Art Simms Bass Fishing
- Art Simms
- I started bass fishing after watching all of the fishing shows on tv. A few years later I thought I was pretty good, until I entered a few tournaments. I quickly realized that I wasn't as good as I thought and was only donating my money. In 1997 I joined the Viking Bassmasters of the Minnesota Bass Federation to hone my skills with some guys more experienced than me. Since that time I have learned a lot and had some major success. I have been Viking Bassmasters Club Champion three times and won sixteen club tournaments. I was the Fishers of Men Minnesota East division champion in 2006, along with a few money tournament wins and numerous top tens.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Kistler news!
Great news! Follow this link http://www.kistlerrods.com/KistlerDoesTheRightThing to see whats going on at Kistler Rods. Guide upgrades for previously purchased rods, Gary Loomis designed blanks, micro guides, new total custom rod program and the new Zbone rod are all in store for 2010.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Youth Services Bureau tournament
This years Sunrise Bassmasters fundraising tournament for Youth Services Bureau was changed to Big Marine lake, due to the low water at North/South Center.
My brother Scott and I decided not to pre-fish because I have one spot that normally produces big fish and didn't want to hook any. We figured if the big fish were not going, we could still catch fish there along with an occasional good one.
The morning started partly cloudy and cool with a good 15 mph South wind, with a forecast for strong N/NW winds in the afternoon.
After blasting off boat #6 we arrived at our spot and started casting our jigworms. After a few casts, I set the hook into our first keeper, a 16+. A few casts later I caught a 15 incher. It took a while but then Scott caught our 3rd fish - a 13 incher.
The bite was very slow and the strong wind was making it difficult to fish, but a while later a 14 incher made it into the livewell. We continued fishing the spot for about another hour but had no more bites, so we decided to start working around the area, hoping they would be grouped up somewhere nearby.
Around 11:00, and still only four fish, we decided to flip some reeds in hopes of filling our limit, then maybe going back to our original spot and try for bigger fish.
The reeds were almost impossible to fish due to the wind, but after getting around to the protected side, I managed to catch our fifth fish - a 14 incher.
The reeds did not produce any more bites, so we ran to a spot where Scott had won a club tournament previously. Scott managed to cull one, but that was it.
We had about two hours left and opted to kill them on our best spot where we managed a few culls but nothing big.
While waiting for weigh in, we heard a couple of teams talking that had about 15lbs each. We considered dumping our fish thinking our 8lbs wouldn't get us anywhere, but decided to weigh anyway. Turns out our 8.34lbs was good for 5th place and another check!
My brother Scott and I decided not to pre-fish because I have one spot that normally produces big fish and didn't want to hook any. We figured if the big fish were not going, we could still catch fish there along with an occasional good one.
The morning started partly cloudy and cool with a good 15 mph South wind, with a forecast for strong N/NW winds in the afternoon.
After blasting off boat #6 we arrived at our spot and started casting our jigworms. After a few casts, I set the hook into our first keeper, a 16+. A few casts later I caught a 15 incher. It took a while but then Scott caught our 3rd fish - a 13 incher.
The bite was very slow and the strong wind was making it difficult to fish, but a while later a 14 incher made it into the livewell. We continued fishing the spot for about another hour but had no more bites, so we decided to start working around the area, hoping they would be grouped up somewhere nearby.
Around 11:00, and still only four fish, we decided to flip some reeds in hopes of filling our limit, then maybe going back to our original spot and try for bigger fish.
The reeds were almost impossible to fish due to the wind, but after getting around to the protected side, I managed to catch our fifth fish - a 14 incher.
The reeds did not produce any more bites, so we ran to a spot where Scott had won a club tournament previously. Scott managed to cull one, but that was it.
We had about two hours left and opted to kill them on our best spot where we managed a few culls but nothing big.
While waiting for weigh in, we heard a couple of teams talking that had about 15lbs each. We considered dumping our fish thinking our 8lbs wouldn't get us anywhere, but decided to weigh anyway. Turns out our 8.34lbs was good for 5th place and another check!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Derby culls
I made it a point to get back out to "Hawg Heaven" on Friday and managed to make a couple of culls for the Bass Pundit Bass Derby.
I was joined my my friend and fellow bass fisherman Sammy Lewis who was as anxious as me to return to the lake.
