Do you CHANGE color or weight first?

 To all my jig and Texas-Rig throwers out there this question can make the difference of a bad day and a good day of fishing.  I have done a lot of experimenting with this over the years and I was reminded of this once again last week.  I had spent three straight days on the river catching bass on one of my favorite color of tubes; the Hot Rod Baits GreenPumpkin/Blue tube.  Like most anglers I will change color of baits first, typically depending on the water clarity, which if yo are fishing river systems can change in the matter of a few hours or with a change of scenery.  Two straight days I was catching bass on a 3/16oz Texas Rig, on the third day the bites disappeared.  Same stretch of river, similar current and same water clarity.  The GreenPumpkin/Blue tube was working so well, and it looked so good in the water I wasn't boing to change up colors.  Instead, I changed the weight of my sinker.  I retied and placed a 1/8oz bullet weight on the Texas-Rig and continued fishing.  Several fish later I was feeling like a genius.  So, my inquiring mind took over and started to question the change.  Was it the weight...was it a different stretch of bank...different logs I was pitching at?  So, I turned the boat around and fished the laydown logs that had no bites...sure enough I caught some fish.  This was in the matter of 30 minutes so I am pretty sure the weight had EVERYTHING to do with the fish catches on this particular day.  

On that particular day I was reminded that fishing can literally b a the difference of 1/16th of an ounce, hardly anything.  This instance also reminded me that fish can be quite picky when selecting food to eat.  Not only is color important of obviously the speed of the bait can be crucial as well.  

I hope this tip helps you catch a few more fish this year, stay safe out there and keep your baits wet!

Indee Bass Club July Wapsi River Tournament

Gable, Colton and their
Captain Dan Sweeney

 Mother Nature blessed the Indee Bass Club on July 9th with wonderful weather for their annual Wapsi Summer Scramble.  This event partners up young anglers, which included 16 students, with an adult boat captain for a night of fishing on the Wapsi.  The goal is for the anglers to catch three keeper (12-inch) bass for the live weigh-in.  The teams are ranked on their total weight of the three bass.  Anglers can only use artificial baits and for this event the time limit was four hours.  It is a challenge anytime to catch bass, making team work a valuable component of this learning opportunity for students.  

Students and their adult captains hit the water at 4:30pm.  Boats spread out quickly throughout the Wapsipinicon River system.  Of the eight boats that took part in the event, six boats brought back their limit of three bass.  In sixth place was Jackson Beatty and Ty Hansen, they weighed in 3.06 pounds.  In fifth place was Keegan King and Cal Sweeney, they had 3.80 pounds.  Coming in at forth place was Christian Simmons and Memphis Peyton, they had 4.06 pounds.  In third place was Aiden Svoboda and Carter Eddy, they had 6.62 pounds.  These anglers caught their bass on Hot Rod Baits tubes, buzzbaits, and crankbaits.  Runner-up for the event was Preston Miller and Ranger Reed, they had 7.06 pounds, catching them on swim jigs and Hot Rod Bait tubes.  The Wapsi Summer Scramble Champions were Colton Cameron and Gable Eddy.  They caught their 8.11 pounds of keeper bass on tube baits and wacky worms.  The winning weight was helped by Colton's Big Bass of the event that weighed 3.02 pounds.  

Captains that volunteered their boats and time for this event included; Andrew Gissell, Dave Wilson, Bo Peyton, Jesse Roscovious, John Malek, Todd Reed, Randy Toale, and Dan Sweeney.  All participants enjoyed pizza at the tend of the event which was purchased with club sponsor money.  The Indee Bass Club is a volunteer ran organization which is made possible by the numerous sponsors they have.  A huge thank you to all of them: Colonly Heating/AC, Smith D&L Insurance, Buchanan County Wildlife, Tim Reed State Farm, BankIowa, Cy&Charley's, Shay's Minn Kota, RONA Memorial, Klever Concrete, Hilltop Motors, SCHEELS of Cedar Falls, Strike King Lures, Lew's Fishing, The Rod Glove, X-Zone Lures, and Hot Rod Baits.  With the help of all these sponsors, Coach Todd Reed was able to give away over $1000 worth of fishing gear to the students and captains at this event.  For more information about the club search them out on Facebook, Instagram or their Google website.

Summer Fishing in IOWA

This article first appeared in The Iowa Sportsman Magazine

Iowa may be one of the best states in the Midwest to fish this time of year.  The water is warming, most all spawning activity is complete, and the rivers are flowing.  No matter what part of the state you live in, you have a river nearby that is waiting for you.  Smallmouth and largemouth bass are really feeding up this time of year and can provide fantastic topwater action.  These species of fish will hit a variety of topwater baits this time of year.  Some favorites amongst bass anglers include; buzzbaits, poppers, walking baits and frogs.  If your river system is large enough, you may have some backwater areas that are starting to provide nice weed patches for fish to hide and feed in.  Not only are these high percentage areas for bass and topwater baits, but are also great for bluegills.  I have never seen a bluegill that could resist a small worm floating under a bobber.  If you live in areas where smaller rivers rule your terrain then it is time to get your topwater baits ready for some smallmouth bass.  Smallmouth love to hang out in current areas and sandbars.  Smallmouth bass will smash a topwater water bait all throughout the day.  Of course, early morning and later in the evening is better for any type of fishing right now, especially topwater baits.  Rocky shorelines provide an ample amount of food for the smallmouth and they will be fooled by small walking baits and popper style baits.  The same goes for catching smallmouth bass on or near sandbars.  

If river fishing isn't for you, or you don’t have a good way to access rivers in your area, then some crappie fishing in a nearby lake is something to focus on.  As the lake temperatures start to warm, crappies will start to align with shaded areas and deeper structures.  Crappies really like shaded shorelines this time of year and boat docks too.  Each provides some cooler water and gives them an advantage in stalking their prey.  Crappies are best known for hitting artificial baits.  They love jigheads and a colorful plastic trailer.  One-eighth ounce jighead or lighter is best for these fish.  My two favorite colors of baits for crappie plastics are; pink and white and a black and chartreuse combination.  Once you figure out the right weight of lure to get it at the depth the crappies are holding, you will have a fantastic time catching these fish.  Mix up the jig head weights and colors until you find the perfect combination for the depth of water you are fishing.  

Another great fish to target in our lakes are bluegills.  Bluegills can usually be seen in large numbers throughout the state at any given lake.  These fish are quite energetic for their size and are very fun to catch on light tackle.  As mentioned earlier, a small worm and bobber is hard to beat when chasing bluegills, however if you are in a boat searching for them you may want to give a drop-shot a try.  When bluegills are relating to the bottom of the lake, there is no better technique to catch them then the drop-shot.  This rig has a bell sinker on the bottom of your line with your hook and bait ties approximately six inches above the sinker.  This allows you to pull the worm or drift with it along the bottom while keeping your hook and bait just off the bottom, bluegills love this presentation.  Typically the bite is a nice little thump on your rod, so it is great to use with kids as well.  The month of June is a great time to explore new areas, the fish are biting and you may find a great new place to fish for years to come.

As you can see, Iowa has a lot to offer right now when it comes to fishing.  The heart-pounding topwater bass strikes, bluegills slowly taking your bobber, or crappies picking up your jig, there is always something biting in June right here in Iowa.

Indee Bass Club: May on the Wapsi River

EJ and Grady: Wapsi Champs

Wapsi River hosts first HOME event for Indee Bass Club

This past weekend the Indee Bass Club took to the Wapsi in Independence for their first home event of the year.  Twenty-four students from grades 7-12 joined in on the cool, windy day to try to catch some bass.  All anglers were taken out on the river by adult boat captains for 6 hours in search of the biggest bass they could find.  While the weather wasn’t very cooperative, anglers did catch largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, walleye and northern pike.  Each boat, 2 student anglers, are allowed to bring in 5 bass to weigh in at the scales to determine the winner.  Only two teams were able to do that, but eight boats did manage to bring bass to the scales for the official weigh-in at Teachers Park.

Coming in with the biggest limit for the event were a couple of seniors who have fished the club for many years.  EJ Miller and Grady Cornwell found a nice limit of bass that weighed 9.03 pounds.  They caught most of their fish along rocky shorelines of the Wapsi using a paddle tail jig and a spinnerbait.  They also caught a keeper on a frog bait in a backwater area.  In second place, fresh off a win at the Okoboji Lakes were Jackson Beatty and Gable Eddy.  They had a limit of bass that weighed 8.63 pounds.  They caught all their bass using crankbaits and soft plastic craw baits.  Jackson also caught the big bass of the event, a beautiful 2.46 pounds largemouth bass.  In third place was Colton Cameron and Carter Eddy.  They found three keeper bass using a different bait for each!  They caught them on a “dirty craw” tube, spinnerbait and crankbait.  Coming in at fourth place was Cal Sweeney and Ranger Reed.  They had two nice largemouth bass that weighed 3.08 pounds, they caught them pitching tubes.  In fifth place was Memphis Peyton and Brayton Kuhse, they had one nice largemouth that weighed 2.31 pounds, just missing the big bass award.  In sixth place was Keegan King and Landen Putbrese, they had one smallmouth that weighed 1.67 pounds.  In seventh place was Preston Miller and Kaden Shannon with a keeper that weighed 1.01 pounds.  Finishing out the teams that brought in keeper bass were Tavien Jones and TeJay Ratchford.  They had one keeper that weighed 1.00 pounds.

