June was an interesting month of fishing. Inconsistent weather, coupled with mayfly hatches, busy boat traffic on some days, plus short feeding windows and lack of fish activity made June bass fishing a challenge. Like all problems we face on the water, there are often solutions. My boat succeeded, but fell far below my high standards.
We have officially entered the early summer period. Bass are recovering from post-spawn and feeding more frequently. Water temperatures on our Vilas and Oneida county lakes are anywhere in the range from 68 to 72 degrees, though it may vary by lake size and depth, and clarity. I haven’t spent time fishing them yet (waiting for the dinks to leave shallows), but I know the flowages are warmer.
In June there weren’t many obvious bass patterns. Mayfly hatches, the early and much prolonged bass spawn, marine repairs for the Ranger, and bad weather forced me to explore new waters, fish places that I normally wouldn’t visit this time of year, try new locations, and experiment with presentations I am not accustomed to.
When the crayfish aren’t active nor on the prowl, it can be assured that smallmouth fishing will be difficult, and their feeding patterns will be off. This is why crankbaits and tubes weren’t as effective. Same can also be said for the lack of schooling baitfish in some places. This is why spinnerbaits, flukes, swimming grubs, and jerkbaits weren’t as effective either.
You want to talk about weird fishing, how about catching smallmouths from 25ft water in early June, open water jigging flukes and tube jigs and strolling with jerkbaits near cisco schools. That happened, plus a lot more.
^ Cisco smallmouths.
Normally in June, I spend majority of my time fishing on the largest, deepest, and coldest lakes in the region containing ciscoes and smelt. These lakes experience much later spawns, and encompass the lowest smallmouth bass population densities. I want to avoid the spawn, and I’m solely after big bass.
Add up all the adversity we had [and I personally had] and these large clear waterbodies will consequently have the most difficult fishing. I struggled mightily to fish them with any success.
Despite the usual June big water haunts failing to produce, some nice catches were had during the month of June. A number of real nice 18 and 19 inchers were caught. However, the frequent 20 inchers of years past continue to elude.
My typical June patterns of shallow and mid crankbaits, spinnerbaits, swimming grubs, tubes, and drop shot rigs worked……. but not every day. On certain days the entire tackle shop needed to be tried before any bites were had.
A few unique patterns emerged in June, which I thought were interesting. Before and after the spawn, fish were frequently observed cruising in wolfpacks in depths as shallow as 1 foot deep. I was catching these mobile fish by staying mobile myself, raising the trolling motor and casting with the 5 inch Kalin’s swimming grub rigged with a minnow styled jig head. A pattern was, of course, the tube jig, as smallmouths wanted it meticulously scurried and dragged along the bottom. I keep a few in various brands and sizes rigged and ready at all times. Then a third was the drop shot. If nothing was being caught, the drop shot led to a few bites, but was most effective when bass were on a baitfish bite.
On the lakes that have a good tube jig bite, the tube fared very well. These two fish (bottom pics same) were caught on Strike King Coffee Tubes. With the lack of crayfish activity in June, the tube jig otherwise sucked.
^ Jeff Karls, from Madison WI, joined me over the weekend of June 10-12th. In between our musky days, we spent a full day of trophy hunting in Vilas County. On our first spot on the second lake of the day, Jeff caught this giant smallmouth. It barely struck the squarebill crankbait I had him throwing. Even on lakes with a good crankbait bite in June, it failed to produce. Lack of crayfish, poor weather and post-storms will change fish behaviors.
As I had mentioned, the only good thing about June bass fishing was perhaps the consistence and effectiveness of finesse fishing. When nothing else works, what do most bass anglers turn to?
The drop shot rig. Given the uncertainty of good weather and good fishing days this summer, I feel this style will have to be a standby for the remainder of the year. Exclusively drop shotting with Stankx Bait Company’s DS Squirtz, it converted inactive bass into biters.
At this writing smallmouths are in early summer period and progressing into mid summer period. Summer peak fishing will be here in mid July, and fish will be located everywhere from open water schooling, to deep rock and gravel humps, first and secondary points, sand bars and flats, fish cribs – usually most at 12-15ft level, deep weedlines where perch and baitfish present, and the shallows. In mid summer, smallmouths can be caught as shallow as 2 feet to as deep as 30 feet depending on water temperatures and the developing thermoclines and summer stratification.
I’m not going to make any fishing forecasts or predictions because that clearly failed for June. I have a few rules to follow. If water temperatures are 70 or below, which they could be into early July, look for fish shallow. If crayfish aren’t around where they should be, then don’t bother. If water warms and midday fishing is unsuccessful, fish early or late. Night fish especially, with topwaters, loud surface baits, and crankbaits.
We’ll keep throwing the entire Ranger’s tackle collection until a good pattern and some consistency is established. I keep an assortment of 20 rods and reels rigged to handle all scenarios. Something will work.
Besides June bass, the muskies actually cooperated far better! Here’s a sampling of what friends and I did during the bass downtime.
First week of July I take off to fish Rainy Lake in Northwest Ontario, where I will be staying at Camp Narrows Lodge. Host and friend, Tom Pearson, operates a world class drive-to fishing destination that’s only 30 miles north of Minnesota. LEARN MORE HERE! From Minocqua, with my boat, it should be a 7 hour drive both ways. Smallmouth bass will be primary targets, while northern pike and walleyes will be secondary. My first visit in 2014 was incredible, and I’m expecting similar results and my first 20 incher of 2016!
In July I have very limited fishing dates to accommodate up to 2 anglers for full and half day trips. Meanwhile August is more wide open, and I have available blocks at beginning of the month, and maybe again end of month. Please call or email to inquire, and please provide me with your correct contact information to confirm and set plans. I invite you to visit me online at www.northwoodsbass.com.
July and august, 2016 available fishing dates
JULY:
- July 10th (full day)
- July 11th (contact for details)
- July 12th (contact for details)
- July 13th (contact for details)
- July 14th (contact for details)
- July 28th (half day)
- July 29th (half day)
- July 30th (full day)
- July 31st (full day)
AUGUST:
- August 1st thru 10th (full days available)
Thanks all for reading. I wish I had more time to go into detail more with strategy and specifics, but you can schedule a day with me to learn more!
Andrew Ragas
www.northwoodsbass.com
tel: (708) 256-2201
andrew@northwoodsbass.com
