Category: Top 5

Top 5 All-Time Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2022 represented year number nine of the Top 5 project. It also marked the fifth year of reaching triple digits in bass submissions and was the first time that we hit the century mark since 2018. In addition to the yearly stats that were posted earlier this month, I also like to provide an annual update of the all-time stats. So, here we go.

(Note: the all-time stats for this post only include bass submissions, not additional species).

Group Totals = 968 bass
2014 = 154
2015 = 106
2016 = 136
2017 = 79
2018 = 116
2019 = 95
2020 = 90
2021 = 92
2022 = 100

Submissions by month (2014-2022)
218 April (43/33/31/11/12/14/25/14/35)
156 May (27/23/19/13/24/12/18/13/7)
131 June (34/14/15/1/10/14/17/10/16)
114 March (13/11/34/10/0/8/4/19/15)
91 July (18/11/8/11/8/11/10/12/2)
68 September (6/4/6/6/16/9/6/10/5)
64 October (4/5/4/8/24/8/2/3/6)
38 August (1/3/1/4/4/7/3/4/11)
36 November (6/0/4/0/8/9/4/2/3)
31 February (2/2/7/13/5/0/0/2/0)
13 December (0/0/7/1/0/2/3/0)
8 January (0/0/0/1/5/1/1/0/0)

Top 10 Top 5 Monthly Weights (group total) – * = new entry
37-9 May 2014
29-8 June 2014
29-7 March 2016
29-2 April 2014
28-10 April 2022*
28-9 October 2018
28-7 December 2016
27-14 April 2015
27-12 March 2015
27-11 July 2014

Top 5 Weights per Month (group total)
January (2018) = 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3)
February (2016) = 22-9 (6-7,4-15,4-10,4-1,2-8)
March (2016) = 29-7 (6-5,6-1,5-14,5-10,5-9)
April (2014) = 29-2 (8-0, 5-11, 5-10, 4-15. 4-14)
May (2014) = 37-9 (9-4, 8-10, 8-8, 6-1, 5-2)
June (2014) = 29-8 (6-11, 6-4, 5-10, 5-8, 5-7)
July (2014) = 27-11 (6-6, 6-0, 5-5, 5-0, 5-0)
August (2019) = 19-4 (4-14,4-10,4-6,2-14,2-8)
September (2019) = 24-5 (5-3,5-0,5-0,4-12,4-6)
October (2018) = 28-9 (6-3,5-14,5-10,5-10,5-4)
November (2018) = 26-1 (7-2,6-12,4-3,4-0,4-0)
December (2016) = 28-7 (7-7,6-5,5-13,4-11,4-3)

Monthly Top Bass
January
3-15 Mark Balbinot 1/27/18 Crankbait
February
6-7 Mike Overturf 2/27/16 Plastic Worm
March
7-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/22/15 Jig
April
8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14 Crankbait
May
9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
June
6-11 Ty Hartlipp 6/11/14 Topwater Frog
July
6-6 Jake Bresson 7/11/14 Plastic Worm
August
6-8 Gary Le 8/16/14 Swimbait
September
6-0 Austin Chapman 9/19/15 Jig
October
7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29/17 Jig
November
7-2 Mark Balbinot 11/23/18 Underspin
December
7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16 Underspin

Public vs. Private Water (2014-2022)
Public = 689 bass (92/52/95/42/92/68/63/87/98)
Public Top 5 Weight
32-2,31-7,30-5,27-7,24-5,25-4,25-13,26-4,28-10 (2022)
Private = 262 bass (53/48/39/37/24/27/27/5/2)
Private Top 5 Weight
8-10,30-0,32-13,33-14,31-9,24-3,30-5,13-3,2-7 (2022)
Undisclosed = 17 bass (9/6/2/0/0/0/0/0/0)

Boat vs. Bank (2014-2022)
Boat = 466 bass (90/63/103/68/55/33/26/28/55)
Boat Top 5 Weight
30-7,31-7,32-13,33-14,31-9,25-4,21-4,18-6,17-9 (2022)
Bank = 396 bass (64/43/27/11/61/62/64/64/45)
Bank Top 5 Weight
40-14,27-6,27-12,20-14,24-2,25-7,30-6,26-4,28-10 (2022)
Undisclosed = 6 bass

