3 Ways to Fish When You Don't Have a Bass Boat



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Bass boats are a fast, wonderful thing, but sometimes you have to get back to the basics if your boat is down or you don't have a boat. You may even get you to spots completely untouched by boat anglers. Here are three wonderful ways to do that.



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Kayak

The fastest of the three ways I'm going to mention to get around on the water when you aren't Bassin from a big boat is a Kayak. Kayaks can move as your arms can paddle. They can be upgraded to carry a fish finder, multiple rods, tackle and even a cooler. You won't cover as much water as you can in your Skeeter or Nitro but you might also be able to, as I said earlier, reach waters untouched. Some smallmouth infested rivers in the Western United such as the Owyhee river or the John Day (both in Oregon) are either too small for a big bass boat or have areas that don't allow motorized boats. Kayaks are a great Bassin tool to get you to some fun spots. Fishing kayaks retail anywhere from 499$ to 2000$ depending on what you want.

Float Tube



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Much slower than a kayak because you go only as fast as your legs can kick. We at River Lakes Bassin got our Bassin start using float tubes on Ruby Lake, NV. Some of our best memories are on that body of water catching bass on top waters while deep in the back of the marshes. Most float tubes are considerably less expensive than kayaks, retailing anywhere from 89$ for your basic round tube with pockets on both sides and a rest on the back, to a pontoon style float tube with the works up to a trolling motor mount at 700$. All styles are super easy to upgrade if you can work with PVC pipe to create attachments such as rod holders, tackle holders, or fish finder bases. The only thing you need besides the tube is waders, fins and your own tackle. Find a small body of water with bass in out west with your tube and you won't be sorry.

Fish from Shore

Crazy, right? This might not be fast like the kayak or get you deep into the marshes like a tube but it might be the best afternoon Bassin you spend for other reasons. First, you can enjoy this style of Bassin with more than just a couple other people. It is a great way to introduce kids to Bassin and you can be with your family as your kids slay fish all afternoon. Second it might be a good way to spend a summer evening after work. Relax, throw a spinnerbait and just be outside for a little while catching our favorite fish. Third, you might learn something about bass like this. It's how I learned as a kid bass hang out off points and other structure.

If your boat is down or you don't own one and still have that addiction to Bassin we all have you can still get into Gods country and catch bass. I'm telling you, try one of these three methods to catch fish and you'll be very happy you did. What do you all do when you fast bass boat is down? Let us know in the comments below!

Why You Should Plan to Visit Noxon Rapids Resevoir in Montana for your Bass Fishing Getaway

One of the last places most people think of for trophy bass fishing is Montana, but maybe one of the most scenic and least heard of bass fisheries in the world is Noxon Rapids Resevoir on the Clark Fork River. Here are a few reasons why you should plan a summer vacation here.

Scenary

The thing you'll first notice when you pull into the quiet town of Trout Creek is how absolutely breathtaking the surrounding mountains are. If you were to be on the water and not catch a single bass this would be the place to do it. Noxon Rapids Resevoir itself is 30 miles long and is the result of the Noxon Rapids Dam which dams the Clark Fork River in beautiful Sanders County, MT and is part of the Kanisku National Forrest. Aside from Bassin you could spend a day kayaking, hiking or even hunting in the fall.

Affordability

Going on any fishing vacation can be an expensive undertaking. A trip to this Northwest corner of Montana may be the best bass fishing idea there is. A hotel room costs 80$ a night and a cabin on the lake is 160$ at most per night. Those prices are absolute steals in any place in the world, and this is one of the most beautiful. The lodge on the lake also does catering.

Seclusion

The town of Trout Creek has only 261 residents as of the most recent census. To get there you must travel a two lane highway from the nearest town which is Thompson Falls, MT with the nearest large airport in Missoula, MT which is 117 miles away. You may have most of the lake to yourself for a full day. That is wonderful news if you are at all familiar with the over pressured Southern California waters. You may want to look into when the next tournament is going and plan around it, which brings me to my next and final point.

The Bassin is Phenomenal

Montana is much better known for it's fly fishing. Most people and myself included would not have thought Montana even had bass outside of maybe Fort Peck Resevoir. Well this is THE Bassin resevoir in Montana hosting at least eight bass fishing tournaments in 2014 by various clubs and well known Bassin tours such as the American Bass Association and BASS Nation.

If you are wanting a Bassin vacation that is beautiful, good fishing and easy on the wallet you should certainly look into Noxon Rapids Resevoir and Trout Creek, MT. I am certain you won't be sorry!

River Lakes Bassin is Expanding!

We at River Lakes Bassin want to grow to bring you information on more than just the Colorado River Lakes. Here are a few ways we plan to expand!

More Reviews from Different Lakes and River Systems in the Western United States

The Western United States is full of outstanding bass fisheries. Our home river system is just one of the systems we fish. We intend to start hitting more lakes and rivers in the west and giving you the report from each one.

Gear Reviews

We anglers need the best gear at a reasonable price. We at River Lakes Bassin want you to be informed as to what is out there and how it works. All brands and equipment.

News

We plan to cover everything from tournaments, Aquatic Invasive Species, State Wildlife Regulations and Departments to people catching big fish! If its news in the world of wester bass fishing we will cover it!

Tackle, Gear and Swag

Here comes the part I am most excited about! In January we will be implementing an on-line store. We will be producing our own line of jigs to start and growing from there. We also plan to start working with different bait and lure manufactures to provide you with their products as well. We will also be featuring our own line of apparel so you can show the world how much you love River Lakes Bassin.

So starting in January big things are coming! Please keep checking back with us to see whats happening!

Missile Baits Fuse 4.4 Product Review



Fuse 4.4 with claws died chartreuse

 The One Constant Producer of Decent Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass This Summer for me was the Drop Shot Rig and the Missile Baits Fuse 4.4 was the Bait on my hook. Here is why!

Great Representation of the Crawdad

The first thing you will notice when you pull out your Fuse 4.4 to put it on your hook is the two claws hanging off the back. I thought this gave a very realistic look of a small crawfish in the water. Our lakes are very clear on the Colorado River and getting that bait to match the crawfish that the largemouth and smallmouth are feeding on during the mid summer heat is critical and I think Missile Baits hit the nail on the head here.

Great Subtle Action

Any slight movement of the line or rod tip made these little claws come to life without over doing it. I figure most bait down at the bottom of a lake isn't whipping around under the water violently. They move slowly and keep their claws at the ready for any predator that comes by. To get an even better subtle action I used a VMC Ike Approved Wide Gap Spin-Shot hooks in 3/0 and 2/0. I used 2/0 when I cut some of the bait off at the tail if I decided to downsize on days when the bass could get extra fussy. Another way to bring out the great subtle action of the bait was to flip it around and run the hook through the nose. This way I had both ends wiggling.

The Colors are Awesome

Early on in the year I was using a 4 inch Luck-E-Strike Finesse Worm in Watermelon Red-Flake to catch bass on my drop shot and was having a good amount of success with that color. After losing them all as will happen to plastics in bass fishing I could no longer find that style of worm. When I discovered the Fuse 4.4 they had watermelon red flake! Since then it has been my go to color on sunny days. Other colors I've used are Green Pumpkin Red and Green Beret. Varying colors throughout the day or on overcast days was key.

The other thing I did with the Fuse 4.4 was died the claws chartreuse. Somedays it worked better than others but it worked especially well for smallmouth on overcast days.

All summer long the Fuse 4.4 put bass in my boat! It's incredibly soft and easy to use. I feel like there is a color for every situation. Let me know if you have used this bait with any success in the comments below!