by Doug Asp

Walleyes are fine but northern Minnesota can also boast of excellent bass fishing. And it's not necessary to have a high-speed bass boat and a small fortune in rods, reels and assorted lures to successfully catch either largemouth or smallmouth bass. Basically all that's needed for most bass fishing situations is two rod-and reel combinations, one rigged with 10- to 12-pound test line, and the other with 20-pound line. The lighter line rig is used with a jig-and-worm combinations at the edge of deeper weed lines, in about 10 feet of water, as the summer progresses. Early in the fishing season, as well as mornings or evenings, the heavier line can be used to pull spinner baits in shallow water, in and near weed beds near the shore.

From my personal experience, one of the most effective summertime largemouth bass presentations, regardless of wind or weather conditions, is to use a plain lead-head jig tied directly to the line, tipped with a 4- to 6-inch plastic worm. Live bait can also work, but I prefer to work with plastic worms, most of which now come already saturated with attractor scents.

The weight of the jig should be consistent with the weather conditions at any given time. In a stronger wind, using a heavier jig, about one-eight ounce, will help keep the bait near the bottom. On calm days, one-sixteenth ounce or one-thirty-seconds ounce jigs should be all that's needed. Also, while jigging for bass along the weedlines, haste more often than not, makes waste. I've lost track of how many bass I've been able to fool by casting a jig out, letting it sink slowly, and taking my time before twitching the rod tip, just enough to cause the bait to move slightly. Often, when that bait moves, the bass that has been sitting and watching it can't resist grabbing hold when this "dead worm" suddenly comes to life. Smallmouth bass are also susceptible to this jig-and-worm presentation, as long as it is cast to where they live. Unlike their close relatives, smallmouths are more likely to be found along the same kind of rock reefs that walleyes prefer. Regardless of what variety of bass is on the other end of the line, the lucky angler who's hooked that fish is in for the kind of action walleyes could only dream of providing. The bass may, like a walleye, dive for the bottom and try to stay there. However, the bass is just as likely to start tail dancing on the surface, giving the angler a chance to at least see the fish before it shakes off the hook and disappears from sight, not to be fooled by that particular presentation again that day. Incidentally, to improve your chances of landing a bass determined to jump its way off the hook, when the line starts coming up out of the water, quickly drop the rod tip into the water. that will put downward pressure on the line, forcing the bass to remain below the surface. Heavier line is generally needed while dragging a spinner bait near shoreline weed beds. A bass hooked in that situation will do its best to wrap the line around weeds, submerged trees or whatever it can find in the aquatic jungle where it lives. It is possible to finesse a bass out of that kind of mess, however, the longer a person plays a fish, the more stress is put on that fish, reducing its chances of survival if catch-and-release is the angler's objective. No fancy techniques are needed to catch a bass with a spinner bait: Either you've got a fish on the line or you don't. When a fish hits the bait, there's no need to set the hook - the speed of the lure and the intensity of the fish's strike will provide enough force to do the job. One of the best rewards associated with spinner baiting around the lily pads is that you can often see the bass's strike coming. As the bait moves between the weeds, occasionally a smaller v-shaped wake will appear just behind that made by the lure, just before the surface of the water explodes when a 4-pound or bigger bass makes its move.