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

As noted in the snip below from January 25 while texting with my friend, John Kirkemo, the prediction for my first bass of 2026 was March 7. Pretty close as only a day off with the March 7 weather prompting me to wait one more day to give it a shot. As a bonus, I had a fishing partner on this outing with my oldest boy, Jayce, joining the pursuit. Read on for the details of a pleasant walk (with fishing poles) along the historic Hennepin Canal.

Janaury 25 text with my first bass prediction

Stats
Date: March 8
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 4:00pm-6:15pm
Totals: 4 bass
Weather: Sunny/windy, 60F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (white) with a Yamamoto Zako trailer (Tennessee Shad) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 1-13 Chatterbait
Top 2 Weight (only two at 12” or better): 3-1 (1-13,1-4)

Classic cold water lineup (left to right)
Lipless crank, Rapala Shad Rap,chatterbait, swim jig, jig, chatterbait, and Ned rig

Tune of the Trip
1985 – Bowling for Soup
“(His) two kids in high school, they tell (him) that (he’s) uncool.”
Like the parent in this song, I have two kids in high school. Lucky for me, one of them still found me cool enough to have as a fishing partner and I was very happy to have him along.

4:11pm – First bass of 2026 at 1-13 (15″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Partner – My son, Jayce, has mentioned several times during the winter that he is ready to go fishing. Music to my ears as we all need to get out for a dose of fresh air and we don’t do that often enough. The upside of our trip is that we stayed longer than I originally anticipated as Jayce was focused on getting a bite. The downside was that his fishing guide could not put him on some fish. He made the right casts in the right places with proven baits, but the bass just didn’t show up. I told him that that is fishing and as the weather improves so will the activity level of the bass. He jokingly responded with a quote from his Papa stating, “I must not have been holding my mouth right.” Great to know that he’s absorbed some lore from all the fishing talk he’s been privy to over the years.

Fishing Guide – There is a fine line when serving as a fishing guide to less experienced anglers. On one hand, I wanted to pass along an endless ramble of tips and techniques gained from years of chasing bass. On the other hand, I realized that I also needed to back off and just let my son do his thing. I think the balance was there on this trip with some snags and a backlash in the strong winds for Jayce (both happened for me as well). All parts of the learning process as the bass live around those snags and you can’t control the weather.

First Bass – My first bass of the year was a textbook bite. I was not only excited to land a fish but also enthused to explain to Jayce how it all went down, which I will repeat here. I was working a submerged log that ran at about a 45-degree angle to the bank. The top of the log was about six inches under the surface. I cast my chatterbait well beyond the log and rapidly reeled the lure up to the log so as not to get snagged on the far side. As the chatterbait cleared the log, I slowed my retrieve and dropped my rod tip to allow the lure to fall out of sight on the near side of the log. Bang! A bass right where it should be hiding, waiting for unsuspecting prey to come within striking distance. This scenario is a go to early in the year on The Canal before the aquatic vegetation covers most of these spots. However, there are no guarantees in fishing as we employed the same approach on numerous other logs and only duplicated the feat one more time. Once again, that’s fishing, but in the long run this presentation will get you a batch of early season bites in that cold, shallow Canal.

Exercise, fresh air, a good fishing partner, and a few bass made for a great Sunday afternoon

So, 2026 catching is off and running with a fair total on this day including two “keepers” (bass at 12” or better and all released) to kick off my Top 5 for the year. The one damper on the day was not being able to get Jayce on the board. Perhaps I was just lucky or maybe a forty-plus year headstart gave me a bit of an advantage. I had to laugh as I reeled in bass number three and he said, “Hey, save some for me will you?” He gets it and indicates that he is ready to go again. Talk to you later. Troy

I was able to get away from work last Tuesday, the warmest day of the week with afternoon temperatures pushing sixty after a cool morning. The aim was to land a November bass to meet my annual goal. The wind was a challenge, but Lake Storey came through with a batch of late season bites.