We started flipping a set of reeds that held a lot of fish on my last visit, but nothing big. My first fish of the day was only a 16 incher, but the next one was a healthy 19 incher that went 4-4 on my scale, giving me a slight cull. I continued catching catching fish most of the morning but nothing big, but after a while the bite just stopped.
I decided to try something different and went to some off shore structure. On about my fifth cast I felt a solid thump, and after a hard fought battle Sammy lipped a bass that weighed 5-10. We continued working the area but didn't get any more bites.
While trolling to the next piece of structure, Sammy noticed bait fish surfacing and started throwing a spinnerbait at them and quickly boated two 14 inchers.
On the next spot, after making a few casts, I felt my lure climb over some brush and then get whacked. I set the hook into the fish but it had me wrapped, after see-sawing a couple times the fish pulled out of the brush and Sammy again lipped another big fish - 5lbs even.
We continued to run this pattern all over the lake but had no other bites.
I was getting close to calling it a day, but on the way in we decided to hit the same reed bed we started on and it was on fire. Lots of fish but all small. After about an hour we headed in.
This gives me three good culls and should move me up in the Derby.
I was joined my my friend and fellow bass fisherman Sammy Lewis who was as anxious as me to return to the lake.
We started flipping a set of reeds that held a lot of fish on my last visit, but nothing big. My first fish of the day was only a 16 incher, but the next one was a healthy 19 incher that went 4-4 on my scale, giving me a slight cull. I continued catching catching fish most of the morning but nothing big, but after a while the bite just stopped.
I decided to try something different and went to some off shore structure. On about my fifth cast I felt a solid thump, and after a hard fought battle Sammy lipped a bass that weighed 5-10. We continued working the area but didn't get any more bites.
While trolling to the next piece of structure, Sammy noticed bait fish surfacing and started throwing a spinnerbait at them and quickly boated two 14 inchers.
On the next spot, after making a few casts, I felt my lure climb over some brush and then get whacked. I set the hook into the fish but it had me wrapped, after see-sawing a couple times the fish pulled out of the brush and Sammy again lipped another big fish - 5lbs even.
We continued to run this pattern all over the lake but had no other bites.
I was getting close to calling it a day, but on the way in we decided to hit the same reed bed we started on and it was on fire. Lots of fish but all small. After about an hour we headed in.
This gives me three good culls and should move me up in the Derby.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Bass Derby update
Well, I didn't get out fishing as much as I hoped last week, but I did manage to get out a couple times and make one cull that should move me up to third place in the Derby.
On Thursday I went to Rush lake and spent the day flipping reeds. I had a pretty good day of fishing, lots of 14 - 15 inch fish with an occasional 18+, including a fat 19 incher which culled an 18 incher in the Derby.
On Sunday, my brother Scott went with me to a lake that I heard guys were catching six to seven pound bass. We had another great day catching lots of fish, again flipping reeds, but the biggest were only in the 16 inch range.
Unfortunately for me, Jason Holmer was fishing a tournament the same day on the same lake and he whacked the big ones - one over 7lbs, one over 6 lbs and a couple that were close to 6 lbs, giving him a commanding lead in the Derby.
I may be fishing for second place at this point but I am still going to give it my best.
On Thursday I went to Rush lake and spent the day flipping reeds. I had a pretty good day of fishing, lots of 14 - 15 inch fish with an occasional 18+, including a fat 19 incher which culled an 18 incher in the Derby.
On Sunday, my brother Scott went with me to a lake that I heard guys were catching six to seven pound bass. We had another great day catching lots of fish, again flipping reeds, but the biggest were only in the 16 inch range.
Unfortunately for me, Jason Holmer was fishing a tournament the same day on the same lake and he whacked the big ones - one over 7lbs, one over 6 lbs and a couple that were close to 6 lbs, giving him a commanding lead in the Derby.
I may be fishing for second place at this point but I am still going to give it my best.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Bass Pundit Bass Derby
The tournaments are winding down for the season and with only a few opens left to compete in later this fall I have shifted my focus to winning the Bass Pundit Bass Derby.
As of now I am sitting in 3rd place with 22. 07lbs, a little over 2 lbs out of first. I have all next week off work and my plan is to hit some of my favorite big fish lakes and try to do some culling. My creel includes two fish over 5lbs, but I still have three fish in the 18 inch range. If I can cull the 18's for some 19-20 inchers I think I could have a pretty good shot at winning the title.
