Art Simms Bass Fishing

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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, 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.

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.

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.