10:14am – Mission accomplished at 1-8 (14″) on a spinnerbait, Top Bass of the day

Stats
Date: November 4
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 9:50am-3:20pm
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy/very windy, 52-63F
Water temperature: 51-52F
Lure: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 1-8 (Spinnerbait)
Top 4 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-5 (1-8,1-7,1-4,1-2)

Winning lure

Tune of the Trip
Against the Wind – Bob Seger (1980)
“I found myself seeking shelter against the wind.”
The wind was a beast on this day and coupled with a broken thrust pad on the trolling motor, boat control was tough. I did find brief shelter from the wind down below what I still call “Lakelawn”, and the area produced three of my five bass.

11:24am – Top Bass #2 at 1-7 (14″) on a spinnerbait

Notes and Nonsense

Wind for the Win – Wind can help to position the bass and windblown cover is a prime target. The downside is boat control as I don’t have any of the fancy (and expensive) accoutrements such as Spot-Lock on the trolling motor or a Power Pole anchor system on the transom. As such, I focused heavily on casting a spinnerbait trying to hit cover from as many angles as possible before the wind blew me off the spots. The goal of a November bass came after twenty-five minutes on the water with my first cast to a stump on a point getting pounded by the wind.

11:47am – Top Bass #4 at 1-2 (12.5″) on a spinnerbait

Missing Muskies – I spent just over fifty-six hours chasing bass on Lake Storey from August 31 through this outing and never saw a muskie. Typical years, with even fewer hours on the water usually result in a sighting or two and if I am lucky, a catch. I did have an odd swirl on a spinnerbait earlier this fall that looked longer than a bass but no confirmation on the species. In addition, I broke off two spinnerbaits on hooksets (including one on this outing) so maybe I had some close encounters that were not visually verified. Or maybe it takes a little imagination to categorize those incidents as muskie misses.

My November notes compiled for reference before I hit the water

November Numbers – While I have long pursued a November bass to end my year, selecting Lake Storey as my destination is not a common occurrence. Looking back over the logs, I observed that Lake Storey posted a November bass in 2008, 2022, and this year. Evaluating the data from those years prior to this outing, I found that I had a Lake Storey November All-Time Top 5 that weighed 9-15 (2-9,2-8,1-13,1-10,1-7). So, as I set out on this trip, not only was I looking for a November bass but shooting for one that weighed in a 1-8 or better to push that Top 5 into double digits. Well, I didn’t make it by much, but the first bass of the day got the monkey off my back as it was right on the mark at 1-8. It would prove to be the Top Bass of the outing and that was just fine as it checked off two goals on one cast.

12:18pm – Top Bass #3 at 1-4 (13.5″) on a spinnerbait, last bass of 2025???

Time will tell if these are the final bass for me in 2025. Daylight is gone at the end of my workdays, and the temperatures are set to drop considerably this week. But it looks like a warmup next weekend, so never say never. Talk to you later. Troy

Time is fading for my 2025 fishing as November is only a few days away. My annual goal is a November bass before I call it a year, but I am still trying to land a few more October bass in the meantime. Altered plans put me on The Canal last Sunday rather than my original target of Lake Storey. More on that below along with the results.

Stats
Date: October 26
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 3:25pm-5:25pm
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Sunny/windy, 64F
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw) – 1 bass, JG Swim Jig (bluegill) with Hammertail trailer (bluegill) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-4 Red Eye Shad (other catch was a short fish)

Starting Lineup

Tune/Lyric of the Trip
“Can’t afford a blowout, ‘Cause we haven’t got a spare.”
Sausalito Summernight – Diesel (1981)
A blowout on the interstate on the way to Galesburg with my boys would alter my fishing plans. Fortunately, unlike the lyrics above, we did have a spare.

Plan A – Saturday afternoon, I was returning Dad’s truck as I had borrowed it for a week while mine was in the shop. My plan was to stay all night in Galesburg and fish Lake Storey on Sunday. As my boys and I headed down, the rear driver’s side tire blew around mile marker 21 on Interstate 74. At 70mph, it was a little wild and the boys would also get a crash course in tire changing on the shoulder with traffic whizzing past. The spare was way low on air, but we made it to Andover and a functioning air pump at Casey’s saved the day.

