28 and 27 pound Minnesota Bags 2025
shimmy reply :
Day 1 – Got to spend 5 days in Minnesota and had a blast. A very cold blast as well. Day 1 was great. Water temperatures were 51-53 degrees, 0-5 wind, and outside temps up to 55 degrees. First half of the day was rough. Spots that did well last fall were not producing, which had me a bit flustered. I decided to junk fish and hit a ton of spots until some type of pattern held. All active fish were in the 2-5 foot range. Had a great day for numbers and size. Here were my 4 pounders not in the top five: 4.1, 4.1, 4.3, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6, 4.7, 4.8, 4.9, 4.12 and 4.12. My top 5 were 4.13, 5.6, 5.10, 5.12, and 6.8 for a total of 28 lbs 1 oz. I only caught 3 other fish that were not 4 pounds. The northern pike were very active as well. Every time my bait was too fast, the northern would let me know. I kept trying to make my Swimjig work and the northern would keep biting it. Finally, in my last attempt (definition of insanity), I was trying to cover water my last half hour of light with my Swimjig and then caught another stinkin northern that had most of the Swimjig down it’s throat. Took me 20 minutes to get the jig back without ruining my jig, having to retie, and clean up the boat. It was miserable. The 6.8 came from casting into weed pockets. Hard to fish this way since you only get a drop or two, but it can really pay off.
4.13 lb and 5.6 lb (with the serious face)
5.10 lb and 5.12 lb
6.8 lb
Day 2 – Started with the trolling motor not working. Finally fixed the receptacle to the trolling motor after tearing the old wires out and installing a new one from fleet farm, I was on the water by 1. Only caught 5 bass the whole afternoon. Biggest two went 5.5 and 5.6. Both at random places and not at the places they were supposed to be... This fall fishing really keeps me guessing.
5.5 lb
5.6 lb
Day 3 – Was unbelievably cold. Day started off at 35 degrees and 10-15 mile per hour winds which made it feel like it was 0 degrees. After fishing 8 hours straight, I only caught 5 fish again. 5 fish limit was around 22 pounds. Top three were 4.13, 5.3, and 5.4. The other two were ~3.5 pounders. Might be the coldest I have ever been fishing.
4.13 lb and 5.4 lb
5.3 lb
Day 4 – Was cold. Started at 28 degrees but got in the 40s. No wind though so that made it much easier to fish than the previous day. It was freezing last night and I suspected this might affect the movement of the fish on this lake. Water temps were 49 degrees. After an hour, I was able to see that they were in the 5-8 foot range and stuck to that range for most of the day. Had another good limit. 27 lbs 6 oz. Fish not in the top five were a 4.0, 4.0, 4.1, 4.1, 4.6, 4.7, 4.11, and 4.11. The top 5 were a 4.14, 5.2, 5.8, 5.14, and a 6.0. Lost A LOT of lures to northern today. They were so active it is unreal.
4.14 lb
5.2 lb and 5.8 lb
5.14 lb and 6.0 lb
Day 5 – This was my last day. The night before, the car wouldn’t start at the ramp so I had to phone a buddy to help jump the car. So I spent this morning going into town and figuring out what is wrong with the batteries/terminals. After this was done, I only had a few hours to fish in the afternoon. Fishing was super slow. Worst night of the week, but still fun to get out. After a well-rounded week, I decided to head home. Daughter wanted me back to watch her in her church singing program. Was too adorable to say no, so off I went. Tight lines!
Shimmy
Dwight Hottle reply :
That's what I call getting it done. I can't believe you're all bundled up yet still wearing shorts. Animal.
buzzed bait reply :
WOW those are some fatties!!
OperationEagle reply :
crazy Shimmy! Nicely done...and great report. Did all of these come off of a swimjig?
fishinfiend reply :
Very nice bro!
geneoh reply :
d**n dude, that would be the best week of fishing in my entire life!
WIGuide reply :
Dang dude those are some insane limits for up north. Where the heck in MN is that? haha
J Francho reply :
Sick!
Paul Roberts reply :
Awesome.
A-Jay reply :
Shimmy Getting It DONE ~ ! ! !
That's one Epic trip for the ages right there my man.
All that Fat Bass Goodness and you had it all to Yourself ~ SWEET.
Nice job on the self photos too - that's always a challenge.
And in reference to all the pike & the bite offs: That's something I deal with here All The Time and I highly recommend the product below.
By simply adding a 12-15 inch trace between the mainline & the bait you can virtually eliminate bait loss with NO REDUCTION is bites.
I have a rather healthy supply myself and If you'd like to pm me your shipping address, I'll send you a spool and you can try before you buy. However, I do believe you to will become a believer as well.
