Power fishing up north

[August]

I’ve lived in Minnesota and fished my whole life. I just got into bass fishing a couple years back, and being from up north I assumed that the bass were in deeper water and less aggressive than the ones down south because our super clear water. I normally concentrate on deep weed lines or offshore structure, but I’ve been watching a couple videos from roland Martin when he’s in Minnesota and he fishes the same way he does down in Florida, with heavy tackle big jigs etc. which seems like a lot of fun to me. Will I have success power fishing up here? And is there any advice you can give me? Sorry if my question are ignorant 

[MN Fisher]

I'd say it's about a 50/50 split on the bass I've caught between finesse (Neds, Wacky, Shakey Head, etc) and power fishing (Spinners, Chatters, Jigs, etc)

 

The bass in my avatar pic was caught on a spinnerbait, run along the edge of a lily-pad patch in about 2'-3' of water...she came barreling out from under the pads to slam it.

[MediumMouthBass]

Power fishing works everywhere.

Finesse fishing also works everywhere.

 

If you are fishing deeper water, just go 1 size up in weight.

Example 3/4oz-1oz bladed jigs, 3/4oz lipless cranks, 1/2-3/4oz spinnerbaits.

3/4-1oz football jigs, 5/8oz swim jigs.

 

And to add on to this, if i were to travel around the country i would fish what im most confident in.

Its easier to change your retrieve speed/cadence then it is to learn a whole new technique/lure/bait. Cheaper too. Fish what works best for you.

[Jar11591]

A bass is a bass from Canada to Mexico and from Japan to Zimbabwe. Power fishing will definitely work. I’m a fellow northern basser, Upstate NY specifically, and I spent a lot of my fishing hours power fishing. No way of fishing more effective for me than getting some heavy gear, finding some thick milfoil, and ripping spinnerbaits right through it, dropping punch rigs right in it, and frogs over it. When the going gets tough, you will find me throwing a spinnerbait over and over and over again until I might need a Tommy John. It’s as close to a guarantee in bass fishing there is for me. 

[LrgmouthShad]

25 minutes ago, MediumMouthBass said:

If you are fishing deeper water, just go 1 size up in weight.

Example 3/4oz-1oz bladed jigs, 3/4oz lipless cranks, 1/2-3/4oz spinnerbaits.

3/4-1oz football jigs, 5/8oz swim jigs.

So we don’t care about rate of fall at all? Just always go heavier in deeper water? 
 

I was in NY for four years and in my experience the bass up where I was ran significantly more aggressive than their Southern counterparts. Think about it. A bass up North is chased for fewer months and also has a shorter warm water period. 

[MediumMouthBass]

3 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

So we don’t care about rate of fall at all? Just always go heavier in deeper water?

The man asked for power fishing. Hard power fishing a 1/8oz lure at 15'.

[August]

So can I find them up super shallow from during the whole summer? I always went up shallow during the spring but I figured most of them would move out to weedlines in 10’-12’ of water.
And on our weedy lakes what areas am I looking for to throw I big jig or Texas rig? I’ve heard hard bottem areas in the weeds, or spots where two types of weeds meet. What else should I be looking for. 

[MediumMouthBass]

@August Im up north but in PA so MN fishing might be a bit different.

My experience with fishing for bass in the summer is that they are everywhere.

 

Ill start by the bank, docks, lily pads, trees that fell into the water. Ill probably catch several or a few dozen. Then ill move out slightly off the bank to where the shallow water mixes with the deeper parts of the lake. In most places this is where i do the best, whether its lake smallmouth or largemouth.

And when the wind blows the kayak out far ill fish the deep stuff, 15-20'.

 

The bass are literally everywhere, any depth, and also any water column.

You might have days where you are fishing 20' but the bass might be just a few feet below,

other times they might be on the bottom. Power fishing is my best option for finding and catching bass in those conditions. I can cover any depth/area of the water column.

 

But look for shade, alot of bass on those really hot days will be trying to find cooler spots.

And some days you might just have to stop power fishing and try something finesse if they are too lethargic.