The Baits (44 undisclosed)
268 Plastic Worms (Top Bass 6-8 Mark Balbinot 11/20/16)
109 Spinnerbaits (6-14 Chris Schwarz 3/25/20)
96 Lipless Crankbaits (6-3 Mark Balbinot 10/20/18)
86 Crankbaits (8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14)
72 Chatterbaits (5-15 Jim Junk 6/22/20)
65 Jigs (9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14)
33 Jerkbaits (5-10 Ty Hartlipp 6/5/14)
32 Buzzbaits (5-9 Troy Jackson 4/25/17)
31 Swimbaits (8-10 Gary Le 5/4/14)
30 Creature Baits (6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13/17)
29 Swim Jigs (6-13 Jake Bresson 4/9/15)
14 Underspins (Top Bass 7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16)
12 Topwater Frogs (6-11 Ty Hartlipp 6/11/14)
12 Tubes (Top Bass 5-0 Jake Bresson 4/28/15)
8 Livebait (5-14 Jim Junk 7/4/14)
6 Propbaits (6-2 Jake Bresson 5/1/15)
6 Stickbaits (6-6 Mark Balbinot 8/27/17)
5 Ultralights (3-1 Paul Kessler 10/12/17)
5 Grubs (Top Bass 7-0 Chris Schwarz 11/28/20)
2 Inline Spinners (5-2 Jake Bresson 9/17/17)
2 Poppers (3-1 Troy Jackson 9/25/01)
1 Blade Baits (5-3 Mark Balbinot 11/16/19)

Top 10 Top 5 Bass
9-4 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
8-10 Gary Le 5/4/14 Swimbait
8-8 Jake Bresson 5/23/14 Jig
8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14 Crankbait
7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16 Underspin
7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29/17 Jig
7-2 Mark Balbinot 11/23/18 Underspin
7-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/22/15 Jig
7-0 Chris Schwarz 11/28/20 Grub
6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13/17 Creature Bait

The 20-Pound Club * = 2022 entry
33-14 Mark Balbinot 2017 (7-4,6-15,6-13,6-8,6-6)
32-13 Jake Bresson 2014 (9-4, 8-8, 6-6, 4-10, 4-1)
32-13 Mark Balbinot 2016 (7-7,6-8,6-5,6-5,6-4)
32-0 Gary Le 2014 (8-10,6-8,5-12,5-10, 5-8)
31-9 Mark Balbinot 2018 (7-2,6-12,6-3,5-14,5-10)
30-5 Chris Schwarz (7-0,6-14,5-12,5-7,5-4)
29-7 Austin Chapman 2015 (6-4,6-2,6-0,5-14,5-3)
*27-13 Jim Junk (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)
27-12 Jake Bresson 2015 (6-13,6-2,5-5,5-0,4-8)
27-6 Randy Sampson Sr 2015 (7-0,6-1,4-13,4-12,4-12)
27-6 Jake Bresson 2016 (6-3,5-13,5-4,5-2,5-0)
26-13 Troy Jackson 2017 (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
26-4 Austin Chapman 2016 (5-14,5-10,5-2,4-14,4-12)
26-1 Brice Wangler 2014 (5-11, 5-5, 5-2, 5-0, 4-15)
26-0 Jim Junk (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)
25-13 Jim Junk (5-15,5-5,4-15,4-14,4-12)
25-8 Brice Wangler 2015 (5-7,5-4,5-2,4-14,4-13)
25-4 Mark Balbinot 2019 (5-5,5-3,5-1,4-14,4-13)
24-14 Ty Hartlipp 2014 (6-11, 5-10, 5-5, 4-0, 3-4)
24-14 Jim Junk 2019 (5-3,5-1,5-0,4-14,4-12)
24-9 Terry Isbell 2014 (5-8,5-4,5-2,4-8,4-3)
23-12 Jake Bresson 2017 (5-4,5-2,5-2,4-3,4-1)
23-11 Randy Sampson Sr. 2017 (6-0,4-14,4-12,4-11,3-6)
23-8 Jim Junk 2018 (5-4,5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4)
22-15 Adam Bean 2015 (5-13,4-9,4-6,4-2,4-1)
22-13 Mike Mooney 2014 (6-4, 5-7, 4-3, 3-9, 3-6)
22-12 Troy Jackson 2015 (5-13,4-13,4-10,3-12,3-12)
21-8 Randy Sampson Sr. 2016 (5-12,5-8,4-11,3-1,2-8)
21-7 Brice Wangler 2016 (4-8,4-7,4-4,4-2,4-2)
21-3 Troy Jackson 2016 (5-9,5-4,3-9,3-7,3-6)
20-15 Chris Schwarz 2018 (4-11,4-11,4-8,4-0,3-1)
20-14 Troy Jackson 2014 (4-13, 4-6, 4-2, 4-1, 3-8)
20-12 Chris Schwarz 2019 (5-3,5-0,3-11,3-10,3-4)
20-9 Austin Chapman 2014 (4-15, 4-4,4-0,3-13,3-9)
20-1 Bruce Zilkowski 2014 (4-11,4-3,4-0,3-12,3-7)
20-0 Troy Jackson (4-10,4-4,4-3,3-9,3-6)

