Largemouth, smallmouth could both win on Wolf River Chain
WINNECONNE, Wis. – The Wolf River Chain will host the third event of the year for the Phoenix Bass Fishing League Presented by T-H Marine Great Lakes Division on June 13. The fish should be finished or at the very tail end of the spawn, and both largemouth and smallmouth bass are expected to have a shot to win, giving anglers plenty of options.
What to expect
Five of Clayton Reitz’s six BFL wins have come on the Wolf River Chain, including a triumph in August last season. The Morton, Illinois, angler says things are progressing as normal this spring, and the annual spawn should be nearly complete by the time anglers launch their boats on tournament morning.
“There will probably be some fish guarding fry, maybe some stragglers spawning, but some will have spawned a while back and will be more towards their summer pattern,” he began. “Since it’s still June, things won’t be as stable as you’d like, and fish will be doing a little bit of everything. I think you’ll see a mix of different things happening.”
One decision anglers will have to make is whether to target largemouth or smallmouth, both of which can lead to a win. Reitz says each comes with its risks, with weather being a big factor, especially for the smallmouth.
“Going out to Lake Winnebago looking for those schools of smallies can be a solid pattern and way to win,” he said. “It’s hard to beat Winnebago when it’s on, but it’s always a gamble, because a breeze can turn the lake into rolling four-footers in no time. It can be an absolute nightmare to fish with the waves.”
Largemouth in the connected lakes is a safer option, but they tend to skew slightly smaller – although that’s been changing in recent years.
“It’s always the decision: Do you stay closer and grind it out with largemouth, or take the risk and run to the lake for smallmouth?” he said. “The largemouth are the safer choice, but it can be a struggle to catch the 17- or 18-pound bag you could get from Winnebago. I would suspect that largemouth will be the more consistent approach, and last year, there was definitely a better largemouth bite than in previous tournaments. But that was also later in the season, in August.”
Baits to bring
For those going the largemouth route, Reitz said that a swim jig, small crankbait and buzzbait should produce, as well as some flipping.
“A 3/8-ounce jig is hard to beat up there – that’s my go-to for the largemouth,” he said. “For smallmouth, a tube is a mainstay for you to drag out there on the lake.”
What will it take?
Reitz won last year’s August event with 16 pounds, 10 ounces of largemouth, but he expects it to take more this time around.
“It could take 18 pounds, but around 17 is usually a safe bet for winning bag,” he said. “Based on last year, I’d say it will probably take around 13 pounds to cash a check.”
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