Welcome to Riverfan Bass Guide Services 

Hello, I’m John Stears. I’m a licensed Coast Guard Captain and I guide catch-and-release Large and Smallmouth Bass fishing on Pools 4 and 5 of the Mississippi River. During the fall and winter (weather permitting) I can book trips to Red Wing for walleye and sauger.  Wabasha Minnesota is my base of operation. I have designed my service with two objectives. The first is aimed at anglers with some experience who want to improve their skills and learn how to fish a river system. The second is to teach our youth the basic skills to start them on a life-long interest in angling. My goal is to provide an enjoyable day of fishing, but most important, to expand your knowledge on how to catch bass in a dynamic river system.

If you call me a River Rat, I won’t be offended. I grew up in Onalaska WI, within walking distance of a tributary of the Mississippi River. I’ve lived most of my adult life in Rochester, MN and consider the Mississippi around Wabasha as my home waters. Five years ago my wife and I bought a condominium in Wabasha and spend most of our weekends there. Tournament bass fishing is a long-term passion. I have lots of experience with reasonable success. I’m a former Minnesota BASS Federation, and BASS Northern Division Champion. I have qualified for 9 BASS Northern Division finals. The Divisionals have taken me to: Lake Erie, Green Bay WI, Lake St Clair, Georgian Bay Ontario, Lewis and Clark Reservoir SD, Gull Lake MN, and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. I qualified for the BASS National Finals on Smith Mountain Lake VA. in 1991. If you follow professional tournament fishing you will recognize the names: Art Ferguson and Chip Harrison. Art and Chip were part of our Northern Division Team that year. I’ve fished a variety of tournament circuits in Minnesota with reasonable success, this year (2005) our team won one Team Supreme Tournament and are in 2^nd place in the seasons standings. I am currently on the Board of Directors of the Minnesota BASS Federation, the planning committee for the KFAN/St. Jude Invitational Bass Tournament and a member of the of In-Depth Angling Pro Staff.

I am a retired health care worker if you have any health concerns. I started this guide service because of my passion for bass fishing and my desire to teach others about fishing the Mississippi River.

"I have known and fished with John Stears for most of the last 10 years and shared many great fishing experiences with him. John has distinguished himself in bass tournament fishing throughout Minnesota and in BASS Divisional tournaments in the Midwest. But beyond competitive fishing, John has been driven to explore new tactics and "expand the envelope" of what we know about bass behavior. This he has accomplished by spending a great deal of time on the water, often on his beloved Mississippi River. In-Fisherman Magazine featured some of his breakthrough tactics for smallmouth bass in a 2002 article. John Stears will be a very helpful and educational fishing guide."

Steve Quinn

Senior Editor, In-Fisherman Magazine

"I spent a day on the water with John and soon found out why he does this crazy sport. He has a simple passion for the sport of tournament fishing. I found that he reads the water quickly and will put you on bigger and better fish! His approach to fishing will help you anywhere you go!

Jimmy Johnson
2001 BassMasters Classic Qualifier
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