Lake Storey came through for me during two trips last week, producing three bass that boost my weight. And Jim Junk hit his strip mine stomping grounds and found the bites needed to fill out his initial Top 5 limit. Read on for the details from last week’s catches.

Weight: 3-9 (19”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 4
Weather: Sunny/very windy, 64F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Strike King KVD 2.5 Crankbait (natural pumpkinseed)
Structure: Drop
Angler Comments: My chatterbait streak of 86 bass to start the year ended in a big way with my Top Bass of this outing.

Weight: 2-14 (17.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 4
Weather: Sunny/very windy, 68F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Tree
Angler Comments: A classic piece of Lake Storey cover comes through again with a quality bass.

Weight: 3-1 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 8
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy, 67F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Logs
Angler Comments: My Top Bass of a near seven-hour day came forty minutes before I called it quits, just keep casting.
Top 5 Weight: 16-10 (4-5,3-9,3-1,2-14,2-13) culls 2-12,2-10,2-9

Weight: 2-11
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: May 10
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Super Fluke

Weight: 2-7
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: May 10
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Super Fluke
Angler Comments: Both picked up a super fluke pulled parallel to the bank.
Top 5 Weight: 14-11 (4-4,2-15,2-11,2-7,2-6)

Next up is one more Lake Storey report from last week. Talk to you later. Troy

Another month means another Top 5 Stat update. Read on for the breakdown of the 26 bass (largemouth and spotted) submitted by our anglers through the month of April.

2026 Totals
March = 11 bass
April = 15 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 14-8 (4-4,2-13,2-10,2-7,2-6)
April = 16-10 (4-5,4-1,2-15,2-12,2-9)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 14 bass
Bank = 12 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 16-2 (4-5,4-1,2-12,2-9.2-7)
Bank = 15-0 (4-4,2-15,2-13,2-10,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 26 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 18-6 (4-5,4-4,4-1,2-15,2-13)
Private = Not applicable

The Baits
Chatterbait = 20 bass (Top Bass 4-5 Troy Jackson)
Jerkbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-15 Jim Junk)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-4 Jim Junk
April
4-5 Troy Jackson

2026 Top 10 Bass
4-5 Troy Jackson 4/25
4-4 Jim Junk 3/2
4-1 Brent Jackson 4/3
2-15 Jim Junk April 12
2-13 Troy Jackson 3/22
2-12 Troy Jackson 4/25
2-10 Troy Jackson 3/22
2-9 Brent Jackson 4/3
2-7 Troy Jackson 3/29
2-6 Jim Junk 3/22
2-6 Troy Jackson 3/22

Angler Weights
Troy Jackson 14-15 (4-5,2-13,2-12,2-10,2-7)
Brent Jackson 12-7 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-8)
John Kirkemo 10-7 (2-5,2-4,2-1,2-1,1-12)
Jim Junk 9-9 (4-4,2-15,2-6)

Four anglers, three limits, and over a quarter of the way to the annual target of one hundred bass submitted. Here’s to a productive May and hoping that the weather will warm up for good one of these days. Talk to you later. Troy

Four anglers contribute to this week’s update. Longtime participant, John Kirkemo, is on the board with a pair of quality spotted bass from South Carolina. Jim Junk adds another solid fish to get one step closer to filling out his initial limit. And both Brent and I knock out a lighter fish to add a few ounces to our creels.

Weight: 2-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 7 (11:00am-3:30pm)
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temp: 68.3F
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½” shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline in 11 feet of water.

Weight: 2-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 7 (11:00am-3:30pm)
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temp: 68-70F
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½” shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline in 20 feet of water.
Top 5 Weight: 4-2 (2-1,2-1)

Weight: 2-5 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy/light rain
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Channel
Angler Comments: Midway back on a lengthy retrieve from one of the few points on The Canal, my chatterbait ticked some submerged weeds. I popped the lure to get it free and tried to shake any vegetation and this bass loaded up shortly after that slight change in the retrieve.
Top 5 Weight: 12-9 (2-13,2-10,2-7,2-6,2-5) culls 2-3

Weight: 2-15
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 12
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Dark Sleeper (white/blue)
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: This long and skinny fish hit on a white and blue Dark Sleeper. Didn’t have a tape measure with me but wonder what the “usual” Banner fish at this length historically has weighed.
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (4-4,2-15,2-6)

Weight: 1-8
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-7 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-8) culls 1-3

Now that’s a fun week when each of our anglers contributes to the update. Hopefully a sign of things to come as we hit the Ides of April. Stay tuned for the latest fishing reports from several trips to The Canal. Talk to you later. Troy

Brent had a great Friday on Good Friday as he got on the water for the first time, trying his luck at the Knox County strip pits. He selected a spot that allowed kayaking access rather than opting for a hike and/or bike trip. As the results show, his approach worked out quite well.

Weight: 4-1
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-5
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-0
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 1-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait
Angler Comments: A pretty good day. The wind was tolerable and my hands did not get cold. I think two of the two-pounders and the four-pounder came from about the same place. The spot where a log comes out in the deeper bowl area. (Editor’s Note: Fortunately, I know exactly where that spot is and it has long been a winner.)
Top 5 Weight: 12-2 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-3)

Great to get a report from Brent and all told he logged just over two hours on the water and landed six bass with the five above being “keepers” to fill out his initial Top 5 limit of 2026. Thus far, it looks to be the Year of the Chatterbait as all sixteen of our 2026 Top 5 submissions courtesy of three different anglers have been caught on the lure. Good luck out there and talk to you later. Troy

This past week produced a good batch of bass. To start with, our defending champ, Jim Junk, is on the board with a pair of bass from his old stomping grounds. In addition, I managed to complete my Top 5 and cull my original catches all in the span of a short afternoon. Read on for all the details.

Weight: 4-4
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: March 22
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (red/black)
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: First cast, on typical Banner flats produced a nice 4-4 bass that picked up the chatterbait close to the end of the retrieve.

Weight: 2-6
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: March 22
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (black/red)
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: Third cast produced another bass at 2-6. This one was about mid-retrieve.
Top 5 Weight: 6-10 (4-4,2-6)

Weight: 2-13 (18.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 22
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 56F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Open
Angler Comments: I was targeting a log in the middle of The Canal, but this fish hit well away from the cover as I completed my retrieve.

Weight: 2-10 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 21
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 56F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Stump
Angler Comments: This was my highlight of the day on a great looking piece of offshore cover. I had gotten a solid strike on the previous cast but came up empty on the hookset. I was bummed but hoped that the fish was still there and not spooked as I made a follow-up cast. It all worked out just fine.

Weight: 2-6 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 21
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 56F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Log
Angler Comments: I made a long cast parallel to the riprapped shoreline primarily to address some loose line down in the spool of my reel. This “maintenance” cast proved to be a winner in more ways than one.

Weight: 2-3 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 21
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 56F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Log
Angler Comments: This was my final bass of the day, and it was icing on the cake as I had already reached my daily goal of posting a ten-pound Top 5. Nothing wrong with being a bit greedy and this bass was right where it was supposed to be as I ran my chatterbait along a log that lay perpendicular to my spot on the bank.

Weight: 2-1 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: March 21
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 56F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Log
Angler Comments: On my first spot of the morning, I made a total of ten casts at various angles to an offshore submerged log. A fish had bumped my chatterbait on the fifth cast, and perseverance paid off with a quality catch to start my afternoon.
Top 5 Weight:12-1 (2-13,2-10,2-6,2-3,2-1) culls 1-13,1-8, and 1-4

Now that’s more like it and hopefully a sign of good things to come. Talk to you later. Troy