Overall, 19 bass were weighed in on Saturday and all released alive back into the Wapsi River to be caught another day.  Students commented on catching walleye and northern pike throughout the day too, which keeps you on your toes as you look for the next bass strike.   After the weigh-in, anglers and captains were treated with a grill out, thanks to grill master Randy Toale.  A huge thank you to our twelve adult boat captains for getting 24 student anglers out on the water.  They included: Brian Miller, Jackson Toale, Travis Butters, Dan Sweeney, Todd Reed, Dave Wilson, Andrew Gissell, Jesse Roscovious, John Malek, Tony Delgado, Jason Hoyle, and Matt Osbourne.  Without these adults the students wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the time outdoors…THANK YOU.  Another big thank you goes out to the Indee Bass Club sponsors for the 2025 season.  We have many local sponsors as well as some national sponsors that allows the club to give away approximately $800 of fishing prizes and gear at this event.  They include Colony Plumbing Heating/AC, Smith D&L Insurance, RONA Memorial, BankIowa, Cy & Charley’s, Tim Reed State Farm Agency, Buchanan County Wildlife Association, Hilltop Motors, Klever Concrete, Shay Minn Kota, SCHEELS of Cedar Falls, The Rod Glove, X-Zone Lures, Strike King Lures, Lew’s Rod/Reels and Hot Rod Baits.

For more information about the Indee Bass Club, check out their website, Facebook or Instagram pages. 

2025 Indee Bass Club SPONSORS

2025 Iowa High School Bass Team Challenge ~ OVER 100 kids fishing

 

Another year for this event has come and gone.  For the past seven years I have been able to give this opportunity to kids from all over the state.  It is an honor to work with my sponsors to bring this event to the youth of Iowa.  This OPEN bass tournament, not requiring and formal club or organization, is for all kids across the state.  There are a few bass clubs in the state but not as many as you would think.  This event allows anyone to grab a partner, an adult, a boat and come fishing for a part of $4,000 in fishing awards and gear.  This year the event took place on Lake MacBride near Solon, Iowa.  There were 57 boats, or 114 kids fishing on the day from 20 different schools.  They were; Benton Community, Cascade, Cedar Falls, Charles City, Waverly/ShellRock, CR Prairie, Anamosa, Des Moines Roosevelt, Gilbert, Independence, Johnston, Louisa Muscatine, Midland, Mt. Pleasant, North Linn, Prince of Peace, Solon, Tipton, West Delaware, and Wilton.  

The weather was beautiful on this day and the bass were biting.  This event is unique as there are a couple different competitions going on simultaneously.  First, like a typical bass tournament each boat weighs in their five biggest bass from the day.  The other part is the "TEAM" portion.  The two top boats from the same school are added together for the "team score".  It has been a fun twist to High School fishing, as the sport will grow fastest if we connect with schools.  In 2024 it was the Indee Bass Club from Independence taking home the Championship.  Let's take a look at how things panned out in 2025.  

2025 Team Champions: CR Prairie

Since the inception of this event in 2019, there has never been a repeat school champion.  That held true agin in 2025.  The Cedar Rapids Prairie School team took home the Championship this year.  Their combined weight of their top two boats was 23.08 pounds.  This was the schools first championship.  In second place was Johnston School.  They had a combined weight of 22.15 pounds.  This was the highest Johnston has ever finished.  In third place was last years returning champs, the Indee Bass Club.  They weighed in 15.99 pounds.  This was the 5th straight year the Indee Bass Club has finished in the top three!

Big Bass: Max with a 5.19#

Probably the biggest surprise at the scales on this day was the "Strike King Big Bass" that was brought in by Max of Des Moines Roosevelt.  The largemouth bass weighed 5.19 pounds, a HUGE bass for anywhere in the Midwest, a big congratulations to them for catching that monster during the event.

As for the individual boats it was a mix boat from Waverly/ShellRock and Charles City that claimed the trophy for 2025.  Clay and Will had five keeper bass that weighed 11.91#.  In second place was the team from CR Prairie, Nolan and Max weighing in 11.76 pounds.  In third place was Tyson and Kallen from Johnston with 11.63 pounds.  Coming in at forth place was Tucker and Micah from CR Prairie with 11.32 pounds.  Rounding out the top five was Marshall and Reese from Johnston with 10.52 pounds.  

Full STANDINGS HERE

Prizes were given out to the top three teams placing in the school portion of this event, as well as the top 15 individual boats.  Over $4,000 in awards and fishing gear was given away.  Rods, reels, tackle, life vests, fishing tools, trophies and the Championship Rings were all possible by our great sponsors.  A HUGE shoutout to the Cedar Falls SCHEELS store for their continued support of this event.  We are already planning and thinking about the 2026!!!  Strike King, Lew's Fishing and Hot Rod Baits were contributing sponsors as well.

Lastly, I could not do this alone... my friends Chad O'Brien, James Cook, Garry Anderson and Jeremia Matz from SCHEELS made this event go smoothly for everyone.  THANK YOU ALL!!!

Clay and Will with the biggest
limit on the day: 11.91#

The annual tournament has its own Facebook page that gives updates throughout the year, please follow for details on the 2026 event as well as all the tournament photos. Facebook LINK