The goal on this outing was to fill in a blank by fishing a section of The Canal that lacked a double-digit Top 5. Going into this trip, I had invested 10.5 hours on this stretch during a pair of visits and established a Top 5 Weight of 7-15 (1-15,1-12,1-9,1-7,1-4). I will admit that the lack of quality bites had me frustrated and questioning whether the area held any “good ones.” This trip provided a positive attitude adjustment.
Stats
Date: July 20
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 7:35am-11:50am
Totals: 11 bass
Weather: Hazy/overcast to mostly cloudy/breezy, 59-76F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 10 bass, Nibble Nation Lures wacky rig (gator) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 (buzzbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-10 (2-5,2-1,1-8,1-6,1-6)
Winning lures
Lyrics of the Trip
The Rain, The Park and Other Things – The Cowsills (1967)
“And I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew, I knew, she had made me happy.” (see Bite I and III below)
And
“I turned around and she was gone.” (see Bite II below)
9:33am – Top Bass weighing 2-1 (16.5″) on a buzzbait
Notes and Nonsense
The Bite I – Pushing two hours into the trip, I only had a pair of short bass to show for my efforts, one on a buzzbait and one on a wacky worm. I had bet on a buzzbait and chatterbait bite around the abundant wood cover, but the morning had been a disappointment. That changed at 9:33am as I landed a bass weighing 2-1 on a buzzbait to boost my all-time Top 5 on the stretch to 8-12. The fish also set a new mark for Top Bass on the stretch, topping a 1-15 from June 22, 2024. This gave my spirits a boost and the buzzbait bite picked up prompting me to focus on that presentation.
11:11am – The One That Got Away
The Bite II – At 11:11am, I lost an even larger bass at boatside that I estimate was pushing three pounds. I was reaching down to lip the fish as it shook the buzzbait and the incident left me kind of rattled. Had it weighed 2-11, I would have made my mark. I got a good look at the fish during the fight, and I am convinced that it had what it took. I was proud that I did not say any bad words on video, but I sure was bummed out to have missed my opportunity.
11:33am – Top Bass weighing 2-5 (17″) on a buzzbait
The Bite III – At 11:33am, I set the hooks on another solid fish on the buzzbait. While it set a new record for the pool, its weight of 2-5 fell six ounces short of what I needed to achieve my goal. The fish gave my Top on the pool a boost to 9-10, meaning that another two-pounder would do the trick. Unfortunately, Mother Nature was set to intervene as thunder rolled as I released my catch.
The Rain – The effects of Canadian wildfires left the skies with an overcast haze and found me about a mile from the lot when things began to rumble. My weather app had said nothing about rain but a text from Julie shortly after 11:00am, followed by some prolonged thunder accompanied by raindrops got my attention. Around 11:35am, I began rowing as fast as I could to beat the storm, troubled by the fact that I was still one quality bite from my goal. I couldn’t resist a few casts at appealing targets as the rain began and I always pack along a change of clothes in case I got wet (technically I call this my “fall in the lake” bag). However, a flash of lightning convinced me that it was game over and I would fall short of my goal.
Other Things – The storm cost me a shot at completing my goal as my day on the water was cut short by about an hour. On some days, I may have waited out the weather for round two on the water, but this was not just any day. It was my son Zac’s birthday, so a celebration took precedence over more casts. I was lucky enough to get out in the first place as he has his days and nights mixed up for summer break. Most of the time, I can get out at sunrise, and no one even misses me until lunchtime.
The Canal can be a long, strange fishing hole as going into this outing, I had never caught a two-pounder in this section. That all changed in one morning as I had three on the line but only got two in the boat. There’s a moral to the story that I have learned over the years. Don’t judge a stretch of The Canal based on first or second impressions. Several sections have left me disappointed only to be surprised later. This trip was such an instance. I finally found the bites that I was seeking but fell short due to “the one that got away.” Thus, the Top 5 Quest on this area still goes on. Talk to you later. Troy