Several of our crew were out last week and reported in with some impressive catches including a pair of five-pound bass and our first new species entry of 2022. And the latter is where we start with our weekly rundown.

Length: 12”
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 21
Weather: Partly cloudy with stiff wind from north
Air Temperature: 60s
Water Temperature: Unknown
Location: Backbone Lake, Backbone State Park, IA
Lure: Roy Self Spoon
Angler Comments: This is a typical stocked rainbow trout from the Maquoketa River that forms Backbone Lake. Most of the 80-acre lake is shallow but at the extreme north end where the river enters there is a 9-to-12-foot hole that holds trout.
Top 5 Length: 12”

Weight: 3-15
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 19
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait

Weight: 4-6
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 19
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait
Angler Comments: Battled the elements yesterday and was rewarded with seven bass. Morning was downright cold, and afternoon was cold with gale force winds.

Weight: 3-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait

Weight: 4-3
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Dark Sleeper

Weight: 5-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Angler Comments: Seems sort of silly to say, but it was a slow day. I did just have four bites in a little over six hours of fishing. First one was 4-3, second one was 5-12, and third fish was 3-12. I am just flabbergasted at the fishing at Banner this year. I have seen more fish from four pounds to over six pounds than I have in my whole life.
Top 5 Weight: 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7) culls 4-6

Weight: 3-2 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 23
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler twin tail trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Drop/riprap

Weight: 3-5 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 23
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler twin tail trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Sticks
Angler Comments: Hopefully two three pounders on a brief morning trip to The Canal knocks me out of my recent bass fishing slump. Time will tell, but they certainly gave my Top 5 a considerable and much needed boost.
Top 5 Weight: 12-13 (3-5,3-2,2-11,2-0,1-11) culls 1-0 and 0-13

Weight: 1-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)

Weight: 1-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)

Weight: 5-4
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)
Angler Comments: All “keepers” were on the green spinnerbait. I caught at least one at every place I stopped. Nothing else close to twelve inches. I got several on a Senko and maybe fifteen to twenty overall.
Top 5 Weight: 13-13 (5-4,3-9,1-12,1-11,1-9) culls 1-3,1-2 and 0-12

Now that is quite a week of fishing. Four anglers, four different areas, two states, two species and a mix of boat fishing and bank fishing. Priorities may keep me off the water for the rest of the month but hopefully some others are able to get out there. Send them my way when you catch them. Talk to you later. Troy