Congrats again my friend - that looked like one of those trips you'll remember for a while - from the not so friendly conditions to the equipment challenges and certainly All Those Stout Bass - you certainly persevered.
Much Respect.
A-Jay
long island basser reply :
Impressive - nice work!
NEBasser101 reply :
Awesome. Thats great
Tlauz reply :
Awesome fish!!!!!!!!!
shimmy reply :
On 10/25/2016 at 10:28 PM, Dwight Hottle said:That's what I call getting it done. I can't believe you're all bundled up yet still wearing shorts. Animal.
Who says dressing like a homeless man scares the fish!
On 10/25/2016 at 11:21 PM, OperationEagle said:crazy Shimmy! Nicely done...and great report. Did all of these come off of a swimjig?
None on the swimjig. A slow worked quarter ounce jig did the trick.
On 10/26/2016 at 3:46 AM, WIGuide said:Dang dude those are some insane limits for up north. Where the heck in MN is that? haha
As much as I want to take credit, some of the less pressured lakes I fish are easier to catch 4+ fish than your typical nearby crowded 400 acre lakes.
On 10/26/2016 at 6:27 AM, A-Jay said:Shimmy Getting It DONE ~ ! ! !
That's one Epic trip for the ages right there my man.
All that Fat Bass Goodness and you had it all to Yourself ~ SWEET.
Nice job on the self photos too - that's always a challenge.
And in reference to all the pike & the bite offs: That's something I deal with here All The Time and I highly recommend the product below.
By simply adding a 12-15 inch trace between the mainline & the bait you can virtually eliminate bait loss with NO REDUCTION is bites.
I have a rather healthy supply myself and If you'd like to pm me your shipping address, I'll send you a spool and you can try before you buy. However, I do believe you to will become a believer as well.
Congrats again my friend - that looked like one of those trips you'll remember for a while - from the not so friendly conditions to the equipment challenges and certainly All Those Stout Bass - you certainly persevered.
Much Respect.
A-Jay
Good advice, I am terrified of using anything connected to my lure that might deter a big fish. Then again, people swear by leaders...it's interesting, I see the smallest moss/weed on a jig deter bites and I fear that a leader might have that same suspicious look that deters fish from a slow worked bait. But, your advice and experience is a reminder that I should consider it.
mnbassman23 reply :
Well done sir! Way to put in work on those MN fatties.
"hamma" reply :
Thats one impressive trip! Congrats to you,.. Shimmy.
Steveo-1969 reply :
Mr. Shimmy, you are the man. Congrats and thanks for sharing!
Glenn reply :
We're not worthy! We're not worthy!
Catch 22 reply :
Awesome catchin
nosdog2 reply :
Awesome!!! Those are some great fish!
senile1 reply :
That's an amazing grouping of big fish, Shimmy! You are on it.
thatoneguyupnorth reply :
Well done (from a MN guy)! Most folks don't know how amazing fall fishing is up here. Giant largemouth and smallmouth on the feed...fun stuff!
Bassguytom reply :
Yea boy! Getting it done! That was a great trip. Thanks for sharing.
Jeff H reply :
Amazing!
Who is this guy anyway!
You do this every year, do you not? I think I've seen some similar threads in the past.
My best bag was just shy of 19lbs. 27-28 would blow my mind.
Pork or plastic on your 1/4 oz jig?
shimmy reply :
On 11/2/2016 at 8:55 AM, Jeff H said:Amazing!
Who is this guy anyway!
You do this every year, do you not? I think I've seen some similar threads in the past.
My best bag was just shy of 19lbs. 27-28 would blow my mind.
Pork or plastic on your 1/4 oz jig?
The question of pork or plastic totally beats the crap out of me. I literally second guess myself the WHOLE time i have one or the other tied on. This year i forced myself to mostly fish plastic. I did try some pork this trip, but realized i wasn't building confidence in my plastic so took it off. I psych myself out all of the time and have always preferred pork. But with uncle josh stopping their pork, the tediousness of making your own pork, and all of the missed fish from the pork impeding the hook from hooking the fish, i tried this fall to wean myself off. The 4 and 5 pounders didn't seem to mind; however, i did catch less 6 pounders this fall than i did last fall and i was using pork last fall...See, this is the problem with this. I can tell myself, "sure, 28 pounds shows that it is just fine...nothing to worry about." But then i think of catching less 6 pounders and this gets my head all messed up. I don't know the answer and i am sure one or the other might outfish the other at times, but i am currently committing myself to plastic. I just used a subtle action/soft plastic trailer that seemed to work. Anything that moved too fast and the bite would stop. Many to most of my bites came when the jig was sitting on the ground for a about 4 or 5 seconds. I did however get a lot of bites that never held on and i think pork would have been better for those bites, but i probably caught more fish because of the unimpeded hookset from the plastic...an interesting tradeoff. The struggle is real.