Plan B – With the spare having a slow leak, I opted out of the scheduled full day Lake Storey Sunday trip. Instead, I watched the World Series Game Two with Mom and Dad and stayed all night as planned but then got the truck to the shop on Sunday morning to await a Monday decision on new tires. Mom and Dad ran me back home Sunday morning and I opted to try The Canal via bicycle that afternoon.

4:02pm – Top Bass at 2-4 (16.5″) on a lipless crankbait

Results – I selected my best stretch for biking as it offered excellent back access along with quality fishing. Two hours of pedaling and casting produced two bass. The first was a solid fish on a lipless crankbait and tipped the scales at 2-4. The second catch was a short fish but rewarding as it came on a seldom used presentation, a swim jig. While the 2-4 was a quality fish, it did not provide a boost to my all-time Top 5 for the pool which sits at an impressive 15-11 (3-6,3-6,3-1,3-0,2-14). A rather uneventful short outing but no problem as the prior events had been plenty exciting.

4:51pm – Short bass on a swim jig

Winning lures

Soon, one of my catches will be the last for 2025, just hoping it will be the sought after November bass. However, the October fishing was not done after this outing as I was able to work in a few more hours on The Canal the following day. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy

As I did not get enough of Lake Storey in September, I headed back for some October fishing. The bass were welcoming as I posted great numbers but just couldn’t find any of those bigger bites, falling short of my ten-pound Top 5 goal. No matter, a twenty bass day on Lake Storey, including ten at twelve inches or better, is always a winner.

8:41am – Top Bass #2 at 1-7 (14″) on the “Blue Glimmer” spinnerbait (see below)

Stats
Date: October 6
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 7:50am-2:05pm
Totals: 22 bass
Weather: Sunny/windy, 64-80F
Water temperature: 71-74F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 9 bass, Strike King Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait (blue glimmer) – 8 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 (Spinnerbait)
Top 5 Weight: 7-4 (1-11,1-7,1-7,1-6,1-5)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
With a Little Luck – Wings (1978)
Common greetings on the water include, “Any luck” or “Good luck.” I suppose luck is a factor at times, but experience, focus, and presentation greatly contribute to “luck” in my opinion. On this trip, I had a run of “good luck” even though the bass were “little” in terns of my goal.

Feeling Blue – Feeling nostalgic, I swapped out my normal War Eagle spinnerbait for an old favorite that I simply call the “Blue Glimmer.” This was my go-to spinnerbait from the early 1990s through the early 2000s, and I could write quite a story on the adventures and catches over the years. Unfortunately, the lure went out of production close to twenty years ago and I only have a couple left. Seven bass in the first two hours on this outing proved that the bait was still as good as it ever was. Unfortunately, I broke it off on a hookset around 10:30am. To paraphrase a well-known movie quote, “There’s no crying in fishing” but losing the old Blue Glimmer certainly gave me the blues.

9:18am – Top Bass at 1-11 (15″) on the “Blue Glimmer” spinnerbait

Class of 1985 – As I trolled along the bank nearing Cannon Hill, I spotted a couple ladies walking down to the water’s edge. Shortly, one of them hollered out, “Is that Troy?” I replied. “Yes, how are you Julie” as I recognized a classmate that I have known ever since kindergarten at L.T. Stone. It was cool to see two fellow GHS Class of 1985 alums, Julie and Alisha, out for some exercise and fresh air. We had an enjoyable chat from boat to shore for several minutes before resuming our respective activities.

9:40am – Top Bass #3 at 1-7 (14″) on a lipless crankbait

Trolling Trouble – Shortly after visiting with the ladies, my trolling motor thrust button on the foot pedal gave out. Luckily, the manual switch on the pedal still allowed me to turn the motor on and off but precise navigation suffered. The result was toning down the aggressive casting on some cover to avoid getting snagged in spots that would be difficult to access. It was also tough to work over several spots as thoroughly as I would normally do with repeated casts. Not a major problem but a definite annoyance once the wind kicked up.

Winning lures (minus the Blue Glimmer)

Lake Storey has been good to me during six trips over the course of five weeks. So good in fact that I have notched another trip and don’t intend to be done quite yet. Stay tuned for my best Lake Storey outing thus far. Talk to you later. Troy