One of the goals that I outlined in my 2026 Targets post was trying to hit Lake Storey once a month. So far so good with a March and an April visit in the books. Beyond that general goal, I also have several statistical aims in mind. For today’s post, I look at how the catches from the recent trip contributed to those goals. In addition, I will provide details on the unusual conditions at Lake Storey here in the spring of 2026.

Record Book Data
Landing twenty-four bass in six hours is an absolute winner for me anywhere, but it was extra rewarding on Lake Storey as those bass can be wily. Here’s a look at how the numbers on this outing stack up in the all-time Lake Storey stats.
24 bass – Second most one day individual total (27 on 9/30/2007)
4-5 Top Bass Weight – My largest April Lake Storey Bass topping a 4-0 on 4/4/1999
4-5 Top Bass Weight – 6th largest Lake Storey Bass all-time (includes partners)
12-6 Top 5 Weight – 5th highest Lake Storey total all-time (14-5 on 9/30/2007)
12-6 Lake Storey April Daily Top 5 – New Record beating 4-0 on 4/4/1999

The video below features Lake Storey Bass #600 since 1997 when dedicated, continuous logging began

 

Battle of Adages
“Wind from the east, fish bite the least.”
This saying has plenty of merit as an east wind can often be associated with cold front conditions. And clear skies accompanying east winds can also present difficulty as the fish can be more wary. However, I have never minded fishing Lake Storey under sunny skies as the water has some color to it and on this day, there was also some shade in many of the areas that I fished.

“The best time to go fishing is anytime you can.”
To meet my monthly goal, I needed to get on the water before I ran out of April. Saturday was my only option as I had family plans on Sunday, and the Monday forecast was substantial rains and scattered thunderstorms. In this case, this adage won out over the previous one as I had one of my better days on the lake. And that’s saying something considering I have been a dedicated bass angler on that old fishing hole for about forty years.

A blury and skewed look at the West Boat Ramp, nearly high and dry

Public Service Announcements

Bad Ramps – For anyone considering fishing Lake Storey from a boat, do so at your own risk. With the lake still being lowered, there are only a couple feet of the west ramp still in the water. The end of the concrete has a significant dropoff of six inches or better across the width which has the potential to damage a trailer. The east ramp is high and dry. It features an even larger drop at the end of the concrete with about fifteen feet of knee-deep muck before you reach very shallow water.

Pack your boots to contend with the muck on the lowered lake

Muddy Mess – If you wish to launch a carry-in boat, canoe, or kayak, I recommend packing along a pair of knee boots. The west end has enough packed sand and gravel that I was able to get by with my tennis shoes. However, as I was fishing the entire length of the lake and taking out at the east ramp, I packed my boots in the boat. As I finished my day, a group were taking out their kayaks and warned me of the quicksand-like muck with one teenager chuckling about having lost a shoe. I laughed along and informed him that I had dealt with the drawdown longer than he’d been alive as I stepped out with my boots on. He did help me drag my boat to solid ground though as he said he was already a mess and later assisted me in lifting it into the truck.

I have one more item to pass along from this Lake Storey trip. It is video footage documenting a strange encounter coupled with a first of its kind bass “catch.” Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

This outing marked three consecutive days of fishing on The Canal. Each was a brief outing although I intended to stick around longer on this hike. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans as a thunderstorm showed up over an hour earlier than forecast. I got back to my truck in the nick of time as the clouds opened up with a heavy downpour just before noon.

Stats
Date: April 13
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 9:05am-11:50am
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/windy
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 2-1 Chatterbait
Top 4 Weight (only 4 bass at 12” or better): 6-4 (2-1,2-0,1-2,1-1)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
“Yeah, you go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin’ ‘round and ‘round.”
Do It Again – Steely Dan (1972)
Early season fishing has been like the proverbial “broken record” with the same lure in the same spots racking up some quality catches. But to use another adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, so I went back and did it again.

The chattebait continues to get it done, catching all fifty-two of my bass in 2026

Discards after my retying routine to start every day on the water

Notes and Nonsense

Retie and Recheck – Prior to my first casts when I arrive, I strip off several feet of line and clip it past the kink created by the top eye on my rod during the time my poles have sat idle. Then I run several feet of the remaining line through my fingers to check for any abrasions and retie my lures. In addition, I check my line after each catch and periodically when running it through any sort or potentially abrasive cover such as rocks, wood, or vegetation. When in doubt, retie. You will never regret investing those few extra seconds to prevent wondering “what if” should you break off a fish.

