Author: Troy Jackson

2022 Fishing Recap – Lures Pt.I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Next up is the annual look back at the lures that fooled the bass. I am a creature of habit and an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of guy but I did manage to employ over a dozen different general lure types to catch my fish in 2022. As such, the Lures portion of the 2022 Fishing Recap will be submitted over two posts working from fewest bass caught to most. Read on for some video and data on the first batch of lures.

 

Topwater Frog – 1 bass
Lunker Hunt Walking Frog Kraken Series (hops)
Top Bass: 2-12 Lake Storey – September 18
Comments: Frogs can be blast to fish, but they don’t play much of a role in my arsenal these days, even on the weedy Canal. Plenty of fellow Canal anglers report success on these types of baits so maybe next year I will invest a bit more time dragging them around. The lone 2022 catch came from some remaining weeds on a flat during the Lake Storey drawdown. My brain said, “This looks like a good spot for a frog”, and several casts later, I had my Top Bass of the day. Feels good when it works like that with a mental pat on the back for a good decision.

 

Jerkbait – 1 bass
Bomber Long A (red/yellow)
Top Bass: 1-3 Hennepin Canal – August 13
Comments: My only jerkbait bass of the year came on a similar, “I should try this here” decision as my previously described frog catch. I had an extended drop with sparse, scattered, submerged weeds, and figured that I could navigate it better with a jerkbait than a crankbait. While August isn’t your standard jerkbait time of the year, it worked. I fished my way through the drop without another bite and the catch wound up a one off.

 

Stickbait – 3 bass
Zara Spook (natural frog)
Top Bass: 2-6 Hennepin Canal – July 17
Top 2 Weight: 3-8 (2-6,1-2)
Comments: Me and the Zara Spook go back a long ways, but I don’t throw it much anymore. However, upon obtaining an old reel from a longtime friend, Matt Reynolds, I opted to go old school and try to land the first bass with the reel on the Spook. Matt nicknamed the natural frog pattern Zara Spook, “The Pickle” back in the 80s so my goal was to fool one on the bait while using his reel. The mission was a success with a quality fish in hand shortly after beginning to “walk the dog” (the standard name for the Zara Spook retrieve/presentation).

 

Lipless Crankbait – 4 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad)
Top Bass: 1-15 Lake Storey – October 22
Top 4 Weight: 5-7 (1-15,1-13,1-0,0-11)
Comments: Lipless crankbaits have long been a mainstay in my arsenal, but they just weren’t in tune with my frequent visits to The Canal. The abundance of weeds on The Canal as the year wore on made for repeatedly fouling the hooks in the vegetation. Other offerings, primarily a spinnerbait, were more in tune to the conditions so the Red Eye Shad got a break in 2022. Top Bass on the lure came from Lake Storey in a pocket rife with shad activity and the fake shad came through. It also snagged one of the real fish that it looks to imitate.

 

Popper – 4 bass
Rebel Pop R (rainbow)
Top Bass: 1-12 Knox County public strip pit – May 14
Top 2 Weight: 2-10 (1-12,0-14)
Comments: The Pop R is an exciting lure, but I don’t employ it very often. For me it’s one of those instinct or Plan B lures. For instance, if I have trouble getting a topwater bite on faster lures like a buzzbait or if I have a limited open water strike zone, I may employ a popper. Also, if I have bass missing strikes on a faster moving topwater, I can sometimes fool a few with a popper as I can let it sit in their face when pausing the retrieve as needed.

 

Jigs – 5 bass
Googan Gridiron (PB&J), Bass Pro Enticer (white), Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (black/blue) with various pork and plastic trailers
Top Bass: 2-12 Knox County public strip pit – September 19
Top 4 Weight: 9-8 (2-12,2-11,2-1,2-0)
Comments: All my jig bass came from walk-in strip pits as The Canal just never gave me much reason to slow down. In addition, the abundance of vegetation that shows up in The Canal makes for frustrating jig fishing. I dig a jig and pig but if I don’t have to slow down, I won’t. If I do get out on The Canal earlier this year than my April 15 debut in 2022, I may employ a jig around the abundant wood before the weeds take over.

 

Grub – 8 bass
Lunker Hunt Finesse Worm ¼ oz. (Bama craw)
Top Bass: 0-13 Snakeden Hollow – April 10
Comments: I read a lot about the Ned Rig and similar light, finesse presentations that work well in cold water or during a finicky bite. In 2022, I made a decision to give this type of lure a shot on a couple strip pits in early April. Short story is that the presentation fooled some fish but nothing big and it resides out of my comfort zone of fast fishing. Unless the fish force me to slow down, it’s not happening. Perhaps a bad habit, but I get by fishing fast most of the year.

And that leads us into Part II of the lure recap, dominated by power presentations. The seven lure types in today’s post fooled a grand total of twenty-six bass. The next batch of half a dozen lure types landed five hundred and twenty-seven bass. Stay tuned for those heavy hitters. Talk to you later. Troy

2022 Fishing Recap – Locations

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s recap post covers the locations that produced my best year of bass.

Grand Totals
Bass = 553
Outings = 56 (ranging from 0.75 hour to 7.75-hour trips)
Bodies of water = 47
Bass Fishing Hours = 187.00
Bass/hour = 2.96
Comments: Citing forty-seven bodies of water makes it seem like I fish all over the place which is not the case as the list primarily covers three counties (Knox, Henry, and Bureau). Knox County featured twenty-seven strip pits and Lake Storey. Henry and Bureau County contributed seventeen pools on The Hennepin Canal. The two remaining spots were a Peoria County private lake and a Johnson County public water. This batch of fishing holes combined for a new personal record of 553 bass landed with a further breakdown of the locations to come later in this post.

Access
Bank Bass (Northerner boots and hiking) = 123 bass
Little Boat Bass (over 40-year-old 8’ johnboat) = 362 bass
Big Boat Bass (1987 Bass Tracker Pro 17) = 68 bass
Comments: Another year of racking up more miles on a pair of boots and a set of oars than I have ever racked up on trolling motors or outboards. I am curious how many miles I walked and rowed on my adventures in 2022 (perhaps another winter project to see if I can get an estimate). While my strip mine trips were limited and only included one boat trip, The Canal was an eye opener upon accessing with a boat for the first time. Much of The Canal is accessible with a portable watercraft and it was well worth the effort of lifting, dragging, and rowing.

Public vs. Private
Public Water = 528 bass
Top Public Water Bass = 3-10 Knox County strip pit 9/4
Top 5 Public Weight = 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
Private Water Bass = 25 bass
Top Private Water Bass = 1-7 The Rock 9/17
Top 5 Private Weight = 6-0 (1-7,1-4,1-3,1-1,1-1)
Comments: While I have access to a batch of quality private fishing holes at Little John Conservation Club, I never made a cast there in 2022. It was only the second time in thirty-five years that I did not land a bass as Little John. Instead, I invested the bulk of my time fishing closer to home on The Canal. The lone private water bass were from an impressive Peoria County fishing hole known as “The Rock.” Private honey holes are always exciting, but I get more satisfaction out of catching them where everybody can fish.

The Waters (from least to most caught)

Dutchman Lake – Johnson County, IL
(1 visit – June 23)
2 bass
0.75 hours
2.67 bass/hour
Top Bass: 11.5” Special K Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: none at 12” or better
Comments: On the way back home from a roundtrip work drive to Dyer, TN, I decided to visit a fishing hole a short distance from Interstate 24 just north of Vienna, IL. It’s always nice to break up the drive for my “lunch hour” to see if I can fool a bass on waters I’ve never seen beyond an internet search. I was quite pleased to fool two bass in the near ninety-degree mid-afternoon heat and sunny skies. Another treat was a conversation with a local kayaker at the primitive boat launch. He even offered me one of his Twisted Teas to cool off but with a six-hour drive ahead I had to pass.

The Rock
(1 visit, 9/17)
25 bass
5.00 hours
5.00 bass/hour
Top Bass: 1-7 (15”) Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 6-0 (1-7,1-4,1-3,1-1,1-1)
Comments: A group outing on a prime private water was a highlight of the year. I had not fished The Rock for two years and my fellow anglers (Brent, Jayce, and John Kirkemo) had never visited the Peoria County water. The lake is still bouncing back from a major fish kill several years ago so big bites did not materialize. However, quantity was more than enough to make for a successful day. More to come on the outing in the “Partners” post of the 2022 recap and a big “Thank you” to owner, Chris Rock, for allowing us to come out and try our luck.

Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
(4 visits – 5/15 through 11/2)
43 Bass (35 bass in 2021)
28.25 hours (37.75 hours in 2021)
1.52 bass/hour (0.93 bass/hour in 2021)
Top Bass: 2-12 (18.5”) Topwater Frog on 9/18 (2-14 Top Bass in 2021)
Top 5 Weight: 10-15 (2-12,2-9,2-3,1-15,1-8) Top 5 in 2021 was 12-2
Comments: I always look forward to fishing the Lake Storey fall drawdown in September and October. This year I also expanded my visits to include a May outing as well as a rare November trip to the old lake. The bass were stubborn at times, but overall, I was pleased with the results in terms of quantity and a few solid fish. I also had a heartbreaking muskie miss at boatside, a story that may find its way into another recap post.

Knox County, IL Public Strip Mines
(7 visits, 27 lakes – 3/20 through 9/19)
124 bass (183 bass in 2021)
31.00 hours (42.00 in 2021)
4.00 bass/hour (4.36 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 3-10 (18.5”) Senko on 9/4
Top 5 Weight: 14-9 (3-10,2-14,2-12,2-11,2-10)
Comments: I scaled back on my strip mine drives with the rise in gas prices but still managed half a dozen visits. My largest bass of the year came from a reliable spot and the rest of my Top 5 featured a quartet of nearly identical upper two-pound fish.