 

[gimruis]

19 minutes ago, August said:

So can I find them up super shallow from during the whole summer? I always went up shallow during the spring but I figured most of them would move out to weedlines in 10’-12’ of water.
And on our weedy lakes what areas am I looking for to throw I big jig or Texas rig? I’ve heard hard bottem areas in the weeds, or spots where two types of weeds meet. What else should I be looking for. 

I have fished in MN for nearly 25 years now. I used to do more walleye fishing in my younger days but the past 10-12 years have been mostly bass fishing with a little bit of muskie fishing mixed in.

 

I power fish about 75% of the time here, for both largies and smallmouth. When I say power fishing, I mean a faster, more aggressive approach. Last weekend I was smallmouth fishing for 2 days and snapping a jerk bait was the most productive tactic. I also caught a few fish on a crank bait bumping rocks. But at one point both days, neither produced. I had to get out a small tube and crawl/hop it along to get bit.

 

I rarely target deep offshore structure. I do fish deep weed lines in midsummer because that’s where fish set up. I think a lot of shallow water areas get overlooked now. For largemouth in the summer, I seek out docks with a 1-2 approach. Early in the day, I burn a moving lure on the edges with something like a spinnerbait. As the day progresses and the sun goes higher, I start skipping plastics into the shade. This approach has been very effective for me the past 4-5 years.

 

@August I don’t know exactly where you are but if you are fishing busier, bigger lakes, fishing will be tougher because of tournaments. I prefer smaller, less pressured lakes. If there is limited parking, even better.

2 hours ago, LrgmouthShad said:

Think about it. A bass up North is chased for fewer months and also has a shorter warm water period. 

He has a point here. There is this thing called winter usually for about 5 months when bass are locked into an ice cube, or the season is closed.

 

The spawn will be happening here shortly if it isn’t already happening. There will likely be a lull in the action for a period of time until the fish recover and start their usual summer patterns.

[August]

32 minutes ago, gimruis said:

I have fished in MN for nearly 25 years now. I used to do more walleye fishing in my younger days but the past 10-12 years have been mostly bass fishing with a little bit of muskie fishing mixed in.

 

I power fish about 75% of the time here, for both largies and smallmouth. When I say power fishing, I mean a faster, more aggressive approach. Last weekend I was smallmouth fishing for 2 days and snapping a jerk bait was the most productive tactic. I also caught a few fish on a crank bait bumping rocks. But at one point both days, neither produced. I had to get out a small tube and crawl/hop it along to get bit.

 

I rarely target deep offshore structure. I do fish deep weed lines in midsummer because that’s where fish set up. I think a lot of shallow water areas get overlooked now. For largemouth in the summer, I seek out docks with a 1-2 approach. Early in the day, I burn a moving lure on the edges with something like a spinnerbait. As the day progresses and the sun goes higher, I start skipping plastics into the shade. This approach has been very effective for me the past 4-5 years.

 

@August I don’t know exactly where you are but if you are fishing busier, bigger lakes, fishing will be tougher because of tournaments. I prefer smaller, less pressured lakes. If there is limited parking, even better.

He has a point here. There is this thing called winter usually for about 5 months when bass are locked into an ice cube, or the season is closed.

 

The spawn will be happening here shortly if it isn’t already happening. There will likely be a lull in the action for a period of time until the fish recover and start their usual summer patterns.

How shallow can you find them during the summer? Are they in 2’ of water like the guys down south are always talking about?

im in far north Minnesota also, only a couple hours south for the Canada border 

[gimruis]

Yes, they can be in 2 feet of water if there’s good shade for them there.

 

Anything they can seek relief from in midsummer from the sun can hold a fish.

 

Right now they aren’t in summer patterns, just bear that in mind. You are further north than the waters I fish. Most of mine is in the central portion of the state.

[August]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

Yes, they can be in 2 feet of water if there’s good shade for them there.

 

Anything they can seek relief from in midsummer from the sun can hold a fish.

 

Right now they aren’t in summer patterns, just bear that in mind. You are further north than the waters I fish. Most of mine is in the central portion of the state.

