Category: Top 5

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

We have our first submission from October as Brent found a good bite at the strip mines.

Weight: 3-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 19
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spinnerbait
Editor’s Note: Brent’s full report consisted of a two-hour trip where he landed nine bass with a Top 5 Weight of 7-12, all on a spinnerbait.
Top 5 Weight: 17-14 (3-15,3-12,3-9,3-6,3-4) culls a 3-2

A solid boost late in the year is always something to cheer about. Here’s to adding a few more fish for a strong finish to 2024. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A new month means a look at the current Top 5 Stats. The last couple of months have been lean for submissions as it can get tough to find a fish to boost the total this late in the year. But they are out there, just have to keep on casting.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass
August = 1 bass
September = 4 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)
August = 1-3 (1-3)
September = 11-5 (3-10,3-6,3-2,1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 46 bass
Bank = 20 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-6 (3-15,3-12,3-4,3-4,3-3)
Bank = 18-14 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-10,3-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 65 bass
Private = 1 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = 1-3 (1-3)

The Baits
Jerkbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 9 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Frog = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-10 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson
August
1-3 Brady Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-10 Troy Jackson 9/29
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-6 Troy Jackson 9/29
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 17-7 (3-15.3-12,3-6,3-4,3-2)
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Troy Jackson 16-5 (3-10,3-6,3-3,3-2,3-0)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)
Brady Jackson 1-3 (1-3)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 9-13 (3-5,2-6,1-12,1-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

A tight race at the top of the Top 5 Bass totals with just over a pound separating the top three anglers. We’ll see what October has in store. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It’s been a while, but I get to contribute a couple of bass to this week’s update. Hopefully, it is a sign that there will be a strong finish to the year as the catches below represent my top two bass of the year.

Weight: 3-6 (19″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: September 29
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy, 80F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino)
Structure: Log/weed edge
Angler Comments: An offshore log in a mix of surface and subsurface vegetation was a winner on what would be my Top Bass of the year. A mark that it held for about two hours before landing the bass below.

Weight: 3-10 (19″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: September 29
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy, 80F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino)
Structure: Laydown/weed edge
Angler Comments: My new Top Bass of the year came off a classic spot. I ran the frog over a weed mat near a laydown and right as it hit the edge of open water, this bass exploded on the bait. Gotta dig it when a bass is right where it is supposed to be.
Top 5 Weight: 16-5 (3-10,3-6,3-3,3-2,3-0) culls 3-0 and 2-15

Two good fish and there’s more to the story involving a lure adjustment but I will save those details for the full fishing report. And after a four-day weekend courtesy of a couple vacation days, I am behind on the fishing reports again. Stay tuned for the scoop from Lake Storey (9/26 outing), the Knox County strip pits (9/27 outing), and the Hennepin Canal (9/29 outing). Talk to you later. Troy

Top5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Our southeast field rep, John Kirkemo, comes through with another submission and additional insights on spotted bass.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 10
Weather: Evening light with air temperature in the high 70s
Water temperature: 83 degrees
Location: Lake Hartwell at Oconee Point Campground, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3.5” floating Rapala
Angler Comments: I was casting the lure toward the top of a tree standing in about 20 feet of water. Only the top foot or two of the tree extended above the water’s surface. The treetop had a few very small leaves but was mostly just thin bare branches as shown in the attached picture. Before I could begin my retrieve, the bass slammed the lure so hard the reel handle hit my finger causing a bruise as shown in the picture. This was not a big fish but was very aggressive. I have been catching spotted bass since late March 2024. In my opinion, spotted bass tend to be more aggressive and fight harder than their close cousin largemouth bass. I discovered this tree top two days ago and have fished it every day since. It always holds a bass or two.
Top 5 Weight: 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)

Gives a whole new perspective on “bass thumb” with that catch. Good luck out there and keep sending them my way. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Welcome back to John Kirkemo out of our “southeast field office” with a striped bass entry to complete his Top 5 for the species.

Hybrid Striped Bass
Weight: 1-6
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 7
Weather: Evening light with passing rain showers. Air temperature about 80 degrees.
Water temperature: 85 degrees
Location: Lake Hartwell at Oconee Point Campground, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3.5-inch floating Rapala
Comments: Caught this fish while trolling open water.
Top 5 Weight: 9-13 (3-5,2-6,1-12,1-6,1-0)

Bonus pic, the classic Rapala Floating Minnow

Sounds like the heat has subsided down there in South Carolina so here’s to some more casting and catching. Good luck to all and send them my way. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

August is historically a slow Top 5 month and 2024 was no exception with only one entry. September equaled the August total after one day and that entry helped boost Brent into the lead among our seven anglers. Read on for those standings and the rest of the up-to-date stats.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass
August = 1 bass
September = 1 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)
August = 1-3 (1-3)
September = 3-2 (3-2)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 45 bass
Bank = 18 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-6 (3-15,3-12,3-4,3-4,3-3)
Bank = 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 62 bass
Private = 1 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = 1-3 (1-3)

The Baits
Jerkbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 9 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Propbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Frog = 6 bass (Top Bass 3-3 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson
August
1-3 Brady Jackson
September
3-2 Brent Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5
3-3 Troy Jackson 7/20
3-2 Troy Jackson 7/13
3-2 Brent Jackson 9/1

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 17-7 (3-15.3-12,3-6,3-4,3-2)
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Troy Jackson 15-4 (3-3,3-2,3-0,3-0,2-15)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)
Brady Jackson 1-3 (1-3)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 6-11 (3-5,2-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

Here’s to a strong fall finish although it gets tough for some to boost their totals late in the season. The good thing is that the fall bite should present opportunities to fool some quality fish if you find time to get on the water. And I certainly plan to as I intend to hit my go to spots at least a time or two before the year winds up. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

September is off to a solid start as Brent posts the first entry of the month.

Weight: 3-2
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 1
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spro Flappin Frog 65
Angler Comments: The new frog paid off. I have had several hits, but this is the only one I got hooked.
Top 5 Weight: 17-7 (3-15,3-12,3-6,3-4,3-2) culls a 2-15

Brent’s catch also puts him in the Top 5 lead for the year. More on that aspect soon with a monthly stat update. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Welcome aboard to a new Top 5 angler as my nephew, Brady, lands a keeper on a family fishing outing this past weekend.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: Brady Jackson
Date: August 10
Location: McDonough County pond
Lure: Senko wacky rig (pink)
Top 5 Weight: 1-3 (1-3)

Way to go, that Senko wacky rig is a winner, even in pink. I watched Brady’s dad knocking ‘em really well on a red one last week though. Was Brent holding out on his favorite color when rigging up the kids? Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another month means another look at the latest stats.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 44 bass
Bank = 17 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-6 (3-15,3-12,3-4,3-4,3-3)
Bank = 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 61 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = no submissions

The Baits
Jerkbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Propbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Frog = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-3 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5
3-3 Troy Jackson 7/20
3-2 Troy Jackson 7/13

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Brent Jackson 17-4 (3-15,3-12,3-6,3-4,2-15)
Troy Jackson 15-4 (3-3,3-2,3-0,3-0,2-15)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 6-11 (3-5,2-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

How in the world did it get to be August already? Keep on casting and catching out there. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

In a repeat of last week’s Top 5 Update, the good old strip mines come through with a trio of bass to give a pair of anglers a boost. I could get used to that although I encourage anyone to get out there and take a shot.

Weight: 3-15
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: July 19
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 17-4 (3-15,3-12,3-6,3-4,2-15) culls 2-13

Weight: 3-3
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: July 20
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino)
Structure: Weed mat

Weight: 2-15
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: July 20
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Whopper Plopper 110 (bone)
Structure: Flat
Top 5 Weight: 15-4 (3-3,3-2,3-0,3-0,2-15) culls 2-14 and 2-12

A solid couple of days for us as Brent’s catch represents his Top Bass for 2024 as does the 3-3 for me. In addition, Brent edges closer to the top spot for the year as he sits only one ounce behind our leader, Jim Junk. Back to catching up on the fishing reports this week so stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy