Bass Quest 500 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I launched my boat at The Canal on the morning of October 2 in search of five bass to reach five hundred for the year. After catching four in regular fashion, that final bass turned into quite a challenge. As I struggled to get that last bite, I couldn’t help but wonder how Albert Pujols or Aaron Judge felt in their recent home run milestone quests. In baseball parlance, my mindset was “stick to your swing, don’t press and it will happen.”

Eventually, it did.

My milestone turned out to be the largemouth bass equivalent of a swinging bunt but as the old baseball saying goes “it looks like a line drive in the boxscore.”

Once again, with a little lyrical accompaniment from the band Boston, here’s how it all went down.

8:09am – Bass #499, one more to go and I sure didn’t care if it was big or not

Stats
Date: October 2
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 7:10am-9:25am
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy 48-60F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 4 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: none at 12” or better
Top 5 Weight: none at 12” or better

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Party
“And there’s nothing like a party when its kicking into gear.”
(Don’t Look Back – 1978)
Arriving at The Canal shortly after sunrise, I was surprised to find a table set up with refreshments opposite my point of launch. I thought that word of my quest had spread, and the media and fans would arrive shortly to cheer me on towards my goal. That’s not how the whole setup turned out, but more on that in a bit.

Long Time
“I’ve got to keep on chasin’ that dream, though I may never find it.”
(Boston – 1976)
Five bass didn’t seem like a whole lot considering I had decent weather, quality water, and about forty years of chasing bass in my favor. I fished the length of my chosen pool and landed four of the five I needed in my first hour of fishing. At that point, I was confident that I could retrace my water on the return to the lot and get that final fish. Not so fast, as I covered the mile of water back to the launch and never had a bite. My last shot was an area with increased current around a tube which runs under a roadway. And I had about ten minutes left to fish until I had to head home and get the boys to religious education class.

9:25am – That’s a 10″ winner for Bass #500

Feelin’ Satisfied
“So come on, put your hands together, you know it’s now or never.”
(Don’t Look Back – 1978)
I hit the heavier current in search of one more bite with a couple of decisions to make. First, what lure was I going to use? That turned out to be Senko wacky rig. Secondly, was it more important to get my bass or to get my boys to church on time? Luckily, the Senko came through right away and I didn’t have to weigh the consequences related to a poor decision on question number two. While there was neither a cheering crowd nor even a triumphant fist pump, there was relief. After a picture and release of the bass, I put down my pole and rowed for the launch feeling satisfied upon reaching my goal.

I Had a Good Time
“And I, I just wanted you to know, I had a really good time.”
(Corporate America – 2002)

 

Throughout my morning I had seen an increased number of walkers and runners along the towpath that parallels the length of The Canal. I suspected that the crowd was part of an event called the “The Hennepin Hundred,” a hundred-mile ultramarathon. And yes, the refreshment table was for their benefit and not related to my quest after all. As I loaded my boat, a vehicle pulled up with a couple of guys who looked like runners. I said, “Hello” and inquired about the race. One individual confirmed that it was indeed The Hennepin Hundred with the finish line located several miles to the west. He also noted that he was from Michigan, had finished his hundred miles earlier that morning and was now ready to cheer on fellow participants. I congratulated him and marveled at his achievement, electing to keep my fish story to myself. It just kind of paled in comparison.

I am still looking for Bass #501 and beyond as I have yet to get back on the water. Time will tell where the final tally for 2022 ends. Talk to you later. Troy

Bass Quest 500 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The title of this post is a bit of a “spoiler alert” as it leads one to believe that there will be a “Part II.” And that is correct as I set out on this trip in search of nine bass to reach Bass #500 for the year. My first catch of the evening was landed after only six minutes of casting and had me feeling optimistic. However, I didn’t land another fish for an hour and a half. Read on for the rest of the results with a little musical twist from a favorite “Rock & Roll Band,” Boston.

Bass #492 – 4:36pm at 1-10 (15″) on a Whopper Plopper

Stats
Date: October 1
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 4:30pm-7:00pm
Totals: 4 bass
Weather: Sunny/calm 66F
Lures: Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (black) – 2 bass, War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 1 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-10 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 6-5 (2-10,1-10,1-1,1-0)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

My Destination
“And feeling the way I do, wouldn’t last a mile without you.”
(Third Stage – 1986)
The 2022 fishing year kept me closer to home for most of my outings as fuel costs became as much of a factor as lure selection in my fishing. With The Canal being responsible for sixty-five percent of my 2022 catches, my destination for Bass #500 was an easy choice. It deserved to be the spot where I would pursue those final bass.

