By Andrew Ragas Bass fishing purists and elitists revile it. The professionals consider it cheating. Tournament organizers and circuits ban it, and its competitor jersey-clad fishermen laugh at it in haste. At the turn of the coldwater period, what’s an angler to do when nothing else in the tackle box works and the day is

By Andrew Ragas Clustered throughout northern Wisconsin’s wilderness landscape is the upper Midwest’s most extensive collection of inland freshwater lakes. From infertile rocky oligotrophic cold water lakes, to fertile habitat mesotrophic lakes, and heavily vegetated and nutrient-rich eutrophic waters, the northwoods has a lake type for all bass fishermen and their preferred styles of angling.

By Andrew Ragas For many bass anglers in Wisconsin, some of the best fishing of the year takes place as soon as the Wisconsin northern zone opens on the first Saturday of May. Rain or shine, the fishing will be good if you’re prepared ahead of time.

By Andrew Ragas With ice fishing coming to a close, there’s no better time to begin preparing for this year’s open water season, and evaluating bass fishing expectations. As a new season approaches, I often analyze my performance from the previous year, and review techniques and strategies that worked and didn’t work, and build upon

By Andrew Ragas Regardless of how much we know about bass fishing, and the methods we employ to catch smallmouth, the tackle industry and the world of bass fishing continues to evolve. The status quo and modern mainstream techniques rule the minds of bass anglers. As new techniques and product introductions gain momentum and popularity,

By Andrew Ragas Bass fishing is becoming more accepted throughout Northern Wisconsin. Anglers who enjoy catching fish appreciate the abundance of smallmouth bass in many of the region’s lakes and rivers. With lots of fish around, this type of an attraction and resource makes certain water bodies dream destinations.

Ashland Wisconsin’s Chequamegon Bay is the destination where every bass fisherman’s big fish dreams come true.

By Andrew Ragas Wisconsin is a great state for catching smallmouth bass, not just for number of lakes but outstanding management and conservation practices. Excellent fishing is had spring through fall, but the most challenging, rewarding, and consistent fishing of the season takes place in summer.