No fishing recap would be complete without a look at the tools that fooled the bass. The full breakdown follows, working from fewest to most catches by lure type.
Stickbaits
Zara Spook (black shore minnow or natural frog) – 10 bass
Top Bass: 15” 1-9 May 3 & 15 Knox County. IL public strip pit
Comments: Me and the Zara Spook go back to the mid-80s. It is one of my legendary lure selections but that’s another story. Mid-spring, a shallow, expansive flat with scattered weeds and a sky with scattered clouds were just the ticket to tie on an old friend.
Jigs
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (black/blue or green pumpkin) w/ craw trailer – 33 bass
Top Bass: 21” 4-12 April 26 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: I don’t slow down much, but when I do, it’s hard to beat a jig and trailer. These compact bottom bouncers are a winner, particularly early and late in the season. 2020 saw the jig land Top Bass, a lake record that kind of surprised me in a pothole and topped the old record by more than a pound.
Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz (snow white shad or bleeding shad) – 34 bass
Top Bass: 20.5” 4-0 July 1 Snakeden Hollow
Comments: I force feed these topwater winners once the bass show interest in the spring. Throughout the summer, they are a mainstay with the anticipation of some explosions running high in those first few hours around sunrise. One of those explosions was a new personal best on an old lake at 5:32am on Snakeden Hollow’s 30th birthday.
Plastic Worms
Senko wacky rig (primarily smoke) – 39 bass
Top Bass: 20.5” 3-11 July 1 Snakeden Hollow
Comments: For various reasons, the Senko wacky rig just didn’t rack up the numbers like it has over the past 15 years. Other lures were productive and a strange year in terms of diminished water clarity on a lot of my fishing holes left the Senko on the bank or boat deck. However, come April I always have one ready and I don’t expect that to change in 2021.
Chatterbaits
Z Man Chatterbait (bluegill with various Zako trailers) – 43 bass
Top Bass: 19” 2-12 September 12 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: Despite glowing reports from many other anglers, I’ve never really relied too much on chatterbaits. However, in 2020 I did commit to tossing one around more frequently and was not disappointed. The 43 bass total and the 2-12 Top Bass both represent high water marks on the lure and here’s to topping both in 2021.
Spinnerbaits
Stanley Vibra Shaft or War Eagle (Blue Glimmer or white/chartreuse) – 70 bass
Top Bass: 17” 2-7 May 4 Knox County, IL private strip mine
Comments: The good, old spinnerbait seems to have seen a decline in publicity since its heyday in the 80s. That will never happen with me as I cut my bass fishing teeth on these lures. In fact, 42 of the 70 spinnerbait bass came on Stanley Vibra Shaft spinnerbait that I call the “Blue Glimmer” that is nearly 30 years old.
Lipless Crankbaits
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad or orange craw) – 89 bass
Top Bass: 17.5” 2-8 May 14 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: If I can fish fast, I do. In terms of retrieve speed and effectiveness, it is tough to beat a lipless crankbait. They produce all through the year and have always amazed me at being able to nab a few in the cold water of early spring.
Crankbaits
Various (see above) – 100 bass
Top Bass: 19” 3-9 Aug 3 Lake Storey
Comments: A fair collection of these lures put this category on top as they fooled nearly one quarter of my 418 bass. From shallow (Mann’s Baby 1- and a new Strike King wake bait) to mid-depth (Shad Rap, Bomber Flat A and Strike King Squarebill) to deep (Strike King Pro Model) this crew of crankbaits found a lot of fish. Once again, these lures allow me to fish at a fairly rapid pace, cover a lot of water and bang into as much stuff as I can on the way back to the boat.
And the 2020 wrap-up is not quite done yet. I still have a look at my 2020 fishing partners and hope to post some video highlights when I get time to edit. Hope you will tune in again and talk to you later. Troy