And just for fun…

All-Time Weights (30-pound minimum “career” mark)
(Note: not all anglers have participated each year)
178-12 Troy Jackson (20-14,22-12,21-3,26-13,15-9,14-4,18-12,20-0,18-9)
169-3 Jim Junk (11-7,16-5,13-7,23-8,24-14,25-13,26-0,27-13)
123-8 Mark Balbinot (33-14,32-13,31-9,25-4)
131-5 Brent Jackson (18-7,6-10,13-2,10-2,19-2,13-7,13-3,18-11,18-9)
111-11 Jake Bresson (32-13,27-12,27-6,23-12)
76-4 Austin Chapman (20-9,29-7,26-4)
73-0 Brice Wangler (26-1,25-8,21-7)
72-15 Bruce Zilkowski (20-1,17-0,17-14,18-0)
72-10 Randy Sampson, Sr. (27-6,21-8,23-12)
72-0 Chris Schwarz (20-15,20-12,30-5)
66-12 Paul Kessler (18-6,17-6,16-6,14-10)
45-11 Mike Mooney (22-13,4-9,18-5)
37-4 John Kirkemo (10-8,6-14,8-0,11-14)

I dig my stats and plenty more to come as I recap the past year on the water in a series of posts to come. Talk to you later. Troy

2022 Top 5 Final Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Congratulations to our 2022 Top 5 Champ, Jim Junk. The victory makes it back-to-back titles for Jim with an impressive weight of 27-13, exceeding his 2021 winning mark of 26-0. Read on for all the numbers from our ninth year of the Top 5 challenge as eight anglers added one hundred bass and four trout to the ledger.

Jim Junk 6-0 April 15

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)
Brent Jackson 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)
Troy Jackson 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
John Kirkemo: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)
Jayce Jackson 7-1 (2-3,1-11,1-4,1-3,0-12)
Helena Jackson 1-3 (1-3)
Zac Jackson 1-0 (1-0)
Carly Jackson 0-14 (0-14)
Comments: Jim’s winning limit comes in as the eighth heaviest weight in the history of the Top 5. And it marked the only twenty-pound stringer of 2022.

Brent Jackson 5-4 April 24

2022 Monthly Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 35 bass
May = 7 bass
June = 16 bass
July = 2 bass
August = 11 bass
September = 5 bass
October = 6 bass
November = 3 bass
December = no submissions

John Kirkemo May 3

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)
May = 11-9 (2-12,2-11,2-5,2-0,1-13)
June = 16-7 (4-2,3-5,3-3,2-15,2-14)
July = 4-11 (3-1,1-10)
August = 15-1 (3-5,3-4,2-15,2-13,2-12)
September = 10-14 (3-10,3-8,1-11,1-5,0-12)
October = 11-12 (2-14,2-10,2-4,2-3,1-13)
November = 11-7 (4-6,4-0,3-1)
December = no submissions
Comments: Thanks largely to Jim’s April contributions (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1), the 2022 total for April marks the fifth largest monthly total in Top 5 history. Brent contributed the other Top 5 April bass (5-4) for a total of 28-10. This total fell just shy of the all-time April record of 29-2 from 2014.

Jayce Jackson September 17

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 55 bass
Bank = 45 bass
Comments: For the first tine since 2017, bass landed from a boat exceeded bass landed from the bank. The addition of a kayak for Brent and my decision to launch a boat on the Hennepin Canal got a couple more of us off the bank much more often.

Carly Jackson June 18

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-9 (4-2,3-8,3-5,3-5,3-5)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Comments: Even with the additional boating, nineteen of our Top 20 bass still came from the bank.

Helena Jackson June 18

Public vs. Private
Public = 98 bass
Private = 2 bass
Comments: Once again, public waters dominated our haul with the lone exceptions coming on a private water outing in mid-September. The two private water bass were landed by Jayce on The Rock to complete his Top 5 for the year.

Zac Jackson June 18

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = 2-7 (1-11,0-12)
Comments: Banner Marsh (Jim – four bass) and a public Knox County strip pit (Brent – one bass), contributed to our public Top 5 while Jayce’s pair or bass from The Rock were our lone private water submissions.

The Baits
Plastic Worm = 27 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
Chatterbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 6-9 Jim Junk) tops 5-15 Jim Junk 6/22/20
Spinnerbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 15 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Crankbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Troy Jackson)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Buzzbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-5 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-1 Brent Jackson) no prior entry
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk)
Underspin = 1 bass (3-12 Jim Junk)
Comments: For the fifth straight year, the good, old plastic worm led the way and in our case the lure was exclusively a wacky rigged Senko type worm. However, chatterbaits were the big bass leader in landing five or our Top 10 bass.

Troy Jackson September 4

Monthly Top Bass
January
No submissions
February
No submissions
March
3-3 Jim Junk
April
6-9 Jim Junk
May
2-12 Troy Jackson
June
4-2 John Kirkemo
July
3-1 Brent Jackson
August
3-5 Troy Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson
October
2-14 Brent Jackson
November
4-6 Jim Junk
December
No submissions
Comments: Half of our eight anglers managed to post a monthly Top Bass during the nine months that we had submissions.

Jim Junk 6-9 April 4

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
4-6 Jim Junk 11/5/22
4-3 Jim Junk 4/21/22
4-2 John Kirkemo 6/13/22
Comments: A stellar year by our winner as Jim posts eight of our Top 10 bass of 2022. And a solid showing from our crew as it took a bass over four pounds to crack the Top 10.

Bonus Species

Other Species – Trout
John Kirkemo ~48” (12”, 12”, 12”,<12”)
Comments: The Top 5 expanded to include species besides bass in 2017. Submissions have been few and far between over the years but always fun to see something different. Thanks, John, for some variety from the streams of Iowa and a southern Illinois fishing hole.

And many thanks to those who took the time to share fish and fish stories. We had a good mix of young and not as young anglers, as well as guys and gals. I appreciate all and hope that you will consider joining up again in 2023. It’s always a treat to see a new fish story in the Inbox, in a text, or in person. Here’s to celebrating the ten-year anniversary of the Top 5. Stay tuned for a look at the Top 5 record book covering 2014 through 2022. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Our Top 5 leader is back with a trio of quality strip mine bass, and I found a couple good bites on the Hennepin Canal. While none of our catches boosted our totals, it sure is good to have a handful of November bass for another Top 5 Update.

Weight: 4-6
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: November 5
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait
Structure: Submerged weeds on flats

Weight: 4-0
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: November 5
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait
Structure: Submerged weeds on flats

Weight: 3-1
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: November 5
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait
Structure: Submerged weeds on flats
Angler Comments: Glad to get some hungry November bass.
Top 5 Weight: 27-13 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-1,4-7)

Weight: 2-8
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: November 6
Weather: Sunny/windy, 60F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed)
Structure: Open water/drop

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: November 6
Weather: Sunny/windy, 60F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed)
Structure: Dropoff
Angler Comments: It is getting to be that time of the year when I wonder if it is my last time on the water. Good to get a quality bite among those bonus November bass.
Top 5 Weight: 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)

Sure can’t beat the warm weather this late in the year and happy to have it relate to some good bites. Looks like the weather isn’t going to be so friendly as we head into next weekend so get out there if you can during the week. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stat Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hard to believe only two months remain in 2022. As we hit November that means it is time for another Top 5 Stat Update. October saw half a dozen bass added to our submissions bringing the total to ninety-seven. In addition, a couple more trout made the list for the lone other species in our project.