Look for a report in a week or so.
As of now I am sitting in 3rd place with 22. 07lbs, a little over 2 lbs out of first. I have all next week off work and my plan is to hit some of my favorite big fish lakes and try to do some culling. My creel includes two fish over 5lbs, but I still have three fish in the 18 inch range. If I can cull the 18's for some 19-20 inchers I think I could have a pretty good shot at winning the title.
Look for a report in a week or so.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Bubba's Bass Bonanza - Rush Lake
Rush lake had not been kind to me the last two years, and the couple times I was there this year, the spots that normally put out big fish were not going. My partner Shawn and I decided to fish the tournament anyway, because you just never know - I'm glad we did.
We arrived at the West access about 6 am to a very cool 44 degrees with light Northwest winds. After a short meeting, and drawing boat #5, we launched the boat and discussed our strategy. Since we did not pre-fish, we decided to stick with what worked in the past - flipping reeds. When our number was called we ran straight to one our best reed beds. It didn't take long and I put a 16 incher in the boat, a couple minutes later Shawn caught a 14 incher. Next we ran to what used to be our best spot and I quickly caught a 17+, a short while later Shawn boated another 17+. We worked back through the same reed bed and I picked up another 17+, which now gave us a limit, then Shawn caught a 17 that culled the 14. The action was not fast & furious, but almost every bite was a good one
About 11 o'clock, the bite had really slowed, so we thought we would let the area rest and fish a nearby row of docks that have produced some big fish in the past. On the last dock I caught a 15 incher which didn't help, then in a small patch of reeds next to the docks, Shawn stuck another 15 incher.
We then fished another small patch of reeds that is known to give up a lunker now and then, but no success this time.
At this point, thinking we had about 14 lbs, we knew we had a shot at a good finish. We decided that since almost every bite on our best spot was a 17 incher, we would kill the last two hours there and try to get a couple of good culls.
We continued catching fish, but everything was in the 14-15 inch range, so we headed in with what we had and hoped for the best.
I was very surprised when our fish were put on the scale - 15.13lbs, good for first place and a check for $1000.00. I really didn't think we had over 14lbs but Rush lake fish are fat! Second place was about 14lbs and third was 12+.
Thanks to Bubba for running a good tournament, check out his circuit if you're looking for more tournaments to fish.
We arrived at the West access about 6 am to a very cool 44 degrees with light Northwest winds. After a short meeting, and drawing boat #5, we launched the boat and discussed our strategy. Since we did not pre-fish, we decided to stick with what worked in the past - flipping reeds. When our number was called we ran straight to one our best reed beds. It didn't take long and I put a 16 incher in the boat, a couple minutes later Shawn caught a 14 incher. Next we ran to what used to be our best spot and I quickly caught a 17+, a short while later Shawn boated another 17+. We worked back through the same reed bed and I picked up another 17+, which now gave us a limit, then Shawn caught a 17 that culled the 14. The action was not fast & furious, but almost every bite was a good one
About 11 o'clock, the bite had really slowed, so we thought we would let the area rest and fish a nearby row of docks that have produced some big fish in the past. On the last dock I caught a 15 incher which didn't help, then in a small patch of reeds next to the docks, Shawn stuck another 15 incher.
We then fished another small patch of reeds that is known to give up a lunker now and then, but no success this time.
At this point, thinking we had about 14 lbs, we knew we had a shot at a good finish. We decided that since almost every bite on our best spot was a 17 incher, we would kill the last two hours there and try to get a couple of good culls.
We continued catching fish, but everything was in the 14-15 inch range, so we headed in with what we had and hoped for the best.
I was very surprised when our fish were put on the scale - 15.13lbs, good for first place and a check for $1000.00. I really didn't think we had over 14lbs but Rush lake fish are fat! Second place was about 14lbs and third was 12+.
Thanks to Bubba for running a good tournament, check out his circuit if you're looking for more tournaments to fish.
Monday, August 10, 2009
FTO Forest Lake update
FTO Outdoors finally posted the Forest Lake results and final standings for the year. Turns out we took 7th place in the tournament, giving us a top ten finish in each of the three tournaments in the series. Also, after some initial confusion in the year end final standings, we ended up in 4th place overall, good for a free entry into a FTO tournament next year.
Congratulations to the team of Whiting & Wood for winning the points title.
Congratulations to the team of Whiting & Wood for winning the points title.
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