Another quality fish makes for a dozen straight weeks with a Monday Top 5 Update. Several of us took a shot over the past weekend but only Brent was able to come up with a catch that gave his weight a boost.

Weight: 2-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 11
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 16-12 (5-4,3-9,2-11,2-11,2-9) culls a 2-7

Official summer looms on the horizon, but this week it looks like some summer heat is going to arrive a bit ahead of schedule. Get out there early or late to improve your odds of finding some quality bites. Talk to you later. Troy

The Top 5 Update streak stays alive with a catch that boosts my total by an entire ounce. Hey, I’ll take ones like this one all day, every day, whether they boost my creel or not.

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 27
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer/pepper/green)
Structure: Brush
Angler Comments: Bass Fishing 101 for this catch on a stretch of The Canal with sparse structure. Find some wood and hit it from multiple angles, keeping your lure as tight to the structure as possible. Not every such spot holds an interested fish, but keep after it and you’ll be rewarded.
Top 5 Weight: 14-10 (3-5,3-2,2-12,2-12,2-11) culls a 2-11

I hit The Canal on many occasions during the month of May and wound up with some solid catches besides today’s submission. Stay tuned for the monthly “Prowl the Canal” wrap-up covering stats, lessons and perhaps some video. And May ain’t done yet. Talk to you later. Troy

Another angler has a limit with this week’s submission from an old favorite fishing hole, Lake Storey.

Weight: 1-3 (13”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: May 10
Weather: 80s
Water Temp: 64-68F
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Rapala Floating Minnow (black/silver)
Angler Comments: This fish was in two to three feet of water. Casting parallel to shore. Only bass in four hours of fishing.
Top 5 Weight: 8-4 (2-5,2-0,1-13,1-3,0-15)

Well done, John, and looking forward to the culls as the year rolls on. Talk to you later. Troy

Hey, here we go with an overdue “monthly” Top 5 Stat Update that takes us through April and includes 47 bass and one trout.

2022 Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 32 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 14-2 (3-3,2-15,2-14,2-12,2-6)
April = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 11 bass
Bank = 36 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 13-1 (3-5,3-2,2-12,2-3,1-11)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)

Public vs. Private
Public = 47 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = not applicable

The Baits (* = new record)
Lipless Crankbait = 15 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
*Chatterbait = 13 bass (Top Bass 6-9 Jim Junk) tops 5-15 Jim Junk 6/22/20
Spinnerbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Crankbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
Plastic Worm = 1 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
Underspin = 1 bass (3-12 Jim Junk)

Monthly Top Bass
January
No submissions
February
No submissions
March
3-3 Jim Junk
April
6-9 Jim Junk

2022 Top 10 Bass
6-9 Jim Junk 4/4/22
6-0 Jim Junk 4/15/22
5-12 Jim Junk 4/21/22
5-4 Brent Jackson 4/24/22
5-1 Jim Junk 4/4/22
4-7 Jim Junk 4/4/22
4-6 Jim Junk 4/19/22
4-3 Jim Junk 4/21/22
3-15 Jim Junk 4/19/22
3-12 Jim Junk 4/13/22

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)
Brent Jackson 13-13 (5-4,3-9,1-12,1-11,1-9)
Troy Jackson 12-13 (3-5,3-2,2-11,2-0,1-11)
Jayce Jackson 3-7 (2-3,1-4)
John Kirkemo 0-15 (0-15)

Other Species – Trout

John Kirkemo 12” (12”)

Jim Junk continues to impress with his catches and thumbs up to our anglers for a good start. And the hits keep coming as we have several bass catches lined up for the first Top 5 Update of May. Here’s hoping that some better weather provides an opportunity for folks to get out on the water. Send them my way when you catch them at troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com. Talk to you later. Troy

Several of our crew were out last week and reported in with some impressive catches including a pair of five-pound bass and our first new species entry of 2022. And the latter is where we start with our weekly rundown.

Length: 12”
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 21
Weather: Partly cloudy with stiff wind from north
Air Temperature: 60s
Water Temperature: Unknown
Location: Backbone Lake, Backbone State Park, IA
Lure: Roy Self Spoon
Angler Comments: This is a typical stocked rainbow trout from the Maquoketa River that forms Backbone Lake. Most of the 80-acre lake is shallow but at the extreme north end where the river enters there is a 9-to-12-foot hole that holds trout.
Top 5 Length: 12”

Weight: 3-15
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 19
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait

Weight: 4-6
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 19
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait
Angler Comments: Battled the elements yesterday and was rewarded with seven bass. Morning was downright cold, and afternoon was cold with gale force winds.

Weight: 3-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Lipless crankbait

Weight: 4-3
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Dark Sleeper

Weight: 5-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 21
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Angler Comments: Seems sort of silly to say, but it was a slow day. I did just have four bites in a little over six hours of fishing. First one was 4-3, second one was 5-12, and third fish was 3-12. I am just flabbergasted at the fishing at Banner this year. I have seen more fish from four pounds to over six pounds than I have in my whole life.
Top 5 Weight: 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7) culls 4-6

Weight: 3-2 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 23
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler twin tail trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Drop/riprap

Weight: 3-5 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 23
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler twin tail trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Sticks
Angler Comments: Hopefully two three pounders on a brief morning trip to The Canal knocks me out of my recent bass fishing slump. Time will tell, but they certainly gave my Top 5 a considerable and much needed boost.
Top 5 Weight: 12-13 (3-5,3-2,2-11,2-0,1-11) culls 1-0 and 0-13

Weight: 1-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)

Weight: 1-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)

Weight: 5-4
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 24
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait (green)
Angler Comments: All “keepers” were on the green spinnerbait. I caught at least one at every place I stopped. Nothing else close to twelve inches. I got several on a Senko and maybe fifteen to twenty overall.
Top 5 Weight: 13-13 (5-4,3-9,1-12,1-11,1-9) culls 1-3,1-2 and 0-12

Now that is quite a week of fishing. Four anglers, four different areas, two states, two species and a mix of boat fishing and bank fishing. Priorities may keep me off the water for the rest of the month but hopefully some others are able to get out there. Send them my way when you catch them. Talk to you later. Troy