Here are a few more items to wrap up the July outings on The Canal.

Lost and Found  (see pic above) – No matter how good of a caster you are, if you are fishing from the bank, you are going to lose a few lures. Along The Canal, baits and bobbers decorate the trees from time to time and are often easy pickings from a boat. No return address on the lures, so I guess that makes it “finders, keepers”.

Winning July Lures on The Canal

Backup Bait – The YouTube clip below is a fun trick when fishing a topwater and encountering a strike where the bass has bad aim. Step one is to always have a Senko wacky rig tied onto another pole when you are casting a topwater lure. Step two, after the missed strike, is to cast the Senko into the boil that was created and many times you can get that fish.

Gar Log – Dad used to pull our legs with tales of hippos formerly calling West Central Illinois home or by pointing out the backs of “alligators” protruding from the water in local creeks and ponds. Thus, I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of this large “alligator gar” that I spotted on The Canal.

“It was just my imagination, runnin’ away with me…”

I have one successful trip to The Canal in August so stay tuned for a report when time permits. Talk to you later. Troy