Author: Troy Jackson

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, this is just nuts. No sense trying to provide an intro as this day on the water by our reigning Top 5 champ speaks for itself.

Weight: 6-9
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 5-1
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 4-7
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 3-11
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 3-6
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 3-1
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 2-13
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer

Weight: 2-8
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white) with Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait trailer
Structure: Flats near channel edge
Angler Comments: Ok, this might take a while. Summary of the day: Ten total bass, Top Bass was 6-9 and six bass over three pounds. All came on a white chatterbait with a Gary Yamamoto Zako swimbait. Was fishing in the general vicinity of a friend most of the day. He also had a good day as his top three were 5-3, 5-2 and 4-12. Definitely the best day of fishing I have ever had.
Top 5 Weight: 23-2 (6-9,5-1,4-7,3-11,3-6) culls entire previous weight total of 14-2

Simply incredible as Jim blows away his entire early season Top 5 which was already an impressive 14-2. And he blows it away by nine pounds! I don’t care where you are fishing, that is an incredible performance that even the Bassmasters in their $100,000 setups would envy. What’s crazy is that Jim and his friend reeled in this amazing batch of bass from the bank. Congrats on the catches, and as always, thanks for sharing. Talk to you later. Troy

Record Book Roundup-April 10 Preview

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As mentioned in a previous entry, a 2022 feature will involve delving into the all-time record book for some stats on the spots that we’ve fished over the years. Last weekend’s trip with Brent resulted in three new entries that boosted the all-time Top 5 weights for three fishing holes. So, maybe the concept is good luck. Time will tell as the spots listed below are potential targets for an upcoming strip mine prowl.

(NOTE: Top 5 weights may represent combined catches with fishing partners)

Twin Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 4-6 Troy Jackson 4/12/14 Jig
Best Top 5 Day: 5-7 (4-6,1-1) 4/12/14 0.50 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 10-11 (4-6,1-14,1-10,1-9,1-4)

Horseshoe Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 3-13 Brent Jackson 9/29/14 Spinnerbait
Best Top 5 Day: 6-6 (3-13,1-1,0-12,0-12) 9/21/14 with Brent 1.00 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 10-15 (3-13,3-8,1-4,1-3,1-3)

Cedar Lake (2014-present)
Top Bass: 1-11 Troy Jackson 5/3/20 Plastic Worm
Best Top 5 Day: 4-12 (1-9,1-1,1-1,1-1) 9/21/14 with Brent 0.50 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 6-9 (1-11,1-9,1-3,1-1,1-1)

The Craters (2011-2017)
Top Bass: 1-12 Troy Jackson 3/31/13 Jig
Best Top 5 Day: 5-2 (1-12,1-6,1-3,0-13) 3/31/13 2.00 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 7-3 (1-12,1-8,1-6,1-5,1-4)

In addition to these spots, there may be a few others that may get some casts depending on how the day develops. Stay tuned for the next fishing report to see if any of the waters get a boost. And tune in on Monday for a Top 5 Update that you don’t want to miss. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – April 10 to 15, 2002

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Have I ever told you about Emstrom’s Pond?

Heck, yes, I have. It was quite the fishing hole back in the day.

It’s been featured in several previous Friday Flashbacks since the inception of this project back in 2018. And checking my schedule, it will get a few more shout outs before the Friday Flashback project completes its course in November. As such, I won’t ramble too much today but use a slideshow instead. What follows is a rundown of a darn good week of quick trips to an old favorite fishing hole.

 

Oh yeah, a black and blue jig and pig on a beaver lodge is a winner.

Boy, do I miss that spot. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 3

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Trip number two of the year was another strip mine hike with my brother, Brent. Our first outing was a tough bite and came up shy of a Top 5 for the day with only four “keepers” and a low total weight of 4-5. This trip was also a tough bite with only four “keepers” but a considerably better total weight. Read on for all the details.

Stats
Date: April 3, 2022
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (5 lakes)
Time: 11:15am-5:00pm (4.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny to overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 47-56F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 5 bass (Troy – 3, Brent – 2)
Lures: Jig & Pig/plastic (black/blue) – 4 bass, Rapala Shad Rap (shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-9 Jig & plastic
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 9-6 (3-9,2-11,2-0,1-2)

2:50pm Top Bass 3-9 (18.5″) on a jig & plastic (black/blue)

Notes and Nonsense

Conditions – Recent rains had the ground quite saturated but the lack of terrestrial weeds in the early spring still made for easy walking. The lakes were full, the water was surprisingly clear, and the aquatic vegetation was just beginning to take hold. The air temperatures were comfortable, wind was limited to a breeze and the sun was out in full force most of the day. Two out of three ain’t bad in regard to the weather aspect as some cloud cover is always welcome when fishing these waters. No complaints, we gave it a go with a variety of presentations but just couldn’t get much going.

Forage Find – Shortly after Brent landed our Top Bass, I spotted the remains of a crawdad near the bank. I couldn’t help but notice that the coloration of the pincers were quite like the offerings that landed our top four bass. I guess there is something to be said for matching the forage available to fool a few fish.

Record Book Update

In an earlier preview of this trip entitled “Record Book Roundup”, I provided data on the lakes we intended to target. We wound up with three catches that made solid upgrades as detailed below.

Maiden Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 4-0 Brent Jackson 4/2/21 Crankbait
Best Top 5 Day: 5-12 (4-0,1-12) 4/2/21 with Brent 1.00 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 11-10 (4-0,2-5,1-14,1-12,1-11)
UPDATE: added a 3-9 to boost our All-Time Top 5 Weight
NEW All-Time Top 5 Weight: 13-8 (4-0,3-9,2-5,1-14,1-12) culls a 1-11

2X4 Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 4-3 Troy Jackson 9/29/13 Stickbait
Best Top 5 Day: 11-7 (4-2,3-0,1-9,1-7,1-5) 4/12/14 with Brent 1.50 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 19-12 (4-3,4-2,4-0,4-0,3-7)
UPDATE: no new additions

Kentucky Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 2-8 Troy Jackson 9/26/21 Spinnerbait
Best Top 5 Day: 7-10 (2-5,1-9,1-7,1-4,1-1) 9/29/13 with Brent 0.75 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 10-0 (2-8,2-3,2-1,1-13,1-7)
UPDATE: added a 2-0 to boost our All-Time Top 5 Weight
NEW All-Time Top 5 Weight: 10-9 (2-8,2-3,2-1,2-0,1-13) culls a 1-7

Molar Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 3-5 Troy Jackson 9/29/13 Jerkbait
Best Top 5 Day: 5-8 (3-5,1-4,0-15) 9/29/13 with Brent 0.75 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 12-0 (3-5,3-2,2-0,1-13,1-12)
UPDATE: added a 2-11 to boost our All-Time Top 5 Weight
NEW All-Time Top 5 Weight: 12-15 (3-5,3-2,2-11,2-0,1-13) culls a 1-12

 

A pleasant day but a tough bite on an early April strip mine prowl. The recent cool and rainy conditions seemed to have the bass in a less than cooperative mood. But if we were only going to eke out five bites, it’s cool when three of them are “good ones” (see Friday Flashback here) and give a boost to the record book. Stay tuned for the latest Friday Flashback and a Trip Tunes post from this outing is in the works. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

While the action this past week was far from fast and furious, several of the bites we got were quality fish.

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: March 28
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless Crankbait
Angler Comments: Went to Banner this afternoon. Was walking the bank and some guy drove by and asked if I wanted to join him in his boat. Spent a few hours on the water. Not many fish but had a great time chatting. I got one that was 2-12 on a lipless crankbait.
Top 5 Weight: 14-2 (3-3,2-15,2-14,2-12,2-6) culls a 2-4

Weight: 2-0 (16″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Jig & pig (black/blue)
Structure: Drop

Weight: 2-11 (17.5″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Jig & pig (black/blue)
Structure: Ridge/drop
Angler Comments: On a day where I only got three bites, it sure was good that two of them were in the two-pound range.
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (2-11,2-0,1-11,0-11)

Weight: 1-2
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Jig & plastic (black/blue)

Weight: 3-9 (18.5″)
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Jig & plastic (black/blue)
Top 5 Weight: 8-5 (3-9,1-11,1-3,1-2,0-12)

A limit, a cull and one guy searching for that fifth bass. Good stuff despite April beginning with less than favorable weather conditions. Full report to come detailing the April 3 strip mine outing for me and Brent. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Record Book Roundup – April 3 Preview

Posted on by Troy Jackson

An added feature on the blog and the fishing trips this year is a look inside the record book. My aim is to give you some stats for my upcoming destination(s) and give me and my fishing partners some targets to shoot for in terms of Top Bass and all-time Top 5 Weight for the bodies of water (plus I dig stats and fishing pics).

Some of the lakes have “real” names while others have been given names for assorted reasons, which is a whole other blog series. At any rate, here is the scoop on the next fishing holes on my radar.

(NOTE: Top 5 weights are combined catches with fishing partners)

Maiden Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 4-0 Brent Jackson 4/2/21 Crankbait
Best Top 5 Day: 5-12 (4-0,1-12) 4/2/21 with Brent 1.00 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 11-10 (4-0,2-5,1-14,1-12,1-11)

2X4 Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 4-3 Troy Jackson 9/29/13 Stickbait
Best Top 5 Day: 11-7 (4-2,3-0,1-9,1-7,1-5) 4/12/14 with Brent 1.50 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 19-12 (4-3,4-2,4-0,4-0,3-7)

Kentucky Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 2-8 Troy Jackson 9/26/21 Spinnerbait
Best Top 5 Day: 7-10 (2-5,1-9,1-7,1-4,1-1) 9/29/13 with Brent 0.75 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 10-0 (2-8,2-3,2-1,1-13,1-7)

Molar Lake (2013-present)
Top Bass: 3-5 Troy Jackson 9/29/13 Jerkbait
Best Top 5 Day: 5-8 (3-5,1-4,0-15) 9/29/13 with Brent 0.75 hours
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 12-0 (3-5,3-2,2-0,1-13,1-12)

From here, it is just a matter of getting on the water and taking a shot. Here’s hoping to do that real soon. Stay tuned for a Top 5 Update and the latest fishing report, complete with any updated record book data. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – April 8, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

You never know what you will get in terms of weather in early April. From today’s flashback it appears that it was rotten and windy to start April 2017. It seems that the wind did not subside for this outing, but the weather took a turn for the better and hit the comfortable range.

Originally Posted 5-13-17

Stats
Date: April 8, 2017
Locations: Knox County public strip mines (7 lakes)
Time: 10:45am-5:20pm (5.00 hrs. fishing the rest walking)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 55F-72F
Water Temp: 53-58F
Totals: 20 bass
Lures: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with twin tail trailer (salt & pepper) – 13 bass, 3/8 oz. Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (black/blue) with #11 pork frog (black) – 5 bass, KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy ghost minnow) – 1 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-6 Jig & Pig
Top 5 Weight: 10-0 (3-6,2-1,1-12,1-8,1-5)

12:58pm – Top Bass at 3-6 on a jig & pig

Notes & Nonsense

Strip Mines – Walk-in only access is a double-edged sword on these waters. On the upside, it offers off the beaten path angling and a stick and jab approach with numerous potholes; no bites in fifteen minutes or so, move on to the next body of water. The downside is the fact that my iPhone Health app recorded a total walking distance of 5.2 miles from 10:19am when I left my truck until 5:50pm when I got back (13,365 steps for any Fitbit fans out there). And this ain’t exactly a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood as undeveloped strip mine terrain pretty much stinks. Last fall I performed a similar stunt and wasn’t sure I wanted to pull it again. However, as I surmised, an early season trip is much more user friendly as the weeds are manageable (both terrestrial and aquatic) and no mosquitoes yet compared to the previous outing where I darn near needed a transfusion.

Weather – Though I wound up a bit sore, bank fishing was definitely the right choice on this day as the wind was howling out of the south and would have been a bear to deal with in a little johnboat. In addition, the recent heavy rains in the area had really pumped up the lakes to a fuller pool than I have ever seen before. Even so, they were not muddied up and with the wind chop on the surface and the windblown banks being riled up it really made for some favorable conditions. If there was anything that was less than optimal it was a lack of cloud cover but after barely seeing the sun in early April, no complaint, I can deal with it.

 

Textbook Success – Top Bass came in a classic spot on my first cast after relocating to fishing hole number three. This narrow cut/pothole runs north to south meaning that on this day the wind was just pounding a ledge on the north end that drops rapidly from about two feet into ten plus. My jig and pig offering was met with a telltale tick after a couple hops down the drop and the result was a 3-6 bass with an impressive well-fed gut. Pretty cool when it works like that, but I will also admit that during the day there were many similar, can’t miss setups that just didn’t pan out despite considerable effort. Runner up Top Bass at 2-1, however, did show up in a windblown chute on a spinnerbait after the jig and the underspin proved ineffective. Lesson here is that if you think a spot sets up to hold a fish give it a variety of offerings before giving up.

A productive day on the water and what a nice day to be outside. I’d waited all the way since February for this one, kind of a weird year. Between the sun and wind, I even wound up looking like a real bass fisherman with a burnt nose, cheeks and neck combined with pale eyes and forehead. When it was all said and done, my back put up some protest regarding my habit of hauling too much tackle and one knee was a bit stiff but overall, I was pleased with my ability to successfully pull off this stunt one more time. Might just have to do it again…

And that’s the plan, possibly this weekend or next depending on how some factors come into play. As always, there will be a follow-up fishing report here on the blog. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – March 20, Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

On with the countdown…

5. Rainbow in the Dark – Dio (1983)
80s metal at its finest with the stellar vocals of lead man, Ronnie James Dio. RJD had previously enjoyed stints with Black Sabbath and like this song title, Rainbow. An accomplished heavy metal hero, indeed. I picture a group of rebellious heavy metal teens at the sandlot completing the baseball bat routine to pick teams from metal royalty. The kid in the black t-shirt and jeans comes out on top and says, “I’ll take Ronnie.”

4. Run Like Hell – Pink Floyd (1979)
Of course, I don’t know the guy, but this tunes lyricist, Roger Waters, is obviously a creative fellow. Prevailing opinion also finds him to be a bit cantankerous which is rather unfortunate for those who enjoy the Pink Floyd catalog from the Gilmour, Waters, Wright, Mason (and don’t forget Barrett) years. Yes, I put Gilmour first just to see if I get any nasty comments from a reader tagged as “Roger.” At any rate, I dig this tune from The Wall, particularly the line, “’Cause if they catch you in the backseat trying to pick her locks” which takes many a middle-aged guy back just a few years. And I’ll just leave it at that.

3. Forever Man – Eric Clapton (1985)
My number three song of the Top 10 Trip Tunes actually comes in at number two on my all-time favorite Clapton tunes. Me, my brother, Bub, and a couple of his buddies have recently been doing a weekly top songs list for artists with a new letter each week (A – Aerosmith, B – Bad Company, C – Clapton and this week D – Doobie Brothers). It’s been a fun project that gives you a week to compile your list. My Clapton Top 10 in order: No Alibis, Forever Man, I Can’t Stand It, Wonderful Tonight, Layla, Promises, I’ve Got a Rock and Roll Heart, Bell Bottom Blues, Next Time You See Her and Ain’t Gonna Stand for It.

2. The Chain – Fleetwood Mac (1977)
I remember sitting in Mr. Rich’s class on the first day of fifth grade at Steele Middle School. We were completing one of those “list your favorite…” items as a get to know you exercise. One of the questions was “Favorite Album.” Well, a ten-year old with his clock radio set to WLS 890AM knew that there was only one answer to that question during the late summer of 1977. “Rumours” it was, even though my Top 40 radio only scratched the surface, and it was years later before I got a true appreciation for “The Chain” and other cuts from the record. Just as great nearly forty-five years later and I am fairly sure that the fifth-grade incident in Mr. Rich’s classroom actually happened.

1. Rock with You – Michael Jackson (1979)
Man, what a tune. Kick it off with some drums and then throw everything into the mix for the next three and a half minutes. Disco, funk, pop, horns, strings, synthesizers, smooth vocals, holy cow! This cut was written by Rod Temperton, the musical genius behind Heatwave’s “Boogie Nights” and “Groove Line,” George Benson’s “Give Me the Night,” and The Brothers Johnson’s “Stomp” along with a couple other Michael Jackson tunes you might know, “Off the Wall” and “Thriller.” To this day, such a parade of Temperton jams grace the airwaves on a regular basis at my house. An unlikely and low-key songwriter, Temperton was nicknamed “The Invisible Man.” How I would have loved to have seen him on “What’s My Line” or “To Tell the Truth” back in the day. I suspect it would have been a jaw dropper when the real Rod Temperton stood up.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I thought that was fun. Until the next ride to the fishing hole, it’s back to the fishing theme. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – March 20, Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I dig my tunes as much as I dig my fishing so the “Trip Tunes” feature is back for another year. For those who are unaware of the project, I document the Top 10 tunes that I hear on the fishing round trip and ramble a bit on each cut. Dating back to the debut of the concept in September 2017, the list now contains over two hundred different tunes.

10. We’re Not Gonna Take It – Twisted Sister (1984)
Lots of things for a person of my age to point out in the video for this anthemic protest song. Sure, folks will say, “Hey, isn’t that Neidermeyer?” in reference to the father figure’s iconic “Animal House” role. But what about the appearance of Robin Yount, one of my all-time favorite baseball players on a poster in the boy’s room? Not to mention the attention-grabbing garb, glam and grit of the band mixed in with some Three Stooges worthy slapstick.

9. Heading Out to The Highway – Judas Priest (1981)
While I was admittedly tuned into Top 40 radio at the time, early MTV was a real eye opener. This video got regular airplay and struck a chord to broaden the horizons with a little heavy metal. What a wonderful musical menagerie in those days where one could hop from Priest to Madness to Blondie to Adam & The Ants to .38 Special and more in the span of an afternoon.

8. Immigrant Song – Led Zeppelin (1970)
As my kids would say, “It’s the Thor song” after its inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A good fit, all things considered. Epic, adventurous, mythic, references “the hammer of the gods”, interchange Valhalla and Asgard…Those Zep guys were pretty creative and from what I understand the use of their tune in Thor cost the film financiers a pretty penny.

7. Flying High Again – Ozzy Osbourne (1981)
Like Judas Priest, I was introduced to Ozzy in junior high. A buddy of mine tuned me into the first two Ozzy solo albums (Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman) and that stuff was rather cool. Just a bit different than Billy Joel, Christopher Cross, Donna Summer, Kool & The Gang or The Commodores. I was always fascinated by the country performer, Mel Tillis, who stuttered when speaking but flawlessly delivered his tunes. Well, Ozzy enunciates just fine in his tunes too, but otherwise you can’t understand a thing he says.

6. What’s Your Name – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1977)
I am a mental collector of lyrics and among my favorite opening lines is “Well, its eight o’clock in Boise, Idaho.” For the life of me I cannot think of another tune that references that exact location and that is cool (Note: “I’ve Been Everywhere” doesn’t count because, well, he’s been everywhere). Plenty of love for New York, Chicago, or L.A. in musical history so a thumbs up to giving the “Gem State’ some props. However, the bar incident in the lyrics did not actually occur in Boise. No problem, I still dig the line and the tune. As a result, my favorite Idaho shout out now belongs to Napoleon Dynamite, slightly edging out Evel Knievel and his Snake River Canyon stunt.

Nostalgia, bordering on nonsense is sometimes the name of the game when I head off on these tangents. Here’s hoping something along the way triggers you to do a little internet exploring and reminiscing of your own. Part II on the way. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

With a little warm up in the weather, the Top 5 submissions heated up with four anglers contributing over the last week. Seems the project is alive and well for another year.

Weight: 0-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: March 20
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)

Weight: 1-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: March 20
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Strike King Red Eye Shad (chartreuse sexy shad)
Top 5 Weight: 3-10 (1-11,1-3,0-12)

Weight: 0-11(12.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 20
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Rapala Shad Rap (blue)

Weight: 1-11 (15”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 20
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Rapala Shad Rap (blue)
Angler Comments: Slow day to start the year but glad to get those first few bass and kick off my 2022 Top 5. Hopefully, these individuals will be replaced before too long.
Top 5 Weight: 2-6 (1-11,0-11)

Weight: 0-15
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: March 21
Weather: Low 70s, partly cloudy, stiff wind from the south
Water Temp: 48-53F
Location: Lake McMaster – Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Spinnerbait
Angler Comments: Fish was in direct sunlight in two to four feet of water about ten feet from shore. First fish of the year, failed to measure length.
Top 5 Weight: 0-15 (0-15)

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: March 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless Crankbait
Angler Comments: Made it out Monday, it was a slow day, two bass. One short one and this one that came in at 2-3.

Weight: 3-3
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: March 24
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait
Angler Comments: A few hours today and got two bass again. A short one on a lipless crankbait and this 3-3 on a chatterbait.
Top 5 Weight: 13-10 (3-3,2-15,2-14,2-6,2-4) culls a 1-12

A few more March days to go, but really looking forward to what April holds in store with a predicted weather warm-up after this current cold snap. For anybody out there, send your catches my way at troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com if you want to play along. Keep in mind that a photo and weight are required and not just restricted to bass. Any questions can be directed to the above email address as well. Talk to you later. Troy