Hennepin Canal – Henry and Bureau County
(43 visits, 17 pools – 4/15 through 12/11)
359 bass (61 bass in 2021)
122.00 hours (31.00 in 2021)
2.94 bass/hour (1.97 bass/hour in 2021)
Top Bass: 3-5 (18” and 19.5”) Spinnerbait 4/23 and Buzzbait 8/21
Top 5 Weight: 15-15 (3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15) 15-6 in 2021
Comments: I concluded my comments for The Canal in the 2021 Fishing Recap as follows, “Glad I gave it a go and plan to be back for more in 2022, perhaps with a boat in tow.” Well, that is indeed what I did, and boy did it pay off. All but three of my 2022 Canal bass were caught while rowing around on various pools in the old eight-foot johnboat. I plan to be back for plenty more in 2023 and hope to find an elusive four-pounder or two out there on one of those narrow fishing holes. More to come in an exclusive Hennepin Canal recap posting when time permits.

The recaps continue with posts on the way covering lures and partners. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

2022 Fishing Recap – BYOB

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2022 turned out to be my “Best Year of Bass” as I wound up topping my all-time bass catch record of 418 set in 2020. After bass #419 was landed on September 17 to establish a new personal best, I set my sights on reaching Bass #500 before the year was over. Read on for the results and tune in for a collection of breakdowns on the statistics from 2022 including time on the water, co-anglers, Top 5 weights, lures, destinations, presentations, records, and more.

Bass #419 sets a new personal best total but there were more to come

Grand Totals (bass fishing only)
56 outings (41 outings in 2021)
187.00 hours fishing (136.75 in 2021)
553 bass (313 bass in 2021)
2.96 bass/hour (2.40 bass/hour in 2021)
Comments: The significant increase in outings was the direct result of a heavy focus on the Hennepin Canal. Forty-three of the fifty-six trips this year were at various spots along the historic waterway. Proximity made for many quick early morning or evening getaways on The Canal and the expanded exploring via boat proved to be quite productive.

First Bass – March 20 at Snakeden Hollow

First Bass/Last Bass
March 20 – Snakeden Hollow 1:20pm 9.5” Shad Rap
November 25 – The Hennepin Canal 3:38pm 13.5” 1-1 Spinnerbait
Comments: My annual mission of starting the year with a March bass and ending with a November bass was accomplished. I did give December a brief shot but came up empty. For the third straight year, the Shad Rap came through with the first catch. And fittingly, my last bass of the year came on a spinnerbait which was my most productive lure of 2022.

Last Bass (#553) – November 25 on The Hennepin Canal

Monthly Breakdown (Top Day Weight is Top 5 unless noted)
March – 1 trip, 6 bass, Top Weight (3/20 2 bass Snakeden) = 1-6
April – 7 trips, 74 bass, Top Day Weight (4/23 The Canal) = 10-8
May – 9 trips, 94 bass, Top Day Weight (5/27 The Canal) = 9-9
June – 6 trips, 39 bass, Top Day Weight (6/24 The Canal) = 11-3
July – 9 trips, 77 bass, Top Day Weight (7/2 The Canal) = 9-6
August – 6 trips, 67 bass, Top Day Weight (8/13 The Canal) = 10-6
September – 9 trips, 134 bass, Top Day Weight (9/18 Lake Storey) = 9-4
October – 5 trips, 40 bass, Top Day Weight (10/30 The Canal) = 8-15
November – 3 trips, 22 bass, Top Day Weight (11/6 The Canal) = 9-3
December – 1 trip, 0 bass
Comments: Solid production throughout the year and hoping to get on The Canal earlier this year than my April 24 maiden voyage last year. I was also quite pleased with the home stretch of September through November which produced nearly two hundred bass. Thumbs up on quality Top 5 results for each month as my goal is a ten-pound limit when I hit the water and I made the mark in three months and came close for five others.

 

Top 5 Weight
16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
Comments: My annual goal is a twenty-pound Top 5 and while I fell short this year, I can’t say that I was disappointed. My fourteen months of experience on The Canal still has me in search of the four-pounders that I need to reach the twenty-pound mark. I’ve seen posts of such fish from The Canal, so I know that they are out there, but I suspect they are few and far between. I did have a couple misses in 2022 that may have been such fish. So, I know where they live and hope to encounter them again with better results.

The 2022 Fishing Recap series has just begun. Next up, will be a look at the locations that produced the bass. Talk to you later. Troy

YouTube-Snakeden Spring Bass Fishing

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Besides the blog, there is also a YouTube component to these outdoor adventures. The thing is, it is tough to keep up with editing and posting the footage. Therefore, today’s YouTube video link features a Snakeden Hollow outing from last March with my brother, Brent. I look at it like the fishing magazines and television programs. They often showcase tips and techniques that are month or so down the road rather than applicable to current weather and water conditions. So, you can consider today’s clip as a preview for presentations that can be used as spring approaches. To read the original fishing report from this trip click here. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 All-Time Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2022 represented year number nine of the Top 5 project. It also marked the fifth year of reaching triple digits in bass submissions and was the first time that we hit the century mark since 2018. In addition to the yearly stats that were posted earlier this month, I also like to provide an annual update of the all-time stats. So, here we go.

(Note: the all-time stats for this post only include bass submissions, not additional species).

Group Totals = 968 bass
2014 = 154
2015 = 106
2016 = 136
2017 = 79
2018 = 116
2019 = 95
2020 = 90
2021 = 92
2022 = 100

Submissions by month (2014-2022)
218 April (43/33/31/11/12/14/25/14/35)
156 May (27/23/19/13/24/12/18/13/7)
131 June (34/14/15/1/10/14/17/10/16)
114 March (13/11/34/10/0/8/4/19/15)
91 July (18/11/8/11/8/11/10/12/2)
68 September (6/4/6/6/16/9/6/10/5)
64 October (4/5/4/8/24/8/2/3/6)
38 August (1/3/1/4/4/7/3/4/11)
36 November (6/0/4/0/8/9/4/2/3)
31 February (2/2/7/13/5/0/0/2/0)
13 December (0/0/7/1/0/2/3/0)
8 January (0/0/0/1/5/1/1/0/0)

Top 10 Top 5 Monthly Weights (group total) – * = new entry
37-9 May 2014
29-8 June 2014
29-7 March 2016
29-2 April 2014
28-10 April 2022*
28-9 October 2018
28-7 December 2016
27-14 April 2015
27-12 March 2015
27-11 July 2014

Top 5 Weights per Month (group total)
January (2018) = 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3)
February (2016) = 22-9 (6-7,4-15,4-10,4-1,2-8)
March (2016) = 29-7 (6-5,6-1,5-14,5-10,5-9)
April (2014) = 29-2 (8-0, 5-11, 5-10, 4-15. 4-14)
May (2014) = 37-9 (9-4, 8-10, 8-8, 6-1, 5-2)
June (2014) = 29-8 (6-11, 6-4, 5-10, 5-8, 5-7)
July (2014) = 27-11 (6-6, 6-0, 5-5, 5-0, 5-0)
August (2019) = 19-4 (4-14,4-10,4-6,2-14,2-8)
September (2019) = 24-5 (5-3,5-0,5-0,4-12,4-6)
October (2018) = 28-9 (6-3,5-14,5-10,5-10,5-4)
November (2018) = 26-1 (7-2,6-12,4-3,4-0,4-0)
December (2016) = 28-7 (7-7,6-5,5-13,4-11,4-3)

Monthly Top Bass
January
3-15 Mark Balbinot 1/27/18 Crankbait
February
6-7 Mike Overturf 2/27/16 Plastic Worm
March
7-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/22/15 Jig
April
8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14 Crankbait
May
9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
June
6-11 Ty Hartlipp 6/11/14 Topwater Frog
July
6-6 Jake Bresson 7/11/14 Plastic Worm
August
6-8 Gary Le 8/16/14 Swimbait
September
6-0 Austin Chapman 9/19/15 Jig
October
7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29/17 Jig
November
7-2 Mark Balbinot 11/23/18 Underspin
December
7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16 Underspin

Public vs. Private Water (2014-2022)
Public = 689 bass (92/52/95/42/92/68/63/87/98)
Public Top 5 Weight
32-2,31-7,30-5,27-7,24-5,25-4,25-13,26-4,28-10 (2022)
Private = 262 bass (53/48/39/37/24/27/27/5/2)
Private Top 5 Weight
8-10,30-0,32-13,33-14,31-9,24-3,30-5,13-3,2-7 (2022)
Undisclosed = 17 bass (9/6/2/0/0/0/0/0/0)

Boat vs. Bank (2014-2022)
Boat = 466 bass (90/63/103/68/55/33/26/28/55)
Boat Top 5 Weight
30-7,31-7,32-13,33-14,31-9,25-4,21-4,18-6,17-9 (2022)
Bank = 396 bass (64/43/27/11/61/62/64/64/45)
Bank Top 5 Weight
40-14,27-6,27-12,20-14,24-2,25-7,30-6,26-4,28-10 (2022)
Undisclosed = 6 bass

The Baits (44 undisclosed)
268 Plastic Worms (Top Bass 6-8 Mark Balbinot 11/20/16)
109 Spinnerbaits (6-14 Chris Schwarz 3/25/20)
96 Lipless Crankbaits (6-3 Mark Balbinot 10/20/18)
86 Crankbaits (8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14)
72 Chatterbaits (5-15 Jim Junk 6/22/20)
65 Jigs (9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14)
33 Jerkbaits (5-10 Ty Hartlipp 6/5/14)
32 Buzzbaits (5-9 Troy Jackson 4/25/17)
31 Swimbaits (8-10 Gary Le 5/4/14)
30 Creature Baits (6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13/17)
29 Swim Jigs (6-13 Jake Bresson 4/9/15)
14 Underspins (Top Bass 7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16)
12 Topwater Frogs (6-11 Ty Hartlipp 6/11/14)
12 Tubes (Top Bass 5-0 Jake Bresson 4/28/15)
8 Livebait (5-14 Jim Junk 7/4/14)
6 Propbaits (6-2 Jake Bresson 5/1/15)
6 Stickbaits (6-6 Mark Balbinot 8/27/17)
5 Ultralights (3-1 Paul Kessler 10/12/17)
5 Grubs (Top Bass 7-0 Chris Schwarz 11/28/20)
2 Inline Spinners (5-2 Jake Bresson 9/17/17)
2 Poppers (3-1 Troy Jackson 9/25/01)
1 Blade Baits (5-3 Mark Balbinot 11/16/19)

Top 10 Top 5 Bass
9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
8-10 Gary Le 5/4/14 Swimbait
8-8 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14 Crankbait
7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16 Underspin
7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29/17 Jig
7-2 Mark Balbinot 11/23/18 Underspin
7-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/22/15 Jig
7-0 Chris Schwarz 11/28/20 Grub
6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13/17 Creature Bait

The 20-Pound Club * = 2022 entry
33-14 Mark Balbinot 2017 (7-4,6-15,6-13,6-8,6-6)
32-13 Jake Bresson 2014 (9-4, 8-8, 6-6, 4-10, 4-1)
32-13 Mark Balbinot 2016 (7-7,6-8,6-5,6-5,6-4)
32-0 Gary Le 2014 (8-10,6-8,5-12,5-10, 5-8)
31-9 Mark Balbinot 2018 (7-2,6-12,6-3,5-14,5-10)
30-5 Chris Schwarz (7-0,6-14,5-12,5-7,5-4)
29-7 Austin Chapman 2015 (6-4,6-2,6-0,5-14,5-3)
*27-13 Jim Junk (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)
27-12 Jake Bresson 2015 (6-13,6-2,5-5,5-0,4-8)
27-6 Randy Sampson Sr 2015 (7-0,6-1,4-13,4-12,4-12)
27-6 Jake Bresson 2016 (6-3,5-13,5-4,5-2,5-0)
26-13 Troy Jackson 2017 (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
26-4 Austin Chapman 2016 (5-14,5-10,5-2,4-14,4-12)
26-1 Brice Wangler 2014 (5-11, 5-5, 5-2, 5-0, 4-15)
26-0 Jim Junk (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)
25-13 Jim Junk (5-15,5-5,4-15,4-14,4-12)
25-8 Brice Wangler 2015 (5-7,5-4,5-2,4-14,4-13)
25-4 Mark Balbinot 2019 (5-5,5-3,5-1,4-14,4-13)
24-14 Ty Hartlipp 2014 (6-11, 5-10, 5-5, 4-0, 3-4)
24-14 Jim Junk 2019 (5-3,5-1,5-0,4-14,4-12)
24-9 Terry Isbell 2014 (5-8,5-4,5-2,4-8,4-3)
23-12 Jake Bresson 2017 (5-4,5-2,5-2,4-3,4-1)
23-11 Randy Sampson Sr. 2017 (6-0,4-14,4-12,4-11,3-6)
23-8 Jim Junk 2018 (5-4,5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4)
22-15 Adam Bean 2015 (5-13,4-9,4-6,4-2,4-1)
22-13 Mike Mooney 2014 (6-4, 5-7, 4-3, 3-9, 3-6)
22-12 Troy Jackson 2015 (5-13,4-13,4-10,3-12,3-12)
21-8 Randy Sampson Sr. 2016 (5-12,5-8,4-11,3-1,2-8)
21-7 Brice Wangler 2016 (4-8,4-7,4-4,4-2,4-2)
21-3 Troy Jackson 2016 (5-9,5-4,3-9,3-7,3-6)
20-15 Chris Schwarz 2018 (4-11,4-11,4-8,4-0,3-1)
20-14 Troy Jackson 2014 (4-13, 4-6, 4-2, 4-1, 3-8)
20-12 Chris Schwarz 2019 (5-3,5-0,3-11,3-10,3-4)
20-9 Austin Chapman 2014 (4-15, 4-4,4-0,3-13,3-9)
20-1 Bruce Zilkowski 2014 (4-11,4-3,4-0,3-12,3-7)
20-0 Troy Jackson (4-10,4-4,4-3,3-9,3-6)

And just for fun…

All-Time Weights (30-pound minimum “career” mark)
(Note: not all anglers have participated each year)
178-12 Troy Jackson (20-14,22-12,21-3,26-13,15-9,14-4,18-12,20-0,18-9)
169-3 Jim Junk (11-7,16-5,13-7,23-8,24-14,25-13,26-0,27-13)
123-8 Mark Balbinot (33-14,32-13,31-9,25-4)
131-5 Brent Jackson (18-7,6-10,13-2,10-2,19-2,13-7,13-3,18-11,18-9)
111-11 Jake Bresson (32-13,27-12,27-6,23-12)
76-4 Austin Chapman (20-9,29-7,26-4)
73-0 Brice Wangler (26-1,25-8,21-7)
72-15 Bruce Zilkowski (20-1,17-0,17-14,18-0)
72-10 Randy Sampson, Sr. (27-6,21-8,23-12)
72-0 Chris Schwarz (20-15,20-12,30-5)
66-12 Paul Kessler (18-6,17-6,16-6,14-10)
45-11 Mike Mooney (22-13,4-9,18-5)
37-4 John Kirkemo (10-8,6-14,8-0,11-14)

I dig my stats and plenty more to come as I recap the past year on the water in a series of posts to come. Talk to you later. Troy

2022 Top 5 Final Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Congratulations to our 2022 Top 5 Champ, Jim Junk. The victory makes it back-to-back titles for Jim with an impressive weight of 27-13, exceeding his 2021 winning mark of 26-0. Read on for all the numbers from our ninth year of the Top 5 challenge as eight anglers added one hundred bass and four trout to the ledger.

Jim Junk 6-0 April 15

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)
Brent Jackson 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)
Troy Jackson 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
John Kirkemo: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)
Jayce Jackson 7-1 (2-3,1-11,1-4,1-3,0-12)
Helena Jackson 1-3 (1-3)
Zac Jackson 1-0 (1-0)
Carly Jackson 0-14 (0-14)
Comments: Jim’s winning limit comes in as the eighth heaviest weight in the history of the Top 5. And it marked the only twenty-pound stringer of 2022.

Brent Jackson 5-4 April 24

2022 Monthly Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 35 bass
May = 7 bass
June = 16 bass
July = 2 bass
August = 11 bass
September = 5 bass
October = 6 bass
November = 3 bass
December = no submissions

John Kirkemo May 3

Top 5 Weight by Month
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 14-2 (3-3,2-15,2-14,2-12,2-6)
April = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
May = 11-9 (2-12,2-11,2-5,2-0,1-13)
June = 16-7 (4-2,3-5,3-3,2-15,2-14)
July = 4-11 (3-1,1-10)
August = 15-1 (3-5,3-4,2-15,2-13,2-12)
September = 10-14 (3-10,3-8,1-11,1-5,0-12)
October = 11-12 (2-14,2-10,2-4,2-3,1-13)
November = 11-7 (4-6,4-0,3-1)
December = no submissions
Comments: Thanks largely to Jim’s April contributions (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1), the 2022 total for April marks the fifth largest monthly total in Top 5 history. Brent contributed the other Top 5 April bass (5-4) for a total of 28-10. This total fell just shy of the all-time April record of 29-2 from 2014.

Jayce Jackson September 17

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 55 bass
Bank = 45 bass
Comments: For the first tine since 2017, bass landed from a boat exceeded bass landed from the bank. The addition of a kayak for Brent and my decision to launch a boat on the Hennepin Canal got a couple more of us off the bank much more often.

Carly Jackson June 18

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-9 (4-2,3-8,3-5,3-5,3-5)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Comments: Even with the additional boating, nineteen of our Top 20 bass still came from the bank.

Helena Jackson June 18

Public vs. Private
Public = 98 bass
Private = 2 bass
Comments: Once again, public waters dominated our haul with the lone exceptions coming on a private water outing in mid-September. The two private water bass were landed by Jayce on The Rock to complete his Top 5 for the year.

Zac Jackson June 18

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = 2-7 (1-11,0-12)
Comments: Banner Marsh (Jim – four bass) and a public Knox County strip pit (Brent – one bass), contributed to our public Top 5 while Jayce’s pair or bass from The Rock were our lone private water submissions.

The Baits
Plastic Worm = 27 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
Chatterbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 6-9 Jim Junk) tops 5-15 Jim Junk 6/22/20
Spinnerbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 15 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Crankbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Troy Jackson)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Buzzbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-5 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-1 Brent Jackson) no prior entry
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk)
Underspin = 1 bass (3-12 Jim Junk)
Comments: For the fifth straight year, the good, old plastic worm led the way and in our case the lure was exclusively a wacky rigged Senko type worm. However, chatterbaits were the big bass leader in landing five or our Top 10 bass.

Troy Jackson September 4

Monthly Top Bass
January
No submissions
February
No submissions
March
3-3 Jim Junk
April
6-9 Jim Junk
May
2-12 Troy Jackson
June
4-2 John Kirkemo
July
3-1 Brent Jackson
August
3-5 Troy Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson
October
2-14 Brent Jackson
November
4-6 Jim Junk
December
No submissions
Comments: Half of our eight anglers managed to post a monthly Top Bass during the nine months that we had submissions.

Jim Junk 6-9 April 4

2022 Top 10 Bass
6-9 Jim Junk 4/4/22
6-0 Jim Junk 4/15/22
5-12 Jim Junk 4/21/22
5-4 Brent Jackson 4/24/22
5-1 Jim Junk 4/4/22
4-7 Jim Junk 4/4/22
4-6 Jim Junk 4/19/22
4-6 Jim Junk 11/5/22
4-3 Jim Junk 4/21/22
4-2 John Kirkemo 6/13/22
Comments: A stellar year by our winner as Jim posts eight of our Top 10 bass of 2022. And a solid showing from our crew as it took a bass over four pounds to crack the Top 10.

Bonus Species

Other Species – Trout
John Kirkemo ~48” (12”, 12”, 12”,<12”)
Comments: The Top 5 expanded to include species besides bass in 2017. Submissions have been few and far between over the years but always fun to see something different. Thanks, John, for some variety from the streams of Iowa and a southern Illinois fishing hole.

And many thanks to those who took the time to share fish and fish stories. We had a good mix of young and not as young anglers, as well as guys and gals. I appreciate all and hope that you will consider joining up again in 2023. It’s always a treat to see a new fish story in the Inbox, in a text, or in person. Here’s to celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Top 5. Stay tuned for a look at the Top 5 record book covering 2014 through 2022. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – November Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

November represented uncharted territory for me as the latest that I had previously landed a bass on The Canal was October 31, 2021. For the overall annual goal of a November bass, I figured that The Canal deserved a shot, and it did not disappoint.

2022 November Totals
Two outings covering two different pools
11 bass in 5.75 hours (1.91 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 2-8 November 6 Spinnerbait
2022 November Top 5: 9-3 (2-8,2-3,1-9,1-8,1-7)
2022 Best November Top 5 Day: 9-3 (2-8,2-3,1-9,1-8,1-7) – November 6
Top 5 All-Time November Bass Weight: 9-3 (2-8,2-3,1-9,1-8,1-7)

November 6 – November Top Bass at 2-8 on a spinnerbait

Lessons

Waning Weeds – In the October wrap-up, I noted the waning weeds as colder water temperatures took hold. Not surprisingly, most of The Canal weed growth continued to disappear throughout November. However, one stretch that I visited regularly was still looking downright ugly with a substantial covering of nasty, surface vegetation. The Canal is a dynamic fishing hole and observation over the course of the last seven months has been quite interesting.

Spinnerbait Success – Also expanding on the October wrap-up, a spinnerbait continued to be a winner throughout the calendar on The Canal. My first Canal bass of the year came on a spinnerbait back on April 15 and my final bass of 2022 fell to a spinnerbait on November 25, a span of 224 days. In between there were a whole lot more Canal bass landed on spinnerbaits, but those numbers will be part of the 2022 Canal wrap-up.

Top 5 Notes – Having never fished The Canal in November, every “keeper” was a qualifier for the monthly Top 5. In the end, among my eleven bass landed, nine measured at twelve inches or better. The five heaviest fish came in at a respectable 9-3 for an initial Top 5. Not quite the double-digit weight that I was seeking but there’s always next November to gain those missing ounces.

November 25 – last bass of the year

2022 Overall Canal Stats
358 bass in 122.00 hours (2.93 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 3-5 (tie) 4/23 Spinnerbait 8/21 Buzzbait
Best Top 5 Day: 11-3 (2-15,2-10,2-3,2-1,1-6) 6/24/22
2022 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-15 (3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15)
2021 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-6 (3-6,3-4,3-1,2-14,2-13)

Farewell to The Canal for 2022

The Canal came through in November and a forty-degree December afternoon found me back on the bank in search of any more bonus bass. It just wasn’t meant to be as I posted my only shutout of 2022 during an hour of biking, walking, and casting. 2022 was quite a year on The Canal and I look forward to more prowling in 2023. But first, stay tuned for a comprehensive “Prowl the Canal 2022” wrap-up in the new year. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback Finale

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

A couple Fridays ago, I wrapped up the five-year project known as “Friday Flashback”. I wanted to post some final thoughts, but it is tough to briefly recap a series that covered just over two hundred posts. That’s a lot of “fish stories” and more.

Since these tales have already been told, I’ll stick to some short stats and a couple videos. The clips in today’s wrap-up cover “Friday Flashback” posts from March 18, 2018, through November 25, 2022. Each weekly post in the project looked back 5, 10, 15, 20…even 45 years for a tale from that week. The span of memories would cover adventures dating from March 28, 1976, through December 2, 2017.

The video clips feature over twenty fishing partners, thirty fishing holes, some classic lures, many species (fins, fur and feathers), several outdoor pursuits, a few celebrities and more. All were part of the “Friday Flashback” series over the last five years.

 

Every one of the pics you just watched was part of a story on the “Friday Flashback” along with hundreds more photos. With only a glance, I could once again tell you the tale that goes along with every shot. And those tales would certainly lead to more tales and on and on. For me, that is the essence of my blog as life is all about stories.

While the “Friday Flashback” series may have run its course, there’s plenty more tales to tell and memories to make. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – November 25

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I initially suspected that a November 6 trip to The Canal would be my final outing of 2022. At that point, I was satisfied with a great year on the water and had already met my November bass goal with a batch from Lake Storey on November 2. Any more catches would be icing on the cake. And with the passing of the days, I began to observe some ice on the water as well. However, a fifty-degree Black Friday afternoon found me in search of another bite. Read on to see how it all worked out.

Stats
Date: November 25
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 2:15pm-4:00pm
Totals: 1 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 51-48F
Lures: Special K Hammer Spinnerbait (white) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-1 Spinnerbait

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

More from the “Lost and Found”

Black Friday Finds – I chose solitude so as not to get in the way of the retail craziness on the day after Thanksgiving. And while others may have also used Black Friday to set up for Christmas, I spent a few minutes removing some “bargains” or “ornaments” from trees along The Canal. While this day did not produce anything too stellar, a trio of lures from the lost and found joined my 2022 collection. At some point during the 2022 wrap-up posts, those other finds will be revealed.

3:38pm weighing 1-1 (13.5″) on a spinnerbait

Ice, Ice Baby – Although the high temperature had reached the fifty-degree mark for a couple days, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of open water. Just a few day prior, I had observed a fair amount of ice on shaded stretches of local waters. As I drove to my launching point, I saw that much of my intended target area was open, thus getting to some shoreline cover would not be an issue. Without a water temperature gauge, however, I had no idea on the water temperature other than “cold.” But with the fifty-one-degree air temperature at launch, my fingers were plenty warm and figuratively crossed hoping for at least one bite.

Alternate pic and cool to fool one when there is ice in the backdrop of the photo

One Bite – A mid-afternoon departure left me with roughly a two-hour window of daylight and when fishing this late in the season, I am realistically looking for one bite. I launched at 2:15pm and it took me until 3:38pm before that one bite showed up. Bites during this time of the year are noticeably different than when the water is warm. There are typically no jarring strikes. Instead, the retrieve gets heavy, and it is time to set the hook. Weeds and a couple sticks had fooled me on earlier casts, but this time around there was a fish on the other end. I talked to the bass as I reeled it to the boat, it followed my directions to stay hooked, and I landed the bite that I was seeking. I fished for another twenty minutes without any more action and decided to call it a day at 4:00pm.

 

I suspect that I will call it a year after this catch. Very rarely have I landed a December bass, but The Canal does offer some potential due to proximity and open water around the series of locks on the waterway. Time will tell, but it has been a great year no matter how the remaining month pans out. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – December 2, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It is a rare occasion that I can get on the water and land a bass in December. In fact, my log entries total five bass caught during the final month of the year. Today’s flashback takes a look at the last one I fooled.

Stats
Date: December 2, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL Strip Mines (3 lakes)
Time: 9:55am-2:15pm
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 44-59F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 1 bass
Lures: Rapala Shad Rap SR07 (blue)
Weight: 2-4

Excerpts from the original blog post December 3, 2017

Winning Lure – I had a total of three bites, and all were on the Rapala Shad Rap. One came before my catch, and another came after but both of those managed to get loose shortly after the hookset. It never ceases to amaze how a bass can elude those treble hooks, but it happens. What was also fun about the Shad Rap coming through is the fact this particular lure is well over 20 years old as evidenced by the stouter, replacement treble hooks that I used to put on many of my crankbaits back in the day.

GoPro – I got this catch on video like several others this year and have included the footage below. I’m not quite sure what lies in store for my clips but have contemplated working them into some future blog and Facebook postings. Whatever the case, it has been a fun addition to the fishing experience that I hope to expand upon for 2018.

 

Link below to the entire original blog post

http://troyjacksonoutdoors.com/2017/12/03/strip-mine-report-122/

And just like that, the Friday Flashback posts have reached the end. Well, almost. One more post to go as I try to put a wrap on this project that dates back over five years. Stay tuned for a final collection of stats, pics, and video. Talk to you later. Troy