It’s that time of year again when the decision is made to pull the plug on Lake Storey for the annual fall drawdown. This fisheries management practice drops the lake level and limits the hiding places for prey fish allowing the predator fish an increased opportunity to thin the herd. It can also reveal some secrets on the lake bottom and give anglers a shot at a quality bite as fall feeding activity kicks into gear. Last Friday, I paid a visit to my old favorite lake and had a solid day.

11:23am – First bass and a running joke with Brent and my son, Jayce (note the water retention structure in the background)

Stats
Date: September 15
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 11:15am-6:15pm
Totals: 16 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 56-74F
Water temperature: 74-76F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 8 bass, Strike King Squarebill Crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (peanut butter and jelly) – 2 bass, Strike King Rattling Pro Model Jig (green pumpkin) with plastic craw trailer – 1 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-0 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-11 (2-0,1-13,1-13,1-12,1-5)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The beat up frog was the lone lure of my offerings that failed to land a bass

Six for Seven – Being one to take too much gear, I had seven poles rigged up with what I call my “starting lineup.” I never switched from those lures, simply retying when concerned about line abrasions. Of my starting seven, only the Spro Flappin Frog 65 came up empty and not for lack of effort as I put it to use in several areas. The other six lures all caught at least one bass and made me feel like I knew what I was doing out there. I guess nearly forty years of practice comes in handy.

2:48pm – Top Bass at 2-0 (16.5″) on a spinnerbait

One That Got Away – As I worked an extended shallow flat, I spotted an upright trash barrel just under the surface. I goofed around tossing a Senko into the barrel thinking that it would make quite a story, but no one took the bait. However, a subsequent cast near the barrel resulted in something hitting my Senko like a freight train and causing the drag to scream. Unfortunately, the suddenness of the strike caught me off guard and I never got much of a hookset before the fish just let go and my Senko flew out of the water from the resultant loss of rod tension. I never saw the fish, so I have no idea what it was. My guess is a catfish as a muskie may have simply sliced the 10-pound test. I am also guessing it was not a bass as the thought of missing one of that caliber would be a bit heartbreaking.

6:11pm – Lake Storey Bass #400 (see explanation below)

Lake Storey 400 – I am a stat freak and try to consult my data prior to each trip to see what sort of milestones or targets to consider. In the case of Lake Storey, I needed sixteen bass to reach four hundred bass during what I call the “computer age” (continuous log/database dating from 1997-present). Of course, I forgot as soon as I got into my Lake Storey focused mindset and did not realize until later that I had landed exactly sixteen bass. Bass #400 came within sight of the ramp and a mere four minutes before I called it quits. In addition, it made my Top 5 for the day meaning it needed to pose for a photo. Luck was on my side all the way around.

Seven hours on Lake Storey provided plenty to blog about but I’ll save the additional notes for a separate post. I’ll close this report with a tale from a pair of fellow anglers during a brief evening chat in the ramp parking lot. A mother and young son were returning to their vehicle as I was securing the boat and asked if I had any luck. I replied that I was pleased with the outing and threw a few numbers at them. They offered up “all we caught was a shoe.” I informed them that they had outdone me on that catch as I have landed a glove and a sock over the years, but never a shoe. I told them that it will make for a good story to retell and added, “It didn’t have a foot in it, did it?” All good.

Talk to you later. Troy

This past weekend, I was able to get back on the water for the first time in three weeks. My original plan was a sunrise trip but a short, restless night and not feeling well resulted in sleeping late. The upside to a later start was that the morning dew on the weedy terrain had a chance to dry out. The downside was that the late-afternoon outing began amidst ninety-degree air temperatures. Not exactly prime time for a hike but you gotta do what you gotta do as the collection of public strip mines that I fish will shut down in four to six weeks.

5:43pm – Top Bass Runner-Up at 2-3 (17″) on a topwater frog

Stats
Date: September 3
Location: Knox County public strip mines (4 lakes)
Time: 3:35pm-7:50pm (3.75 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 17 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 91-84F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (red flake/chartreuse tail) – 7 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 4 bass, 7” Berkley Power Worm (blue fleck firetail) – 3 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 2 bass, Bass Pro Shops 3” Speed Shad Swimbait (smallmouth magic) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-0 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 8-6 (3-0,2-3,1-6,0-15,0-14)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Warm, Weedy Walk – It is incredible just how much vegetation covers the terrain of my strip mine hikes. As the uneven ground rises and falls, there are hidden ruts and weedy snags aplenty. Throw in tons of spider webs and their creators along with several nasty patches of thistles and the walk can leave you wondering if this was such a good idea. An added “bonus” on this outing was balmy early September temperatures in the low nineties. But hey, at least I didn’t encounter any ticks this time around.

The Two That Got Away – I have noted before that my top goal of each outing is to post a Top 5 bass weight of double digits. On this trip I fell a bit short at 8-6 but I had the fish on to get the job done. The first of two “keepers” that got away was a fish that I would estimate in the four-pound range. It was briefly hooked on a frog during a lengthy cast and threw the lure on a leap. The second missed opportunity was a bass that I would put in the two-pound range that broke off on a hookset. This one puzzled me as I use thirty-pound braid on my frog setup, and it did not appear that my knot slipped as much as it was just a line break. Either of these bass would have given me the boost needed for double digits but as I often say, “That’s fishing.”

6:25pm – Top Bass at 3-0 (18″) on a Senko wacky rig

Top 5 Boost – I have stats on nearly every lake that I have fished going back as far as 1985 and I get a kick out of tracking the Top 5 all-time weight from each lake. My Top Bass from this outing at 3-0 earned a spot in my Top 5 from what I call Island Lake as it knocked out a 2-7 that previously held the Top Bass #5 entry. 2023 has been a phenomenal year on Island Lake as the current all-time Top 5 comes in at 18-14. That is an amazing leap from the mark of 6-11 to start the year. Top 5 tallies will be the focus of some “off season” posts as 2023 has been a very productive year for me and my fellow anglers.

Another successful trip is in the logbook as the strip mines continue to dish out a quality bite. This trip was what I considered the kickoff to fall fishing despite it not really being fall and not resembling fall weather. It also represented the start to the home stretch of the 2023 fishing year. My annual goal is to catch my final bass in November and, believe it or not, it isn’t that far away. In the interim, I hope plenty more bass join the log as plans are being made to get after them a few more times. Talk to you later. Troy

“I don’t always drive the minivan to the strip mines, but when I do, I guess the bass better watch out. Stay fishing, my friends.”

With my truck being out of commission, it meant that hauling the little johnboat to the fishing hole was out of the question. It was either setting out via bike or boots from the minivan and I chose the boots. For a destination, I chose some Knox County public strip pits that I usually avoid this time of the year as the terrestrial vegetation makes for tough walking. Turned out to be a good decision.

6:07am – First bass at 7″, don’t want to set the bar too high

Stats
Date: August 13
Location: Knox County strip mines
Time: 6:05am-1:30pm (6.50 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 37 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/calm, 62-79F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke black/copper flake/lemon tip or natural shad) – 21 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red or killer gill) – 8 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 7 bass, 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-10 Frog
Top 5 Weight: 12-12 (3-10,2-6,2-5,2-4,2-3)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The Mission – I’ve been logging my catches for a long time and find it fun to sort the database entries by various criteria. In looking over my data, I saw that my August totals for this batch of strip mines consisted of only six bass landed on August 31, 2019. Four of those bass were “keepers” making for a Top 4 of 7-4 (2-8,2-1,1-2,1-9). Along with those numbers, I had recently caught up on some data entry in the family record book to update the lake by lake Top 5 weight totals. Armed with all the above information, I had a goal to boost some numbers.

6:17am – New personal Maiden Lake Top Bass at 3-10 (20″) on a Spro Frog

Maiden Lake – The first lake that I ever fished in this area is what I named Maiden Lake. You know, kind of like a maiden voyage, since it was the site of my initial casts all those years ago. I never do worth a darn on the lake in terms of quality fish while Brent regularly lands some impressive bass including a 5-4 last year and a 4-0 in 2021. Those sort of catches get your attention and prompted me to take another shot at Maiden this morning. Fortune smiled on me with a 3-10 on a frog, smashing my previous best of 1-14 by nearly two pounds.

Keeping updated with Brent who was fishing several miles away, more details in a future post

Here Comes the Clouds – My mind has its own soundtrack featuring tunes that just kind of pop up based on circumstances. In the case of this fishing trip, the weather forecast included cloudy skies although the first few hours of sun had me wondering if those in the know had missed their prediction. But the tunes inside my head changed from a variation of The Supremes with “Where Did Our Clouds (Love) Go” to an altered Beatles cut “Here Comes the Clouds (Sun)” about 10:00am. And along with the increase in cloud cover came an increase in quality bites.

12:54pm – Island Lake Top Bass of the Day at 2-6 (17″) on a new Spro Frog

Island Lake – As none of these lakes have real names, we have made them up over the years. Island Lake has an island or two or three depending on the water level. Prior to this year, Brent had the lake record with a 2-3 landed in April 2021. Incredibly, that fish no longer makes the Island Lake Top 5 as 2023 has seen a big bass boom on the spot. And on this day, I landed a 2-6 and a 2-4, neither of which qualify for the current Top 5 either.

Senko Success – Twenty-one of the thirty-seven bass landed on this trip fell for the Senko wacky rig. Further proof of the effectiveness of the presentation as when it turns on, there is nothing better to have tied on when fishing these waters. In fact, I even moved away from using my favorite Senko colors to a mediocre pattern. When the bite gets going, it is more about the action of the lure than the hue, so I figured why risk my good colors getting destroyed.

My August mission in the minivan was a resounding success in terms of both numbers and a significant boost to the record book. In addition, Brent was fishing several miles away and having a good day as well. Stay tuned for an additional post and talk to you later. Troy

Here is a combined report that covers my final outings of July. Weather played a role in getting me on the water on both days as I originally did not have any fishing trips on my agenda. In one case, a heatwave got me moving and in the other case it was rain in St. Louis that got me on the water. Read on for further explanation and the results of my last-minute decisions to wet a line.

