Got to get away for a shot at some June bass on the first family camping trip of summer break. Here’s the scoop.
5:56am 13″ 0-15 Buzzbait 6:30am 13.5″ 1-0 Buzzbait
Stats
Date: June 3, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 private)
Time: 5:50am-8:15am
Weather: Partly cloudy-sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 55F-70F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 5 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 4 bass
Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-1 (1-6,1-0,0-15,0-15,0-13)
6:42am Top Bass 14″ 1-6 Buzzbait, fish were getting bigger and noticed my gut is too in this photo, gotta work on that.
Notes & Nonsense
The Plan – Generally on these family camping trips I try to squeeze in a few hours on the water chasing bass at sunrise before the kids wake up and the usual craziness ensues. On some occasions, I have a young companion and we shift gears to panfish but no takers this time around meant all in for bass. And all in on this partly cloudy morning with a bit of chop on the surface and only a couple hours to fish meant looking for a big bite with a buzzbait all the way.
The Results – I gave it my best effort but just couldn’t find the big one I was after. Did hear a handful of large surface explosions on the two lakes but just not on my lure. Four buzzbait bass and a few other missed strikes were certainly enough to keep my interest as I did the old run and gun approach so always rewarding to know that I’m tossing the right bait. As time ran down and the sun came out I did shift gears to nab one final bass on a Senko wacky rig from under some overhanging bushes. This pattern is historically productive on this lake but the last two years have seen the water conditions become murkier for some reason and the Senko bite seems to have suffered (sounds like a good excuse at least).
7:13am 13″ 0-13 Buzzbait 8:04am 13″ 0-15 Senko
Fellow Fisherman – I had some company on the second lake which is generally rare even on weekends. This fellow was doing his thing in a kayak and outfished me three to one during the time frame where we were in sight of one another. Should have brought my binoculars I guess and maybe could have picked up a tip or two. The kayak approach has intrigued me in recent years and seems to have become quite popular. You know, there is kayak manufacturer out there by the name of Jackson Kayak. Sure sounds like a good match for a field test or endorsement. Best kayak on the market teams with best, and most prolific, outdoor website…
No boost on this day for my yearly Top 5 total as I need a 2-6 to add some weight. But hey, five bass in an abbreviated trip all at 12” or better is a winner. I suppose I should say those bass are simply a bonus as I’ve come to view any day on the water as a winner. Talk to you later. Troy