and there can be some days where big fish and numbers of them can be still caught.

As long as it’s not snowing and colder than 40 degrees I plan to do some more bass fishing. I will be back on the water again after October 20th, and will do all of my end of year bass during that week. I have a couple of lakes in mind for one last monster quest.

Please release all smallmouth bass this time of season. If you catch a trophy you want to mount, take pictures and measurements, and you will order a reproduction that will look nicer and better than an old smelly skin mount. Trust me on this one.

2020 Trip Planning

For those of you planning early for next year, please contact me for 2020 trips and fishing opportunities. I will be scheduling spring fishing trips and most of 2020 beginning December 1st.

Collection of deposits will begin after January 1st.

All repeat customers from 2017 to present please begin contacting me in November so I may enter you into my books early for May-June-July of next year for your priority scheduling. You will have my calendar in hand for selecting dates.

May and June trips mostly get filled by end of April.

Please note – limited availability. I only fish up to 2 weeks per month. Some months I might fish less. All fishing dates revolve around my seasonal / monthly trip blocks based on peak fishing periods and personal fishing success.

Folks who have inquired for next year already, please follow up with me again before end of the year,

Thank you!

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

NORTHERN WISCONSIN BASS FISHING GUIDE - MINOCQUA, WI