Diverse Fishing Background Creates Strong Bass Pros

I had the chance to ask him for myself about how he developed his bass skills. His answer caught me a little off guard.

Rasmussen started off in his twenties, guiding musky and walleye trips. He fished some walleye tournaments and had a good deal of success. Then he got an opportunity to guide for salmon on Lake Michigan. In between guide trips, when he just wanted to fun fish, he found himself chasing bass more and more. He started offering walleye and smallmouth bass trips on Sturgeon Bay, and gradually found himself really starting to focus on bass tournaments.

“With all the species I’ve targeted in my life, it comes down to fish behavior. Fish are fish. They all need cover and they all need food to survive. And that’s really the main thing.Then add in my experience understanding how fish use current, from guiding for walleye and muskie on the Wisconsin River to guiding salmon on the Great Lakes. Current makes fish location and behavior very predictable…for all fish, including bass.”

So, in his case, learning to fish in Wisconsin offered him amazing diversity in the waters and conditions, but also in the variety of species he targeted. Not unlike revered, Northwoods, angling legend, Al Lindner, his well-rounded, multi-species, fishing education makes him a real threat when it comes to targeting bass anywhere in the country.

I asked about his expectations for the Classic coming up in Oklahoma. “Grand Lake is a fun lake to fish,” he said. “And I’m really not putting any pressure on myself. Obviously, I’m going there to win, but I want to make sure I appreciate the whole experience—have fun, meet people, and just catch the five biggest bass I can each day. I’ll try to fish instinctively and let each bite lead me to the next bite. And I’ve always found that if I don’t put unnecessary pressure on myself, that’s when I experience the most success.”

Rusmussen told me that he started fishing the Bassmaster Opens just four years ago, because he had set the goals for himself to fish the Classic and qualify for the Elite Series. The first part of that goal will be met in just a couple weeks from now. The Elites? I’ll say it’s probably going to be sooner than anglers not from Wisconsin might think.

To fish with Adam, check out rasmussenoutdoors.com