2022 Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 35 bass
May = 7 bass
June = 16 bass
July = 2 bass
August = 11 bass
September = 5 bass
October = 6 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)
May = 11-9 (2-12,2-11,2-5,2-0,1-13)
June = 16-7 (4-2,3-5,3-3,2-15,2-14)
July = 4-11 (3-1,1-10)
August = 15-1 (3-5,3-4,2-15,2-13,2-12)
September = 10-14 (3-10,3-8,1-11,1-5,0-12)
October = 11-12 (2-14,2-10,2-4,2-3,1-13)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 56 bass
Bank = 41 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-9 (4-2,3-8,3-5,3-5,3-5)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)

Public vs. Private
Public = 95 bass
Private = 2 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = 2=7 (1-11,0-12)

The Baits (* = new 2022 record)
Plastic Worm = 27 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
Spinnerbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
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
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Crankbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Troy Jackson)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Buzzbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-5 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-1 Brent Jackson) no prior entry
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 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
May
2-12 Troy Jackson
June
4-2 John Kirkemo
July
3-1 Brent Jackson
August
3-5 Troy Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson
October
2-14 Brent Jackson

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
4-2 John Kirkemo 6/13/22
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 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)
Troy Jackson 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
John Kirkemo: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)
Jayce Jackson 7-1 (2-3,1-11,1-4,1-3,0-12)
Helena Jackson 1-3 (1-3)
Zac Jackson 1-0 (1-0)
Carly Jackson 0-14 (0-14)

Other Species – Trout

John Kirkemo ~48” (12”, 12”, 12”,<12”)

Pleasant weather this week and only sixty-one more days to add a catch, so here’s hoping we can add a few more fish. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Did somebody say, “Don’t put your poles away just yet?” Well, several of us took that advice and hit the water with October drawing to a close. Three anglers, three waters, and six submissions make for a quality late season update this week.

Length: 12”
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 26
Weather: Partly cloudy, gusty northwest wind, air temp 60s
Water Temp: Unknown
Location: Devils Kitchen Lake, Makanda, IL
Lure: Four-inch floating Rapala (black/silver)
Structure: Open water

Length: Less than12”
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 26
Weather: Partly cloudy, gusty northwest wind, air temp 60s
Water Temp: Unknown
Location: Devils Kitchen Lake, Makanda, IL
Lure: Seps Colorado Pro Flasher with a No. 2 Roy Self brass colored spoon with mirrored red head
Structure: Open water
Angler Comments: These are hatchery raised fish recently released during the fall trout season. Fish were active on the surface often jumping several feet in the air. The twelve-inch trout was taken casting the Rapala in open water. The smaller trout was caught trolling the Roy Self spoon
Top 5 Length: ~48” (12”,12”,12”, <12”)

Weight: 1-10
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 29
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)

Weight: 1-13
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 30
Weather: Overcast skies, light breeze from the east, air temps 50s
Water Temp: 55F
Location: Lake Storey, Galesburg, IL
Lure: Spinnerbait
Structure: About five yards off the dam
Angler Comments: The fish hit the lure near the boat in deep water. Only one other smaller bass caught in 3.5 hours of fishing.
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)

Weight: 2-3 (18”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: October 30
Weather: Overcast/breezy, 60F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (bleeding shad) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Log
Angler Comments: No wonder this one hit my lure as it looked like it was starving. Long but scrawny, it should have been pushing three pounds. It wasn’t, but still a good fish.

Weight: 2-4 (17.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: October 30
Weather: Overcast/breezy, 60F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (bleeding shad) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Logs
Angler Comments: This one hit right next to the boat with about two feet of line out. I had to disengage the spool to make landing the bass more manageable.
Top 5 Weight: 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)

It’s always cool to see a species beyond our bass make an appearance. And while our bass did not give us a boost, we are getting to that “icing on the cake” period headed into the last two months of the year. I don’t know about anybody else, but I have my sights on my annual goal of a November bass (or more) before I call it quits. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As the 2022 Top 5 heads into the home stretch, we get a bit of variety for today’s submissions. Beyond some bass, we not only have a bonus species but also a bonus video clip of the catch.

