I took a Monday off from work and hit The Canal after getting the boys to school. My plan was to spend a couple of hours in the boat, nab a Top 5, and let the Knox County strip mine grass dry out for a hike that afternoon. Two out of three ain’t bad as the old Meatloaf song goes. The Canal bass proved tough to fool on the sunny morning and I ended up with a “Top 3” instead.
Stats
Date: September 19
Time: 9:15am-11:15am
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Sunny/calm 68-76F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 2 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 1 bass
Top Bass:1-14 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 4-11 (1-14,1-10,1-3)
Notes and Nonsense
First Bass – I figured that the sun beating directly down on The Canal would push the bass tighter to the weed cover. I also wasn’t overly confident that my Whopper Plopper would be effective with the sun having risen above the tree line. However, about fifteen minutes into casting I had a solid 1-10 on the plopper. Such success can send mixed signals so I was cautiously optimistic that a few more would show up on the presentation. Not surprisingly, none did as I tossed the bait around a fair amount hoping for that one big bite.
10:29am – Long but lean Top Bass
Top Bass – My Top Bass was an emaciated eighteen-and-a-half-inch fish. As is customary I shot my pics of the fish broadside, so it is not entirely apparent how gaunt the fish was when looked at ventrally. As an experienced fisherman, I can see from the photo that something just isn’t right with the body plan of the fish in terms of healthy proportions. At least it was still fit enough to be looking for a meal (or perhaps it was starving). In terms of weight, it was significantly lighter than a healthy bass of the same length. Typical weight on a filled-out fish would have been pushing three pounds but this catch only tipped the scales at a scrawny 1-14.
Scale Settings – I like the compact size and lip gripping clamp of my Rapala scale but I sure have a heck of a time getting readings. For starters, I regularly must turn it on and off multiple times before it registers a fish hanging from the clamp. In the process of trying to get a weight, I occasionally switch the weight settings on accident. The worst-case scenario is when I wind up with metric weight. This requires the calculator app on my phone as those conversion factors that I learned in fifth grade (1977) have long gone by the wayside. On this outing I managed to switch the scale to decimal settings but at least I can figure the ounces in my head (although I always check on the calculator app just in case). In the case of the Top Bass described above, the weight was 1.86 pounds.
More than a few frustrating casts out there these days
Debris – I have found The Canal to be a dynamic fishing hole as it changes considerably as the year progresses. Aquatic vegetation really takes hold as the water warms and it can get quite ugly on many stretches. In addition, recent outings have seen an uptick in duckweed drifting and collecting throughout the pools. But the most frustrating development has been an abundance of floating vegetative debris. It is difficult to see from a distance and routinely fouls casts as the lure collects the weeds during the retrieve. And the leaves are on the way…
As I head into my second fall of fishing The Canal, I am looking forward to finding a good fall bite (fall starts at Labor Day in my book). Last year, I struggled in the fall while prowling via bike. We’ll see how this fall pans out with the advantage of having a boat on the water. Another pair of fall outings are in the books so stay tuned for those reports. Talk to you later. Troy