Lake Lowdown Revisited

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After a lengthy hiatus, I reintroduced a project last year that I called “Lake Lowdown” to coincide with kicking off my own website (snip from the 2017 post below). As a refresher, here is a little background on the project followed by some stats to get you up to speed in advance of the 2018 version hitting the blog.

This whole thing started with my stab at fishing reports aimed at mirroring a monthly Bassmaster magazine feature entitled “Day on the Lake.” The monthly article places a pro on an unfamiliar lake and documents the highs and lows in chronological fashion as they spend seven hours on the water trying to figure things out.

From 2002 thorough 2009 I posted seven such reports featuring either Dad or my brother, Brent, as my fishing partner. Our version of these reports differ from the pros as we have fished known locations (with one exception in 2007) and I also photograph and document the details of every bass we land for usage in the final product. While I sure dig the Bassmaster version, I much prefer our reports. Not only because it’s firsthand experience but also because it’s the real deal with a couple guys in 30 or 40 year old boats using whatever fishing gear they’ve amassed since the 80’s and showing you every fish, not just the big ones thrust out at arm’s length as close to the photographer as possible (yes, I have been guilty in the past but these days I make sure to bend them elbows). I’d like to think that it is something to which more than a few fellow bass anglers can relate.

So, I brought the project back last year in conjunction with having my own blog and the 2017 outing wound up being a rousing success. However, I did note the following on the heels of the 2017 outing which took place on private waters.

In the interest of further promoting “regular guy” fishing we do probably need to pull this stunt on public water more often although the bass just don’t jump in the boat at any of our stomping grounds, still takes some work.

Well, we went “public” in 2018 as you will see in tomorrow’s report.

But for today, we take a look at a brief rundown of some of the numbers from each of our previous stabs at this project.

July 9, 2002 with Brent at Lake Bracken (private)
7.50 hours and 37 bass (Troy = 20 Brent = 17)
Top Bass: 1-9 Troy Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-12 (1-9,1-3,1-1,1-0,0-15)

June 13, 2003 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
5.25 hours and 35 bass (Troy = 19 Dad = 16)
Top Bass: 3-3 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-0 (3-3,2-2,1-1,0-14,0-12)

July 23, 2004 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
7.00 hours and 25 bass (Dad = 14 Troy = 11)
Top Bass: 1-14 Troy Buzzbait
Top 4 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-5 (1-14,1-8,1-0,0-15)

July 13, 2005 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
7.50 hours with 20 bass (Dad = 11 Troy = 9)
Top Bass: 2-7 Troy Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 6-8 (2-7,1-5,1-1,0-14,0-13)

May 9, 2007 with Dad Snakeden Hollow strip pit (public)
2.0 hours with 21 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (1-11,1-10,1-8,1-3,1-1)

June 16, 2008 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
6.50 hours with 38 bass (Dad = 26 Troy = 12)
Top Bass: 3-7 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 14-2 (3-7,3-5,2-13,2-9,2-0)

September 21, 2009 with Dad at Lake Storey (public)
7.00 hours with 15 bass (Dad = 8 bass Troy = 7 bass)
Top Bass: 2-10 Troy Creature Bait
Top 5 Weight: 8-11 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-9,1-4)

July 8, 2017 with Dad at Little John Conservation Club (private)
3.50 hours with 17 bass (Troy – 10 bass Dad = 7 bass)
Top Bass: 5-0 Troy Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-4 (5-0,3-5,1-8,1-4,1-3)

Totals
8 outings
46.25 hours
208 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 Troy 7/8/17 Buzzbait
Daily Top 5 Weight Record: 14-2 Lake Bracken 6/16/08
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 18-4 (5-0,3-7,3-5,3-5,3-3)

So there you have the basis, background and up to date recap regarding the project deemed “Lake Lowdown.” Tune in tomorrow for the 2018 version and talk to you later. Troy

 

 

Lake Storey Report October 18

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Finally able to work in a Lake Storey trip for 2018 as I was starting to wonder if I would be able to get it done before the weather got too ugly for me. It took the investment of a pair of vacation days but certainly worth it for back to back days on my “home lake.” The first of the two reports coming at you below and happy to say some productive days on a longtime favorite fall fishing destination.

Stats

Date: October 18, 2018
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 10:20am-4:35pm
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 44-61F
Water Temp: 54-58F
Totals: 13 bass
Lures:
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white shad) – 13 bass
Top Bass: 1-8 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 6-2 (1-8,1-6,1-2,1-1,1-1)

1:03pm Top Bass 14.5″ 1-8 Spinnerbait

Notes & Nonsense

First Cast – Lake Storey can be a stingy lake at times as it supports a population of smart bass that get their education via a steady stream of angling pressure. So when you launch your boat, do your best intro, describe a historically productive spot and then proceed to catch a bass on your first cast of the day, all you can do is laugh at your good fortune. And while I’ve often viewed the “first cast bass” as a potential bit of bad luck, all worked out just fine on this day. Video of the catch below.

 

Shifting Gears – After nabbing that first cast bass on a spinnerbait, I kept on tossing it around my regular stops and it kept on getting bit. Now I’m not normally a spinnerbait guy on Lake Storey (that would be my brother Brent’s gig as we will see in the next report) as I lean towards more of a crankbait bite. But there’s no way I’m going to alter my offering when the bass are telling me that they want a spinnerbait. Yes, even as a creature of habit, I’m not that stubborn. For proof, the spinnerbait caught every fish on this outing as my brief foray into other offerings (crankbaits, creature baits and lipless cranks) proved to be unproductive so I wisely set them aside.

11:14am featuring a reveal on the bait that got the job done

Fun in the Sun – While full sun concerns me at a number of my fishing holes, Lake Storey is not one of them as I also prefaced in my intro. Turned out just fine as all but one of my catches were soaking up some rays on the banks hit by direct sunlight.

3:11pm Solid, stout fish are easy on the eyes, 14.5″ 1-6 on Spinnerbait

Not Made in the Shade – In contrast to the sun success, I sure couldn’t buy a bite in the shade. Even when fishing similar depth and structure it was just no go. Unfortunately, it took me a while to figure out that even my go to spots just weren’t going to work on the shady side as I went about an hour without a bite before making another run in the sun.

Wood is Good – Recent rains had brought the water level up a bit compared to the full drawdown pool which was kind of cool as it brought some structure back into play. A great deal more wood in the form of laydowns and brush were now shallow targets and 9 of my 13 catches were in those neighborhoods.

 

Fishing Friend – Ran into a fellow fisherman that I have known since the 80s and had a good chat which was a pleasant addition to our prodigious email correspondence discussing Lake Storey and beyond over the years. I’ll call him “Larry” and while he was walleye fishing on this day, he noted that he’d run into a few bass in the pound range and backed up my assessment on how healthy the bass looked. So while size was lacking the bass were indeed a stout sort.

Consistency – Kind of interesting too, that my Top 5 Weight for the day of 6-2 was an exact match from my last outing on October 2, 2017.
10/18/2018 Top 5 Weight: 6-2 (1-8,1-6,1-2,1-1,1-1)
10/2/2017 Top 5 Weight 6-2 (1-11,1-3,1-2,1-1,1-1)

 

No lunkers on this outing but I was quite pleased with the quantity of bites and the quality build of the catch. My average catch rate based on data from 1997 to present comes in at 0.98 bass per hour so this trip’s rate of 2.08 was outstanding for me. And what was also cool was the fact that I would be back on the water the next day with my brother, Brent, a spinnerbait wizard, to do it all over again. That report heads your way soon as the 2018 version of something I call “Lake Lowdown.” But first, a recap of what the feature is all about along with the historical data from all prior “Lake Lowdown” outings. Hope you’ll check it out and talk to you later. Troy

 

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, we have for you today the Top 5 Update you’ve all been waiting for. Multispecies, young angler and not so young angler submissions, a new fisherman, a new species record, a new lake record and another member joins the 20-pound club for 2018. Without further ado, here we go.

Weight: 13-0
Angler: Teagan Mills
Date: October 13
Location: Private pond
Bait: Dipbait
Structure: Open water
Angler Comments: The catfish half swallowed dipbait hook.
Top 5 Weight: 13-0
Editor’s Note: This submission represents a new Top 5 channel catfish record and kind of fun that Teagan’s fish tops the former mark set by his school principal. I encourage a little good natured ribbing from the new top dog.

Weight: 1-5 (12.5”)
Angler: Riley Danner
Date: October 14
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temperature: 60F
Lure: Weedless wacky worm
Structure: Submerged vegetation and wood along shoreline.
Angler Comments: Glad to finally get to go fishing with my Uncle John and my cousin, Landon. The weather was chilly but I was excited to catch my first fish this fall. It was great to go out in my uncle’s boat as opposed to fishing from the bank.
Top 5 Weight: 1-5

Weight: 2-7 (17”)
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 19
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Lure: Tandem Spinnerbait (Emiquon Special)
Structure: Dock

Weight: 3-8 (18”)
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 19
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Lure: Tandem Spinnerbait (white)
Structure: Laydown

Weight: 4-11 (20”)
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 19
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Lure: Tandem Spinnerbait (white)
Structure: Laydown
Top 5 Weight: 19-2 (5-1,4-11,3-8,3-7,2-7) culls 2-12,2-10,2-3
Editor’s note: This bass represents a new lake record among family and friends and a fortunate series of events surround the catch, details in fishing report later this week.

Weight: 4-11
Angler: Chris Schwarz
Date: October 21
Location: Private lake – Knox County, IL
Lure: Chatterbait
Top 5 Weight: 20-15 (4-11,4-11,4-8,4-0,3-1) culls 2-8

Now that’s an update, folks, a stellar batch of catches and a lot to offer in terms of firsts, bests and fish stories. That’s what it’s all about and why it’s always exciting to find something new in the Inbox. Just like on the water, you never know what’s going to show up.

One final note on our bass tally for 2018. We currently sit at 97 bass so what do you say we set our sights on pushing it over the century mark before the year draws to a close. I am on my way to do my part today as I took a day off work. I’ll keep you posted and you do the same. Thanks to all for the submissions and talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Discussion and Preview

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It’s been a busy last several days with a pair of visits to my “home” lake, Lake Storey in Knox County, Illinois. I’ve been fishing the lake since I was a little kid and have racked up more than a few stories over many years and many casts on the fishing hole.

The recent visits have been winners on a variety of levels and I’m really looking forward to passing along all the details. Kind of a time crunch as of late though with time on the water and time with family so the best I can do at present is a bit of a video recap. This one has already been out there on my Facebook page for a couple days so if you aren’t my “friend”, may be worth a request as there is additional content out there in addition to the blog.

I shot this brief wrap-up upon returning home after a wildly successful Friday outing with my brother, Brent. It is actually one of a series of video rambles on Lake Storey, some basic bass fishing stuff and a few bits of random assorted nonsense. It just gets kind of tough at times to review, compose, edit and submit all of the content around what is truly important.

Yes, I dedicate a decent amount of time to sharing fish stories and such but being a husband, Dad and co-breadwinner reside quite a bit higher up the priority list and trump fisherman, blogger and videographer. As such, here’s a quick hit as a tease to some of the recent developments that have taken place on the water. I hope to get the reports out next week and perhaps work in periodic video clips down the road as my fishing days are likely drawing to a close for 2018.

 

Thanks all for tuning in and right back at you tomorrow with a pretty cool Top 5 Update featuring some stellar Fall catches. Good luck out there, stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 23, 1998

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For the second consecutive Friday Flashback we revisit Knox County, Illinois’ Lake Storey.

And here’s what’s extra cool about this post.

Just a few days shy of exactly 20 years later, the same two guys featured in these flashback photos are out there again looking for a few more bites as they add to their collective stockpile of fish stories.

As we await the results of the 2018 version of a Lake Storey outing with my brother, Brent, we’ll take a look at the 1998 version as a warm-up.

When a fishing trip produces a pair of lake records that’s a solid day. Especially when you only combine for four total catches.

1:32pm (pic above) – Brent lands a 4-7 bass along a tried and true stretch or structure that consists of some shallow scattered riprap. No surprise at all that he is wielding a spinnerbait to fool a new Lake Storey bass record, eclipsing Dad’s 4-6 from 1988. The record would stand until 2007 when I was able to bump it up another ounce with a 4-8.

3:30pm (pic above) – My trusty Blue Glimmer spinnerbait crossed paths with one of the lake’s toothy residents that equaled my personal best muskie at 7-14 (33.0”), tying a 33.5” of the same weight from September 1997 at Snakeden Hollow’s Lake McMaster. This Top Muskie has been topped four times over the years with the current mark of 43.5” and 19-8 from Lake Storey in September 2012.

12:45pm (pic above) – For good measure, our third quality catch of the day was our first with a 2-0 bass also on the Blue Glimmer spinnerbait. Not a trophy or a record but a solid catch as anything at two pounds or better is a “good fish” in my book, especially on a stingy spot like Lake Storey.

A legendary lure that I simply call the “Blue Glimmer”

What’s also fun is that I remember exactly where all of our catches came from without having to peek at the log or scour the background of the photos for clues. It’s a little something that I call “piscatorial memory”, a concept long stashed away in my stack of blog posts for another day.

Original log entry complete with battle blemishes

Another fun note on this outing is a look back at the log entry as it features the splotches from the splashes of that new muskie record. While I don’t recall the specifics of the muskie decorating the notebook, an investigative eye shows the muskie data to be free of blemishes leading me to believe that the muskie was the culprit. Makes for a good piece of the story at least.

I’ll close with a final observation regarding the Lake Storey bass record as there seems to be a bit of a pattern. Looks like about every 10 years or so a new Top Bass joins the record book. Dad kicked it off in 1988, Brent upped it by an ounce on this 1998 outing, my 2007 bass came in a year ahead of schedule and here we are in 2018 with two of the Lake Storey record holders headed to the lake…

Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – October 14

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last Sunday afternoon provided a few hours to get on the water after some boat prep work at my folks in Galesburg in advance of some possible fishing later this week. After clearing the clutter from Dad’s boat, checking tire pressure and getting the batteries charging I had several hours of daylight and the little johnboat in the bed of my truck. So, it was off to the strip mines where Top 5 leader, Jim Junk, had texted that he would be chasing some crappie. Perhaps he could be convinced to join up for some bassing…

The makings of a fishing trip

Stats

Date: October 14, 2018
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (1 lake with Jim, 1 lake solo)
Time: 3:10pm-6:15pm
Weather: Overcast/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 51F
Totals: 10 bass (Troy = 6, Jim = 4)
Lures Troy
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 3 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Senko wacky rig (pumpkin/black flake) – 1 bass
Lures Jim
Wacky rigged worm
Top Bass: 1-7 Jim Wacky worm
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 3-8 (1-7,1-1,1-0)

Notes and Nonsense

Teaming Up – I’d texted Jim to warn him that I was headed in his direction but hadn’t received a reply and didn’t spot his vehicle upon arrival so figured I was on my own. However, as I drug the boat down the grassy “ramp” I heard somebody holler. Turned out that I would enjoy some good company while Jim gave the semi-cooperative crappie a break.

3:32pm- Jim with a 1-0 on wacky rigged worm

Counting Catches – As a dedicated “logger”, I got a kick out of Jim mentioning that he recently decided to track some data on his catches. A text message from October 8 had put his October totals at “25 bass with 8 over 3 pounds and biggest at 4-1.” As we hit the water, Jim noted that he was sitting at 35 bass which gave him just a slight edge over my October total. A slight edge of 35 bass. Well, in the hour and a half of our tag team bassing I sure didn’t gain any ground as he continued to outfish me four to one.

Close Quarters – Don’t know if you’ve ever teamed up with a co-angler in an eight foot johnboat but it’s quite an interesting experience, been doing it for 35 years or so. Takes a little coordinated casting and boat maneuvering to hit your spots from a decent angle while ideally not hitting each other upside the head. In addition, not only can you get a visual hint when your partner is gearing up for a hookset but on occasion you can also feel the boat move. I got a laugh out of such an instance this time around in seeing and feeling Jim briefly lean into and flinch in a near hookset as a bass did one of those quick hit and then let go of the lure moves. The cool thing is that only seconds later the bass came back for another shot and got it right resulting in a repeat lean followed up by the real deal on a hookset and catch. Good stuff that I suspect you just don’t get in a $50,000 bass rig.

3:45pm Top Bass at 1-7 on an afternoon where we couldn’t find that big bite

Fair Finish – After an hour and a half I decided to relocate to another nearby fishing hole while Jim elected to finish his day chasing a few more crappie. I managed to pick up five more bass including my Top Bass of the outing at 1-1. Nothing much to write home about but still blog worthy as I simply tell it like it happened. Jim wound up with a decent batch of crappie but elected to set them free when it was all said and done instead of winding up with a late evening of cleaning fish.

5:47pm best I could muster at 1-1 on a spinnerbait

So, glad to get out as always though not much to brag about. A bit more of a pleasant afternoon/evening than I really anticipated as a couple layers of clothing made it quite comfortable in the low 50s temps with merely a light breeze. Getting to that point where I know my days on the water are numbered so honestly a bit antsy to put some more bass in the log and hoping for a late season boost to my somewhat lackluster Top 5. Hope to invest some time (and a few vacation days) as the weather looks stable leading into and through the weekend although more than a bit chilly in terms of overnight lows. Hope you’ll check back in for what lies in store over the back half of the month and if you get out, by all means send any Top 5 catches my way as we push towards 100 bass (93 bass and counting as we already have a new entry for next Monday’s update). Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Even though it was a weird weather week in my neck of the woods, a pair of anglers (including a new participant/first lady entrant of 2018) were able to parlay the last day of decent temps into catching some decent bass. Their mid-week outing featured a high of 74F and falling according to the local weather report before a cold front moved in and dropped the high to 49F on the following day. The work week then wound up with a high of 40F and snow flurries while the weekend barely hit 50F. Welcome to the West Central Illinois.

Weight: 1-11
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 10
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 69-70F
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation and wood
Angler Comments: See entry below

Weight: 1-14 (14.25”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 10
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 69-70F
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation and wood
Angler Comments: See entry below
Top 5 Weight: 10-8 (2-7,2-3,2-0,2-0,1-14) culls 1-9

Weight: 2-15 (17”)
Angler: Patricia Kirkemo
Date: October 10
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 69-70F
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation and wood
Angler Comments: These comments are from John Kirkemo, husband of the angler. Fished from 1:45 pm to 4:15 pm as the cold front passed. Cloudy with brief sunshine and a stiff west wind. One brief rain shower.
Top 5 Weight: 2-15 (2-15)

Many thanks to the fishing couple for getting out there when the opportunity arose to fool a few more bass and keep our Top 5 Update streak alive. Their trio of bass bring our total to 92 bass submitted so still hoping we can hit the century mark before 2018 is all said and done. I took my shot yesterday along with a fishing partner for a few afternoon/evening hours but those results are a story for later this week. Hope you’ll tune in and good luck out there as it looks to be a run of cool but stable weather as the upcoming week progresses around here. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 13, 2008

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Original log entry from 10/13/2008

Back to Lake Storey and only one day shy of exactly ten years ago. This outing was one of the annual visits to the “home lake” with Dad. I too had a solid handle on being a dad but kind of only half the dad that I am these days. Only two little girls at the time, didn’t know that they’d have a couple little brothers on the way. Much has changed on the family front, but in regards to the fishing hole it still resides at the top of the list thanks to the angling challenges, exciting rewards, aesthetic appeal and personal history. Read on for a sample of these characteristics as conveyed via excerpts from the original 2008 fishing report.

This outing and the actual lures from the trip are older than this boy (and his big brother)

10-13-08
Lake Storey (with Dad)
Time: 8:40am-2:10pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Dad – 12 bass 1 Muskie (20”)
Troy – 8 bass 1 walleye (4-14)
Lures
Bomber Flat A in baby bass pattern (also 1 muskie & 1 walleye) – 9 bass
Zoom Super Hog (watermelon seed) – 9 bass
Quad Shad Spinnerbait (white) – 2 bass
Top Bass – Dad 3-0 Troy 1-13
Top 5 weight 8-3 (3-0,1-13,1-4,1-3,0-15)

Solid 4-14 walleye but three pounds lighter than another Lake Storey catch a week and a half earlier

Challenge and Reward, Part I – The second quality walleye “accident” of October tipped the scales at 4-14; a very good fish that kind of paled a bit in comparison when following up a near eight pounder.

Top Bass for the day was Dad’s 3-0 on a Zoom Super Hog creature bait

Challenge and Reward, Part II – This outing and a series of earlier fishing trips produced a handful of new entries for the record book. Eight bass gained entry with Dad’s 3-0 taking Top Bass honors. All eight came from Lake Storey as the strip mines just couldn’t compete with Galesburg’s “home lake” when it was in the midst of the annual fall drawdown.

Aesthetic Appeal, Part I – The drawdown drops the lake level several feet leaving a great deal of structure (trees, stumps, rockpiles, weeds and docks) high and dry. This drastically limits the amount of hiding places for smaller forage fish and allows the larger predators to stock up as we head towards colder weather. Theoretically, this management tool will help sustain a healthy fishery. For the angler, the drawdown provides a glimpse under the surface that can be helpful in targeting the fish when the lake reaches its normal pool in the spring. In addition, it makes any remaining subsurface structure a potential magnet for baitfish which, in turn, attracts predators such as bass, walleye and muskie. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to reap the rewards and I would say the practice is working just fine.

I like pics of any toothy critter so Dad humored me for this juvenile catch (cool drawdown background too)

Aesthetic Appeal, Part II – During my trips to Lake Storey I observed a pair of our most impressive birds of prey. First up was an osprey that I watched as it plummeted to the water’s surface while harvesting an unsuspecting fish for lunch. Next was a bald eagle, the first I’ve seen at Lake Storey. I have also spotted a few at Lake Bracken and Snakeden over the years, testimony to the marked recovery of the species.

Personal History – Twice I ran out of battery power and had to utilize the gas motor to get back to the ramp. While it’s against regulations, desperate times call for desperate measures. Ain’t the first time I had to pull the stunt as one other time Brent and I had to fire up the big motor to escape a storm that snuck up on us.

Chalk up another successful outing and a few more fish stories from Lake Storey

Actually, this stuff all fits under the personal history category and cool when it overlaps with Dad’s personal history in this case or other fishing partners in other instances. Stories to be told again and again and always a treat when you share the adventure as each person recalls some different aspect of the same tale. More than a few such stories from Lake Storey. In fact, another Friday Flashback from the lake coming next week. Hope you’ll tune in and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here we go with another batch of Top 5 stats. The numbers below reflect the totals through Monday’s update which brought our submissions to 89 bass, 2 muskie and a channel cat. If you dig your stats like this guy, read on.

2018 Totals (* = new record)
*January = 5 bass (old record 1 in 2017)
February = 5 bass
March = 0 bass
April = 12 bass
May = 24 bass
June = 10 bass
July = 8 bass
August = 4 bass
September = 16 bass
October = 5 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
*January = 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3) previous record 2-11 in 2017
February = 7-3 (2-6,1-7,1-5,1-2,0-15)
March = no submissions
April = 14-15 (4-0,3-0,2-12,2-10,2-9)
May = 19-5 (4-11,4-8,3-10,3-7,3-1)
June = 18-10 (4-5,4-1,3-9,3-7,3-4)
July = 18-13 (4-0,3-14,3-13,3-11,3-7)
August 11-6 (3-15,3-10,2-12,1-1)
September = 23-8 (5-2,5-1,4-9,4-8,4-4)
October = 8-12 (2-3,2-1,2-0,1-5,1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 37 bass
Bank = 52 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight (* = new record)
Boat = 21-2 (5-1,4-8,4-0,3-15,3-10)
Bank = 23-3 (5-2,4-11,4-9,4-8,4-5)

Public vs. Private
Public = 75 bass
Private = 14 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 22-6 (5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4,4-2)
Private = 22-12 (5-1,4-11,4-8,4-8,4-0)

The Baits (* = new record)
Plastic Worms = 51 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jim Junk)
Crankbaits = 14 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Mark Balbinot)
Spinnerbaits = 8 bass (Top Bass 5-1 Brent Jackson)
Chatterbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 4-11 Chris Schwarz)
Creature Baits = 3 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Paul Kessler)
Buzzbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-8 Troy Jackson)
Jigs = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbaits = 2 bass (Top Bass 1-13 Troy Jackson)
Jerkbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-6 John Kirkemo)
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-7 Nick Tiska)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
3-15 Mark Balbinot (old record 2-11 Mark Balbinot 2016)
February
2-6 Troy Jackson
March
No submissions
April
4-0 Chris Schwarz
May
4-11 Chris Schwarz
June
4-5 Jim Junk
July
4-0 Jim Junk
August
3-15 Jim Junk
September
5-2 Jim Junk
October
2-3 John Kirkemo

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
5-2 Jim Junk 9/8
5-1 Brent Jackson 9/23
4-11 Chris Schwarz 5/26
4-9 Jim Junk 9/6
4-8 Chris Schwarz 5/26
4-8 Troy Jackson 9/23
4-5 Jim Junk 6/27
4-4 Jim Junk 9/16
4-2 Jim Junk 9/29
4-1 Jim Junk 6/30

Angler Weights (* = new Top 5 record, old mark 32-13)
Jim Junk 22-6 (5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4,4-2)
Chris Schwarz 18-12 (4-11,4-8,4-0,3-1,2-8)
Brent Jackson 16-1 (5-1,3-7,2-12,2-10,2-3)
Troy Jackson 15-9 (4-8,3-2,3-0,2-9,2-6)
Paul Kessler 14-0 (3-10,3-9,2-12,2-1,2-0)
Mark Balbinot 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3)
John Kirkemo 10-3 (2-7,2-3,2-0,2-0,1-9)
Jayce Jackson 7-8 (2-5,1-13,1-5,1-4,0-13)
Nick Tiska 3-7 (3-7)
Landon Hannam 1-5 (1-5)

Other Species

Muskie Length Totals
70+” John Kirkemo (40”, 30+”)

Channel Catfish Totals
8-2 (25”) Chris Schwarz

The days are getting shorter and only 82 remain in the 2018 edition of the Top 5.  Yep, folks, the year is indeed winding down. But don’t you dare put those fishing poles away too soon as there are still plenty of bites remaining. Looking to get a few myself, will keep you posted and hope you will do the same. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Some more good bites as fall kicks into gear including a young angler joining our Top 5 in posting a new personal best.

(Note: experienced some technical difficulty in uploading pics for a pair of the catches below resulting in data only.)

Weight: 2-0
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 5
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Lure: Wacky Worm
Structure: Ten feet off shore in about five feet of water
Angler Comments: This is the best of seven fish caught Friday afternoon between 1:00 and 3:45pm. The other six fish were in the 10-12” range.

Weight: 2-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 6
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Weather: Overcast with a stiff wind
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Aquatic vegetation and wood along the shoreline
Angler Comments: Fished from 1:30-3:50pm with a fisherman new to the sport. We landed four fish. This was the largest. The rest were 8-9” and not weighed.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 7
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation and wood
Angler Comments: Fished from 2:15 to 4:30 pm with Avery Yung, Reed Yung and Landon Hannam. Reed and Avery were in kayaks while Landon and I were in my boat. Heavy overcast and warm but no rain. No other boat fisherman and maybe one or two shore fisherman west of the pavilion. I caught two other fish but they were a pound or less. We caught nine bass all on wacky worms among the four of us.
Top 5 Weight: 10-3 (2-7,2-3,2-0,2-0,1-9) culls 1-6 and 1-2

Weight: 2-1
Angler: Paul Kessler
Date: October 6
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: White spinnerbait with dual blades
Top 5 Weight: 14-0 (3-10,3-9,2-12,2-1,2-0)

Weight: 1-5 (13”)
Angler: Landon Hannam
Date: October 7
Lure: Weedless wacky worm
Location: Lake Storey
Water temp: 65 F
Structure: Aquatic vegetation
Angler Comments: Fishing with my uncle John and my cousins Avery and Reed. Biggest fish I have ever caught.
Top 5 Weight: 1-5 (1-5)

Way to go everybody and congratulations to Landon on his new personal best, more to come I am sure.  Thanks all for the continued casting as the days get shorter and 2018 fishing heads into the home stretch. 89 bass submitted at present, let’s see if we can make it 100 before the 2018 edition comes to a close. Best of luck and talk to you later. Troy