Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another quality fish makes for a dozen straight weeks with a Monday Top 5 Update. Several of us took a shot over the past weekend but only Brent was able to come up with a catch that gave his weight a boost.

Weight: 2-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 11
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 16-12 (5-4,3-9,2-11,2-11,2-9) culls a 2-7

Official summer looms on the horizon, but this week it looks like some summer heat is going to arrive a bit ahead of schedule. Get out there early or late to improve your odds of finding some quality bites. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – June 11, 2007

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Friday Flashback comes in rather late this week. In fact, it is only an hour from technically being a Sunday Flashback. A work week on the road followed by a graduation party makes it better late than never for reminiscing. Today we revisit a longtime fishing hole with a longtime fishing partner.

Original fishing report below from 2007:

Date: June 11, 2007
Location: Lake Bracken
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air temp: 82F
Time: 4:45pm-7:45pm
Totals: 8 bass, 1 green sunfish (Troy – 5 bass, 1 green sunfish, Dad – 3 bass)
Lures: Zoom Baby Brush Hog (chartreuse/pumpkinseed) – 4 bass, Chatterbait (white) – 2 bass, Tube – 1 bass, Rapala DT 10 (parrot) – 1 bass, Senko wacky rig – 1 green sunfish
Top Bass: 4-5 Troy (Brush Hog)
Top 5 Weight: 7-10 (4-5,1-0,0-15,0-14,0-12)

5:42pm – Top Bass at 4-5 (21″) on a Zoom Baby Brush Hog

Dad and I hit Lake Bracken for three hours, fishing from 4:45 pm until 7:45 pm. I actually took the day off work for some reason which escapes me at this point, maybe to go fishing. I have difficulty remembering a few days ago let alone over a month ago. Kind of busy these days. Anyway, we struggled to get bit on most of our standard offerings. My Senko only managed to fool a green sunfish and I nabbed a 13” bass on a Rapala DT10 crankbait (parrot). Dad’s new friend, the Booyah Boogie produced a pair of bass for him that came in around a pound apiece. While such approaches were rather disappointing, it is worth noting that we came to the lake with a mission. That mission was to try our hand at some flipping as described in a prior post. Mission accomplished at 5:42 pm. My Baby Brush Hog (chartreuse/pumpkinseed) produced a 4-5 when flipped along a fallen tree in Spillway Cove. Four of my five bass for the trip fell to this offering. Dad also employed the technique with a tube bait to catch one of his three fish. Though the quantity was below expectations, we left the lake with a boost in confidence. Our results would have been dismal had we not focused on a different presentation. To Dad’s credit, he has given this technique a chance in the past, while I’ve typically been more set in my ways. However, a four-pounder will knock some sense into you real quick. I’m hooked.

While the Friday Flashback came in tardy this week, we have a Monday Top 5 Update that is right on time. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

We reach eleven consecutive weeks with a Top 5 Update as Brent comes through with a trio of solid Snakeden bass. His three largest provided a near three-pound boost to his 2022 Top 5 weight while his overall Top 5 bass for the day came in at a solid 11-10 (2-11,2-11,2-7,2-0,1-13). Not bad at all for a few Saturday morning hours on the fishing holes.

Weight: 2-11
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 4
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 2-11
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 4
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Buzzbait

Weight: 2-7
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 4
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 16-10 (5-4,3-9,2-11,2-11,2-7) culls 1-12,1-11 and 1-11

Way to go, and thanks for the update. Brent also reported plenty of aquatic vegetation on the waters he fished. However, that set up well for the one-two punch of a Senko wacky rig and a buzzbait as they turned out to be winners. The classic late-spring, morning bite has kicked into full gear so get out there and send ‘em my way when you catch ‘em. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As June rolls on, it is time for another Top 5 Stat Update that takes us through May with a look at our totals of 57 bass and one trout.

2022 Totals
January = no submissions
February = no submissions
March = 15 bass
April = 35 bass
May = 7 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)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 21 bass
Bank = 36 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 14-11 (3-5,3-2,2-12,2-12,2-12)
Bank = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)

Public vs. Private
Public = 57 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 28-10 (6-9,6-0,5-12,5-4,5-1)
Private = not applicable

The Baits (* = new record)
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 = 7 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Brent Jackson)
Crankbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Troy Jackson)
Jerkbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-5 John Kirkemo)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Plastic Worm = 3 bass (Top Bass 5-12 Jim Junk)
Propbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-3 Jayce Jackson)
Buzzbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-11 Troy Jackson)
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk)
Grub = 1 bass (Top Bass 0-13 Troy Jackson)
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

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
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)
Troy Jackson 14-10 (3-5,3-2,2-12,2-12,2-11)
Brent Jackson 13-15 (5-4,3-9,1-12,1-11,1-11)
John Kirkemo: 8-4 (2-5,2-0,1-13,1-3,0-15)
Jayce Jackson 3-7 (2-3,1-4)

Other Species – Trout

John Kirkemo 12” (12”)

Some movement in the standings over the course of May although our leader, Jim Junk, remains firmly entrenched atop the list. I leapfrog my brother with a couple catches from The Canal, but he will have the last laugh in tomorrow’s Top 5 Update with some June Snakeden catches. And John Kirkemo fills out his limit to pass our youngest angler, Jayce. Guess I need to get that boy back out on The Canal with his Whopper Plopper. As always. send your fish my way when you catch them at troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – May Lessons

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Along with the numbers, each trip on The Canal offers up some new knowledge. I caught my first ever Canal bass on June 5, 2021, so I have only one year of experience on the historic waterway. As such, there is plenty to learn, and each new day provides further insight into this interesting collection of fishing holes.

Lessons

May 1 – This year’s ever present winds made for windchill on May Day, but still caught some bass

2022 has been as windy a year as I can recall, and The Canal provides a good destination under most winds. On the sections I have fished, at least one side of the roughly 90’ wide canal features timber to serve as a wind block. With the proliferation of pools, you can usually plan your trip to avoid contending with the wind.

May 27- Doesn’t look like much but on sparse structure sections of The Canal, work them over (produced a 2-12)

Keep an open mind on the pools as one has surprised me. Initially, I viewed a lack of visible shoreline structure as a negative. However, it turns out that those limited ambush points are prime real estate when it comes to finding some quality bites.

Internet reports show that I need to break out my Whopper Ploppers on The Canal so stay tuned…

Last month I mentioned prowling The Canal on the internet when you are unable to prowl in person. The lesson here is that I need to get more familiar with my Whopper Ploppers.

May 24 – Like a broken record with the darned wind in 2022

The wind has more of an effect than the current in most of the locations that I have visited. However, I did encounter a section that was crystal clear on one bank but stained on the other. I do not know if this is a factor of the current, but it was interesting to find that the section fished like two different pools despite being separated by less than ninety feet.

This 3-6 from July 21, 2021 is my Canal Top Bass, looking to break the record in 2022 as I search for a four-pounder

I guess that this is not so much a lesson as a goal. Currently, my Top Bass for The Canal sits at 3-6. My quest involves finding a four-pounder. A four-pounder is a good fish anywhere. But on The Canal, I feel it is even more special. I’ve seen pictures of a few that would qualify and others that look close, although the anglers did not include weights. Best of all, I recognize some of the scenery behind the anglers and their fish in the photos.

Did I mention that May continued a windy 2022?

May 29 – 32 mph gusts, are you kidding me?

Time will tell what June holds in store, but my plan remains to spend more time on The Canal as my regular stomping grounds involve a larger investment in gas money. I have come to enjoy my time on these new waters and look forward to further exploration and education. Stay tuned for more monthly “Prowl the Canal” updates and more as the year progresses. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – May Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As I near the one-year mark of fishing The Canal, I grow more appreciative of what is has to offer. Proximity is key as I can be on any of the spots that I fished within a half hour after I get off work around 5:00pm and still have ample time to cast. Throw in an activity free holiday weekend to end the month and I was able to find plenty of time to prowl. Read on for the stats portion of the monthly recap.

Stats

May 1 Top Bass at 9:54am weighing 1-6 on a spinnerbait

Date: May 1
Time: 7:40am-10:40am
Totals: 10 bass
Weather: Overcast/windy with 48F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 10 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 4-15 (1-6,1-,3,1-3,1-3)
Comments: New water on a nasty day still produced some fish on a morning where I nearly needed gloves on May Day. And yes, there was a strong east wind. Is it proper to estimate windchill in May?

May 8 Top Bass at 7:34am weighing 2-11 on a buzzbait

Date: May 8
Time: 6:35am-9:50am
Totals: 9 bass
Weather: Overcast/breezy with 56F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 6 bass, Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 2 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-11 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-15 (2-11,1-4,1-2,0-14)
Comments: Revisiting a spot that produced a pair of three-pounders in April got another good one and kicked of the 2022 topwater bite.

May 24 Top Bass at 6:57pm weighing 2-2 on a buzzbait

Date: May 24
Time: 5:50pm-8:05pm
Totals: 11 bass
Weather: Overcast/very windy with 66-69F air temp
Lures: Special K Buzzbait – 7 bass, Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 2-2 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 7-3 (2-2,1-10,1-5,1-1,1-1)
Comments: Back with a buzzbait on the same spot as the May 8 outing and the bite did not disappoint. Always fun once the topwater bite kicks into gear.

May 27 Top Bass at 7:33pm weighing 2-12 on a buzzbait

Date: May 27
Time: 6:00pm-8:30pm
Totals: 10 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy with 60-64F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 7 bass, Bass Pro Shops Stik-O (candy corn) – 2 bass
Special K Buzzbait – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2- 12
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (2-12,2-7,1-10,1-7,1-5)
Comments: A second visit of the year to this pool resulted in a pair of bass topping our previous Top Bass for the section (former Top Bass caught by Jayce on April 24 at 2-3).

May 28 Top Bass at 7:43am weighing 2-3 on a wacky rig

Date: May 28
Time: 6:00am-9:00am
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm to windy with 53-72F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 2 bass, Bass Pro Shops Stik-O (candy corn) – 1 bass
Special K Buzzbait – 1 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-3
Top 5 Weight (only 2 at 12” or better): 3-3 (2-3,1-0)
Comments: A favorite stretch and decent conditions did not pan out for the solid bite I was anticipating. Fortunately, a tried-and-true area produced a two-pounder on a wacky rig to save the day.

May 29 Top Bass at 7:26pm weighing 2-8 on a spinnerbait

Date: May 29 (two sections)
Time: 4:55pm-6:25pm, 6:30pm-7:15pm
Totals: 6 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy with 82F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 4 bass, Special K Buzzbait – 1 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-8 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 6-8 (2-8,1-9,1-4,1-3)
Comments: I wandered out to a pair of new pools and got immediate feedback with a catch on my second cast of the evening. The remaining two hours only produced five more fish, but I don’t think these stretches revealed their true colors and are worth another shot in the future.

May 30 Top Bass at 7:58am weighing 1-9 on a spinnerbait

Date: May 30
Time: 7:50am-11:05am
Totals: 6 bass, 1 sauger
Weather: Sunny/windy with 73-82F air temp
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler Twin Tail (rootbeer pepper green) – 5 bass, Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass, 1 sauger
Top Bass: 1-9 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 3-15 (1-9,1-6,1-0)
Comments: Extended exploration on a pool that has produced well from the bank turned out to be a disappointment. However, I am blaming it on a later morning start than normal and blazing sun. On the plus side, I did learn some stuff and happened to hook my first ever sauger on The Canal.

 

May Totals
Time: 20 hours
Totals: 57 bass, 1 sauger
Lures: Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 38 bass, Special K Buzzbait – 12 bass, Bass Pro Shops Stik-O (candy corn) – 3 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (red craw) – 3 bass, Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill (sexy shad) – 1 bass, 1 sauger
Top Bass: 2-12 Spinnerbait on May 27
Top 5 Weight: 12-9 (2-12,2-11,2-8,2-7,2-3)

RECORD BOOK UPDATE – NO NEW RECORDS ESTABLISHED
Hennepin Canal (2021-present)
Top Bass: 3-6 Troy Jackson 7/21/21 Plastic Worm
Best Top 5 Day: 10-8 (3-5,3-2,1-9,1-6,1-2) 4/23/22
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 16-2 (3-6,3-5,3-4,3-2,3-1)
Comments: It now takes a bass over the three-pound mark to enter the all-time Top 5 list.

A lot of stuff to digest there as I was extremely fortunate to spend a decent amount of time on the water. Next up, we go beyond the numbers for some “Lessons” learned from the month of May. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The Top 5 Update streak stays alive with a catch that boosts my total by an entire ounce. Hey, I’ll take ones like this one all day, every day, whether they boost my creel or not.