Missed a 100-degreee bass by one degree but as noted below the heat index was quite balmy

Stats
Date: July 28 & 29
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 3.00 hours total
Totals: 8 bass, 1 green sunfish
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 5 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 2 bass, 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 1 bass, 1 green sunfish
Top Bass: 3-0 Senko
Top 4 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 7-2 (3-0,1-9,1-5,1-4)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

July 28 Top Bass at 1-9 (15″) on a Texas rigged worm 

July 28 – Wise or not, I don’t get many chances to chase a triple-digit bass, so I had to take my shot. However, by the time I got to The Canal the temperature had dropped back into double digits and I had to settle for a pair of 99-degree bass to start the afternoon. I will admit that the heat had me a bit sluggish at the start, but the catches gave me a second wind and I stuck around for two more before heading home.

 July 29 Top Bass at 3-0 (19.5″) on a Senko

July 29 – I hadn’t planned on hitting the water as I had the radio dialed up for the 7:05pm first pitch of the Cubs-Cards game. Mother Nature had other ideas for the ballgame with what sounded like a lengthy rain delay, so I had to find something to kill the time. I packed up my bike and prowled The Canal from 7:00pm-8:15pm. Things worked out well to the tune of four bass including a Top Bass right at three pounds. I got back to the truck in the third inning of the ballgame to find the Cubs in the lead on the way to a victory.

Cubs are playing pretty well lately

I’ve long subscribed to the old fishing saying that “the best time to go fishing is anytime you can.” These two days were prime examples of that approach and demonstrate the good fortune of having quick access to The Canal. Depending on where I go and the mode I choose to fish (boots, boat, or bike), I can have a line in the water within a half hour of leaving home. And I’m looking to do some more prowling in August. Talk to you later. Troy

Last Saturday, I took the scenic route home from a family get together. I was flying solo as Julie and the kids were scattered about doing their things and I had borrowed Dad’s truck for the week. My drive took me to the Knox County public strip mines with the intent of scouting the conditions to decide if a lengthier return trip would be worthwhile. I had my tackle in tow and a couple of hours to do my research. Read on for the results.

Stats
Date: July 22
Location: Knox County public strip mines (2 lakes)
Time: 6:45pm-8:25pm (1.50 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 12 bass (and six ticks)
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/calm, 80F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (cream/green laminate) – 9 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-7 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 7-2 (2-7,1-10,1-5,0-14,0-14)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Crunch Time – I pulled into the parking lot around 6:30pm and faced a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk depending on which of three potential bodies of water I chose to fish. I walked to a rise where I could see the farthest destination and determined that the remaining walk was not worth the questionable weed covered water. Backtracking, I decided that my casting would begin on the middle of the three lakes. From there, I would divide my time and finish on the lake closest to the lot. And by “closest to the lot,” it was still a ten-minute walk back to the truck.

6:49pm – First bass at 0-14 (12″) on a Spro Flappin Frog

First Stop – This lake is a miniature version of the larger prototypical strip mine cuts. Longer than wide with a “V” profile except for flats/ledges on both ends of its length. Surface weeds covered both ends along with the bulk of the shoreline. The middle of the lake consisted mostly of open water with scattered subsurface weeds. A hefty cast can nearly cover the entire length while the width only requires a partial cast. I planted myself on a ledge at one end and was able to land five small bass in forty-five minutes with two being “keepers” (12” or better). The Whopper Plopper and a wacky rigged Senko each produced a pair of bass and the other hit a Spro Flappin Frog (which I would lose later in the evening on a busted hookset).

Top Bass clip below, a 2-7 on a Senko wacky rig

Second Stop – The next lake features a series of fingers, points, flats, and several islands. Much of the lake is shallow and by this time of the year over half of the surface is covered by vegetation. In addition, most of the remaining water features weeds just under the surface. My aim was to hit a couple of the deeper water, open pockets that were devoid of weed growth. Armed with a Senko wacky rig, I made casts onto the weedy borders of those pockets and then reeled the Senko to the open water edge where I let it drop along the weedy wall. It doesn’t take long to determine if a bass is present and seven of them showed up during my forty-five minutes working two such spots. The overcast skies and dusk limited visibility but my perch on top of a slope about ten feet above the water’s surface was beneficial in effectively casting to such areas. On days with brighter skies, you can clearly see the weed edge to target along with bass cruising in the open water. This results in a unique version of sight fishing that I call “cliff fishing.” More on that approach in an upcoming post.

The outing was a success in terms of bass as well as assessing if a return trip would be worth my while. The jungle of terrestrial weeds was a pain as expected while the aquatic vegetation was manageable and set up well for a variety of presentations. Periodic tick checks were needed but at least the pests did not outnumber the bass (twelve bass to six ticks). In the end, a dozen bass in ninety minutes of scouting was more than enough to convince me that a return trip was worth a shot. Two days later, I was back for another hike. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy