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WELCOME TO JAMES GANG FISHING COMPANY!!

THE HOME OF ALEX'S PREMIUM HAND-CRAFTED LURES

SCROLL DOWN BELOW FOR FISHING REPORT BLOGS...

Ice fishing is on a roll!!

1/8/2023

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JAMES GANG CEO ALEX & HIS FISHING PARTNER MASON ENJOYED SUCCESS ON THE ICE! 

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Late fall was good to the ice anglers in Wisconsin, as we found safe ice at a pretty early date in 2022. Small lakes & ponds froze hard around Thankgiving, and by Mid-Dec, our region had 7" of ice. The woods and the roadsides were gorgeous after the heavy, wet snowfall rocked our area. Jesse Piontek of James Gang Fishing Company teamed up with local angler Trevor Meeks to do some scouting for some rainbow trout opportunities with LiveScope. We found a small window of feeding at sun-up that lasted about an hour, resulting in 2 rainbow trout, 3 largemouth bass, and a few panfish. These fish were biting on Acme 3mm tungsten jigs, tipped with Gullickson BeaverTail Baits, and dipped in JB's Fish Sauce scent. The Live Scope can be a very fun tool to watch, as the fish educate the angler with visual movements on screen that are hard to imagine with standard flasher usage. We always have fun learning new bodies of water and overcoming the challenge of finding fish and coaxing them to bite!

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HEAVY, WET SNOW CREATED GORGEOUS SCENERY IN MID-DECEMBER
TREVOR MEEKS WITH AN 11.5" RAINBOW TROUT
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JB'S FISH SAUCE & BEAVERTAIL BAIT

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We began using Beavertail Baits and JB's Fish Sauce during ice fishing around 2017, and found it to really be the difference-maker when fish are in a neutral to negative feeding mood. I like to take a knife and cut the Beavertail in half length-wise, to create two long & skinny pieces of beavertail. Experiment with colors such as white or pink. I then cut a V-shaped fish tail into the end of the bait and hook it on to a small jig, such as a 3mm Acme hammered tungsten jig or Flirty Girty #10. I dip the entire jig in JB'S Fish Sauce, using the JB's Jelly or the balm sticks with hands-free lanyards on the ice. My favorite scents for winter are crawfish, black magic, or perch juice. I start with natural colors such as silver or gold jigs. If the bite is aggressive I switch to pink or white Flirty Girty jigs and usually step up to a bigger size, such as #8 or 4mm. When tip-up fishing, I dip the treble hooks for northern pike with JB's Fish Sauce to add an oil trail to key them in to the live bait location. These tactics have helped me become much more efficient and productive during my ice-fishing expeditions in recent years. Keep your jig a foot or two above the fish on your flasher and try to get them to come up to the jig. This is usually when you trick them into committing to a taste. The scent is can be what changes them from wanting a taste to wanting to inhale the jig.

​USE PROMOTION CODE "JJPF10" for 10% off all JB'S FISH SAUCE ORDERS!!!

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LIVE BAIT & TACKLE VENDING 24/7 AT BACK 40 IN BLOOMER!!

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Waxies, spikes, live crappie fatheads, and tackle. Credit or cash accepted 24/7!!

PIKE FEST 2023 BECOMES KIDS CRAPPIE FEST!
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GAVIN & HIS DAD HAD A GREAT DAY CATCHING CRAPPIES UP TO 11"
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Pike fest 2023 showed minimal pike to speak of, but no one was complaining as they were replaced with an abundance of crappies in the 9-12.75" range on this beautiful 31 degree day of ice fishing! Three children and 4 adults headed north near Turtle Lake, WI and took home 52 of these delicious panfish to throw in the lard pan at home. Josh Weirich caught the biggest crappie of the day, measuring 12.75" long. Josh was using a pink Flirty Girty on a panfish jig pole. Mason Krueger caught a 12" crappie as well, and Alex Piontek & Gavin Duncan both put 11" crappies on the ice with the several solid keepers they took home through the day. We celebrated the day with hot dogs and brats on the grill before we headed out. Live crappie minnows, Flirty Girty jigs, Beavertail Baits, & JB's Fish Sauce all put the crappies in the mood to eat breakfast. The kids all had a blast, and don't forget to find time to teach children the enjoyment of adventures in the outdoors!!

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JOSH WEIRICH WITH HIS 12.75" BLACK CRAPPIE

JAMES GANG FISHING IN 2023

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BASS JERKER SUSPENDING JERKBAIT BY James Gang Fishing Company
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It's been a rough couple of years at James Gang Fishing Company, as health issues have taken a huge toll on marketing, time, and finances, as well as time for MLF events, trade shows, and crafting lures. Substantial progress has been made in recent months in the health concerns, so we look to getting back on track in growing the company and returning to trade shows in future years. We are currently dedicating our time and money strictly to website lure sales and stocking our 24/7 live bait & tackle vending machine near Bloomer, WI at Back 40 Dining & Cocktails, a location on the way to Island, Long, Potato, MarshMiller, Cornell, Rock, and so many other lakes. The best way to make lure purchases through us is still through our website store, or through an email to 6lbsmallmouth@gmail.com. Our guide service will remain on hold through 2023 as health is still a concern at this time, and we are unable to acquire the needed equipment at this moment for a safe & enjoyable guide experience that is needed for the price of the trip.At this time we allowed our guide license to expire, and will reconsider when health, economy, and outlook lines up together. Expect more video content on our www.rumble.com channel in 2023, and better quality as we upgraded to our business computer and are using better software. We are now entering a transition as CEO Alex is beginning to learn the book-keeping and marketing aspects of his business, much different from when he started the beginning stages of his vision at just 4 years old with fun videos, pictures, and fun commentary on YouTube. We only promote what we believe in, and at this time, we highly recommend giving our Lovertail 2 in white crappie or bull bluegill, our Baby Squid Bait in Baby Gill, our Bass Jerker in Bloody Cisco or Golden Shiner, and our 1/4 oz Nest Invader weedless skirted jig in Mississippi Mayhem a whirl. We will continue to develop new lures in the future, but these lures we have extreme confidence in as we have landed so many fish over the years with them! Please submit your order to the online store and we will order the parts to custom build them by hand when they arrive. Thank you for your support and good luck fishing!!

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SPRINGTIME FISHING, So long winter.........

6/7/2022

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Losing ice, gaining fishing opportunities....

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It was a long, drawn-out Winter in 2021-2022, as ice lingered around for much longer than average. Water temperatures stayed in the 30s near the end of April, giving anglers a delayed start tome prime riverbank fishing activity, a delayed crappie bite, and a deep off-shore cold-water bass bite close to our annual gamefish season opener. We took a few trips with some middle school kids in the region to the Chippewa River, in hopes of catching suckers, carp, smallmouth buffalo, freshwater drum, yellow perch, walleye, or an accidental lake sturgeon. Although we did catch a few fish, it was slow, the water was low, and the fish were very young.

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LOCAL ANGLER WYATT B HOLDS UP A JUVENILE LAKE STURGEON

ICE-OUT BASSIN, TURTLE FLAMBEAU ADVENTURES, RED CEDAR LAKE ESCAPADES

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Always a fan of learning new experiences, I challenged myself to some very cold-water as the ice was melting off. My first trip included a small water excursion in which our Helix 12 HD side imaging exposed schools and schools of fish laying on the main lake deep-water basin, still in a winter-hole phase in 37 degree water temps combined with 25 degree air temps. The fishing was slow, the wind was dead, the water was flat, and we had the chance to fish slow and methodically, trying to temp some deep-water bass. Unfortunately my fishing buddy for the day may have had a largemouth of a lifetime near the surface, but lost it on a head-shake on his treble hooks, which so often happens. We came back for round 2 the following morning, and to our surprise, this beautiful 18" brown trout made up for the previous day's loss:
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DAVID XIONG WITH A 18" BROWN TROUT
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ALEX PIONTEK'S CRAWFISH BANDIT IS OUT OF HIBERNATION
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JESSE JAMES WITH AN 18" LARGEMOUTH BASS IN 14' WATER DEPTH
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I came across an affordable TourneyX event for the month in Wisconsin, so I joined with 28 other anglers. It was open to kayaks, boats, canoes, banks, you name it. This would fit me well for the month, as I was planning a few trips, but didn't have it in me to meet people at set dates or times, or had the health to battle through 8 hour fishing tournaments. My first stop would be on a small bass and panfish 90 acre natural lake in Rusk County, a place known for numbers of bass, but not necessarily size. With a water temperature sitting at 47 degrees, I wanted to rule out anything tight to shore or aggressive. Of course, I did try shoreline areas with long casts and reaction baits, with zero success or sightings of any fish. I decided to do some slow speed scanning with my Helix 12, and was finding clear markings of massive fish in around 14' of water, tight to the bottom. This lake does not have northern pike in it, it does have some musky. I don't believe it has a walleye population, so I assumed these were largemouth bass I was seeing, working their way in from their winter locations. There were also cribs all over in these contours. I pulled out a brand new Molix deep-diving jerk bait, and was running this slow and as deep as possible. I was able to make a lot of bottom contact to generate a reaction-strike. As always in tough conditions, I loaded the back treble very heavily with scented JB's Jelly, by JBs Fish Sauce. With every pass down the contour, I found success, as I landed 4 solid largemouth pass in 4 passes. These fish were very sluggish with the cold-water, and were very easy to net. What a fun time as I saw myself rise in the TourneyX standings to 3rd place early in the month, without having a 5th fish to fill my limit.


BIG CHETAC PERCH FEST

OUR CRAPPIES WERE HIDING BUT THE PERCH WERE JUMPING INTO THE CAST IRON

TURTLE FLAMBEAU - SCENIC, RELAXING, REWARDING

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My annual Turtle Flambeau Flowage trip went about as well as expected - the scenery was amazing, the fishing was tough, the giant smallmouths were present and girthy, wildlife was abundant, and the boat trailer sustained more injuries. Just another weekend at the Turtle. I started the trip by towing the boat to the Lake of the Falls County Park, for my second year in a row. This is an affordable way to be able to charge boat batteries, and have shower access. Remember - this flowage is full of islands with free camping on a first-come first-served basis with no registration involved. If your batteries are charged ahead of time, you can just stay out on the islands for free and find all the peace and quiet you are looking for (besides the loons all night.) I was limited on fishing time due to health reasons, and the bite was definitely a challenge. As usual you have to stick with your plan and keep an open mind, and over time you will have opportunities. I tried scouting a new area to me, which is something I do every trip. This time was Blair Lake. The water was muddy and cold, and it felt dead in there. After a few hours, we split and tried some of my previous spots near fisherman's landing, and found a few hooksets on quality fish. Unfortunately both fish missed the net, the first one may have broken my all-time longest bass for the Turtle. I was able to catch #5 for my online TourneyX event, so I gained some ground after slipping back several places from not fishing for a few weeks. 

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VIEWS NEAR FISHERMAN'S LANDING AT DUSK AS WE IDLE IN TO THE LAUNCH
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THE BEST PLACE TO ESCAPE IS THE SANCTUARY OF A TENT AND TIKI GLOW
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MY FAVORITE WAY TO END A DAY OF FIGHTING WAVES WITH A TROLLING MOTOR

RED CEDAR CHAIN OF EVENTS

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UNCLE JESSE PUTS A JAMES GANG BOOTYKICKER TO WORK ON HEMLOCK LAKE
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Mid-May was leading us on, as it appeared that Mother Nature was going to give us a record early spawn. We had 66 degree water temperatures on May 17, as the bass and northern pike were feeding heavily, and the bass were busy cruising or making beds in spawning areas. Brad Peplinski and I light up 30 bass and 10 northern pike, with most fish caught on a James Gang Fishing BASS JERKER suspending jerk bait in "Bloody Cisco," while a few were caught on James Gang NEST INVADER needles swinging jigs in 1/4 oz size. Zoom Fluke Jrs as well as large spinnerbaits caught the rest of the fish. A return trip two weeks later surprised us as we found water temps back down in the 50s, and a very negative feeding attitude. A few fish were caught on the James Gang BOOTYKICKER, a small walleye on a ned rig, a few smallmouth on a James Gang NEST INVADER, and a few bites on a plastic craw. Both trips I was able to cull out my lowest fish and move up in the standings. I finished in the Top 10 for the month out of 29 anglers, and besides my 18" bass, the rest was a nice 16-17" average to fill by bag limit. It was a lot of fun, and I was very proud of my production on these limited windows of opportunities that I found in the month of May.


IN SUMMARY.......

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It's been a wonderful start to the 2022 Spring fishing season. Summer will be here soon, and after the bass are done with post-spawn, we can enjoy or times froggin and chasing prime time bluegills on the lakes, catfish on the rivers. Always remember to invite a child when you can on your next fishing trip, and focus on relaxing and enjoying the outdoors whenever you get the time!!
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ICE FISHING, FLORIDA PEACOCKS, and LOVERTAIL 2 SALE!!

3/24/2022

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A DELICIOUS MEAL OF TAINTER LAKE PANFISH CAUGHT WITH JB'S FISH SAUCE & BEAVERTAIL BAITS

ICE FISHING SEASON IS MELTING AWAY

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As spring arrives in Wisconsin, the game fish seasons close, the ice can no longer handle pick-up trucks driving on them, and eventually the safe ice melts off into the open water. This year was a very successful year for many Wisconsin anglers on the ice. First ice in December was its usual dependable self, as the majority of anglers found the fish to be very aggressive as their first jig sightings of the year showed up. As the ice thickened and fishing pressure increased, anglers often had to downsize their approach and use less aggressive colors to activate some feeding to put a few on the ice. Enhancing your presentation with JB'S FISH SAUCE is always a wise choice, as the oil-based scent trail can help convince some "tasters" into "biters" when they are in sampling mode. A great alternative to live bait is using Gullickson's BEAVERTAIL BAITS as a finesse trailer on small tungsten jigs. I find myself almost always cutting them in half (length-wise) with a knife when ice fishing to mimic a spike or silver wiggler vs a large waxie. More often than not, this small detail can really increase your odds of hooking up. I did struggle at times this year because on most trips they really wanted a smaller presentation. I was generating bites but on very small tungsten jigs, which ended up in several lost fish during the retrieve to the hole. There isn't much that you can do in these situations, other than maybe trying to increase drag tension slightly, but not to the point that leads to broken off fish. I guess in the end, I would rather lose a few quality fish than not get bit at all using a bigger presentation. Our good buddies Kevin & Trevor found success this winter with me, and we even got to play with LiveScope for the first time on one of our trips. Live Scope has absolutely exploded in popularity this winter in Wisconsin, and because of that the anglers are able to chase down moving schools of fish instead of waiting for them to cycle through at very slow paces. Fish catching is getting much easier with theis new technology, please responsibly harvest and avoid slaughtering our local fisheries on your best days of the year.

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ENJOYING THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES

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JAMES GANG FISHING CEO ALEX JAMES HOLDS AN ALLIGATOR IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES
Alex James decided to take a week vacation from his schooling and head down to the Florida Everglades for 4 days, hitting the beach, chasing alligators, swimming with dolphins, and catching peacock bass. Alex found his first flight ever to be a pleasant experience, as he made it from Minnesota to Miami, Florida in just 3.5 hours. As he stepped outside of Miami International Airport, he saw his first palm tree and a 60 degree jump in temperature compared to back home in the midwest. Alex had a choice of which Turo rental car to ride in, a 2017 Porsche convertible, or a 2018 Dodge Challenger. Alex chose the Dodge, as the Challenger was one of his favorite cars from Zum Off Rentals. The Lamborghini and the McLaren were slightly above our budget.
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TURO RENTAL CAR OF CHOICE FOR THIS TRIP WAS THE 2018 Dodge Challenger V6 WITH 293 HP
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Alex had never seen such a large city before, as we drove past skyscrapers and changed lanes quickly in 16 lanes of traffic headed to Hwy 41 West. After 9 miles of craziness, the highway slimmed down to 2 lane traffic straight through the Florida Everglades. The sides of the roads all had guard rails separating them from canals of water and backwaters of the Everglades. Thick trees, vegetation, small Cyprus trees, palms, and tall, wet grasslands were to be seen from all directions. Wildlife is very thick here, as birds were hunting for food. Occasionally you would see parked cars on the side of the freeway as all of this water was public domain, you can fish anywhere! These waters contained saltwater fish as well as alligators. The drive was beautiful for 51 miles as you work from eastern Florida, through Everglades City, to Marco Island on the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way there are plenty of Florida panther signs, and even Gopher Tortoise crossing signs. We didn't see any alligators in the road, or any other wildlife besides turkey vultures. I think the guard rails probably do a pretty good job of keeping them off the road. On day one we arrived at our beautiful and affordable hotel, Port of the Islands Resort in the Everglades located on a gorgeous marina. The property was full of palm trees, and even had alligators and crocodiles hanging around the waterfront. We were fortunate enough to see a manatee in the wild eating next to shore, as well as dolphins attacking a school of mullet fish, and those gators & rare crocs. 

PORT OF THE ISLAND RESORT IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES IS A GREAT PLACE FOR LODGING!!
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WALLY GATOR IS NOT VERY SHY AS HE MAKES LAPS AROUND THE MARINA WATERS AT PORT OF THE ISLANDS
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After our exhausting day of flying and driving, we crashed for the night at the Port of the Islands hotel. Since we arrived after dark, we were not aware of how beautiful this property was. Sunrise was unbelievable, the the property was surround by palm trees, yachts, dolphins, and more. The marina was full of houseboats that were in use as the owners enjoyed their time relaxing in the harbor. Alex and I headed to Everglades City to check out what its like to rip through the famous mangroves in Florida in an airboat. We did our research and found that Captain Jacks's was a popular place. After the ride, we were invited to visit their zoo, attend an alligator show, and have Alex hold an alligator for a photo opportunity. The driver was an awesome guy, and he entertained us with some pretty funny comedy over our headsets as we traveled through the crazy mangroves of the Everglades.

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EVERYONE ON BOARD WAS SMILING DURING THIS AWESOME AIRBOAT RIDE IN THE EVERGLADES!!
During our trip, we were able to see schools of hungry catfish (that love to eat orange peels) and a solo alligator hiding in the shade in the mangroves. Our driver spun us around for some fun donuts on the water, and ripped through the mangrove tunnels at high speeds. The 30 minute trip was so much fun! At the Wooten's Zoo, we saw lots of wildlife, including wild gators and lots of fish outside their fenced in property. They had a nice gift shop with lots of clothing, dried alligator heads and feet and much more for your display areas of your dining room. 
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FATHER & SON TEAM OF JAMES GANG FISHING ARE LOVING THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES AFTER AN AIRBOAT RIDE
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After our fun looking at alligators and riding on boats, we decided it was time to head to Tigertail Beach on Marco Island, which is located on the Gulf of Mexico. This city is full of picture-perfect mansions on the waterfront. Palm trees everywhere. A slow, relaxing place without heavy traffic. A perfect way to spend the afternoon in the sunlight. Alex enjoyed his first tall waves that the Atlantic Ocean threw at him, but he did not care for the taste of salt-water that he accidentally swallowed more than once. The beachfronts were white & sandy, the water temperature was tolerable, and there was some pelicans hanging around chasing some baitfish for supper. Local real estate was on fire as there were homes listed from $4,000,000-9,000,000! This is a high-dollar beautiful place for retirees that have a solid amount of money invested in their retirement.

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TIGERTAIL BEACH AT MARCO ISLAND, FL ON THE Gulf of Mexico
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The next day in Florida led us to a drive in the Challenger across the Everglades to Miami, Florida. We drove through all the traffic and skyscrapers to cross the ocean on a bridge to Key Biscayne Island. The final destination was the Miami Seaquarium, a zoo filled with wildlife with marine animals including dolphins, orcas, sea lions, flamingos, manatees, manta rays, sharks, fish, and more! Alex treated himself to an adventure in which he was able to swim with the dolphins in the park for 30 minutes with the dolphin trainers. In this time, Alex was taught hand signals to instruct the fish to do flips and shake "hands" (or fins.) He experienced feeding them fish treats, felt the dolphin's belly, and for the grand finale, Alex grabbed on to a dorsal fin and went for a ride across the entire pool. As an animal-lover that loves being in water, this was the ultimate experience for him. He thought the dolphins were hilarious as they were very fun and playful with everyone.

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SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS - HANG ON TIGHT!
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After spending the morning with his bottlenose buddies, Alex had me fire up the Dodge Challenger and head back across the Everglades back to the hotel to swim in the 85 degree pool and eat some fresh-caught sea trout, baked to perfection at the Angler's Cove restaurant. Alex said the pool was much better than swimming in the ocean, even though he missed the waves, he did not miss the taste of salt water. The palm trees surrounding the hotel pool were neat to look at, and the large pool had a lot of deep water for him to swim under. We ran out of time to fire up one of the many barbecue grills on the property, but we did find time to search for gators and crocs at the marina and located across the street at the Port of the Isles Recreation Area.

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PORTS OF THE ISLANDS POOL IS SCENIC AND HEATED TO 85 DEGREES FOR PERFECT COMFORT
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PORT OF THE ISLES RECREATION AREA IS FULL OF REPTILES AND HAS MANATEES PRESENT NEAR THE HWY 41 BRIDGE

PEACOCK BASS FISHING WITH MONSTER MIKE IN MIAMI'S CANALS

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A few years ago we were watching another episode of "GOING IKE" with Mike Iaconelli, and there was this hyper, crazy guide named Monster Mike leading Iaconelli down the banks for Miami looking for peacock bass and exotic fish in the clear canal waters. Later on, Mike brought National Geographic Wild's film crew down these same canals to re-connect with Monster Mike on his Miami episode of "FISH MY CITY WITH MIKE IACONELLI." The passion from Monster Mike was as wild as Iaconelli himself, and I thought that this was a guy WE NEED to fish with someday. Since our flight and car rental were based in/out of Miami, we checked with Monster Mike's guiding partner Bryan "The CEO" to see if there was an opening on our final day. We lucked out and were able to book a half-day trip with the 2 guides before heading back home at night with our 8:30pm take-off. We took our final trip across the scenic Everglades Hwy 41 back to Miami to meet the two at their local bait shop. Monster Mike bought out the remaining shiners in inventory as we waited for Bryan "The CEO" to make an appearance. As Bryan pulled up in his HEMI Ram, we fired up the Challenger and followed them through neighborhoods of beautiful homes in southern Miami. We stopped several times as we hole-hopped different canal locations through the day of fishing. On my first cast that hit the water (my first cast was in the trees - or as Monster Mike and Alex called it - I caught a TREE POUNDER) I hooked up into a super aggressive peacock bass! This fish would end up being the smallest one of the day, but even at under 2 lbs it really put up a huge fight!

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MY BIGGEST OF MANY PEACOCK BASS THAT I CAUGHT WITH MONSTER MIKE FISHING - THIS ONE APPROACHING 3 LBS
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The previous day brought on a cold rain to Miami, and it sure seemed to affect the fishing on this day. We had a very slow start after the first cast peacock that I had landed. Monster Mike and Bryan "THE CEO" made decisions to try other locations. The sun came out and the temperature began climbing, and eventually it turned into the warmest day of our vacation. As the temperature increased, the peacock bass became more aggressive. I was feeling bad as Alex wasn't having any luck, but I was catching them at each location it seemed. We ended up sight-fishing for all of our fish, and I saw a "flared" peacock bass under my feet at stop #2. As I dropped my shiner in front of the colorful fish, a bigger one shot out from the rock undercut on shore and smashed my shiner. I saw it happen so I gave it my best power hookset, and nailed that peacock with all that braided line could handle. It gave me an awesome fight and was easily the biggest one I would catch all day. With a super orange belly, this was one of those that I was hoping to snap a photo of by the end of the day.

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​As the bite picked up, Alex noticed a pair of peacock bass in front of him at stop #3. He dropped a shiner in front of its face and the smaller one instantly erupted on it. Alex gave it a tournament-style power hookset (jacked him) and he landed his first peacock bass, a colored 2 pounder. While he was holding the fish with Monster Mike for a photo, Bryan "THE CEO" hooked the larger of the pair, so Mike had to hold Alex's fish as he ran to reel in his 2nd peacock bass in less than a minute. This one was much larger, weighing approximately 3.5 pounds! We noticed that this larger fish had a huge lump on his head. Monster Mike & Bryan "THE CEO" said that the trophy peacock bass typically get that lump and grow a much taller back to their shape vs the younger class peacock bass. As we sight-fished the area, Monster Mike continued scouting the shores looking for trophy fish lurking around. After fishing this stop out, he had 2 more on his mind that he really wanted to try out. The next stop would be where Mike Iaconelli was filmed on National Geographic Wild reeling in a large cichlid for the show.

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MONSTER MIKE & BRYAN "THE CEO" PUT ALEX ON THE LARGEST FISH TO DATE IN 2022 - A 23" PEACOCK @ 6.75-7 LBS!!!
We hopped back into the Challenger and followed Bryan to the location where Iaconelli was filmed with these two guides. Instantly, Mike notices several peacock bass present as he scouts the banks of the canal. Bryan "THE CEO" sees a trophy busting on the surface numerous times, but finds its way into hiding from us under a thin cloud of debris on top. After a short time, the wind shifted directions and the could of film leaves the area, exposing all of the peacock bass. We caught a few smaller ones, but then I noticed the larger one under my feet. I kept casting at it, getting several missed swipes from the fish. Monster Mike got up close and estimated it to be well over 4 lbs, and was super excited to get one of us on this fish. Monster Mike had us step back towards the truck to prevent spooking the fish. As we stood motionless, he made multiple casts past the fish trying to get it right in the strike zone. After he experienced some missed strikes, the peacock hooked up. Alex quickly took over as we assumed we were dealing with a 4+ pounder. During the fight, the drag was screaming on 20 lb braid, and the fish kept rising towards the top. Once it reached the surface, we realized we were fighting with a GIANT peacock bass! Bryan coached Alex all the way down the shore, reminding him to let the fish take drag, and let the rod do the work before reeling. Monster Mike positioned himself on the bank near the "landing station" that they often use when helping their clients land peacock bass. As he grabbed the fish by the mouth at shore, we all let out an Iaconelli celebration scream - the beast was landed! With incredible colorations and a massive build, this was truly a fish-of-a-lifetime! Monster Mike estimated the weight to be around 6.75-7 lbs with a length of 23." We safely released the fish unharmed after photos and high fives, and will be ordering a fiberglass replica of this trophy peacock bass. These fish have the most stunning colors of all fish in North America, and I highly recommend booking a trip with these two fantastic guides! Monster Mike Fishing can also be found on YouTube, so go ahead and LIKE/SUBSCRIBE to his fishing channel as he puts peacock videos as well as comedy videos on YouTube on a regular basis. Also find him on Instagram to see his entertaining content that he creates with Bryan "THE CEO." 
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LOVERTAIL 2 Weedless INLINE SPINNER SALE!

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LOVERTAIL 2 inline spinners are ON SALE now with FREE shipping! These are great for catching largemouth bass, northern pike, and other large gamefish. Our top 2 fish-catching and selling colors are offered in our current sale - BULL BLUEGILL & WHITE CRAPPIE! For more information, click below to our online store link:

On Sale

On Sale

Lovertail 2 Weedless inline spinner BASS

$12.75 $8.00 - $12.75

WHAT IS A LOVERTAIL 2? It is a premium-quality weedless IN-LINE SPINNERBAIT! These lures are fantastic around weeds and wood cover, and great for catching that giant kicker bass that you need in the tournaments. Northern Pike LOVE these lures as well, a fun time to be had in Canada!! Throw this lure where you would NEVER dare to throw an in-line spinner!!!! The lure is hand-crafted on a 300# stainless steel wire, using tarnish-resistant nickel-plated blades and beads. Following the beads is a beautiful UMBRELLA-FLARE silicone skirt. A stainless steel split ring attaches a swinging VMC HD weighed hook designed by Bassmaster & MLF WORLD Champion and AOY MIKE IACONELLI.


Check them out in YouTube https://youtu.be/AxCu5ejXchs.


The LOVERTAIL 2 is the top-selling lure crafted by James Gang Fishing Company and will help you catch more 4-5 lb or bigger bass, like it has for Tyler Theide, Kayak Guide, Kevin Rogalski, Pro Staffer, and multiple satisfied customers from Missouri to Louisiana.

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JAMES GANG FISHING Lovertail 2 Weedless Inline Spinner in "BULL BLUEGILL"


THANK YOU FOR YOUR BUSINESS AND FEEL FREE TO JOIN OUR JUNE 12 MLF EVENT ON RED CEDAR LAKE. 2 PERSON TEAMS $35/ANGLER. SEARCH "James gang" ON FISH DONKEY APP TO REGISTER!!

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2021 JAMES GANG MLF RECAP

6/16/2021

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2021 JAMES GANG BASS INVITATIONAL

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18 ANGLERS PARTICIPATED IN THE OLD ABE MLF EVENT IN 2021

The Event Begins......

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The long-awaited 2021 James Gang Bass Invitational was an exciting event for us, since we were forced to cancel all of our 2020 events due to COVID scheduling conflicts. The 18 anglers that showed up on May 22 at Old Abe Lake in NW WI made up for it, with positive attitudes and smiling faces in incredibly comfortable fishing weather. I chose CEO Alex James as my fishing partner, hoping that the soon-to-be 13 year old could finally land himself a Kid's Big Bass Award in his final event before he would no longer be eligible. I began the early spring by scouting new areas to us in the Cobban Bridge area, using our side-imaging to mark ledges and visually look for eddies from the current that is pretty consistent on this body of water. We have fished this flowage many times during the 2000's, but felt the last 5 years that the fishery was losing its ability to produce quality fish. Several outings from 2015-2019 were terrible outings, failing to hook into or even see a single legal bass in all of our trips. Word around the area the last few years was that Old Abe was alive and well, full of the girth smallmouths that attracted us anglers. We thought we would give it a go and prove or disprove what the fisheries status really is.  

6 AM equals "LINES IN"

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All of the anglers showed up early, giving us the ability to start the event 30 min early at 6AM. We were hoping to see a hot morning top-water bite, as the water temperatures were hinting that we were around the annual spawning season for the local smallmouth bass. Our strategy was to run up river to the previously scouted Cobban Bridge area, as we assumed the bulk of the field would hammer the dam and islands areas close to the boat ramp. To our surprise, not a boat was in sight when we launched our boat! We decided to improvise and simply start fishing at the boat ramp. I began throwing a James Gang Spitter Pop, a heavy duty, hand-carved wooden popper for top-water success. Six minutes into the day, our FISHDONKEY app began blaring a donkey noise, as Doc Gilles registered the first 12+" smallmouth bass of the tournament, weighing in at .75 lbs. This fish put Doc & his partner Todd Lundquist in the lead. His lead would be passed up moments later, when David Xiong boated a 15 oz fish at 6:25 am to take the lead over Doc.

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DOC GILLES & TODD LUNDQUIST START THE DAY WITH THE LEAD ON OLD ABE LAKE

ALEX FINDS A POTENTIAL WINNING PATTERN EARLY

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JAMES GANG FISHING CEO ALEX & I had prepped our rods with multiple James Gang Fishing lures, as well as a Strike King Rodent 3" and a Strike King Rage Craw in Ned size. Alex had discovered a unique way to rig the Rodent a few years ago while catching nice largemouth on Rock Lake by Bloomer, WI. He found that a VMC HD weighted swimbait hook, with the hitch hiker screwed into the bottom of the front point, gives the rodent a keel shape, resulting in an aggressive walk-the-dog presentation. Even though he knew he had that trick to rely on, he started off by dead-sticking the Rodent (soaked in JB'S FISH SAUCE Pinch O' Garlic mist) in 2' deep spawning areas. It created a reaction quickly, as he began catching quality smallmouth bass on beds right at the boat launch area. at 6:26AM, Alex had landed his first legal bass, a 1.38 lb smallmouth that put him in the lead. 3 minutes later, the FINDONKEY app woke up the lake as Brent Forsman and his 14-year-old son Matthew began finding a strong pattern for themselves, taking over the early lead and the temporary BIG BASS lead with a 2.13 lb smallmouth.

TEAM FORSMAN GOES WILD!

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14-YEAR-OLD MATTHEW FORSMAN AND HIS DAD TAKE A COMMANDING LEAD
Brent Forsman and his son Matthew went on an absolute fish-landing frenzy the following half hour. With every check of the FISHDONKEY app, their lead grew, fish after fish, with some quality bass in the 2+lb class. By 6:53 AM, Team Forsman was feeling comfortable with just over 12 lbs verified with the lead. Most of the field was at 1 lb or less. Then 12-year-old Alex began producing a quality fish, as he took his time working the prime areas producing a strong fish here and there. At 6:32AM, he boated fish number 2, a 2.25 lb bass once again on a Baby Rodent.13 minutes later, a Rage Craw Ned in black and blue was fired up near a log, and as his line tightened up he gave the bass a perfect hook-set, and a fight was on. I reminded him to keep pressure on the fish and make sure he doesn't point the rod at it. As I scooped up his girthy giant of a 16+" bass, the weight pushed him to the top of the BIG BASS lead, at 2.81 lbs! Alex single-handedly put us halfway to the Forsman's weight, and high above the other 14 anglers in the field when the first hour of fishing was complete. 
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BRENT FORSMAN IS PUTTING HIS TEAM ON A GREAT PATTERN

THE REMAINING FIELD COMES IN TO PLAY

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CODY SCHEIDLER PUTS THE PRESSURE ON ALEX WITH A 2.44# SMALLMOUTH BASS
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As the Alex vs. Forsman show fizzled out for a few hours, the remaining field began registering some fish, including several in the 2 lb class that made it appear that Alex would not retain the lead for 8 hours. We really believed a 3lb bass would be needed to win the Daily Lunker Award for the biggest bass of the day. Just before 8AM, Jon Small and his son Wesley made us very nervous as they put themselves on the board and nearly took the BIG BASS lead with a very thick 2.56 lb bass. 17 minutes later, Cody Sheidler and his partner Shawn Malison put a bass in the boat near 2.5 lbs as well. A little over an hour later, James Buresh and his son Cody put a very nice 2.63 lb smallmouth up towards the top for Big Bass. Team Buresh jumped up the scales at 6.45 lbs and were in contention with as as we tried to gain ground on the Forsmans. Sneaking in the background was a team from Cumberland, slowly edging their way up the entire time, as Jonathon Howell and his partner Dustin was nearly tied with the Buresh team trying to run down the top team with us and Team Buresh. 

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DUSTIN & HIS PARTNER JONATHON HOWELL OF CUMBERLAND WORKED THEIR WAY UP THE LEADERBOARD THE ENTIRE EVENT

BRENT & MATTHEW BACK IN THE GAME, BUT SO IS ALEX!
10:30AM UPDATE

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ALEX PIONTEK WAS A CONTENDER FOR THE WIN AS HE CYCLED THROUGH HIS PRIME LOCATIONS AND STEADILY PRODUCED QUALITY SMALLMOUTH BASS
By 10:30AM, Brent and Matthew Forsman decided to make the tournament ridiculous, as they once again boated fish after fish, constantly updating the leaderboard. As they broke the 20lb mark, Alex was occasionally catching large fish, and kept our team in the game. I honestly felt like we needed to focus on Big Bass and keep him doing what was working, and would be happy with at least a 3rd place payout position by the end of the day. But with each pass of our "milk run," Alex was getting good ones in the net. At 9:33AM, Alex hooked another bass that looked huge, another girthy 16.5" bass weighing 2.81 lbs, tying his BIG BASS lead! As we pulled up to our hot spot near the boat ramp on the third pass, I hooked into another bass appearing to be close to 3 lbs. Alex was struggling to get the net in position as I fought the strong beast for quite a while at the bow of the boat. Alex placed the net near the fish and the fish was able to free itself and swim away. Although we were bummed out, the very next cast, I hooked into another fish at exactly 2 lbs, and this time Alex did some crazy net trick as the fish took me to the dam bouy rope and  wrapped me up. He was able to net the fish and almost lost the entire net. We managed to lose 2 more fish at the net, but Alex redeemed himself with a 2.38 lb and a 2.75 lb smallmouth. The pounds were adding up so quickly on just a few fish that we realized this game was not over and we were on the winning pattern! Cody & Jim Buresh jumped up to 3rd place. Our 2.75lb smallmouth put us in the lead at 21.77 lbs as the Forsmans hit a wall and were stuck at 20.91 lbs for a long period of time.
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LEADER'S NAP TIME???

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BY 11:43AM, ALEX PIONTEK PUT US IN THE LEAD. "WELL, I GOT BIG BASS IN THE BAG, AND THE LEAD, SO I THINK IT'S TIME FOR AN HOUR NAP!"
Some leaders take naps in tournaments. When they wake up, they are still in the lead.  At least if you are Alex Piontek. After Alex woke up from his snooze, some other anglers were nearby. To throw them off from our pattern, we decided to make a run to a new area and switch lures. We switched to a black and blue JAMES GANG FISHING BABY SQUID BAIT in 1/4 oz. On the first cast, a giant, possible 4 lb class smallmouth drilled the lure right under the boat, failing to get a hook in its face. As I worked the shore line I hooked into a few under-sized bass, and a few pike. After silence from the Forsman team for FOUR hours, they came back to life with a 1.6 lb bass that made the FISHDONKEY do a "HEE-HAW" and put them back on top. We fired right back with a 1.44 lb smallmouth caught on the Baby Squid as well as a 12" bass weighing 0.69 lbs to put us back on top at 1:04PM, with a daily weight of 23.90 lbs. With "Lines out" at 2 PM, we knew that we needed about 2 more fish to keep the win over the Forsmans. As we finished the day with our-back-and-forth battle with the Forsmans, Chad Ducommun and his daughter Tenielle began hammering legal fish,  after a slow and steady struggle the first 7 hours of the day.

THE FINAL HOUR - WINNERS & DAILY LUNKER

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In the final hour, 4 teams battled out for the 3rd place finish, which was the final payout. Cody & Jim Buresh landed three bass in a short time around noon, but couldn't get back on them in the final hour. They registered 9 fish throughout the day for 12.64 pounds. Team Ducommun was able to boat 5 keepers in the final hour to make their push to the 3rd place finish with a red hot pattern late in the event. In the final hour, Shawn Malison & Cody Sheidler charged very hard, boating two bass over 2 lbs and a 12" bass to finish the day with 5 fish at 9.13 pounds. Team Buresh saw their paycheck slip away as Jonathon Howell & his partner Dustin pulled off a 3rd place upset with a giant bass in the final 8 minutes of the day. Jonathon reeled in a 2.75 lb smallmouth that was only 2 oz short of the BIG BASS lead at the final moments.  This beautiful bass put Team Howell at 14.58 lbs on 10 registered fish. They received the final payout as the 3rd place winners in a final push at the end. Great job Jonathon & Dustin for not giving up and pulling off a beauty in the final minutes!

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3RD PLACE WINNERS - JONATHON HOWELL & DUSTIN OF CUMBERLAND, WI

FORSMAN VS. PIONTEK, WHO IS IT GOING TO BE????

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BRENT FORSMAN LANDS A 1.43LB SMALLMOUTH BASS UNDER PRESSURE
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As we landed our last fish around 1:04PM, we had a choice to make. Do we run the "milk run" that produced 18 lbs of fish for us on three passes for a 4th and final visit, or do we work the latest shoreline where we saw a 4 lb class fish and boated a few smaller fish, including two legals? We couldn't fish both, simply because we were breaking in a brand new outboard and had to run half throttle, and work through a nasty gravel bar without damaging our lower unit to access the latest area. We played it safe, and chose to fish the "milk run" one last time, which would put us near the boat ramp in the final minutes for some desperation casts. As we cast towards our targets running our earlier patterns, we failed to feel any sort of bites or pick-ups. The Baby Squid Bait, Strike King Rodent, and the Rage Craw Ned were not giving us anything. There was no time for second guessing as the time was running out. At 1:28PM, the FISHDONKEY APP informed us that Brent & Matthew had taken the lead back. We had just seen them for the first time of the day as we fished our "milk run" point near the dam.  Brent hooked his fish in the bay of stumps very close to where Alex lost a possible 3 pound bass early in the event. We cast and cast and cast until time expired, and checked the app at 2 pm. Brent & Matthew beat us by 0.05 lbs, or roughly ONE OUNCE! It's amazing that a tournament can come down to an ounce during an 8 hour event. The pressure and intensity was so exciting, and we couldn't be happier for the 2021 James Gang Fishing Bass Invitational Champions, BRENT & MATTHEW FORSMAN!!!

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1ST PLACE - BRENT & MATTHEW FORSMAN - 23.95 LBS ON 12 FISH
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2ND PLACE - ALEX & JESSE PIONTEK - 23.90 LBS ON 12 FISH

DAILY LUNKER AWARD - ALEX PIONTEK
​2.81 LBS

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FINAL STANDINGS

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THANK YOU ANGLERS! PLEASE JOIN US AT LONG LAKE, NEW AUBURN SAT SEPT 25, 2021!!!!

CLICK HERE FOR JAMES GANG FISHING MLF LONG LAKE INFO
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24/7 BAIT & TACKLE VENDING BLOOMER, WI / JAMES GANG LURES IN MERCER, WI / PRE-SPAWN IS HERE!

5/19/2021

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NORTHERN PIKE LANDED ON A 1/4oz JAMES GANG FISHING BABY SQUID BAIT

24/7 BAIT & TACKLE COMES TO THE BACK 40(BLOOMER, WI)

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JAMES GANG CEO ALEXANDER has made a business decision to re-locate his top-of-the-line vending machine to the Back 40 Dining & Cocktails, near. Bloomer, WI on the intersection of Hwys 64 & 40. After his first year of vending business, he learned from his customers what to stock the machine with, and how to manage vending live bait efficiently. Our summer season in 2020 was a great success, as crawlers, leeches, and cat fishing equipment led the way. Ice fishing started off strong at first ice as the crappie ,minnows were the big hit. We have improved our transport equipment and feel very dialed in on the minnow vending process after some experimenting with cooling and packaging. Our minnows are now sold in clear containers, and we made it through the winter with ZERO customer refund requests for minnow quality. We are frequently re-stocking and changing out our live bait, ensuring customer satisfaction. Our new location will feature: cat fish dough bait, dip bait, crawlers, worms, leeches, sinkers, bobbers, trailer bearings, trailer grease, 2-cycle oil, bug repellent, flashlights, fishing line, top-quality lures, hooks, live minnows, deer hunting equipment, JBs Fish Sauce, and more.  We accept credit or cash 24 hrs of the day. We are located north of Bloomer, convenient for the anglers of the Island Lake, Long Lake, & Chippewa County forest regions, as well as Rock & Marshmiller lakes. The Back 40 serves EXCELLENT food as well as drinks and hosts private parties in addition to a farmer's market on weekends. Check them out and stock up on your fishing essentials any hour of the day at the Back 40 vending location!! 

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JAMES GANG FISHING LURES AVAILABLE IN MERCER, WI

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The TURTLE RIVER TRADING COMPANY has began selling our Nest Invader weedless skirted jigs in 3/8 oz sizes. These jigs were our top fish producer in 2020, and worked well at the Turtle Flambeau Flowage near Mercer, WI. Turtle River is carrying 6 hot colors for their customers, as well as a great assortment of major name brands in addition to live bait. Check them out if you are in the area and Scot will give you the latest fishing report on the flowage.
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PRE-SPAWN IS HERE!

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CRAPPIES, BASS, & PIKE have been picking up in Wisconsin, and our next warm weather is sure to put the bass on their beds. Crappies showed themselves well in the shallows recently, and pike top what they normally do, harass fish around vegetation. Kaeden, Easton, & Nicole Brandner found some crappies in a river in NW Wisconsin while fishing from a bank. Uncle Jesse found a few bass and northern pike, while scouting out some new bodies of water near New Auburn. Pro-Staffer and Kayak guide Chang For used his James Gang Lovertail 2 to expose some bass and pike on a tougher day of fishing. And pro-staffer Doc Gilles pulled up a limit of smallmouth bass while pre-fishing for his next tournament.

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THE BRANDNERS BROUGHT HOME A MEALS OF RIVER CRAPPIES
UNCLE JESSE SCOUTS SOME NEW WATER FOR BASS & PIKE ACTION
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CHANG LOR PUTS HIS FEELFREE KAYAK TO WORK, LANDING SOME LT2 FISH

STAY TUNED FOR THE 2021 JAMES GANG INVITATIONAL RESULTS ON OLD ABE LAKE, WI!!

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HOLIDAY SALE @ JAMES GANG FISHING PREMIUM HAND-CRAFTED LURES! ICE FISHING TACKLE IN OUR 24/7 VENDING MACHINE - HOLCOMBE, WI

12/8/2020

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LOVERTAIL 2, BEE WHACKER, & MUSKY LURES ON SALE TO DEC 31! FREE SHIPPING INCLUDED! ALLOW 2-3 WEEKS FOR BUILD & DELIVERY


ICE FISHING TACKLE NOW AVAILABLE IN OUR 24/7 VENDING MACHINE IN HOLCOMBE, WI

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Fall Jet Boats, Philadelphia History, Riverbank and Mid-Fall Success

11/1/2020

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MAT EICHINGER, UNCLE JESSE, & NORB ROEGER HAD A BLAST FISHING WITH ALEX & ALAYNA IN 49 DEGREE SMALLMOUTH WATERS IN MID-OCTOBER
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EDUCATED IN PHILADELPHIA

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MIKE BREEDING OF GRATEFUL GUIDES IS A FANTASTIC TEACHER & BRINGS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER IN HIS CUSTOM JET BOAT

FISHING THE ULTRA-CLEAR SUSQUEHANNA RIVER

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As an aspiring fishing guide in the very near future, I planned on educating myself by hiring some of the best guides in the country, watching closely as they use their personal teaching methods, as well as understanding how each guide has a unique way of locating fish for clients, and how they handle the stress of a tough bite as they try to present a successful day for their customers. I feel very blessed to have shared the boat with Hall of Fame angler Dale Stroschein of Sturgeon Bay, WI few years back. The knowledge gained during that trip was huge, as we analyzed our extremely tough day that resulted in several trophy smallmouth by sunset in late-October. Also a treat with a highly-respected and high-priced guide in combination with their knowledge is the fact that you get to use top-notch boats and equipment. Dale has worked so hard over a legendary career to land a solid sponsorship with Nitro boats. Being in his 450 hp Nitro SZ-21v is such a treat on the brutal waters of the Great Lakes. An extra deep walleye boat design such as his can handle the rough waters so well, and the huge outboard can push his heavy boats at high speeds. At the opposite end of the spectrum is riding in the custom jet boat owned by Grateful Guides guide service of Hanover, Pennsylvania.

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GRATEFUL GUIDES TREATS THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH A 250 HP INBOARD JETBOAT
As a a long-time avid Mike Iaconelli fan, I have always enjoyed his work on tv, such as CITY LIMITS FISHING, GOING IKE, & FISH MY CITY on the major tv networks. One episode really caught my attention, as Mike fished the Susquehanna River with professional guide Mike Breeding and Bassmaster Elite Fletcher Shryock for smallmouth bass in a jet boat. I have never experienced riding in or fishing from a jet boat, and with the multiple rivers present in Wisconsin, it is something that I am interested in learning about. My expectations for the Susquehanna River was a dirty, or stained river around 8-12' deep running through a small village town out in the country. The education started as I neared the Capitol City of Pennsylvania, Harrisburg, to meet Mike. I felt like a fool not knowing that I was fishing the capitol of the state in ultra-clear and super shallow waters. A lack of rain had brought the average depth of the river down to around 1 foot deep! The river is fed from the crystal-clear waters of Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY. I have never seen a clear river before. It was very intense flying across 1 foot of water in a large boat and not hitting bottom. It was actually an absolute blast! I found it very hard to believe that these waters could possibly hold smallmouth bass in such low depths. Mike handed me some finesse plastics and we got to work. We fished a short time and Mike had a very nice 3 lb class smallmouth bass to the back of the boat, that threw his lure. Seeing a bass in this shallow water gave me the confidence to cast anywhere he instructed me to knowing that we were around them. Mike said to expect a brutally tough day in the low water conditions. He also spent the majority of the day focusing on teaching me how to read river currents, looking for very subtle structure changes my looking at the differences in bubbles on the surface near eddies and underwater cover such as rocks and boulders.  
FISHING SUPER TOUGH CONDITIONS CAN PRODUCE QUALITY BASS WITH PATIENCE AND AN ULTRA-FINESSE PRESENTATION - THANK YOU GRATEFUL GUIDES!
Mike and I cycled through a few finesse plastics, and one that I was very excited to throw was one of my confidence lures - a plastic jerkshad. Mike said that there wasn't much for wood cover present in the main river, so nose-hooking the lure is a better choice than fishing it weedless. I began casting and didn't take long to hook up on a quality Susquehanna River smallmouth bass.
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MY FIRST OF 8 QUALITY SMALLMOUTH BASS BOATED WITH GRATEFUL GUIDES
As we continued covering some key locations, we found it very difficult finding a pattern or a school of fish. It seemed that the fish were holding very tight to hard bottom with very minor depressions in the super shallow water. Mike pulled up to a grassy flat and instructed me to cast as far as I could across the river channel, and I instantly hooked up to a very nice fish. We didn't bother to use a scale or ruler, but I would guess throughout the day we landed several fish around or just over 3 lbs, and this one was approaching closer to 4 pounds. 
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OUR BIGGEST CATCH OF THE DAY - A NEAR 4 POUND SMALLMOUTH BASS!
After flipping from a swing shift at work, and the late-night flight from Minnesota to Philadelphia International Airport, I was feeling absolutely exhausted through the later part of our day. We had a stretch of a few hours without a bite, then Mike turned it around by finally getting us on the board with our 10th smallmouth bass of the day. Minutes later, I thought I felt a tiny bump on my lure as it hit the surface. I looked up and saw a boil where I had casted and felt sure that there was a fish present. I began to twitch the jerkshad as erratic as possible. I thought I may have felt another light bump so I kept the jerkshad darting at a high speed. Finally, my lure was absolutely clobbered as I pulled back and stuck the hook into the roof of the bass's mouth. The fish was probably our second biggest of the day and easily over 3 pounds, giving me an awesome battle all the way to the boat. Within a few casts, Mike hooked up on a smaller bass that would end up being our 12th and final fish of the day.
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THANK YOU MIKE BREEDING & GRATEFUL GUIDES!

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Fishing with Mike Breeding was an absolute treat! Mike has a lot of enthusiasm and makes your fishing outing feel like a party as he is out for a good time. But he also is a very talented angler and really understands his water in which he runs his guide service. Mike has spent 17 years running the Susquehanna River in his jet boats and has very strong teaching skills. It was quite the experience being in such clear water with super low levels. And riding over that in a jet boat was so fun! Thank you Mike for helping this Wisconsin boy boat 8 of your prized beautiful smallmouth in conditions that most anglers wouldn't understand where to begin or how to generate a single bite all day. I understand why Mike Iaconelli chose to feature your service on his tv show and I was extremely impressed with the entire experience. Mike has very affordable rates for his top-notch, unique service, and you can find more information by clicking on the button below. 

CLICK HERE FOR GRATEFUL GUIDES INFO

ATTENDING BASS UNIVERSITY WITH IKE LIVE'S BTC & PETE GLUSZEK
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UPPER CHESAPEAKE BAY, MARYLAND

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3X BASSMASTER CLASSIC PRO PETE GLUZSEK & IKE LIVE PRODUCER BRIAN "THE CARPENTER" ARE HAVING FUN CRACKING JOKES & CATCHING BASS
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THE CAST OF IKE LIVE: DAVE B, MIKE I, BECKY I, PETE G, BRIAN THE CARPENTER
During the past several Bassmaster Classics, legendary world champion and world-famous "goof-ball" Mike Iaconelli has hosted an "after-party" after the champion had received their trophy. I was privileged to find vacation time for a 46 hour experience in 2019 to fly to Knoxville and watch Ott DeFoe become a world champion, and attend the IKE LIVE-sponsored party after the event. I was very excited to mingle with some professional anglers that I followed on ESPN for so long, people that I also had previously met briefly at weigh ins in the past. What I was excited the most for was to meet the Ike Live crew for the first time, as I had been a fan of since the beginning in 2013. As expected, Mike was super busy giving time to every single attendee and finding ways to interact with all of them. I had a lot of fun chatting with Brian "The Carpenter" and Pete Gluszek as we talked about fishing in Wisconsin and the local fishing scene near New Jersey. I asked Pete about his guide service availability on Lake Champlain and the Upper Chesapeake Bay. He told me that late April is prime for giant largemouth bass, so we agreed on a future trip in 2020. When the time was near, the trip was booked for both Pete Gluszek's Guide Service & Grateful Guides. As COVID19 hit the world news, we felt forced to re-schedule for a fall smallmouth trip to avoid any travel bans or restrictions. Finally October arrived and I was able to travel to New Jersey and fish my two guide trips planned so long ago. Brian took time out of his very busy schedule to join us on the water as he accepted my invite. With the crazy year and hectic schedule, the two friends hadn't had an opportunity in 2020 to get in the boat together and were very thankful that I got all three of us to line it up for the day of fun.

BRIAN GOES "DOUBLE-UP"

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Before our day began, I had told Pete that I was a very weak crankbait angler, and wanted to work on crankbait fishing if the bite presented itself. Pete is a very skilled angler in multiple categories, and crankbaits is one of his strongest methods he uses to catch fish. We started out throwing crankbaits near points, rocks, rip-rap, and wood cover. Pete and Brian were very good at using their time efficiently, covering high-percentage areas with fast and slow lures, then moving on quickly as they searched for fish. They definitely chose to not waste time fishing "dead" areas void of fish. As more time went on, Pete decided to hang it up and make a long run with his 250 hp Bass Cat 21' boat to some other areas that he had found success on in the past. As we pulled up, we switched over to some ultra-finesse soft plastics. It wasn't long and I hooked into a young smallmouth bass. But as I got it to the side of the boat, a school of better bass were with it trying to steal the lure. Not wasting an opportunity, Brian quickly dropped his favorite ned rig set up and hooked up with a quality smallmouth bass. We reeled both of our fish up at the same time, making Pete proud as we smiled with the first two fish of the day. That area remained hot with the finesse bite, and we continued to catch numbers of smallmouth bass, some of them in respectable sizes.
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PETE GLUSZEK PUT BRIAN & I ON A SOLID SMALLMOUTH SCHOOL IN THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
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BRIAN BOATS THE BIGGEST SMALLMOUTH OF THE DAY, REDEEMING HIMSELF AFTER LOSING A BIGGER ONE AT BOATSIDE EARLIER
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ONCE AGAIN BTC PULLS HIS "DOUBLE-UP" TRICK TRYING TO STEAL THE SHOW
After we burned out the school on multiple presentations, Pete shot us across the bay looking for more schools of feeding fish. Brian landed another smallmouth bass near a log that Pete instructed me to cast to that I kept missing as I battled the wind with poor casts. We continued on, covering points, small bays, and grass edges, with no luck. Pete and Brian gave me the option of running to areas in which they believed a mix of largemouth and smallmouth were present, and I agreed we needed to keep moving. But before we would leave the area entirely, we had to try and land one more smallmouth from our previously "hot" area. We failed to land a smallmouth, but were surprised as I boated a largemouth before we bailed.
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I LANDED MY FIRST LARGEMOUTH BASS OF THE DAY ON A SLOW-SINKING WORM THAT SLOWLY SUNK BTC'S DAY. JUST KIDDING BRIAN....

We made a move to fish a heavily-pressured area of wood cover, and saw boats everywhere. It was a windy day and this area was protected and calm. Bass boats, jon boats, and a kayak were all hitting the wood cover hard. As Doctor Kayak rounded the corner, I had began casting in the open shallow flats next to the wood cover and began catching some more largemouth bass on the slow-sinking worm. Pete decided to join the party as SENKO CLAUS landed his first bass of the day!!

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GETTING EDUCATED BY THE DEAN OF BASS UNIVERSITY TV, PETE GLUSZEK
We made the final run to the area where smallmouth and largemouths would be mixed. This is another area Pete was confident that I could generate a crankbait bite. Immediately after my cast towards the rocks, I hooked into a possible largemouth bass of a lifetime. Halfway to the boat, I lost the fish as I fought it with 100% of effort.

​Both Brian & Pete were awesome as they watched my mechanics and coached my many flaws in casting as well as my issues losing fish on the retrieve. I hooked into a ridiculous battle on a crankbait, and right away we knew it wasn't a bass. In end result was a common carp snagged in the tail by the DT-Fat crankbait.
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A TAIL-SNAGGED BATTLE WITH "BUGLE LIPS" WAS A FUN FIGHT!
Moments later, our favorite podcast producer hooked into a bass fishing near some docks. It appeared that a lot of baitfish were busting near the surface and the area was full of life. As we fished the area with multiple presentations, Pete caught himself a striped bass on a crankbait. We were running out of time when I finally hooked into a largemouth bass on crankbait as we ended our day on the water.
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BRIAN GIVING ME STRAIGHT UP CHIP DIAMOND DISRESPECT BUT I KNEW DEEP DOWN HE WAS A PROUD MENTOR AS I FINALLY CRANKED UP A LARGEMOUTH

A SINCERE THANKS.....

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The time spend on the water with Mike, Pete, and Brian was very special to me. I know that Mike Breeding and Pete Gluszek felt humbled that I would make a trip so far to fish with them, and it was totally worth the time spent traveling to climb in the boats with such elite anglers in very unique fisheries. I learned so much as I was exposed to such a different atmosphere from Wisconsin waters. We made a lot of great memories and had many laughs in the boat as I studied the fishing game and the guiding styles of these fine professionals. Thank you Pete, and I will be rooting for you in the coming years to win another Bassmaster Open to send you into another Bassmaster Classic. Thank you Mike Breeding, I have intentions on returning in a few years with my son to fish the river with you once again. Thank you Brian, your support, trash-talking, fishing tips, and the time out after fishing- it was truly appreciated! You are a casting machine, by the way. I hope an opportunity comes along in the coming years that you guys can fish the premium waters of Wisconsin with me and find ourselves some under-pressured slobs in the lily pads, under the trees, and in the eddies. 

ENJOYING THE GREAT HISTORY OF PHILADELPHIA

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INDEPENDENCE HALL, BIRTHPLACE OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
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THE GRAVE OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
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THE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS LIBERTY BELL
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ENJOYING A PHILLY CHEESE STEAK

CRANKIN' THE FLAMBEAU RIVER IN MID-FALL

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We took to the Flambeau River the day after I returned from New Jersey, to chase some fall smallmouth on crankbaits. Pete told me during the guide trip to keep crankin' and keep learning as I add them into the mix more frequently. The DT6 Demon, a Cotton Cordell Deep custom painted in "Doctor Craw" and a Rapala Scatter Rap did a lot of damage on this fine outing in 48 degree water temps. James Gang Fishing Company CEO Alex Piontek boated all 4 smallmouth bass that bit his crankbaits on this day, as well as a very nice 12" yellow perch. His top two bass of the day are his new personal records, the biggest weighing 3 lbs 8 oz at 17.5"! Alayna H. landed an absolute giant at 16.5" that broke the 3# mark with a huge belly on it. Norb Roeger used his trusty jig around deep wood cover and boated another girthy sow over 17" as well. Pro staffer Mat Eichinger landed the heaviest bass of the day, a 3 lb 12 oz beast around 17.75"


DOC & ZIM SHOWING US ALL UP AGAIN

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GOOD BUDDY ZIM HAD FUN CRANKIN' A 20" & 18.5" SMALLMOUTH BASS ON THE FLAMBEAU RIVER
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CONGRATS TO ZIM FOR CATCHING HIS BIGGEST SMALLMOUTH TO DATE!
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CAN YOU SAY "WOW!" A TIGER MUSKY CAUGHT FROM SHORE, TROY LINDNER STYLE
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PRO-STAFFER DOC GILLES WITH A HUGE-BELLIED NORTHERN PIKE AT 35"
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SUPER PROUD DAD MOMENT! WAY TO GO ALEX!

THANK YOU CUSTOMERS & LOOK FOR OUR NEXT VENDING MACHINE UPDATES......

ICE FISHING TACKLE & LIVE BAIT COMING SOON!!!!!

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DROPPING WATER TEMPS/FISHING REPORTS, HUNTING SUPPLIES IN VENDING MACHINE,  BASS ANGLER MAGAZINE, INTRO TO FISHING BOOK ON AMAZON

9/22/2020

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THE JAMES GANG ALWAYS APPRECIATES MOTHER NATURE'S BEAUTY IN FALL
FLAMBEAU RIVER, WI


DOOR COUNTY - NASTY AT TIMES, BUT REWARDING

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UNCLE JESSE WITH A DOOR COUNTY 17.25" SMALLMOUTH WEIGHING 3 LBS 9 OZ

Mother Nature decided to remind the anglers of Door County Wisconsin recently that she can be wicked when she doesn't want boat traffic out on the big water. I had an opportunity to hop in the boat with local anglers Eric VanIten & Matt Liebeck for a few hours 2 days in a row in mid September, as we battled heavy winds and obnoxious rain during our fishing trips. The rain wasn't near as wet as the waves we were "eating" approaching 6' in height, as the five footers were trouble enough and pushed us into areas that were tolerable. Cousin "Herb" and Matt taught me how the new Garmin LiveScope works, as I have never seen this new technology before. It was quite a difference-maker, as you can skip many areas if you don't see fish present. Seeing fish on the LiveScope doesn't guarantee bites, but eliminates a lot of time "dead water" when an angler is on the search for key areas.

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ERIC VANITEN WITH A 17+" SMALLMOUTH BASS CAUGHT IMITATING A GOBY
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MATT LIEBECK LANDS A 2 LB SMALLMOUTH BASS, AS HE TRIES TO LOCATE A SCHOOL OF BIGGER FISH WITH HIS ELECTRONICS IN DOOR COUNTY
We started of with a lot of bites from juvenile bass, as well as a goby. The boys were looking for some structure off shore that were holding schools of 3 lb or better sized smallmouth bass. With the tough weather conditions, the fish were in a negative feeding pattern, and very hard to coax a bite off of. Ultra-finesse tactics were the only way we were producing bites during the two days, and many times the fish ignored or swam away from our presentations, even in deep water. I managed a few small bass by using the Storm Arashi Spybait on 6 lb flourocarbon on an Ardent Finesse rod & reel setup. I would let the lure sink with its natural "shimmy" close to the bottom in 12' of water, then reel it back as slow as I could, trying to run the bottom of the water column. I switched to "cracking" a tube, a method that I learned off Bass University TV by Mark Zona. I actually used his giant tube jig design and his Strike King goby colored tube. I managed to hook up one fish in about 14 feet of water, unfortunately it was a large goby that grabbed it. I played around rotating through jerkbaits, Baby Squid Baits, and swimbaits, which all are my top lures in Lake Michigan. This time was all a "no-go" as they weren't aggressive enough to chase. The following day I switched over to a drop shot that I poured at home with a kiwi iridescent discontinued color and as I dropped my rig on top of a bass in LiveScope in 25' of water, I immediately felt weight. I assumed it was a snag as I had fished so long in two days with very little action. The fish put up a fantastic fight on 6lb flourocarbon on an Ardent Finesse rod. When Eric netted the fish, it looked huge due to its healthy girth. I was hoping it was 18-19" on the bumpboard, but it measured at 17.25." Its healthy body added several ounces to a fish at that length as it weighed over 3.5 lbs on a scale. A great fish for sure. Healthy, thick fish like this, 3 lbs or more are common in this area. When you are lucky enough to hook into Door County bass pushing 20-23," the potential for 5 or even 6 pounds is realistic. On occasion a 7-8 pound smallmouth is weighed and verified in this area in professional tournaments. It did feel tougher than usual, as this area has received so much pressure compared to years in the past. With the Canadian border closed to American anglers due to COVID19 regulations in 2020, and the increased amount of tournaments, these fish are showing some signs of conditioning and not quite as easy to fish without more finesse techniques. Using small, slow moving lures combined with scents are a great way to fish this area. And ideally a 25" transom super-deep walleye boat is the way to challenge these waters when the waves get nasty.
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JAMES GANG FISHING PRO STAFFER KEVIN ROGALSKI WITH A DOOR COUNTY SMALLMOUTH

JAMES GANG FISHING COMPANY HAS ADDED HUNTING SUPPLIES IN THEIR HOLCOMBE, WI VENDING MACHINE ON HWY 27!!! DOE ESTROUS, BUCK BOMBS, GRUNT CALLS, FIELD DRESSING GLOVES, AND MORE!!!

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EICHINGER SCORES BIG FROM THE BANKS OF WISSOTA

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JAMES GANG PRO STAFFER MAT EICHINGER WITH A 18+" SMALLMOUTH BASS OFF THE BANK

KAEDEN B LANDS HIS FIRST MUSKY!

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DOC GILLES IS THE CRANKBAIT MAN!

ENJOYING THE 55 DEGREE SUN IN ALGOMA, WI

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"DOCTOR CRAW" IS AVAILABLE FOR THE EARLY TO MID-FALL BITE!

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WE ARE NOW OFFERING THE BLACK & RED COMBO CALLED "DOCTOR CRAW" IN OUR JAMES GANG BASSJERKER SUSPENDING JERKBAIT. THEY ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE AT $10 PLUS FREE SHIPPING. THIS COLOR WILL BE RED HOT UNTIL THE WATER TEMPS DROP BELOW 50 DEGREES AS THEY SIMULATE A CRAWFISH IN STAINED WATERS. QUANTITIES ARE LIMITED, CLICK ON THE BUTTON BELOW TO ORDER!!

DOCTOR CRAW BASS JERKER 3.25"
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BASS ANGLER MAGAZINE FALL ISSUE NOW AVAILABLE!

CHECK OUT THE LATEST ISSUE OF BAM! I wrote an article about catching late fall smallmouth in water temps from 40-49 degrees near reservoir winter holes at the heads of dams. Its an easy way to fish that can catch you trophy fish! James Gang Bootykicker Swimbaits, Baby Squid Baits, Deep-Diving Crankbaits, blade baits, 1/2 oz bladed jigs, and finesse lures can really catch them this time of year. Thank you for everyone's support!


BEGINNER's BOOK ON FISHING AVAILABLE AT AMAZON.COM

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This internationally-published book is aimed to adult beginners and kids middle to high school age. If you need to know the simple basics, this book will get you started. Bank fishing for rough fish, bluegill fishing with bobber and worm, to bass, and more. I set the price to be extremely affordable at minimal profits and have proudly donated several copies to veterans with PTSD so they can cope with their challenges by enjoying nature. Click the button below to order your copy!!

FISHING BASICS BOOK

ENJOY THE EARLY FALL WEATHER, AND TAKE A KID FISHING!!!!!

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LATE SUMMER REPORTS, WI SLAY NATION, RIVERBANK RALLY WINNERS, LOCAL ANGLER WINS BASSMASTER NATION NORTHERN CHAMPIONSHIP

8/31/2020

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LOCAL ACE PAT SCHLAPPER IS NORTHERN BASSMASTER NATION CHAMPION

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Pat Schlapper of Eleva, WI has dominated the local fishing scene for years. He has now gone for the leap to fish the top level of bass fishing. He is currently sitting in the top bracket in the Bassmaster Opens, hoping to qualify for the Bassmaster Elites in 2021. He has also made it to the Bassmaster Nation championship rounds from his outstanding finishes in club tournaments. His recent trip to the regionals on Lake Vermillion was not suprising to anglers in Western Wisconsin, as the hard-working Pat that puts in hours and hours as he studies lakes looking for winning fish found himself another victory. He is the Northern Region champion and will move closer to qualifying for the Bassmaster Classic world championship. The button below will bring you to the official coverage of Pat's victory.
Bassmaster.com Schlapper Vermillion
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KINSEY B CATCHES A GIANT BASS IN OCONTO COUNTY

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MIKE PIONTEK IS PROUD AS HE WATCHED HIS GRANDDAUGHTER KINSEY LAND A 21" BASS WEIGHING 4 LBS 2 OZ. THE BASS ATE A SMALL BLUEGILL KINSEY HOOKED.

BROTHER COLTON LANDS A BASS AS WELL

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PRO STAFFERS EICHINGER & DUNCAN SHOW UP WELL AT MILLER DAM

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WATSON USES OUR NEST INVADER FOR KBF TOURNAMENT SUCCESS

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WI RIVERBANK RALLY IS READY FOR STURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP

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AIDEN LEIPNITZ TAKES THE LEAD ON 2 CATEGORIES AT THE END OF THE WI RIVERBANK RALLY SPECIES CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND
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TASHA LUNDERVILLE TAKES THE SUCKER CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE FINAL DAYS AND ALSO EXTENDED HER COMMON CARP LEAD WITH A 33" FISH IN THE FINAL WEEK
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STAY TUNED FOR THE STURGEON CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OF AIDEN LEIPNITZ, TASHA LUNDERVILLE, AND PAUL FANKHAUSER ON SATURDAY SEPT 5!!
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WI SLAY NATION FINISHES SEASON #1

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The small boats Slay Nation series finished up its 2020 season. This series is aimed towards smaller, more affordable watercraft, such as jonboats, kayaks, canoes, and small aluminum boats. Outboard motors are not allowed to be used in this series. Travis Gasper had a very strong season, catching a high number of nice sized largemouth bass on multiple lakes. He was barely beat out by young Alayna and her partner Mat Eichinger for AOY points but it was close all year. Each team won events in 2020 on some fantastic lakes. The final event was won as Doc Gilles stole the show catching solid smallmouth bass on Red Cedar Lake in up to 31' of water on his DT6 Ike's Custom Ink Demon crankbait (in its face!) Jesse James threw a James Gang Fishing Double Lor Buzz to win the Big Bass award in the final event, a 17.5" smallmouth that was hiding under the deep end of wood cover. It was a fun season, as Jesse & his gorgeous wife Angela took 2nd place on Staples Lake earlier in the season. We are hoping that the WI Slay Nation expands in 2021 and we are able to fish in future events. Entry fees are very low and the prize giveaways at each event from sponsers are fantastic!!

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SLAY NATION RED CEDAR LAKE 2020
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BIG BASS AWARD WAS 17.5" SMALLMOUTH CAUGHT ON JAMES GANG DOUBLE LOR BUZZ
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DOC GILLES LAID THE HAMMER DOWN FOR A 5 FISH LIMIT USING IACONELLI's DEMON DT6 & JB'S FISH SAUCE
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FIRST PLACE & BIG BASS $170 WINNERS

DOUBLE LOR BUZZ AVAILABLE 24/7 AT JAMES GANG VENDING IN HOLCOMBE WI

GOOD LUCK FISHING IN SEPTEMBER FROM CEO ALEX AT JAMES GANG FISHING COMPANY!!

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SUMMERTIME BASSIN'

7/22/2020

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Warm water and hot bass fishing!

Another year and another series of twists by Mother Nature as the weather remains strange and unpredictable as it usually is in the Midwest during the Summer months. This year is leaning towards a hotter year, with water temperatures reaching crazy highs on the surface! Many local guides are reporting water temps in the mid to high 80s! This isn't Florida, isn't this Wisconsin?

Several Musky experts in the region made the bold decision on their own to cancel their musky trips for a short period of time, waiting for these crazy water temperatures to cool. Much respect should be given to the anglers that made this very unselfish choice in personal fish management, as they are saving the lives of many trophy caliber fish. A long fight with a musky is very exhausting to a large powerful fish full of energy. The warmer the water, the higher their body temperature, and the more likely that the fight to the boat will actually be fatal, as it is not as easy to recover without cooler temperatures. Hat's off to these sportsmen and women for doing the right thing without a law or agency forcing them to do so!


PRO STAFF MAKING THINGS HAPPEN

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JAMES GANG PRO STAFFER JAZ DUNCAN WITH TWO OF HIS BIGGER BASS
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JAMES GANG PRO STAFFER MAT EICHINGER HAS ANOTHER FUN TOURNAMENT DAY
James Gang Pro staffers Mat Eichinger and Jaz Duncan caught several bass in the 2020 CWBA Opens on Lake Chetek, landing a few worthy of a livewell and a cull. Congrats Pat Schlapper & Wade Rickey for winning yet another event in NW Wisconsin!

SMALL WATERS, BIG RESULTS!

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FISHING HARD-TO-ACCESS PONDS & SMALL LAKES CAN LEAD TO GREAT FISHING
Local SLAY NATION competitor Travis Gasper teamed up with Uncle Jesse to try out some fun fishing in a deep, spring-fed, clear natural lake in NW Wisconsin. As always, Jesse was mainly looking to expand by learning in a different situation, and build on for his future guide service. Upon arrival, the small body of water looked very different. With recent flooding, the 10-14' clarity was reduced to about 3-5' clarity. The heavily-stained water also rose a few feet about average. With water temperatures around 83 degrees at the surface, Jesse assumed that the fish would be relating to deep off-shore structure, something he wanted to learn more about. With his brand new Hummingbird Helix 12 Mega, he and his fishing buddy for the day set out on their adventure at sunrise.
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Typically this small body of water is only known for producing larger-than-average fish, with minimal encounters of juvenile bass. The "memory" spots that produced previously were full of aggressive juveniles this trip, throwing Jesse for a complete loop. Typically the offshore rock points underwater, as well as ledges, and deep wood cover is where the damage gets done. On this day, these places were pretty much worthless. A few hours in, the entire north half of the lake was unproductive. Not even a strike or a follow-up. More amazingly, not even a stinky northern pike was sniffing around our lures. As we continued to graph and cover water with side-imaging, we continued to fail marking fish.

We gave up on fishing "memory" spots and decided to change things up. We focused on a rock reef offshore looking for suspending bass, and Travis hooked up with his bluegill-colored jerkbait. 
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We continued working the rock reef and began marking and seeing some fish. Typically an area for smallmouth bass, we were suprised to see multiple larger largemouth bass in shallow harassing baby bluegills. We failed to get any of them to strike, so we worked the shoreline drop offs of wood cover and lily pads. Travis missed a very good bite on a thick log on a ledge, using a bluegill-colored 1/2 oz homemade jig. We continued on and Jesse snagged a lily pad with his favorite lure, a James Gang BASS JERKER suspending jerkbait. As he tried to snap the lure free several times, the water erupted! He began reeling and to his pleasant surprise, he caught his first ever "LILY PAD" smallmouth bass.
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Moving along the shoreline, Travis and Jesse seen a few smallmouth harassing some baitfish near wood cover. Jesse was able to boat a few very young smallmouth on his Bass Jerker in this area, but the two big fish would not cooperate. Instead they teased us and swam under and around the boat to "rub it in" that they were there and not going to bite. Jesse decided to make a run back to the rock reef and was immediately bit off by a strong, toothy pike. As he was tying on a second BASS JERKER, two smallmouth boiled next to the boat chasing either a baitfish or a dragonfly. The Helix 12 Mega showed several suspending bass on both sides of the boat suspended in 10-12 feet of water on this rock reef. The aquatic world was alive here! Jesse finally cast his new Bass Jerker and immediately hooked up, with a 16.5" largemouth that ended up being the biggest of the day.
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At this point, Jesse had boated around 14 fish, while Travis only had about 8. Travis wasn't liking that at all. We both worked some previous shorelines that produced smaller fish earlier in the day, and couldn't find any activity. It was time for another move. Travis wanted to fish an entire new area with flooded vegetation. Immediately he hooked up on his Berkley Pit Boss, and he was excited.
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Jesse switched over to a James Gang firetiger LOVERTAIL 2 and immediately had blow ups and misses in the lily pad pockets. After several missed bites, he switched to a Red & White Dunkin' Frog. Multiple hits took place on that lure as well, then one took the double-hooked lure in the mouth, and with a Greg Hackney-hookset, that fish was done for. This fish was around 14," and the juvenile-bass fishing was done for the day. As Jesse made a run to the ramp with his 36V Motorguide at 4 mph, Travis continuously would cast his Pit Boss ahead of the boat and hook up! Each fish was in the 14-16.5" range, all decent quality fish that fought hard. 
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After several laughs and celebrations, Travis landed his 7th fish on the way back, his best of the day around 16-16.5." The boys loaded up the General Lee "CRAWFISH BANDIT" boat and headed back home after boating 30 bass up to 16.5." As usual, a lot was learned during the struggles early on, but after the patterns were discovered, many fish were caught. The mid-day rock reef bite produced multiple quality fish on the Bass Jerker covered in PERCH JUICE JB's Fish Sauce Mist, and the second pattern was the final flooded vegetation bite on the Pit Boss and James Gang Dunkin' Frog. A hollow-body frog would have also worked very well in that final part of the day.
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GASPER GETS REVENGE

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Apparently tying someone with 15 fish makes Travis upset. So the following Sunday he came back to this place by himself with some freshly tied 1/2 jigs that he had made. He fished the "memory spots" that I referred to from the past of deep wood cover on ledges, as well as some drop-shotting for multiple smallmouth catches. On his best moment of the day, Travis set the hook on his jig in the deep wood cover and his lure was engulfed by the biggest bass of his life! This beautiful TROPHY largemouth was 22" long, and weighed 5 lbs 10 oz fully spawned out! There is a very good possibility that this fish was a 6 lb class fish during its peak in 2020! Fish like this are extremely rare in Wisconsin, and this is why allowing them to grow old in hard-to-access lakes is so important. Travis took a few pictures of this "fish-of-a-lifetime," then released the trophy to continue to grow and fight some more! Congratulations Travis and much thanks for releasing such an incredible fish!!

1/4 oz DOUBLE BUZZBAIT AVAILABLE SOON!

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JAMES GANG FISHING DOUBLE LOR BUZZ
The Double Lor Buzz by James Gang Fishing is in its final test mode at the moment and should be available online on this site as well as in our 24/7 Vending machine in Holcombe on Hwy 27 at Big Minnow Bar & Grill by Mid-August. This high quality lure will be selling for $10 with free shipping. Multiple colors will be available as well as custom options. Stay tuned!!
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GOOD LUCK FISHING!!!

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    Jesse James is an avid fisherman that loves smallmouth bass fishing, loves spending time with his family, with other family-orientated people, and loves seeing children fish. A huge fan of BASSMASTER Elite Mike Iaconelli, like Mike, he is known to be a little strange, and obnoxious, but only to have fun and make people laugh.

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