# Reports?



## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

This forum is DEAD and its the heart of the Bass season! Lets hear how everyone is doing out there. Ive only made it out twice for buckets and had one great trip on the opening week (MN...about 50 fish) and about half as good the following week (post spawn and cold front). :beer:


----------



## scottjes000 (Jan 26, 2007)

I caught a 2lb yesterday while perch fishing with a tiny jig on my ultra lite pole

I released him unharmed so I dont have any pics


----------



## Stonegoblet (Jun 24, 2007)

yo jess, 'was there. we caught tons of perch, not so much bass, until we got the boat out there


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

With a nice stretch of weather, it appears that the Minnesota largemouth bass are starting up on their summer patterns. We've done well flipping docks in MN with wooly hawg craws and tubes. My brother boated several greenies in the 17-19 inch range this past week, and I picked a few up when I stopped in at the cabin yesterday. So after a slower than usual start (weather?) the fishing has geared up.

On the Sheyenne it has been a different story. The season started with a bang, and Late April and Early May were excellent for big smallies, with the average size around 14 inches, including numerous 17s, a few 18s and one 19 inch smallmouth. The fish rose fast, and many of the smaller nest-guarding males were up by mid-May. Then the rains came. High waters have roiled the river, and kept it as dark as chocolate milk for two weeks after a stint where barely 100 CFS was moving through. This made fishing tough over the last two weeks. Water is receeding now, and I expect the usual mixed-bag of fish through September.

Ashtabula started well from early reports, and along rocky points and edges, smallmouth can be found all summer gorging on the crayfish that are out. If you can get inside a weedline, you might find a few big ones tucked against rip-rap shores for the rest of the month. After that, try jigs or tubes on the rocky outside edges or on points.

For white bass, Ashtabula is dynamite right now, the population cycle seems to be on an up-trend for both size and numbers, and light-tackle anglers and fly anglers can expect fast and furious action around sunset with crappie jigs and dollflies tipped with minnows or minnow-imitating flies, like the Clouser Minnow, Muddler or Zoo Cougar in natural and bright colors on floating lines, or slow-sink (Type I-III) lines.

Personal bests so far this summer for smallmouth and largemouth are both 18 inches. My biggest white is probably around 14 inches.


----------



## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

Ive never caught a white bass. I may be heading to Ashtabula in a week or two. Arent those whiteys an open water/schooling fish or do they also relate to structure? What areas might I find them in Nick? Thanks.


----------



## njsimonson (Sep 24, 2002)

Everywhere. :lol:

Specifically, look to weedlines and points. Though they relate to openwater, you'l find them where food is most concentrated. The evening bite is great on calm nights as you can see them surfacing on hatching insects or fry. You will catch them trolling cranks or spinners for walleye too. Many now call them "the white bullhead" on Ashtabula, but I like them. Talk about a sporting fish!


----------



## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

Thanks for the info Nick. Ive seen them being caught on TV...looks like a blast. I hope to target them (and some smallies) on the big lake soon. :beer:


----------



## Southwest Fisher (May 14, 2004)

I have been bass fishing some of the small lakes in Western MN(LaBelle, Boyer, etc), not too much luck this year. Poppers and buzzerbaits always seem to stir up a bite or two, but I used to have great luck with crawlers and slip-bobbers thrown near weed patches, and this year nothing. Caught a few accidentally on cranks. 
Maybe Ashtabula will treat me right this weekend, now that I've read Nick's reports!


----------



## holmsvc (Nov 26, 2003)

You can catch all the white and black bullheads you want on Lake Ashtabula.

The white bass are fun to catch on the ultra light, but are pain in the butt when trolling for eyes.


----------



## gotabig1 (Jun 29, 2007)

My fishing Has been great!!

Went out this week and caught 10 smallies and 2 bigmouths. 
got a couple 4 pd smallies. and some good sized big mouths. around 3.5 pds. friend drop scale in water after weighing smallmouths.

going fishing today gotta go


----------



## Bagman (Oct 17, 2002)

A good week so far. 50 buckets in about 2 1/2 hours on Monday at our regular (MN) lake...a nice 19 incher was big fish. Tuesday we tried a couple different lakes and got a few smallies (including a stout 16 in.) and another dozen or so buckets with several pike mixed in. Happy birthday USA! :beer:


----------