Bass #493 – 6:08pm at 1-1 (13.5″) on a buzzbait

The Journey
Instrumental
(Don’t Look Back -1978)
A major reason that The Canal has produced so many bass was my change in approach from prowling the banks on foot and bike to rowing the little boat for miles and miles. Access to more water and more structure gave me a shot at more bass. And I added some low impact exercise along the way (some day I need to tally the distance that I rowed this year).

Bass #494 – 6:20pm at 2-10 (19″) on a buzzbait

Peace of Mind
“All I want is to have my peace of mind.”
(Boston -1976)
Fishing relaxes me and takes my mind off all the stuff that comes with being a grown-up. My goals on the water consist of avoiding a shutout, catching a Top 5, and hitting the double-digit mark with that Top 5 weight. However, this time out I was looking for a precise number of bass and I’ll admit that it messed with my mind when the bite got slow. I just kept casting at quality spots with proven lures but came up short, ending my day with Bass #495.

Bass #495 – 6:37pm at 1-0 (13″) on a spinnerbait

Well, the bass kept me waiting for my milestone on this outing. But I was determined to get Bass #500 and set out twelve hours later to continue the quest the following morning. Stay tuned for “Part II” and talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 22, 2002

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Twenty years ago, I still had a membership at Lake Bracken, located just south of Galesburg, Illinois. Today’s flashback looks at how Brent and I did on a chilly midday outing on the seventh and final visit to Bracken in 2002.

Stats
Date: October 22, 2002
Location: Lake Bracken
Time: 11:05am-2:50pm
Weather: Overcast to sunny/breezy, 45F
Totals: 16 bass (Troy – 9, Brent – 7)
Lures: 3/8 oz Stanley Vibra Shaft (blue glimmer) with twin tail trailer (white) – 9 bass, Mann’s 4- crankbait (red shiner) – 7 bass
Top Bass: 2-8 Spinnerbait (Troy)
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 4-6 (2-8,1-0,0-14)

Excerpt of original post from October 23, 2002

On October 22, Brent and I decided to give Lake Bracken a try for some bass fishing. We considered muskie fishing at Lake Storey as another option, but we also figured it would be a good time to get the two-man bass boat from the dock at Lake Bracken. The plan was to tie the two-man boat to the back of Dad’s bass boat, pull it to the ramp, load it in my truck and haul it home. This approach is much more favorable than the alternative of carrying the boat up the hill behind the house. If you’ve seen the hill, you’d understand. All went well and the boat is in the garage.

Still have these winning lures in my tackle twenty years later (Mann’s 4- crankbait and Blue Glimmer spinnerbait)

As far as the fishing trip, the temperature barely bested forty, but we decided to head out anyway. We fished from around 11:00 am until nearly 3:00 pm and caught sixteen bass. All my fish were caught on my favorite spinnerbait, a Stanley 3/8 oz Vibra Shaft (blue glimmer) with a twin tail trailer (white). Brent caught all his fish on a Mann’s 4- crankbait (red shiner). While the south side of the lake was most productive, it was also in the shade. With temperatures in the mid-40s and a brisk north to northeast wind, conditions weren’t the best for the fishermen. But once again, it’s all about the fish.

Top Bass at 2-8 on a spinnerbait

The bass were more cooperative than we anticipated. I attributed the decent bite to the fact that the lake is in the process of a drawdown, lowering the water level and drawing the forage out of many places to hide. Best spots to hit were any wood that was still in the water as well as riprap (chunky rock) banks. Big bass of the day was my 2-8. This fish had a fish tail sticking out of its throat and a fat belly but was still eager to try and eat my spinnerbait. Another highlight was what could be called a “textbook bass.” I cast my spinnerbait beyond a pair of logs that formed an “X” just below the surface. I reeled the bait up to and over the logs before letting it flutter down just as it passed the structure. Upon the fall, I was rewarded with a nice 0-14 bass. Just like they show on TV and print in the magazines, bass fishing made easy.

A final highlight was getting a good look at a Pileated Woodpecker as it flew overhead. This species is typically rather secretive but is very easy to identify if you’ve ever seen the more common red-headed woodpecker or watched a “Woody the Woodpecker” cartoon. These guys are big, make a heck of a racket pecking or calling and fly with the typical up-and-down flight of their smaller cousins.

A productive day, considering we spent most of it freezing our (insert whatever parts of the human anatomy you deem appropriate) off.

Fun to reminisce about an old fishing hole. Looking at the location names in the log entry also bring back memories and twenty years later I could take you right back to where I caught each of the bass. In addition, it is cool to see that this trip took place in the heyday of a spinnerbait that I simply refer to as “The Blue Glimmer.” All these years later it still works as I landed a bass at The Rock on the lure last month.

Talk to you later. Troy

Remembering “Bru”

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I was back in Galesburg last Saturday to pay my respects to a former coach and early fishing mentor, Gary Bruington. The passing of the longtime Galesburg High School teacher and baseball coach prompted plenty of reminiscing, some of which comprises today’s post.

“Bru” in action

Affectionately known as “Coach Bru” or just “Bru,” he was my coach on the diamond during the 1983-85 baseball seasons. I recall an instance during the start of the 1983 season when I was a member of the sophomore squad. I showed up in the gym on a March game day in my uniform all ready to go. This caused a fair amount of razzing from a handful of teammates and varsity players. You see, it was snowing outside and rather obvious that there wasn’t going to be a game on that Saturday. Bru stepped in and told the hecklers to knock it off stating that he supported my approach in showing up ready to play. His words went a long way towards soothing my embarrassment and perhaps contributed to enough varsity playing time later in the year to earn a letter.

It wasn’t just baseball where Bru offered support and advice. In those days, Bru was also quite an angler, and I was just catching the bass fishing bug. Sitting in his classroom one afternoon after school had been dismissed, he presented me with my first spinnerbait. Being a novice angler chasing panfish with Beetle Spins, that gaudy bait looked more in tune to deep sea fishing than something that would fool those little bass I had previously caught on accident. He instructed me on how, when, and where to throw it, and what do you know, it was a winner on bigger and better bass.

Bru also showed me how to rig up a Texas rigged worm and proceeded to take me on a fishing trip at Oak Run for firsthand experience. It was my first time ever in a real bass boat, complete with a white-knuckle grip as he zipped around the lake. We stopped to work a “secret” brushpile on a point and Bru made it look easy as he fooled several bass. On the other hand, my offering came up empty.

But I learned. Not only how to rig and work a worm but also that Bru’s teaching extended beyond the field and the classroom.

August 14, 1985 fishing log entry

Whether he felt sorry for me or enjoyed my company on the water, Bru invited me back in his boat again that summer along with a teammate, Joe Dennis. Those trips were combined fishing and water-skiing outings. Bru hauled us around the lake coaching us on getting up on those skis with Joe being a natural and a bit more vocal than yours truly. You see, both Joe and Bru were competitive and more than willing to engage in a little trash talking. Joe continued to dare Bru to increase the speed, try to dump him, and even taunted him by putting the rope handle between his teeth as he sped behind the boat. I believe Joe came out on top, remaining upright and not loosing any of his pearly whites. The downside of Joe’s antics was that Bru subjected me to similar punishment despite me keeping my mouth shut beyond laughing at their battle of brawn. We all survived, but I swear by the end of the skiing portion of the trip, Bru was trying to kill us.

We then started fishing as Bru shifted gears to a considerably lower impact level of teaching. Joe and I just spoke about this adventure at Bru’s service last Saturday and he reminded me that he and Bru caught fish while I got shut out. Joe said that he didn’t even want to fish, preferring to keep skiing, and still outfished me. I reminded Joe that despite being the toughest person I’ve ever known, I always had to take off his fish. In fact, the only way he would touch them was when he wore an old leather glove. That aspect of our fishing history still brought a laugh with Joe fully admitting that he had no desire to handle a fish without “The Glove.”

August 19, 1985 fishing log entry

I also had to bait Joe’s hook back in the day as he didn’t like worms either. Which brings me to one of the oddest comments I ever heard from Bru. During a wet, spring baseball practice, a couple of teammates got to chasing Joe around with dew worms that had emerged from the saturated ground. Having seen enough, Bru hollered out, “You guys leave Joe alone!” Now understand, Joe had given most of us some grief over the years via trash talking or a bit of physical play on the diamond, grid iron and basketball court. Therefore, it was quite strange hearing Bru tell those guys to give Joe a break. As for me teasing Joe, I always refrained as I knew that sooner of later you had to put down the worm.

Bru left us with plenty of stories and had his share to tell as well. One final outdoor bit took place as we drove back from an Oak Run trip in the fading daylight. We were riding in his old light green van and Bru noted that he’d seen a black panther cross in front of his vehicle one night as he drove the same road. Local black panther tales were familiar to me from reported encounters at another Knox County stomping ground, Lake Bracken. However, this was the first one I had heard from an eyewitness. Bru was a seasoned outdoorsman, so I had no reason to doubt his tale. Bru was also known to pull your leg. Almost forty years later, I’m still not sure which direction he was going on that drive.

Shot this pic at Lake Storey after Bru’s service. Many years ago he showed me a bridge and a hump in this stretch of the lake.

Bru was a great teacher, coach, mentor, and man. He was also a great motivator. An old trick he used on the ball field to get you back on track or to get your head in the game was to call you by your mother’s name. I can still hear him yelling, “Come on, Joyce!” after I did something that did not meet his expectations.

Mom crossed paths with Bru about a month ago and had a short conversation about the good old days and how our families were doing. She said his mind and delivery were the same old Bru, but he looked tired and frail. No longer suffering now, I hope he can enjoy a place where the umps nail every call, the big ones don’t get away, and he and Alice enjoy leisurely strolls. 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

Prowl the Canal – September Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another month of prowling in the log means that it is time for the latest batch of stats and lessons.

September 2022 Top Canal Bass at 2-12 (18″)

2022 September Totals
Five outings covering three different pools
54 bass in 16.00 hours (3.38 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 2-12 September 20 Whopper Plopper
2022 September Top 5: 11-7 (2-12,2-8,2-4,2-1,1-14)
2022 Best September Top 5 Day: 9-1 (2-12,2-8,1-7,1-5,1-1) – Sept. 20
Top 5 All-Time September Bass Weight: 13-4 (3-1,2-12,2-11,2-8,2-4)

Lessons

Hot Bass – My September 20 outing saw summer head out with a flourish as the heat index hit the “Feels like 98 degrees” mark mid-afternoon. It was one of those instances where I had time to fish and come heck or heat stroke, I had to give it a go. You can’t control the weather and you can’t catch fish sitting at home in the air conditioning. A pair of two-pounders (2-12 and 2-8) reinforced my view that the best time to go fishing is anytime you can.

Whopper Plopper is a winner

 New Lure – I am a creature of habit but even I can’t ignore the fact that the Whopper Plopper is a winner on The Canal. Earlier this summer, I had a canal-side chat with a fellow who I consider my Canal fishing hero. He is Whopper Plopper aficionado, and you can bet I was all ears as we talked. One of my takes from the conversation was that I needed to up my Plopper game. In addition, his catch photos on the internet also indicated that I needed to up my Plopper size. The move from the 90 model to the 110 paid immediate dividends with a 2-4 as my first bass on the new lure. More proof of the effectiveness of the presentation was the fact that my Top 5 bass for September all came on the Whopper Plopper 110 (bone).

New Water – In my fifteen months of Canal prowling, I have learned a lot of stuff. Some of that stuff is a result of direct and indirect observation of the fisherman mentioned above as well as several other anglers. The learning process led me to a new stretch of water that is quite productive for this crew of fellow Canal prowlers. I finally got around to giving it a fair shake from end to end this month and wound up humbled. I know that there are quality fish in the stretch, but they outsmarted me when I took my September shot. That’s okay, as that’s fishing.

 

2022 Overall Canal Stats
321 bass in 105.00 hours (3.06 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 3-5 (tie) 4/23 Spinnerbait 8/21 Buzzbait
Best Top 5 Day: 11-3 (2-15,2-10,2-3,2-1,1-6) 6/24/22
2022 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-15 (3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15)
2021 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-6 (3-6,3-4,3-1,2-14,2-13)

Another productive and educational month on The Canal. While my 2021 Canal prowls found me fishing until a final Halloween trip, I intend to push it into November if I get the opportunity this year. As always, you’ll be the first to know how it goes here on the blog. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 8, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As public fishing access for 2022 nears an end at Snakeden Hollow, let’s take a look back at my finale from five years ago this week.

Excerpts from original post on October 11, 2017

Stats
Date: October 8, 2017
Locations: Snakeden Hollow
Time: 7:35am-9:35am
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: 50-62F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 11 bass
Lures: Swim Jig with hammertail trailer – 4 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (rainbow) – 3 bass, Stanley Vibra Shaft spinnerbait (blue glimmer) – 1 bass, Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke) – 1 bass, Rapala Shadow Rap (blue back herring) – 1 bass, Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-2 Blue Glimmer spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-2 (2-2,1-12,1-9,1-7,1-4)

7:51am – Top Bass at 2-2 (16″) on the old Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

Notes & Nonsense

Good Start – It took only four minutes to get on the board with a 1-7 which was followed up twelve minutes later with a solid 2-2. An encouraging start on a lake that had produced three keepers including a 3-8 a month earlier in only 30 minutes of casting. My aim was to invest a little more time and have a closer look so it was cool that my first two bass were quality and the second was bigger than the first. I was hoping that sort of trend would continue but it did not pan out in terms of size although eleven bass in two hours was a darn good success rate.

The arsenal selected to fool some October strip mine bass

Smorgasbord – It was really a strange day as I could never truly get anything going in terms of getting a lure or two dialed in as my eleven bass came on six different lures. In fact, my first four bass all came on different baits over the course of 45 minutes on the water. The first on a chatterbait, then nothing further. Switched up to the Blue Glimmer and hooked up right away, then nothing. Same scenario with a KVD Rattling Squarebill followed by a Shadow Rap and then another lull. I then found three on the 1- and was about to relocate when I happened upon a swim jig bite for four more before the lake shut down altogether. The variety was fun but also a little frustrating as I just couldn’t find a consistent and lasting winner.

Swim Jig bass, a new trick in my tacklebag

Lure Highs and Lows – I would say that the highpoint of my outing was fooling several on the swim jig. This neglected lure was on the list to throw in 2017 but I had never gotten around to it and tied it on as a whim to simply try and fool at least one. Wound up with four in about twenty minutes including one of my Top 5. The lowlight would be busting off the top blade on the recently resurrected Blue Glimmer spinnerbait while reeling in a bass. Crazy, as I had just posted a bit about the return of this bait, opening it from a package I’d had sitting around for better than fifteen years. I’d never busted a blade off in all the years I fished these things but here in 2017, after less than a dozen catches, it was broken.

 

I ended that original 2017 post stating “So, it’s getting to be that time when thoughts of the ‘last bass’ begin to enter my mind.”

And here we are again. My annual goal is a first bass in March and a final bass in November. The first of those bookend bass kicked of 2022 on March 20 and November is less than four weeks away. I am not sure what lies in store for the remainder of this month but as always, I’ll keep you posted. 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

Prowl the Canal – September 24

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Four days prior to this outing, I finished a day of casting in a ninety-eight-degree heat index. In the meantime, the seasons changed, and I hit the water hoping that the fall bite would be kicking into gear.

Stats
Date: September 24 (two pools)
Time: 3:20pm-7:00pm
Totals: 12 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/breezy 71-69F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 9 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 3-4 (1-5,1-3,0-12)

5:07pm – Top Bass at 1-5 (14″) on a spinnerbait

Notes and Nonsense

Short Stop – As I was having difficulty choosing between a pair of pools for my destination, I opted to fish both. My aim was to speed fish the first stretch by investing an hour to spot hop between the most productive areas. It turns out that my shortened visit only produced short fish with a seven-inch bass and two ten-and-a-half inchers. Not the start that I was anticipating, so on to stop number two.

Feeling Good – My evening finished on my best stretch of The Canal in overcast conditions that just felt right for something good to happen. I even commented with the GoPro running that I sensed I was on the verge of a big bite. After all these years, I trust my gut feeling, but on this day, the anticipated bite never showed. I felt that I had the right presentations, and I was putting the lures in the right places, but the bass weren’t interested. Just one of those things that leads me to frequently say, “That’s fishing.”

Winning Lures

Fall Fail – Last year was my first year fishing The Canal. I caught my first ever Canal bass in June 2021 and found a good batch of quality bass throughout the summer. I recall looking forward to a solid bite when the cooler fall temperatures kicked in, but it never materialized. This trip has me concerned that the quality fall bass are going to get the better of me again in 2022. However, I’m not ready to give up just yet.

Local Legend – As I loaded my boat in the parking area, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow angler who was getting ready to wet a line. He introduced himself and we briefly compared some notes on The Canal. As we both headed our ways, I mentioned that I had a website (did not have my cards in my tackle bag, duh!) and he noted that he did as well. He stated that it was J-Mac Lures and of course I did a bit of internet prowling when I got home. Turns out that Tom has quite a history regarding fishing and fishing tackle in the Quad City Area. Not being an area native, I had no idea who I was speaking with but perhaps we may get a chance to cross paths again.

 

I did manage a dozen bass in my three hours of casting which overall isn’t that bad, but I just couldn’t find any big bites. With those twelve bass, however, I began pondering a milestone that was well within reach. Back on September 17, I had landed bass #420 to establish a new personal record for bass caught in a year (topping 419 in 2020). Following several other trips and including the dozen bass landed on this Canal outing, I stood only nine bass from #500. Stay tuned for the details on that quest later this month. 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