Yeah they’re just coming up to spawn in my neck of the woods

[August]

Also what should determine whether I go and look for them up shallow with a jig or frog, or try to find them on the outside weed lines during the summer? 

[bp_fowler]

On 5/20/2024 at 11:50 PM, August said:

Also what should determine whether I go and look for them up shallow with a jig or frog, or try to find them on the outside weed lines during the summer? 

If the water and the skies are clear then they will usually be deeper or in the shade.

 

Remember bass want to conceal themselves as much as possible from their prey and from their predators (you).  So anything that would make the bass more visible would generally make them go deeper, hang out in shade provided by vegetation, or otherwise be tight to whatever cover is available.

 

 If you have low light due to overcast skies, wind or time of day that will generally make them more comfortable coming shallow.  

Always remember that regardless of conditions there will be some bass that stay shallow no matter what.  They will just be in shade or tighter to cover.

[gimruis]

I agree with what @bp_fowler mentioned above.  As we move into summer time here, they will be looking for relief from the sun when that is out during the day.  Whether that's under docks, in deeper water, or in thick weeds.  I'm specifically talking about largemouth here, just FYI.

 

On a cloudy or rainy day, they could be just about anywhere.  These are my favorite days in the summer time.  There is often an aggressive feeding period when there are a bunch of sunny, warm days with an incoming low pressure system.  Not only is the fishing usually much better, but it keeps most everyone else off the lake too.

[August]

But even when it’s sunny and calm some will be up shallow under lily pads etc?

[August]

I should also clarify what I mean by power fishing is stuff like heavy jigs t-rigs and frogs, not just regular moving baits and jigs if that makes sense.

This is a way that I’ve never fished, and I don’t see to many people up here fishing like that. We don’t have much matted vegetation around here so I’ll probably be manly fishing lily pads and bull rushes and maybe some cattails. 

[MN Fisher]

Swim jigs through the pads and cattails, pitching into the pads, frogs across the top...those are all techniques I'd use if I was still 'Up Nord'. (I lived in Bemidji for 6 years).

[bp_fowler]

1 hour ago, August said:

But even when it’s sunny and calm some will be up shallow under lily pads etc?

Correct.

[MIbassyaker]

Oh yes, even in clear water, shallows are attractive to bass because there is potential for a lot of food.  As long as there is good cover (especially shaded, overhead cover), you should be able to find some hanging out up there. 

 

I do fish a couple small, clear natural lakes in which there don't tend to be be many larger bass up shallow in the summer, but it's not a universal trend.   A frog, swimjig, and a t-rigged ultravibe speed worm are great to try around shallow pads & reeds in clear natural lakes.

 

[August]

4 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Swim jigs through the pads and cattails, pitching into the pads, frogs across the top...those are all techniques I'd use if I was still 'Up Nord'. (I lived in Bemidji for 6 years).

Oh you lived in bemidji? That’s where I am 

I’d love to hear some of your old spots if ya don’t mind 😉

[gimruis]

There is a guy in the MN thread that fishes the Bemidji area named @Tlauz. He only posts sporadically but seems to do pretty well targeting both largemouth and smallies.

[MN Fisher]

40 minutes ago, August said:

Oh you lived in bemidji? That’s where I am 

I’d love to hear some of your old spots if ya don’t mind 😉

My spots are probably way out of date - left Bemidji in 1980 when I entered the Air Force....but

 

Lake Bemidji itself - see circled areas on maps below

 

 

 

 

Beltrami Lake, Little Bass Lake and Big Bass Lake...pretty much anywhere on the lakes

 

Those were pretty much my haunts besides panfishing Irving or Grant (in Wilton) and trout fishing the Straight River in Park Rapids....strangely I rarely fished Leech and then only the NE section of Walker Bay.

 

 

 

[Deephaven]

I power fish most of the time.  Grew up in Detroit lakes so different up north but similar.  Fish can be shallow at anytime but not usually at the back of expansive shallow flats.  Something needs to make it easy for them to get in and out of their haunts.

[August]

So is it good to approach a new lake by starting up shallow and working your way out deep till you find them?