Eons ago, during pre-settlement times, the natural shallow water areas of many northern lakes were brimming with vast amounts of wood cover and plant life. Entirely undeveloped centuries ago, these lakes were pristine ecosystems. I could only wonder how virgin and unexploited our current fisheries were back then.

  Bump-bump-bump went the crankbait, crashing and banging off of every rock and boulder it made contact with through the mid-river current. I kept a firm grip on my casting outfit, knowing what would happen next.

  Cold fronts are déjà-vu, and frequent. During a typical fishing season, two or three days of stable weather per week always seems to be followed by an equal amount of cool, breezy, bluebird days.

  In my estimation, many northern Wisconsin trophy smallmouth fisheries peaked within the last decade. Reaping the rewards we did. While fishing those waters remain productive, big fish are not as prevalent in some systems like they once were. Harvest by meat hunters and death from old age are partially to blame. More boats and

  River systems throughout the upper Midwest can offer some of the best and most exciting bass fishing in spring. Depending on its fishery, action and trophies can both be possible on a near daily basis.

  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