Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Three more fish this week give solid boosts to a pair of anglers. John Kirkemo is one more decent bite from pushing his creel into double digits. And I am one more decent bite from catching our leader. Read on for the details on our latest catches.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-4
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: May 6
Weather: See attached pictures (below)
Water Temperature: 63 degrees
Location: Lake Jocassee, SC (See attached map)
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fished from Noon to 3:30 p.m. Trolled for trout using the downrigger for a while and had one on but for only a few seconds. Switched to casting toward shoreline structure and managed to hook and land this fish after losing two others.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 2-4
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: May 9
Weather: Overcast sky, light variable wind, air temperature 70s
Water Temperature: 73 degrees
Location: Lake Keowee at South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fished from 8:00 to 11:30 am. Convinced three fish to strike while trolling the Rapala between 1.6 and 1.7 miles per hour. Caught two small bass which I did not weigh before hooking this fish in about 10 feet of water along the South Cove County Park campground shoreline. This fish had a wound in the corner of his mouth showing he had been hooked and released in the past. I held him in the live well while he recovered. He was released in good condition.
Top 5 Weight: 9-8 (2-8,2-4,1-14,1-10,1-4) culls 1-4 and 1-3

Weight: 2-6 (18″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 10
Weather: Sunny/windy
Water Temperature: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red)
Structure: Rockpile/overhanging tree
Angler Comments: Topwater frog fishing time has arrived as I landed two on the presentation. Always fun to see those bass blast the bait and the Hennepin Canal sets up well with the overabundance of weeds beginning to take hold.
Top 5 Weight: 12-13 (4-14,2-6,1-15,1-15,1-11) culls 1-8

Not sure about the rest of our crew but I have plans to get on the water later this week. In the meantime, stay tuned for another batch of Trip Tunes and the latest report from The Canal. Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – May 4

Posted on by Troy Jackson

On the heels of a tough Saturday bite, I headed back on Sunday for “revenge.” My destination was a stretch where I had struggled to land two bass in just under two hours the previous day. Results ended up pretty much the same as detailed below.

2:51pm – Top Bass at 1-4 (14″) on a spinnerbait

Stats
Date: May 4
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 2:30pm-5:15pm
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Party cloudy/windy, 65F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with twin tail trailer – 2 bass, Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (white) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-4 Spinnerbait
Top 3 Weight (only three at 12” or better): 3-4 (1-4,1-0,1-0)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
Desperado – Eagles (1973)

Notes and Nonsense

Top 10 Quest – I have mentioned before that I have a goal to catch a ten-pound Top 5 on each section of The Canal from the Rock River in Colona to the Visitor Center in Sheffield. The stretch that I fished on Saturday and Sunday is a spot that still falls short of the ten-pound mark. Coming into Saturday I had a total weight of 9-1 consisting of bass weighing 2-12,1-15,1-9,1-7,1-6. A 1-8 on Saturday pushed me to 9-3 but I could not find a bass to provide a boost on Sunday.

4:15pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 1-0 (13.5″) on a spinnerbait

Rise of the Gnats and Weeds – Prior to this weekend, I had not been on The Canal for five weeks and a lot can change between the end of March and the beginning of May. These trips featured the first gnats of the year. While not thick, they were frequent enough to be irritating and likely will only get worse. The aquatic vegetation has begun to grow just under the surface as well. Ditto on the “irritating” and definitely “will only get worse.”

Winning lures

First Topwater – After two bass in two hours on a spinnerbait around some good-looking wood cover, it was time to shift gears. Moving to the opposite side of The Canal, I was covering water nearly devoid of wood cover. Instead, there were riprap banks with a mix of surface and subsurface weeds. Having observed several social media posts reporting topwater fish, I opted to go all in with a buzzbait for the last hour. The good news was that I landed my first topwater bass of the year. The bad news was that it was the lone topwater catch.

4:55pm – First topwater bass of the year at 1-0 (13.5″) on a buzzbait

An Excuse? – I am not sure if I am in a fishing slump but two other anglers that I spoke with reported a tough bite as well. One of them said, “You know what happened?” I did not, but he proceeded to describe a winter kill and stated that he had observed a batch of quality-sized bass as casualties. The second angler noted “some large dead fish” but added that they were so decayed that he was unsure if they were bass.

Who knows what’s going on out there, but The Canal has been stubborn for me in 2025. But that will not deter me, and I plan to get back after them real soon. Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – May 3

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Prior to this outing, I had been off the water for three weeks and had not fished on The Canal since March 30. I was hoping that the bass would miss me and show up in great numbers and impressive size. Those hopes did not materialize but there’s always a fish story so read on.

