Well, it’s beginning to feel a lot like winter in my neck of the woods and my fishing gear has been stowed away until next year. I was fortunate to give it one more shot in December and fooled a quality fish but not enough to improve my Top 5. But a handful of fish have joined our quest since last update thanks to several anglers playing catch up with some entries. As such, the 2017 totals stand at 78 bass, 9 northern pike, 5 muskie, 5 walleye and a green sunfish with the breakdown below.

Jake Bresson 9/3 Northern Pike 37″

2017 Totals (* = new record)
*January = 1 bass (no previous entries)
*February = 13 bass (old record 7 in 2016)
March = 10 bass (record 13 in 2014)
April = 11 bass
May = 13 bass
June = 1 bass
July = 11 bass
August = 4 bass
September = 6 bass
October = 8 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
*January = 2-11 (2-11) no previous record
February = 21-5 (5-2,4-14,4-2,3-15,3-4) record 22-9 in 2016
March = 22-15 (6-2,4-11,4-9,4-3,3-6) record 28-0 in 2016
April = 25-0 (6-0,5-15,5-9,3-14,3-10)
May = 26-14 (6-15,5-8,5-4,5-2,4-1)
June = 6-3 (only submission)
July = 21-0 (5-0,4-12,4-7,3-8,3-5)
August = 18-9 (6-6,5-11,4-3,2-5) (only four submissions)
September = 14-10 (5-2,3-0,2-9,2-4,1-11)
October = 26-11 (7-4,6-8,5-10,4-3,3-2)

Mark Balbinot 10/29 6-8

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 67 bass
Bank = 11 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 33-4 (7-4,6-15,6-8,6-6,6-3)
Bank = 20-14 (5-2,4-3,4-1,3-14,3-10)

Public vs. Private
Public = 42 bass
Private = 36 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 27-7 (6-0,5-15,5-4,5-2,5-2)
Private = 33-4 (7-4,6-15,6-8,6-6,6-3)

Paul Kessler 10/12 3-1

The Baits (* = new record)
Crankbaits = 16 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Jigs = 12 bass (Top Bass 7-4 Mark Balbinot)
Spinnerbaits = 9 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Paul Kessler)
Plastic Worms = 8 bass (Top Bass 5-11 Troy Jackson)
*Buzzbaits = 6 bass (Top Bass 5-9 Troy Jackson)
Old record 5-8 Terry Isbell 9/14/14
Jerkbaits = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Jake Bresson)
Swim Jigs = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jake Bresson)
*Creature Bait = 3 bass (Top Bass 6-15 Mark Balbinot)
Old record 6-1 Jeff Marshall 5/23/14
Lipless Crankbaits = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Bruce Zilkowski)
*Inline Spinners = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jake Bresson)
No previous record
Swimbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 4-12 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Underspins = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Mark Balbinot)
*Propbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-7 Troy Jackson)
No previous record
*Stickbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 6-6 Mark Balbinot)
Old Record 5-8 Randy Sampson Sr. 5/7/16
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 6-3 Mark Balbinot)
Tube = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Jake Bresson)
Ultralight = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-1 Paul Kessler)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
*2-11 Mark Balbinot (no previous record)
February
5-2 Mark Balbinot
March
6-2 Troy Jackson
April
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.
May
6-15 Mark Balbinot
June
6-3 Mark Balbinot
July
5-0 Troy Jackson
August
6-6 Mark Balbinot
September
5-2 Jake Bresson
October
*7-4 Mark Balbinot (old record Mike Mooney 6-0 10/1/16)

Mark Balbinot 10/29 7-4

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
*7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29 (#6 all-time)
*6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13 (#8 all-time)
6-8 Mark Balbinot 10/29
6-6 Mark Balbinot 8/27
6-3 Mark Balbinot 6/18
6-2 Troy Jackson 3/4
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 4/15
5-15 Mark Balbinot 4/14
5-11 Troy Jackson 8/21
5-10 Mark Balbinot 10/29

Angler Weights (* = new Top 5 record, old mark 32-13)
*33-4 Mark Balbinot (7-4,6-15,6-8,6-6,6-3)
26-13 Troy Jackson (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
23-12 Jake Bresson (5-4,5-2,5-2,4-3,4-1)
23-11 Randy Sampson Sr. (6-0,4-14,4-12,4-11,3-6)
18-0 Bruce Zilkowski (4-9,4-3,3-15,3-0,2-5)
16-6 Paul Kessler (4-3,3-4,3-2,3-1,2-12)
10-2 Brent Jackson (3-2,2-9,1-11,1-6,1-6)
5-6 Terry Jackson (3-5,1-3,0-14)

Bonus Species – Northern Pike
Total = 167.25” Jake Bresson (37.0”,35.25”,33.5”,32.0”,29.5”)

Bonus Species – Green Sunfish
0-13 Jayce Jackson

Bonus Species – Muskie
Total = 131” Jake Bresson (47”,31”,29”24”) on Rapala X-Rap
Total = 29” Troy Jackson on Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Bonus Species – Walleye
Total = 118” Jake Bresson (26.5”,26.0”,25.5”,20”,20”) on Rapala X-Rap or jig & minnow

Time will tell if these are the final totals or if any straggler fish hit the Inbox before we hit 2018. I will definitely have a series of stat postings after the New Year as a recap of 2017 along with a rundown of the all-time record book from four years of Top 5 contributions. Thanks to all who played along or took the time to check out the Monday updates and congratulations to Mark Balbinot on his record breaking year, been fun to follow. Don’t forget to check out his videos including his most recent post, just a flat out incredible day of fall bass fishing. You can find him on YouTube as mbalb61 and click here for the amazing October 29 outing. And seriously, as I add the previous links, I just see that Mark has posted a Thanksgiving Weekend trip, so click here to check it out.

Is 2017 done after all? Talk to you later. Troy