Brown Trout
Weight: 12” (or less)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Weather: Early morning, Sunny
Water Temperature: Unknown
Location: Maquoketa River at Backbone State Park near Dundee, IA. Waded about a mile upstream from the road.
Lure: Three inch black and silver floating Rapala
Comments: I flipped the lure into the current at the head of the fast water. The trout hit within seconds of the lure beginning its wobble in the fast current.
Top 5 Length: 24” (12”,12”)

 

Largemouth Bass

Weight: 1-1 (15”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 6, 2022
Weather: Clear skies with bright morning sun
Water temperature: Unknown
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Rapala

Weight: 1-15 (16”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 6, 2022
Weather: Clear skies with bright late morning sun
Water temperature: Unknown
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Wacky Worm

Weight: 1-15 (16”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 6, 2022
Weather: Clear skies with bright late morning sun
Water temperature: Unknown
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Rapala
Angler Comments: The weather was pleasant with a light breeze at times. The 1 lbs. 1 oz. fish slammed the lure hard while the two bigger fish were less aggressive. The bigger fish were in shallow water covered by shade and were caught in late morning. Three to four other fish less than twelve inches were also landed.
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)

Thanks for the fish, John, and I appreciate the addition of the video submission for your stream catch. Always cool to add a little something new to our weekly updates. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stat Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Back with another stat update as 2022 continues to roll on.

2022 Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 35 bass
May = 7 bass
June = 16 bass
July = 2 bass
August = 11 bass
September = 5 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)
May = 11-9 (2-12,2-11,2-5,2-0,1-13)
June = 16-7 (4-2,3-5,3-3,2-15,2-14)
July = 4-11 (3-1,1-10)
August = 15-1 (3-5,3-4,2-15,2-13,2-12)
September = 10-14 (3-10,3-8,1-11,1-5,0-12)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 50 bass
Bank = 41 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-9 (4-2,3-8,3-5,3-5,3-5)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)

Public vs. Private
Public = 89 bass
Private = 2 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = 2=7 (1-11,0-12)

The Baits (* = new 2022 record)
Plastic Worm = 26 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
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 = 12 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Crankbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Troy Jackson)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
*Buzzbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 3-5 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-1 Brent Jackson) no prior entry
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 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
May
2-12 Troy Jackson
June
4-2 John Kirkemo
July
3-1 Brent Jackson
August
3-5 Troy Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson

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
4-2 John Kirkemo 6/13/22
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 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)
Troy Jackson 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)
John Kirkemo: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)
Jayce Jackson 7-1 (2-3,1-11,1-4,1-3,0-12)
Helena Jackson 1-3 (1-3)
Zac Jackson 1-0 (1-0)
Carly Jackson 0-14 (0-14)

Other Species – Trout

John Kirkemo 12” (12”)

Heading into the home stretch now, hoping for a few more submissions before we call it a year. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This week we have a pair of October bass as we head into the home stretch of 2022 fishing. While neither catch boosts the angler’s weight, they are quality fish and worth a shout out.

Weight: 2-10 (19″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: October 1
Weather: Sunny/calm
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Booyah Buzzbait (black)
Structure: Fallen tree
Angler Comments: The bites were few but at least I got one good one on this outing. Full report later this month.
Top 5 Weight: 16-10 (3-10,3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2)

Weight: 2-14
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 2
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1)

Time will tell how much more our anglers get out on the water but here’s hoping that there are at least a few more catches to come. But stop back in as there is plenty of fishing stuff to come as I catch up on September outings, compile some stats and compose the October reports. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here’s another quality strip mine bass from Brent for this week’s update as those Knox County fishing holes near the end of angler access for 2022.

Weight: 3-8
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 23
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 18-9 (5-4,3-9,3-8,3-3,3-1) culls 2-15

A good-looking catch boots Brent’s last two-pounder and pushes him closer to the coveted twenty-pound mark. It will take a four-and-a-half-pounder to get him to twenty. They are out there but they don’t come easy. Overall, we are at ninety-one bass, a solid year but a tall order to get us to the one hundred bass mark for 2022. But fall can be a time when some big bass let their guard down so don’t put those poles away just yet. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another angler has a limit of five fish as Jayce Jackson finds the two bass he was missing while on a fishing adventure to a Peoria County private lake.

Weight: 1-11
Angler: Jayce Jackson
Date: September 17
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Water Temp: 74F
Location: Peoria County private lake
Lure: Whopper Plopper 90 (Terminator)
Structure: Flat/sticks

Weight: 0-12
Angler: Jayce Jackson
Date: September 17
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Water Temp: 74F
Location: Peoria County private lake
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Angler Comments: I had a fun time.
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (2-3,1-11,1-4,1-3,0-12)

Well done, Jayce, and here’s hoping we can find a few more quality bites to boost your total before the year ends. Talk to you later. Troy