2:24pm – Top Bass (tie) at 1-8 (14.5″) on a chatterbait

Stats
Date: May 3
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 1:25pm-6:45pm
Totals: 8 bass
Weather: Overcast/windy, 58F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with a BPS Speed Shad trailer (pro blue) – 8 bass
Top Bass: 1-8 Chatterbait (three different fish)
Top 5 Weight: 7-3 (1-8,1-8,1-8,1-7,1-4)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
Carry On Wayward Son – Kansas (1976)

3:58pm – Top Bass (tie) at 1-8 (15.5″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Float Trip – For this outing, I elected to do a “float trip” like Dad, Uncle Dick, and Brent were known to do on a Henderson County creek many years ago. In this case, Julie and Jayce dropped off the van at my downstream take-out area. They then rode with me upstream in the truck, dropped me and the boat, and headed back to the van. Five hours, five miles, and eight bass later, I was back at my truck.

Deer Discovery – Four hours through my float/row, I had struggled to land a mere half dozen bass and found myself in search of the nearest “bathroom.” Seclusion was found on the wild side of an unusually wide part of The Canal under some overhanging limbs next to a large fallen tree. As I stood in the back of the boat an odd-looking branch caught my eye on the other side of the tree trunk . My brain took a few seconds to register that it was an antler and not a branch at all. After completing my initial task, I rowed around the tree to find a deer skull. I would have taken it home and given it to Dad at some point, but it still had about a foot of decaying vertebrae attached, making it a little ripe. I left it in place and if I am back in the future, I will take another look. I doubt anyone else will grab it as it sits near the bank on an expansive flat with about a foot of water.

Winning lure

One Trick Pony – My starting lineup consisted of a lipless crankbait, a spinnerbait, a wacky rigged Senko, and a chatterbait. I gave the spinnerbait and chatterbait ample casts, invested a fair amount of time with the lipless crank, and only made a few casts to specific targets with the Senko. In addition, I tried a Whopper Plopper due to some topwater catches reported by local anglers. In the end, the only lure that I needed was the chatterbait as it fooled all eight bass.

6:43pm – Top Bass (tie) at 1-8 (15.5″) on a chatterbait

It’s always good to get out casting but I will say that the results were a far cry from my expectations. Both in terms of quantity and quality. But it didn’t take me long to give the bass another shot as I was able to get back on the water the next day. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A new month means the time is right for a Top 5 stat update. Thus far, we have four anglers posting twenty-seven bass (largemouth and spotted) along with a lone walleye.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2025 Totals
March = 10 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 1 bass

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

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 14 bass
Bank = 13 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 10-12 (2-8,2-6,2-1,1-15,1-14)
Bank = 19-2 (4-14,4-10,3-13,2-15,2-14)

Public vs. Private
Public = 25 bass
Private = 2 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 17-5 (4-14,4-10,2-15,2-8,2-6)
Private = 6-11 (3-13,2-14)

The Baits
Chatterbait = 9 bass (Top Bass 4-14 Chatterbait)
Lipless Crankbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 4-10 Brent Jackson)
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Swimbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-13 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Brent Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-15 Brent Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-8 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
3-13 Jim Junk
April
4-14 Troy Jackson
May
1-3 John Kirkemo

2025 Top 10 Bass
4-14 Troy Jackson 4/19
4-10 Brent Jackson 4/6
3-13 Jim Junk 4/6
2-15 Jim Junk 3/24
2-14 Jim Junk 4/16
2-8 John Kirkemo 3/18
2-6 Brent Jackson 4-25
2-1 Brent Jackson 4/12
1-15 Troy Jackson 3/22
1-15 Troy Jackson 3/27
1-15 Brent Jackson 4/26

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 13-2 (4-10,2-6,2-3,2-1,1-15)
Troy Jackson 11-15 (4-14,1-15,1-15,1-11,1-8)
Jim Junk 9-10 (3-13,2-15,2-14) – only three fish thus far
John Kirkemo 8-7 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4,1-3)

Other Species

Walleye
Brent Jackson 1-6 (1-6)

Being a stat guy it is fun to delve into the numbers. Here’s to adding some more so get out there, reel ‘em in and send them my way. Email your submissions and details to troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Two more bass from South Carolina keep the update streak alive. These fish also fill the limit for one of our anglers and allows him to cull along the way.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 30
Weather: Bright sun with blue skies. Light wind.
Water temperature: 74 degrees
Location: Lake Keowee near Cane Creek Landing, West Union, SC
Lure: Silver and black 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fish caught while casting toward shore near tree branches hanging over the water.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1 lbs. 3 oz.
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: May 4
Weather: Bright sun with passing clouds
Water Temperature: 73 – 74 degrees
Location: Lake Keowee, Seneca, SC along the South Cove County Park shoreline
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fished from 9 am to noon. Trolled the Rapala in about 10 feet of water. Also lost a bigger bass in the same spot using the same trolled Rapala as this fish. Caught an 11.5-inch bass earlier casting to shoreline structure.
Top 5 Weight: 8-7 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4,1-3) culls 1-1

Thanks, John, and keep on boosting that weight. And I have to say that those spotted bass are attractive as they certainly have a different look compared to their largemouth cousins. Good luck to all and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 25 & 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My brother, Brent, was able to get out on the Knox County strip mines on back-to-back days last week. For these outings he ditched the hiking boots in favor of his kayak. Read on for the notes, pics, and numbers.

April 25 log

April 25 at 8:55am on Senko wacky rig

Yes, folks, Senko time has arrived, keep one tied on from now until October

Date: April 25
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Time: 8:45am-12:05pm
Totals: 27 bass
Lures: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit – 10 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad – 9 bass, Senko wacky rig – 7 bass, Z-Man Chatterbait – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-6 Senko
Top 3 Weight (only three at 12” or better): 4-6 (2-6,1-1,0-15)

April 25 at 10:00am – Top Bass of the trip at 2-6 on a Senko wacky rig

April 26 log

April 26 at 5:33pm – Top Bass of the trip at 1-15 on a popper

Topwater time is here again – Mann’s Chug N’ Spit

Date: April 26
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Time: 4:00pm-6:30pm
Totals: 18 bass
Lures: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit – 12 bass, Senko wacky rig – 4 bass, Z-Man Chatterbait – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 Chug N’ Spit
Top 5 Weight: 8-1 (1-15,1-13,1-8,1-7,1-6)

They may not all be big, but they all count

It’s good to see the Senko wacky rig and topwater bait make their first appearances in a 2025 report. Right on schedule, things are looking up as the bass fuel up, head shallow, and prepare to make more bass. Good luck and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Three more bass this week with one angler moving closer to posting his initial Top 5 limit for the year and another boosting his weight as the early season leader.

Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-10
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 21
Weather: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 70s headed to the low 80s
Water Temp: 73F
Location: Lake Keowee close to the Cane Creek Boat Ramp
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Fished from about 8 am to 11 a.m. casting lures to structure around an island. (See attached picture below.) No other fishermen in sight. Worked our way counterclockwise around the island passing over two shallow bars. Lots of fallen trees in the water. My fishing partner caught three to four fish. His biggest came on a RE shad and weighed an estimated 1 to 2 lbs. He caught two smaller fish on an unweighted bubble gum colored Zoom Trick Worm worked just under the water surface. Lots of follows on this lure. Zoom bubble gum Trick Worms were sold out at the local Walmart for the balance of the week!!
Top 5 Weight: 7-4 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4)

 

Weight: 2-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 25
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 1-15
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 26
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit
Top 5 Weight: 13-3 (4-10,2-6,2-3,2-1,1-15) culls 1-11 and 1-9

Well done guys and keep those catches coming. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes II – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And now, for the rest of the round-trip drive to the fishing hole.

5. Do It Again – The Kinks (1984)
This tune was released as I headed into the home stretch of my senior year. It featured a catchy hook and paired with a fun video; it was a treat. Forty years, three “careers”, lots of hours, weekly paychecks, and gray hair later, the tune is still a favorite. However, it hits on a different level after all those decades of doing it again, and again…

4. Nightrain – Guns N’ Roses (1987)
While this song is a tribute to a cheap wine, me and my buddies were fonder of inexpensive beer. Green Oaks, campfires turned bonfires, a boom box, the Appetite for Destruction cassette tape, and just a few Milwaukee’s Bests with John, Hack, and Catfish. While the album was released in 1987, of course we waited until 1988 before such camping trips after all of us reached 21. (Insert winking emoji)

3. Peace of Mind – Boston (1976)
Nearly fifty years old, but it never gets old. And to think that Tom Scholz pretty much created it all in his basement. With the advent of the internet, it is interesting to check out the wide range of breakdowns of this tune. From creators marveling over the vocals, to musicians pulling apart the song track by track, it fosters a whole new appreciation for a song that’s still going strong on the radio.

2. Feeling That Way/Anytime – Journey (1978)
There are several incarnations of the band Journey. My vote for the best version spans 1978’s Infinity album through 1980’s Departure release. These begin with the addition of vocalist Steve Perry and end with Greg Rolie leaving the band. This song is one of my favorites as it features dual vocals from those members. In addition, when you get two songs for the price of one on the radio, it is always a treat.

1. Some Kind of Wonderful – Grand Funk Railroad (1974)
Love songs come in all shapes and sizes. And this one needs the volume turned up a notch for full effect. There’s much to be said for the ballads that get you misty-eyed but with a foot stompin’, sing along jam like this one, it’s your own fault if you have a bad time. On a side note, also see “Get Ready” from Rare Earth.

Next up is the latest Top 5 Update and I hope to add another strip mine report from Brent as the week progresses. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes I – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A longer drive to and from the fishing hole on this trip means an expanded batch of tunes.

10. YMCA – Village People (1978)
Raise your hand if you have ever been to a wedding reception where the DJ played this gem. Better yet, raise both your hands and, well, you know. As an eleven-year-old kid in the fall of 1978, this one was a winner whether on the radio or at Skate Palace. Over forty-five years later, I still get a kick out of hearing this song as it takes me back in time and I even sing (and sometimes dance) along. (Yes, that is my original 45 pictured above but need a record player)

9. So Into You – Atlanta Rhythm Section (1977)
This band always slips through the cracks for me, so it is cool when I hear one of their tunes on the radio. I recommend a listen through their catalog including “Imaginary Lover”, “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight” and “Do It or Die” as well as some other hits. Also toss in their remake of “Spooky”, best known from the Classics IV (featuring members who would later found ARS).

8. Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
CSN&Y doing what they did best. Harmonized vocals paired with a bouncy mesh of musical accompaniment, both of which start out basic, move to a peak, and fade to a finish. Sure, there are plenty of more heavy hitting tunes from this bunch, but how many of them were ever catchy enough to sell sausage and appliances?

7. Radioactive – The Firm (1985)
While this tune didn’t make a big splash on the charts (Billboard #28), it got plenty of play on MTV. This supergroup consisted of Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), Jimmie Page (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), Chris Slade (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band), and bassist, Tony Franklin. Although this tune was their lone Top 40 hit, “Satisfaction Guaranteed” is also a winner and was another MTV staple.

6. 18 and Life – Skid Row (1989)
I like story songs and this one about a troubled, rebellious youth fit perfectly with the booze infused, bad boy persona of hair metal. MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball was chock full of such stuff and provided a much-needed break from the bulk of Top 40 radio of the day. Some may poke fun at the garb, glam, and coiffure, but you can’t deny that many of those singers had some pipes. And Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach could get it done.

Well, that’s five down and five to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My latest outing on the Knox County public strip mines produced a whopping total of fifty-seven bass (and a crappie). While it sounds impressive, most of the specimens left much to be desired. Read on for the rest of the story.

Starting lineup

Stats
Date: April 19
Location: Knox County public strip pits (4 lakes)
Time: 10:45am-4:30pm (5.00 hours fishing)
Totals: 57 bass, 1 crappie
Weather: Overcast/windy, 56F
Lures Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw) – 36 bass, Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait (smokin shad) aka “Ned Rig” – 17 bass/1 crappie, Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with a BPS Speed Shad trailer (pro blue) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 4-14 (Chatterbait)
Top 5 Weight: 10-4 (4-14,1-8,1-8,1-3,1-3)

2:48pm – Top Bass at 4-14 (20.5″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Choices – I’d love to spend the whole day roaming the Knox County strip mines as there are a dozen parking areas that provide access to close to one hundred lakes. Each lake has its own history, personality, and appeal but time, energy, and weather can be limiting factors. The DNR made the call for me this time as a Conservation Officer who was stopped at one area was in the process of doing some checks. While I admire the job those folks do, and I fish legally, I just didn’t feel like a chat, preferred to get to casting and drove to another access area. Plan B worked out okay.

Dark Sleeper – I purchased a Dark Sleeper earlier this month after solid reviews from internet anglers and a thumbs up from our own Top 5 participant, Jim Junk. It made the starting lineup for this trip, and it didn’t take long to get a few short strikes that were either small or bad aim. When the first solid bite occurred, I set the hook and promptly snapped my line. So, the jury is still out for me on the new bait. I did learn one thing; I should have purchased a back up bait. Jim also gave me a lead on some less pricey purchases so I suspect that I will give the lure another shot.

Bonus crappie at 11.5″ on the Ned Rig

Ticks are out as I found eight on this outing

Mission Accomplished – Lots of little bass on this outing but I hit each of my goals.
Goal #1 – No shutout
Got this one out of the way thirteen minutes into the trip.
Goal #2 – Establish a Top 5 (five bas at 12” or better)
At 2:11pm, I landed my fifth keeper, but a big boost was on the horizon
Goal #3 – Post a double-digit Top 5
When you fool a 4-14, you are nearly halfway there, and four more decent fish were enough to push me past the ten-pound mark.

 

Winning lures

There’s a lot to package from this outing but I find it best not to ramble too long on these reports. Instead, I hope to pass along other aspects of the trip via individual posts. We’ll see if that plan works out or if more fishing reports get in the way. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy