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

Having a short window to make a few casts on The Canal, I decided to stick to my roots. Back in the summer of 2021 when I first started fishing the waterway, I relied on pedal power to do my exploring. And exploring was my intent on this outing as I wanted to check the weeds and water level on a particular stretch. Oh yeah, I was also hoping to catch a bass or two. Read on to see how it all turned out.

7:02 – First bass on second cast of the evening 2-3 (16.5″) on a Texas rigged worm

Stats
Date: July 18
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 7:00pm-8:15pm
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Hazy/calm, 75-70F
Lures: 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 Plastic Worm
Top 3 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 5-9 (2-5,2-3,1-1)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The Plan – As noted in the intro, I had a stretch that I wanted to get eyes on for a potential boat trip in the future. A seven-minute bike ride not only allowed me to observe the conditions but also provided a productive pool at my turnaround. At the fishing destination, I intended to rely heavily on a Texas rigged plastic worm along deep weed edges and a trough in the Canal channel.

7:20 pm – Top Bass at 2-5 (17″) on a Texas rigged plastic worm

Texas Time – I still recall getting the hang of fishing a Texas rigged worm on a Knox County farm pond back in the summer of 1986. The initial success of the approach made it a favorite in those early days of bass fishing. However, I would set the Texas rig aside in favor of other lures over the years. Therefore, it has been a fun return to the presentation in the last month or so and I have been rewarded with several solid catches. On this outing, the Texas rig produced a pair of bass over two pounds, a mark that qualifies the fish as what I call “good ones.”

8:04pm – Topwater frog bass at 1-1 (12.5″)

Spro Success – I also managed to catch another bass on a Spro Flappin Frog 65 topwater bait. While my experience is limited with the lure, I really like the action, feel, and castability. I am far from being a frog expert, but it already has my vote as the best frog that I have ever fished. Time will tell if the bass back up that assessment, but I know a little something courtesy of a more recent outing using the bait. Stay tuned for that report later this month.

 

A productive quick hit on The Canal was a winner as I accomplished my goals. The stretch looks boat worthy although patches of vegetation may give me a workout on the oars. Quality bites also show that the rowing workout should be worth the effort. Several more fishing reports to come so talk to you later. Troy

For this trip, I set my sights on a lengthy stretch that was quite weed choked back on May 30 when I made a thirty-minute stop for an exploratory hike. This time around, I opted for biking over hiking to cover the entire stretch. My aim was to find the froggiest looking spots among the near solid weed cover and clean house with my recently purchased Spro Flapppin Frog. Well, it is always good to have a backup plan as detailed below.

7:41pm – First bass after nearly two hours of fishing

Stats
Date: July 15
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 5:50pm-8:20pm
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Hazy/calm, 82F
Lures: 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-8 Plastic Worm
Top 1 Weight (only 1 at 12” or better): 2-8

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

Frog Fail – Riding high after a July 2 frog catch on another stretch of The Canal, I was all in on prospecting a potentially productive pool. However, I was disappointed as the only action was a green sunfish popping my frog at my feet in a narrow stretch of open water between the bank and an extensive weed mat. The pool was much shallower than I anticipated, and everything looked the same; darn near bank to bank weed cover. I hit areas where there were open pockets, weeds mixed with wood, channels along the riprap bank, and any other variations among the vegetation. That’s a solid approach, right? Look for something different or a combination of cover in otherwise identical looking water. Well, it sure didn’t work for me on this outing. And while you may suggest looking for deeper water adjacent to the surface weed cover, on this stretch the only choices were shallow and shallower.

Looked like Frog City but I couldn’t buy a bite

Plan B – Having reached the end of my initial stretch of water after ninety minutes without a bite, I was left with only about thirty minutes to fish. This prompted a decision to take a stab at the next pool rather than fishing my way back through the unproductive water. This also meant a change of tactics as the lock featured a deep pool with limited weed cover along the banks. Cue the Texas-rigged worm cast to the weed edges which resulted in two bass, one other lost after a brief battle, and a couple short strikes. While I was quite happy to avoid the embarrassing shutout, I also kicked myself for not bailing on the first pool earlier. But that’s how fishing goes. Take your hindsight, file it away, and draw upon it in the future.

8:00pm – Top Bass at 2-8 (16.5″) on a Texas rigged worm

Final Bite – I figured that my Texas rig catches would be my last bites, but it turned out that I was wrong. As I rode my bike back along the towpath to the truck, one of my fingers suddenly felt like it was on fire. Glancing down, I spotted the business end of a bee stuck in my finger. I stopped the bike, flicked the bee off, and then had to brush the stringer out. Been a while since I got stung and it was just an unfortunate situation for the bee that we collided as we were both zipping along just minding our own business.

Although the catching was lacking, the learning continues. And before the summer is out, I intend to put the lessons learned on this outing to work. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Pre-casting predictions

To end June, I took a half day off work to visit an old fishing hole with a longtime fishing partner. The significance of the trip taking place on June 30, is that it would mark twenty years to the day since the last time I made a cast on these waters. The name of the West Central Illinois public water will remain a mystery for now. If the backdrop in the pictures and clips look familiar, perhaps you already know. Read on for the results and notes.

June 30, 2003 – twenty years since my last visit to this fishing hole

Stats
Date: June 30, 2023
Location: West Central Illinois public water
Time: 2:50pm-8:50pm
Weather: Sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 85-65F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 19 bass (Brent – 11, Troy – 8)
Lures (Troy): 5” Yamasenko wacky rig weighted (natural shad) – 5 bass, 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 3 bass
Lures (Brent): Senko or Yum Dinger wacky rig – 6 bass, Mann’s Chug-N-Spit Popper – 5 bass 
Top Bass: 3-2 Plastic Worm (Troy)
Top 5 Weight: 12-2 (3-2,2-10,2-10,2-4,1-8)

7:03pm – Top Bass at 3-2 (18.5″) on plastic worm

Notes and Nonsense

Background – I fished in these waters as far back as the late 1980s and as noted in the intro, my last visit was June 30, 2003. Fast forward to a discussion with my friend and fellow Top 5 angler, John Kirkemo a couple of years ago where the location came up as a suggested destination. Lucky for me, John took a scouting trip or two and provided impressive feedback including a 15-11 Top 5 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11) from June 13, 2022. My personal Top 5 covering data from May 4, 1989, through June 30, 2003, tipped the scales at 10-1 with a Top Bass of 3-8.

Winning Lures

Texas Rig – Two and a half hours into our outing, Brent and I had nine bass in the log, all on a Senko wacky rig. However, only two were “keepers” for a combined weight of 3-7 (2-10,0-13). At that point, I elected to add a Texas-rigged worm to my presentations, a setup that was a mainstay in my arsenal in the 1980s and 1990s. For various reasons, I moved away from such a presentation, primarily using creature type baits for Texas-rigged setups, and relying heavily on a Senko wacky rig as my plastic worm approach. Upon making the change, I was able to end a drought of over an hour without a bite in landing a 2-4 on my Yum Ribbontail worm. The Top Bass of the trip would later fall to the same lure, weighing 3-2 and landed at just after 7:00pm.

7:55pm – Vintage Chug-N-Spit still gets the job done at 2-10 (18″)

Chug-N-Spit – While my worm presentation represented an old school technique that I have neglected for many years, Brent did me one better with one of his choices. A Texas-rigged worm is no rarity among anglers, but I suspect that Brent’s old Mann’s Chug-N-Spit topwater popper is not a mainstay in very many tackleboxes. Not because it doesn’t work, but more because it may qualify as an antique and is no longer on the market. A quick internet search did not produce any details on the sales life of the Chug-N-Spit but when referred to as “vintage” among the search results, it is an oldie.

Fellow Fisher – The belted kingfisher is a cool bird in appearance, call, and habit. If you hang around the water long enough, you will encounter these birds that make a living out of fishing. Sometimes they give themselves away with their rattling call while other times you may spot them first on a shoreline dead limb surveying the fishing hole. Even better is when you observe one swooping down and grabbing a meal with a splash. Well, we heard and saw all the above in addition to a new kingfisher trick, swooping down on a lure. As shown in the video clip below, luck was on our side as the kingfisher opted not to nab Brent’s lure, allowing our intended quarry to get the Chug-N-Spit instead.

 

Guessing Game – For several years, when I get together with Brent or a few other anglers for a full day of fishing, I solicit predictions prior to making our first casts. Most spots where we are fishing, there is some history behind our guesses. But on this spot we had only John Kirkemo’s input as we had not been on the water for twenty years. John’s Top 5 day of 15-11 was a tall order and our predictions reflected such with Brent guessing 8-7 while I was a little more optimistic with my 12-13 guesstimation. We also post our guesses for overall Top Bass and a combined catch total. When all was said and done, Brent came closest on Top Bass and Total Bass while I took the Top 5 prediction.

Final Results

 

It’s tough to beat a day on the water with my brother and even better when there is a little something extra with the Twenty Year Anniversary aspect. Once again, a big thank you to John Kirkemo for the incentive to get on the water. Add a pat on the back to me for coming up with the idea to revisit on the twentieth anniversary of my last casts on the water. Throw in a thumbs up to Brent, me, and our employers for time away from work. Finally, a nod to the bass for cooperating and the IDNR for their efforts in restoring a lake that has experienced population challenges over the years. Glad we were able to take our shot and suspect that I won’t wait another twenty years before I try it again. Talk to you later. Troy