Mosster47 reply :
That's a good season to most people!
Jeff H reply :
On 11/2/2016 at 11:48 AM, shimmy said:The question of pork or plastic totally beats the crap out of me. I literally second guess myself the WHOLE time i have one or the other tied on. This year i forced myself to mostly fish plastic. I did try some pork this trip, but realized i wasn't building confidence in my plastic so took it off. I psych myself out all of the time and have always preferred pork. But with uncle josh stopping their pork, the tediousness of making your own pork, and all of the missed fish from the pork impeding the hook from hooking the fish, i tried this fall to wean myself off. The 4 and 5 pounders didn't seem to mind; however, i did catch less 6 pounders this fall than i did last fall and i was using pork last fall...See, this is the problem with this. I can tell myself, "sure, 28 pounds shows that it is just fine...nothing to worry about." But then i think of catching less 6 pounders and this gets my head all messed up. I don't know the answer and i am sure one or the other might outfish the other at times, but i am currently committing myself to plastic. I just used a subtle action/soft plastic trailer that seemed to work. Anything that moved too fast and the bite would stop. Many to most of my bites came when the jig was sitting on the ground for a about 4 or 5 seconds. I did however get a lot of bites that never held on and i think pork would have been better for those bites, but i probably caught more fish because of the unimpeded hookset from the plastic...an interesting tradeoff. The struggle is real.
Pork does have that 1 drawback and it can be real detrimental. Well, 2 now actually considering availability is becoming a problem. When water temps are low 50's or colder, the pork comes out along with a bottle of B.A.N.G Real Craw. If I don't fish pork, still using the B.A.N.G on cold water plastics.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 10/26/2016 at 8:27 AM, shimmy said:Who says dressing like a homeless man scares the fish!
None on the swimjig. A slow worked quarter ounce jig did the trick.
As much as I want to take credit, some of the less pressured lakes I fish are easier to catch 4+ fish than your typical nearby crowded 400 acre lakes.
Good advice, I am terrified of using anything connected to my lure that might deter a big fish. Then again, people swear by leaders...it's interesting, I see the smallest moss/weed on a jig deter bites and I fear that a leader might have that same suspicious look that deters fish from a slow worked bait. But, your advice and experience is a reminder that I should consider it.
Appreciate the details, Shimmy.
I have my "fishing clothes". I get them from Good Will and am very picky about them -material, color, pattern. My wife always gets a pained expression when I leave the house. 
I too find my swimjig bite drops away as temps fall into low 50s. The bass are just not willing to come up much then it seems.
Your candor about owing some credit to fishery quality is helpful putting big catches in perspective, and says a lot about you. You certainly earned those fish in terms of knowledge, skills, perseverance, and knowing how and where to spend your precious time. But the fish have to be there in the first place. Lots of waters simply can't grow big bass. And there are a lot of anglers who just can't put big fish -that are probably 10 yrs old- back in the water. Do the math: How many decades do we anglers have to burn anyway?
I like a clean lure too. But... I try not to freak out about stuff -get superstitious. In fact, I try to go the other way, just to... relax. Always interesting to me how the "impossible odds" we anglers/hunters often have to deal with manifest themselves. Here's one that I've come to make use of: Couldn't stand having my knot tags too long. I'd trim them pretty close. But I came to leaving them long now which acts as a gunk deflector. That short tag hooks into vegetation and collects slimy algae. Now I'm happy to leave a longer tag, run cleaner lures, and the fish don't seem to notice. Over that one... almost.
Wire? I don't have pike here. Phew! Dodged that one.
On 11/2/2016 at 11:48 AM, shimmy said:The question of pork or plastic totally beats the crap out of me. I literally second guess myself the WHOLE time i have one or the other tied on. This year i forced myself to mostly fish plastic. I did try some pork this trip, but realized i wasn't building confidence in my plastic so took it off. I psych myself out all of the time and have always preferred pork. But with uncle josh stopping their pork, the tediousness of making your own pork, and all of the missed fish from the pork impeding the hook from hooking the fish, i tried this fall to wean myself off. The 4 and 5 pounders didn't seem to mind; however, i did catch less 6 pounders this fall than i did last fall and i was using pork last fall...See, this is the problem with this. I can tell myself, "sure, 28 pounds shows that it is just fine...nothing to worry about." But then i think of catching less 6 pounders and this gets my head all messed up. I don't know the answer and i am sure one or the other might outfish the other at times, but i am currently committing myself to plastic. I just used a subtle action/soft plastic trailer that seemed to work. Anything that moved too fast and the bite would stop. Many to most of my bites came when the jig was sitting on the ground for a about 4 or 5 seconds. I did however get a lot of bites that never held on and i think pork would have been better for those bites, but i probably caught more fish because of the unimpeded hookset from the plastic...an interesting tradeoff. The struggle is real.
I use pork. I'm not over that one yet. That said, an online buddy, who catches a heck of a lot of bass, uses plastic. He is particularly picky about his trailers though. And... I do have this memory to call on: When rubber-skirted jigs first hit the planet in the 80s, I used them without any trailer at all, and caught plenty of bass on them. I recently bought up a bunch of pork though, so I guess I'll worry about it sometime in the more distant future.
shimmy reply :
On 11/6/2016 at 10:20 PM, Paul Roberts said:Appreciate the details, Shimmy.
I have my "fishing clothes". I get them from Good Will and am very picky about them -material, color, pattern. My wife always gets a pained expression when I leave the house.
I too find my swimjig bite drops away as temps fall into low 50s. The bass are just not willing to come up much then it seems.
Your candor about owing some credit to fishery quality is helpful putting big catches in perspective, and says a lot about you. You certainly earned those fish in terms of knowledge, skills, perseverance, and knowing how and where to spend your precious time. But the fish have to be there in the first place. Lots of waters simply can't grow big bass. And there are a lot of anglers who just can't put big fish -that are probably 10 yrs old- back in the water. Do the math: How many decades do we anglers have to burn anyway?
I like a clean lure too. But... I try not to freak out about stuff -get superstitious. In fact, I try to go the other way, just to... relax. Always interesting to me how the "impossible odds" we anglers/hunters often have to deal with manifest themselves. Here's one that I've come to make use of: Couldn't stand having my knot tags too long. I'd trim them pretty close. But I came to leaving them long now which acts as a gunk deflector. That short tag hooks into vegetation and collects slimy algae. Now I'm happy to leave a longer tag, run cleaner lures, and the fish don't seem to notice. Over that one... almost.
Wire? I don't have pike here. Phew! Dodged that one.
I use pork. I'm not over that one yet.
Great insight. I particularly like the tag line idea for the jig. I love pork. I wish the uncle josh company recooperated and got back into making them. But I must say, I have greatly enjoyed finding a plastic trailer that fits my liking. While I don't drink, I feel like choosing a plastic is like a way of showing what your particular drink would be. There are so many great options to pick from with plastic and every time I find myself catching a good fish on one, I secretly tell myself, "ahhhh must have been my strategic approach with this particular plastic trailer." Whether or not it made a difference, it is fun to find trailers that fit your own personal preference and style of fishing, and ultimately, build confidence.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/9/2016 at 12:25 PM, shimmy said:Great insight. I particularly like the tag line idea for the jig. I love pork. I wish the uncle josh company recooperated and got back into making them. But I must say, I have greatly enjoyed finding a plastic trailer that fits my liking. While I don't drink, I feel like choosing a plastic is like a way of showing what your particular drink would be. There are so many great options to pick from with plastic and every time I find myself catching a good fish on one, I secretly tell myself, "ahhhh must have been my strategic approach with this particular plastic trailer." Whether or not it made a difference, it is fun to find trailers that fit your own personal preference and style of fishing, and ultimately, build confidence.
Confidence can a weird, slippery, thing. I'd like to think I have some control (understanding) over that. 
And I wrestle with it when on the water. I often find myself being sucked into my history with a place, and must resist and take stock of what's actually in front of me -the immediate conditions.
I do fish some plastic too -twister, flapping, and beaver types. But, NOTHING moves in the water like prepared pork. Can't say the bass actually hold pork much longer than other jig trailers either. IME, bass seem to drop jigs pretty fast period.
Again, congrats on some awesome fishing. And thanks for sharing it with us. Nice to know there's some truly cool stuff is going on out there. 
HardCider reply :
nice fish.
quanjig reply :
Wow Troy, those are some very nice fish! Wish we had more places to catch fish like that! Keep it up!! I feel like the Northern Virginia area keeps trying to limit usage of viable fisheries!!
shimmy reply :
On 12/1/2016 at 11:07 AM, quanjig said:Wow Troy, those are some very nice fish! Wish we had more places to catch fish like that! Keep it up!! I feel like the Northern Virginia area keeps trying to limit usage of viable fisheries!!
Yeh, but you always find a way to CONSISTENTLY catch big bass in that area. Fishing with you was my first wake up call to jerkbait fishing. It was humbling to say the least!
Hurricane reply :
Awesome...
gimruis reply :
Well done Shimmy. Those pike are a real problem around here and it doesn't appear to get any better in the forseeable future.
steverowbotham reply :
When I saw MN, I figured smallies. But nope! Good job dude!
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