About two weeks ago, I took a Monday off work to extend my weekend as I had a late Sunday night courtesy of an Alice Cooper concert with my son, Jayce. The concert was outstanding while the following morning’s fishing left a bit to be desired. Read on for the results with a nod to the “Godfather of Shock Rock.”
Stats
Date: August 5
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 9:35am-12:35pm
Totals: 7 bass
Weather: Sunny/calm, 80-88F
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 5 bass, 5” Yamamoto Senko (pumpkin/black flake) – 2 bass
Top 5 Weight: 7-9 (1-13,1-13,1-9,1-4,1-2)
Winning lures
12:01pm – Top Bass (tie) at 1-13 (15.5″) on a lipless crankbait
Notes and Nonsense
“I’m driving in my car (truck) now, anticipating fun.”
Under My Wheels – Alice Cooper (1971)
There’s something extra exciting about having a weekday to fish. Lots of other anglers are at work as opposed to weekends which can draw a crowd. As such, I selected a popular, easy access stretch to try my luck on a Monday morning. And just like I anticipated, I had the whole place to myself. In contrast, last Saturday I spied three boats while observing at a nearby county road.
“Feels like I’m living in the middle of doubt.”
Eighteen – Alice Cooper (1971)
I got a later start than my regular sunrise arrival after dropping one of my boys off at school. As a result, it was already quite warm by 9:30am. Combined with full sun and a complete lack of a breeze, it was uncomfortably hot. In fact, after a half hour in the heat, I was considering calling it quits. However, I felt that it would be a waste of a vacation day if I elected to go home and do chores instead. Of course, I also dig my fishing, so you know that I got over the discomfort and kept on casting.
Interesting catch as this bass was still hungry despite a broken off worm stuck in its throat
“Feed my Frankenstein.”
Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper (1992)
This year’s fishing “theme/obsession” has been a quest to establish and/or boost my Top 5 Weights for each stretch of The Canal into double digits. This aim consists of catching (and releasing) five bass from an area with a combined weight of ten pounds or more. Two-pound bass are what I refer to as “good ones,” so I am looking to fool five bass that average “good one” status. For the pool that I chose on this outing, I had made one prior visit on June 19, 2023, and established an initial Top 5 Weight of 8-2. On this latest outing, I could not get the big bite that I was seeking with a pair at 1-13 being Top Bass on the trip. These did oust two smaller bass from my initial Top 5 but only gave me a boost of ten ounces to 8-12. Disappointing, but simply means that I must make a return trip.
Always fun to be able to add a classic rock wrinkle to a fishing report to combine a couple of my passions. Alice Cooper was definitely worth the trip and so was the outing on The Canal even though I couldn’t get any “good ones.” As the saying goes, “Any day fishing is better than a day at work.” More fishing reports to come as The Canal Top 5 Quest continues. Talk to you later. Troy