10:19am – Top Bass of the trip at 2-1 (16.5″) on a chatterbait

Angler Tips – I encountered a fellow angler on my hike who passed on a few fish stories, pics, and a couple tips. He mentioned landing some four to five-pounders recently and I had to ask, “On The Canal?” As he began to answer, I said that all I was seeking was a “Yes or No” as I was not looking for any specific spots. I just wanted confirmation that such fish still swim in that old water. Turns out they were not from The Canal but from a local, public, off the beaten path fishing hole. He also offered me a tip on a scaled down lure that is successful on The Canal and even gave me a couple to try. You can’t beat that and I will give the lures a shot. But I was a little unsure on the directions to his hotspot so I’m not sure if that will come into play. I am a little reluctant to hop on somebody’s spot, even if they are willing to share insider information. Besides, I have ample water to fish and some milestones on those spots that are in my sights.

A telltale sign that the bass are in the mood to create some more bass

Spawning Tales/Tails – The angler above also noted observing some bass with beat up, bloody tails. I shared that I had also caught a pair with the same look over the weekend. In addition, I had spooked a half dozen bass along the shoreline on this outing as they darted of bare spots on the bottom. All the above points to the bass’ thoughts turning to making more bass in the shallow, warming water of The Canal.

11:38am – Top Bass Ruuner-up of the trip at 2-0 (16″) on a chatterbait

So, the Canal continues to produce what I categorize as “good ones” with a pair of bass at two pounds or better on this trip. However, I have yet to reach the three-pound mark on a catch this year. I know they are in there and the time is approaching to employ one of my favorite techniques to fool some, topwater fishing. Hopefully, it won’t be long although this morning’s cold front thirty-degree temperatures are a letdown after seventies earlier this week. And yep, it is the weekend, go figure. Talk to you later. Troy

This trip tested the approach that “the best time to go fishing is anytime you can”, as the forecast for rain and blustery conditions weren’t the most appealing. But hey, I’ve been rained on before, and the fish don’t care as they are already wet.

4:28pm – Top Bass at 2-5 (16.5″) on a chatterbait

Stats
Date: April 11
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 3:15pm-5:30pm
Totals: 7 bass
Weather: Overcast/windy/light rain, 60-56F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 7 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 Chatterbait
Top 5 Weight: 9-7 (2-5,2-3,1-12,1-11,1-8)

Winning lure is once again this battered chatterbait

Tune of the Trip
“It’s the same old, same old situation”
Same Ol’ Situation – Motley Crue (1989)
With the seven bass on this outing, the chatterbait extends its string by catching the first thirty-nine bass of this year. It is an oddity but not entirely surprising with seven of my nine outings of 2026 being on the same stretch of water.

5:12pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 2-3 (16″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

3:52pm – Two views of a bass with a deformed or injured lower lip

A Look at Lips – There’s more to catching a fish for me than just set the hook, reel it in, unhook, and release. Of course, there is the documentation via a log entry, perhaps a picture, and in more recent years, video. But beyond those aspects, I take a good look at the fish as you will find that not all bass look the same. In the instance of the fish above, the lower jaw came to a pronounced point with a knob rather than the normal more rounded shape as shown in the photo below. The best that I can find online is that the characteristic may arise genetically or from an injury. Either way, it is an interesting feature, and I take pride in giving my catches a closer look to spot such a variation. On the flipside, I have wondered if bass think we all look alike. I hope not after all of the effort to introduce myself to thousands of bass on a couple hundred lakes over the years.

Example of a bass with a normal uniform, rounded lower lip

The tale of the scale as it read 2.30 on the bass caught and weighed in the video below

 

Guesstimation – When I catch a decent bass, I often try to employ my “built-in” scale to estimate a weight before actually putting the fish on the scale. The clip above is an example and it turns out that I was right on the money, even though I profess an accuracy of +/- 2 ounces. I also profess that it doesn’t always work out as precisely as this catch. But therein lies the beauty of being the video and blog editor.

 

A good day in the rain as I nearly reached my goal of a ten-pound Top 5 for the outing. Even better, the bass were able to put me within nine ounces of the mark in just over two hours on the water. The success inspired me to hit the water again the following morning. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy

After a productive late summer and fall on Lake Storey last year, I made a goal to spend more time on the old lake this year. I am hoping to get out there once a month and so far so good with this March outing. An added wrinkle on this trip was fishing out of the old johnboat on the lake for the first time in over thirty-five years.

Stats
Date: March 29
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 11:20am-3:50pm
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 57-60F
Water temperature: Not available
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-7 Chatterbait
Top 2 Weight (only 2 at 12” or better): 4-2 (2-7,1-11)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
“Old days, good times I remember”
Old Days – Chicago (1975)
It has been a long time since I rowed around Lake Storey as we got spoiled back in the late 1980s when Dad bought a bass boat. Good times back then, and a good time all these years later.

11:55am – First bass at 1-11 (15″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Drawdown – Normally the lake would be near full pool as winter snowmelt and runoff bring the water level back to normal. However, the lake remains close to full drawdown. The explanation that I have heard is that the lake will remain lowered to facilitate the construction of a walking path extension on the south side of the lake. Currently, there is a path that runs along the west and north sides of the lake. Completion of the project will make a circuit around the entire lake area.

Brush clearing along the south side of the lake

Ramps – As a consequence of the lake remaining lowered, launching a boat is not possible at the east ramp and at your own risk on the west ramp. The east ramp is high and dry, and the west ramp has a nasty drop at the end which could damage your boat trailer. For this reason, I opted to go old school and drag my little johnboat down in proximity to the west ramp to take my shot. In addition, I stuck with oars rather than having to lug around a trolling motor and battery. It worked fine, just as it did all those years ago.

1:37pm – Top Bass at 2-7 (16″) on chatterbait

Float Trip – The plan on this outing was reminiscent of the float trips we used to enjoy on some Henderson County creeks. Mom and Dad were kind enough to help me out with a vehicle move. After I launched the boat at the west ramp, Dad drove his truck to the east ramp to leave it for me and hitched a ride with Mom. This approach allowed me to fish the entire length of the lake without having to turn around and row back to where I launched.

Winning lure as the chatterbait has landed all twenty-seven of my 2026 bass to date

A squadron, pod, scoop, or pouch of pelicans (yes, I had to cheat and look that up on the internet)

While I did not fool many bass on this early season visit to Lake Storey, I was pleased that I gave it a shot. One month down and hopefully more to come whether I must stick with the little boat or can get Dad’s boat back on the water. Next up is another Hennepin Canal visit to round out my March fishing. Talk to you later. Troy

Got my son, Jayce, out for another hike in search of his first bass of 2026. The destination of choice on this outing was a collection of remote strip mines. We ended up rather wore out and unfortunately did not wear the bass out in the process. Read on for the catches and lessons from a balmy March afternoon.

Stats
Date: March 21
Location: Knox County public strip pits (3 lakes)
Time: 2:00pm-4:05pm
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Sunny/very windy, 81F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 0-14 (only keeper of the trip)

Starting lineup

Movie Quote of the Trip
“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” – Dr. Emmett Brown, Back to the Future (1985)
This quote from one of Jayce’s favorite movies pretty much sums up our strip mine adventures.

At least we got some exercise

Notes and Nonsense

Tour Guide – I tried not to get too carried away with stories on the drive to the fishing holes and during our walk around. But when it is new ground for Jayce and I’ve amassed close to forty years of fish stories in the area, a lot of that stuff just comes out. Tales like the following:
“Took a wrong turn here the first time I ever tried to find the strip mines.”
“A lot has changed since I first hiked around here back in 1990.”
“One dusky evening, I may have heard Sasquatch in that patch of timber.”
“Uncle Brent saw a big muskie in the lake several years ago.”
“I caught a four-pounder over there.”
“Caught my biggest bass out here, a 5-2, in that lake in the 90s and never caught anything close out of there since.”

The winning lure was a chatterbait again

Dead End – Despite all the years of experience, I took the wrong lane on the way to what was to be our first stop. As a result, we had to back track a considerable distance to try an alternate route. It was a bit frustrating but a rite of passage in strip mine hiking. Even though a destination may be “right over there as the crow flies”, it often requires a half mile walk around ravines and wetlands to get there.

2:55pm – Top Bass at 0-14 (12.5″) on a tough day

Tadpole Factor – I passed along another observation during a brief stop on our first lake. I had caught some decent fish in it back in 2017, the last time I had visited that specific lake. In the clear water, the only signs of life were large bunches of chunky tadpoles that would scatter as we walked the bank. I told Jayce that we would move on to try our luck elsewhere as the abundance of tadpoles indicated that there must not be enough bass in there to eat them and their parents.

Tough Bite – While the eighty-degree temperatures were pleasant for the fishermen, it did not translate into a flurry of bass activity. The lake where I was sure we’d get some bass failed to produce a single bite and we observed very little fish activity at all. A larger windblown lake did give up our three fish but also produced a couple backlashes as Jayce worked on getting his baitcaster dialed in.

Nice to get off the beaten path where even the weather app can’t find you

A second good hike with my fishing partner in the last two weeks but I am still failing to put my “client” on some fish. He is putting the right lure in the right places as the chatterbait has been a winner this March. I assured him that the bite will pick up soon and we will nab some bass for our efforts. That’s not a fish story to keep him interested, either. And I don’t think he needs the pep talk as he is still ready to go even after I wore him out a bit with a hike that can test one’s mettle. Talk to you later. Troy