As the 2021 recap continues, we look at every single lure or bait that fooled my bass. Staring from the fewest catches and working our way up to the top producers we look at the numbers and notes from last year. Scroll on for the first of a pair of lure posts.

Jigs
Googan Gridiron Jig (PB&J) w/ craw trailer – 1 bass
Top Bass: 13.5” 1-1 March 20 Snakeden Hollow
Comments: Landing a lone bass on a jig was a strange find upon reviewing my 2021 results as this cold-water winner posted 33 bass in 2020. The lone catch of 2021 was my third bass of the year and was logged on my first outing. I did employ it again to end the year on my November outing, but it failed to produce another bite. Overall, an odd year for this lure as I typically lean on it to get an early and late bass bite.

Livebait
Waxworm on a 1/64 oz jighead hung from a slip bobber – 1 bass
Top Bass: none at 12” or better
Comments: Not much to say about this incidental catch while out with my boys prowling the strip pits in search of whatever would bite a waxworm. Which is just about anything if you use them enough.

Propbaits
Whopper Plopper (I Know It) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 13” 1-0 July 18 Hennepin Canal
Comments: Like the Rebel Pop R (see below), this lure causes a commotion and can hover in the bass’ face if needed. The Whopper Plopper’s lone day of glory came on The Canal when catching a trio of bass on a July evening. In my prowling of the internet, I have seen a fellow angler who has much success with this bait at a different location on The Canal, but I have not given it much use beyond that July evening. Part of the reason would be old habits and part of the reason is that several of my spots on The Canal make presentation difficult due to casting from an elevated platform.

Stickbaits
Zara Spook (black shore minnow or natural frog) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 15.5” 1-11 May 1 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: Me and my Zara Spook were tight back in the 80s and 90s but these days it doesn’t get wet very often. I employed it in three specific situations this year and found a trio of takers. The most rewarding of the bunch was the Top Bass on the lure. I had spotted it cruising sub-surface vegetation and needed a lure that would hopefully irritate it and trigger a reaction strike. It took a couple retrieves and one missed strike, but the plan worked as the classic lure did its job.

Poppers
Rebel Pro Pop R Zell Rowland Model (two colors) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 17.5” 3-1 September 25 Hennepin Canal
Comments: I ran into a spot on The Canal where aquatic vegetation hindered many presentations and the bass were not responding to my regular topwater offerings (buzzbaits, stickbaits, frogs). I felt that what I needed was a lure that would make a racket yet stay in their face for as long as I wished to pause. My choice was the old Pop R that is pushing antique status, having resided in my tackle for close to 30 years. The lure and one of its top proponents, tournament angler Zell Rowland, make for an interesting tale but that is for another time. For 2021, the bait was the right tool in a pair of specific situations and came through as intended. Nearly six pounds of bass (3-1 and 2-11) on the first two casts on a fall sunrise canal prowl makes a guy feel like he knows what he is doing after all these years.

Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz (white or black) – 6 bass
Top Bass: 20.5” 4-4 October 10 Snakeden Hollow
Comments: 2021 saw the lowest total buzzbait catches since 2012 when there was not a single buzzbait bass posted. From 2012 through 2020, I fooled a total of 363 bass on a buzzbait with 2015 being the lowest total (18 bass) and 2017 being the highest total (138 bass). Now, I dig throwing buzzbaits and I have been known to try and force feed these baits to the bass. However, a fundamental tenet of fishing is that the fish will tell you what they want. In the case of 2021, the bass often told me that they weren’t interested in a buzzbait, and in this rare instance, I listened.

Swimbaits
Bass Pro Shops 3” Speed Shad (smallmouth magic) – 8 bass
Top Bass: 16” 1-13 May 23 Knox County public strip pit
Comments: Being a creature of habit, I’ve never really gotten into the swimbait swing of things. But a couple trips with a tough bite can get the wheels turning and even convince me to try something different. While shifting gears did not produce anything brag worthy, it was cool to get rewarded with a few bites when my normal offerings were getting snubbed. The presentation featured a 3/8-ounce belly weighted hook and a moderate retrieve to keep the bait moving over a collection of subsurface vegetation.

Part I in the books and Part II headed your way later this week. Talk to you later. Troy