New lakes offer the allure of adventure and big bass! Minnesota bass phenom Noah Schultz explores a new lake in his home state characterized by shallow, dirty water and abundant cover. He takes a strategic approach to reading the water first with his electronics, then explores offshore and inshore tactics.
Schultz starts his day by using sonar and side imaging to graph the lake and identify key spots like rock veins, hard-to-soft bottom transition areas, and isolated cover elements like grass clumps and wood. He emphasizes how small, subtle features often hold the biggest fish, noting that many anglers overlook these details. His front-end homework pays off with big fish at both locations.
FEATURED PRODUCT (retail links)
HAIR JIG
- HAIR JIG – Northland Minnesota Mullet Hair Jig: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- ROD – Kistler Helium Casting Rod, 7’6” Heavy-Fast: Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- REEL – Daiwa Tatula Elite: Check out at Daiwa | Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- LINE – 20- to 25-pound Fluorocarbon: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
PUNCH RIG SETUP
- HOOK – VMC RedLine Series Heavy Duty Flippin’, 5/0: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- WEIGHT – VMC Tungsten Flippin’ Weight, 1-ounce: Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- PUNCH SKIRT – Buy at Tackle Warehouse
- PUNCH RIG GEAR – Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- TRAILER – Missile Baits D Bomb Creature Bait, color – Black/Blue Flake: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse | Buy at FishUSA
- LINE – 20- to 25-pound Fluorocarbon: Buy at Bass Pro Shops | Buy at Tackle Warehouse
*Boat and electronics links at the bottom.
TARGETING OFFSHORE STRUCTURES FOR BIG BASS
Schultz explains his strategy for fishing offshore while scanning with side imaging from the console. Focusing on shallow offshore rock piles, he carefully analyzes how to locate and interpret hidden spots that most anglers would miss. Schultz highlights the importance of adjusting chart speeds and side imaging settings to draw the clearest, most accurate image to improve interpretation. He drops a series of waypoints on the juiciest-looking rock spots and then takes to the bow to check them.
BIG HAIR JIGS FOR OFFSHORE BITES
Schultz targets the highest percentage offshore rock spots on the lake with a big hair jig. He methodically casts and works his “Minnesota Mullet” through and around isolated boulders identified on his 360 sonar. While “preacher jigs” and the like have been a staple on southern reservoirs, their use for largemouth in northern natural lakes is a newer phenomenon. The bulky body excels at mimicking forage such as bluegills and crappies, while the slow, deliberate presentation draws bites from bigger-than-average bass.
FLIPPING HEAVY COVER FOR SHALLOW BASS
As the clouds roll in, Schultz heads to the bank and shifts his focus to shallow cover. Using a punch rig with a 1-ounce tungsten weight, he flips into cattails adjacent to deep water. The weedless and fast-falling presentation excels at triggering bites in the dense emergent vegetation.
Schultz stresses the importance of staying quiet when fishing shallow, turning off electronics and quietly maneuvering the boat to avoid spooking fish. His efforts pay off as he catches multiple bass quickly.
By blending his offshore and shallow strategies, Schultz establishes two viable options with little more than a few hours on the new water.
BOAT SETUP
- BOAT – Skeeter ZX200 Bass Boat: Check out at Skeeter
- TROLLING MOTOR – Minn Kota Ultrex QUEST, 112lb, 36V, 52″: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- FISH FINDER – Humminbird SOLIX 12 CHIRP MEGA SI+ G3 Fish Finder/GPS Chartplotter: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- LIVE SONAR – Humminbird MEGA Live Imaging Transducer: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- 360 SONAR – Humminbird MEGA 360 Imaging Transducer – Ultrex: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
- SHALLOW WATER ANCHORS – Minn Kota Raptor, 8′: Buy at Bass Pro Shops
