It is always enjoyable to share the fishing hobby with others as detailed in today’s recap.
Date: March 20 (with Brent)
Location: Snakeden Hollow (5 lakes)
Time: 12:10pm-6:00pm (4.50 hours fishing from boat, the rest walking)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 59-71F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 11 bass (Troy – 6, Brent – 5)
Lures: Rapala Shad Rap (blue) – 5 bass, Spinnerbait (green) – 3 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (chartreuse sexy shad) – 2 bass, Chatterbait (white) with twin tail trailer (root beer pepper green) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Rapala Shad Rap (Troy)
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at or > 12”): 4-5 (1-11,1-3,0-12,0-11)
Comments: Always good to get on the water with my brother. We’ve been doing this for a long time as 2022 marked thirty-five years of fishing at Snakeden Hollow together. The bass didn’t welcome us back with a flurry of activity but good to get on the board with my first bass of the year (Brent already had several from an earlier trip).
Date: April 29 (with Jayce)
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 5:45pm-8:00pm (fishing from boat)
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Overcast/breezy, temp 64F
Lures: Whopper Plopper (I Know It) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-3 (Jayce)
Top 5 Weight: 3-7 (2-3,1-4)
Comments: I introduced my son, Jayce, to The Canal and while the bass were stubborn, he did get a quality fish and the Whopper Plopper found a new fan. In the interest of providing an honest fishing report, he also outfished me two bass to zero.
Date: May 14 (with Dad and Jayce)
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 5:45pm-7:30pm
Totals: many bluegill and a few golden shiners
Weather: Sunny/calm
Lures: Waxworms on a jighead hung from a slip bobber
Comments: Jayce and I joined Dad at one of his panfish spots amidst some ugly water conditions after a nasty storm the previous evening. Fortunately, panfish can usually be found even on tough days. We fooled enough to keep us interested as icing on the cake to hanging out, telling tales, talking trash, and goofing off.
Date: June 18 (with family)
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: afternoon hiking and fishing from bank
Totals: 8 bass – Carly (3), Jayce (2), Julie, Helena, Zac (1 each)
Weather: Sunny/calm
Lures: 5” Yamasenko or Bass Pro Shops Stik-O wacky rig (various colors)
Top Bass: 1-3 (Helena and Jayce) – wacky rig
Top 4 Weight: 4-4 (1-3,1-3,1-0,0-14)
Comments: A camping trip allowed for an afternoon family hike and prowl on The Canal. Success all around as everyone landed at least one bass. June, the Senko wacky rig, and a walk along The Canal are an effective combination.
Date: June 26 (with Jayce)
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 5:45pm-7:30pm (fishing from a boat)
Totals: 1 bass (Jayce – 1 bass, Dad – 0 bass)
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Lures: Whopper Plopper 90 (Terminator)
Top Bass: none at 12” or better
Top 5 Weight: none at 12” or better
Comments: Our second outing together on The Canal wound up with Jayce as the winner again. During our two boat trips on The Canal, he has been the only angler to land a bass. I have to wonder, is he bad luck for me, or am I good luck for him? Still haven’t taken him to my best spot yet and not sure if I want to.
Date: September 4 (with Brent)
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (6 lakes)
Time: 6:15am-1:30pm (5.00 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 66-69F
Totals: 73 bass (Brent – 44, Troy – 29) 1 green sunfish (Brent)
Lures (Troy): 5” Senko wacky rig (natural shad) – 17 bass, Chatterbait (white) with Zako trailer (Tennessee Shad) – 8 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 1 bass, Rebel Pop R (rainbow) – 1 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass, Special K Spinnerbait (bleeding shiner) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer/pepper/green) – 1 bass
Lures (Brent): Senko wacky rig – 16 bass, Mann’s Chug n’ Spit Popper – 15 bass, Spinnerbait (white) – 13 bass
Top Bass: 3-10 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 14-5 (3-10,2-14,2-12,2-10,2-7)
Comments: The best day of the year in terms of both quantity and quality along with exceeding our pre-dawn parking lot Top 5 Weight and Top Bass predictions. On this outing, I also provided catch by catch Top 5 updates on social media and the bass sure made it look like we knew what we were doing. Such success is extra satisfying on the walk-in strip pits as you pay your dues in terms of exercise navigating the challenging terrain.
Date: September 17 (with Brent, Jayce, and John Kirkemo)
Location: The Rock, Peoria County private water
Time: 7:15am-12:15am
Totals: 70 bass, 1 crappie combined
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy 66-72F
Water Temperature: 73-74F
Lures: Senko wacky rig (various colors) – 35 bass, Spinnerbaits (various) – 25 bass, Mann’s Popper – 5 bass, Chatterbait (white) – 3 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (Terminator) – 2 bass
Top Bass:2-4 Brent (Spinnerbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-2 (2-4,1-11,1-8,1-7,1-4)
The way things shake out, I spend a lot of my fishing time flying solo. Other obligations for some of my partners, distance, and not interested in getting out of bed before sunrise are a few factors that limit partnering up. So when I do get a chance to share bank or boat, it’s always fun to have some company, and another lure in the water. 2023 is off to a good start as Jayce and I just hit the hard water. Stay tuned for the first fishing report of the year and talk to you later. Troy