Every tree. Free.

No bite in 15 minutes?

The Not-Catching Tree (November)

Change one thing at a time, in this order, so you know what actually fixed it. Bank or boat.

1. Spot: a new bank or new cover.
2. Depth: your longest cast into the deepest water you can reach.
3. Speed: fast to slow, or slow to fast.
4. Bait: last. Same speed, new look.

Fast or slow this fall?

The Fall Bass Speed Tree

One water temperature reading picks your speed. Same tree from a boat or the bank: two rods, one fast, one slow.

• 60°F or warmer: fish fast. Cover water on wind and bait.
• 52–59°F: fast, then slow. Follow up slow on the same spot.
• Under 52°F: slow down. Stay in their face with long pauses.
• Tiebreaker: wind, clouds or stained water mean faster. Sun, calm or clear water mean slower.

Which bank after a cold front?

The Windy Fall Bass Tree

How wind and a passing cold front change which bank you fish and what you throw there.

Where are the crappies?

The October Crappie Tree

One number, the water temperature, points you to where fall crappies are holding and how to fish them.

When does a swim jig win?

The Swim Jig Tree

The channel's most-watched tree: when to throw a swim jig for September bass, and how, from the bank or the boat.

What do the fish want today?

Finesse vs. Reaction

How to tell whether fish want a slow finesse bait or a fast reaction bait, and when to switch.

Weedless or open hook?

The Neko Rig Tree

Rigging a Neko for pond bass: when weeds call for a weedless hook, and how to stop losing the worm.

Is weedless really better in grass?

The Wacky Hook Test

A real test of weedless vs. standard wacky hooks in weeds, with a result that surprised me.

Dropshot from any bank?

The Dropshot Tree, Part 1

The bank-angler version: when and where to dropshot with zero electronics.

What do electronics add?

The Dropshot Tree, Part 2

The same tree with side imaging and the thermocline layered on top.

New to this?

The Beginner Bass Tree

How I fish a small Minnesota reservoir from shore: the simplest version of the whole system. Any rod, any pond.

Do you need sonar?

More Electronics ≠ More Fish

The idea behind every tree here: the decisions catch fish, and electronics only speed them up.