A solid weather weekend and an extra day off for me allowed for quite a few hours on the water. Good numbers on bass but any real big ones were elusive. Fun to get the family in on the act and managed to add a quality “accident” for our first “Other Species” entry of 2020.
Weight: 1-15 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 1
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy, 61F
Location: Knox County, IL strip pit
Lure: Senko weighted wacky rig (strawberry cream)
Structure: Weed edge/drop
Angler Comments: This bass was interested in a crappie that I had just caught on a Shad Rap and continued to cruise a dropoff in view of my position on the bank. I tossed out a Senko several feet beyond the bass and the fish immediately turned towards the splashdown. Several seconds into the Senko sinking the bass was on the line.
Top 5 Weight: 12-8 (4-12,2-1,1-15,1-14,1-14) culls a 1-12
Weight: 0-14 (13”)
Angler: Carly Jackson
Date: May 2
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy
Location: Knox County, IL strip pit
Lure: Senko weighted wacky rig (smoke)
Structure: Flat/dropoff
Top 5 Weight: 0-14 (0-14)
OTHER SPECIES
Weight: 1-2 (13”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 3
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy
Location: Knox County, IL strip pit
Lure: Senko weighted wacky rig
Structure: Weed edge/dropoff
Angler Comments: After I missed strike on a Zara Spook, I tossed the Senko near the area of the boil thinking maybe the bass would still be there looking for a perceived meal. Right on cue, I got a hit on the Senko but to my surprise it wasn’t a bass at all.
Top 5 Weight: 1-2 (1-2)
The bite has picked up with some stable weather and the crappie in particular should really be hitting full stride as Mother’s Day has long been the general target date to nab a bunch of those papermouths. Got a few more days off on the horizon so hoping to add some more fish to the log and hopefully contribute to another Top 5 Update or two along the way. I also have a significant backlog of fishing reports, pics, videos and random stuff so stay tuned as I try to chip away at those posts. Talk to you later. Troy