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 27
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer/pepper/green)
Structure: Brush
Angler Comments: Bass Fishing 101 for this catch on a stretch of The Canal with sparse structure. Find some wood and hit it from multiple angles, keeping your lure as tight to the structure as possible. Not every such spot holds an interested fish, but keep after it and you’ll be rewarded.
Top 5 Weight: 14-10 (3-5,3-2,2-12,2-12,2-11) culls a 2-11

I hit The Canal on many occasions during the month of May and wound up with some solid catches besides today’s submission. Stay tuned for the monthly “Prowl the Canal” wrap-up covering stats, lessons and perhaps some video. And May ain’t done yet. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – May 27 & 29, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s Flashback features a trio of guest anglers from five years ago this week. Read on for the original post from June 3, 2017 detailing some local pond fishing.

Memorial Day weekend provided great weather and a terrific opportunity to get our young anglers out casting. Two trips with one a smashing success and the other not so much but always interesting with this bunch.

Stats
Date: May 27 and 29, 2017
Location: Henry County, IL pond and Butterworth Park, East Moline, IL
Totals: 5/27 (Jayce & Zac) = 14 bass, 1 green sunfish
5/29 (Carly & Jayce) = 1 bass, 1 green sunfish
Bait: Waxworms on jighead with slip bobbers
Top Bass: 0-11 (two different bass for Jayce and Zac)
Top 5 Weight: 3-2 (0-11,0-11,0-10,0-10,0-8)

Notes and Nonsense
Waxworms – I ended my “Resolution – Kid Fishing” post last month with a word of warning to waxworms and bluegills. Well, the bluegills dodged a bullet this time but the waxworms got a workout. Duh, they’re bait, right? On the guys’ trip they were also “sacrificed over a cliff,” given out as a snack to several bass prior to releasing the catch, impaled on each barb off the two treble hooks on a crankbait and launched into the lake with Zac explaining that they “needed a bath.”

Quote of the day (5/27): “Guess what, Dad? We caught more fish than you, that means we can’t go fishing with you for a long time…that’s what Mom said.” – Jayce (Note: Julie has outfished me, I did say that once and we did go fishing together again several years later.)

Retro Rod and Reel – An added highlight from the guys’ trip was Jayce reeling ‘em in with the first rod and reel combo I called my own. This setup dates back to 1984 as prior to receiving it as a 17th birthday gift I utilized whatever Dad had in the shed. It faded from use once I turned into a bass fisherman but still worked just fine over 30 years later for another Jackson boy.

“Shoulda been here yesterday” – A favorite fishing quote tells it like it happens sometimes as Carly learned upon joining up for Round Two at the fishing hole. Me and Jayce laid it on pretty thick after the success of our initial outing and honestly, I was feeling quite confident of a repeat performance. One fish apiece for this pair in about an hour and they’d had enough, pushing to try our luck elsewhere which was even more disappointing at Butterworth Park with zero bites. No matter how long you’ve chased fish you are gonna run into days where you can’t fool them. Just another lesson in the learning process.

Great to get the kids out even though it wound up with a tough finish. Interestingly, it also started a bit rough when Jayce and I hit the local Walmart to pick up our waxworms. As the checkout lady was ringing up Jayce’s bait she says, “So, you and grandpa going fishing?”

Nah, I just made that one up, didn’t really happen. Chronologically quite feasible but just hoping that adventures like these fishing outings will continue to keep me young.

We’ll see if anybody is up for any casting this Memorial Day weekend. Talk to you later. Troy

Panfish with Papa

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Generally speaking, around Mother’s Day/mid-May is a good time to visit the fishing hole in pursuit of some panfish. Dad’s been doing that sort of thing for a long, long time on Galesburg’s Lake Storey. And for several years, kids and some grandkids have tagged along with some waxworms and bobbers of their own. This year, it was me and one of my boys, Jayce, who joined forces. While the weather conditions were quite pleasant, the water conditions were a mess after a storm the previous evening. The bite was not on fire, but we did find enough to keep us interested. Of course, we just have a good time hanging out, telling tales, talking trash, and goofing off.

 

A good time was had by all. Well, except for a batch of bluegill and golden shiners. Talk to you later. Troy