“How much further through the woods do we have to portage?” I whined. “Just a little further!” shouted back Jim. The trail was long, and my water sandals sucked for walking through the woods. Thankfully our rigs were mounted atop wheels, for easier pulling. On the half-mile long trek through the woods, I silently

  Big swimbaits are trending rapidly in present-day smallmouth fishing. Their origins can be traced back to over 30 years ago in the Western United States where innovative and pioneering anglers like Bill Siemantel, and others, succeed in catching double-digit largemouths with wood and plastic models. As this method of fishing grew and exploded in

  The inland fisheries of northern Wisconsin are the most diverse in the world. Each lake fishes differently, and each lake has been created differently through natural means or state-management.

  During the past decade, I’ve been fortunate to travel to a few Northwestern Ontario drive-to fishing destinations for a variety of adventures. Northwest Ontario has some of the best multi-species fishing opportunities in the world. Each season, I make it a priority to visit a few locations. At the top of my list is

  Across northern states and Canadian provinces, and most notably in Wisconsin, the invasive rusty crayfish has significantly altered every native ecosystem it’s invaded. Negatively, lakes infested by them were quickly deforested, void of aquatic plant life. The whole food chain and fishery suffered as a result. Recruitment of certain fish species grew poor, with

  Stubbornness is our worst enemy, and falling under its spell ruins every trip. It’ll dictate how and where to fish, throw you off course, and ultimately prevents from catching.

  Drought and drawdown-plagued waterways present obstacles to finding and catching fish. Whether due to drought or it’s the annual fall drawdown, many anglers fishing rivers and reservoirs for smallmouth are challenged by these situations.

  Across many northern natural lakes and lowland flowages, some of the biggest bronzebacks available in the system can be found dwelling in weedy cover. They’ll utilize weeds for cover and habitat for cover and feeding opportunities more often than you think. These weed oriented smallmouths continue to be overlooked and under fished, with the