Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The months keep rolling on by as half of the year is in the rearview mirror. And a new month means it’s time for a new Top 5 stat update. As of the latest update we now sit at 60 bass, the lone species submitted so far this year. Read on for the regular breakdown.

2021 Totals
January = no submissions
February = 2 bass
March = 19 bass
April = 14 bass
May = 13 bass
June = 10 bass
July = 2 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
January = no submissions
February = 7-3 (3-15,3-4)
March = 21-14 (5-5,4-3,4-2,4-2,4-2)
April = 21-6 (5-3,5-2,4-0,4-0,3-1)
May = 14-14 (4-6,2-12,2-10,2-10,2-8)
June = 15-8 (4-3,3-9,2-14,2-8,2-6)
July = 8-13 (6-0,2-13)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 11 bass
Bank = 49 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 15-12 (4-3,3-9,2-14,2-10,2-8)
Bank = 26-0 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 56 bass
Private = 4 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 26-0 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)
Private = 9-6 (2-10,2-8,2-6,1-14)

The Baits
Plastic Worm = 20 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Jim Junk)
Lipless Crankbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk, Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 4-0 Brent Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 4-0 Brent Jackson)
Chatterbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Jim Junk)
Jig = 2 bass (Top Bass 1-8 John Kirkemo)
Creature = 1 bass (Top Bass 5-5 Jim Junk)
Livebait = 1 bass (Top Bass Patricia Kirkemo 2-10)
Stickbait = 1 bass (1-11 Troy Jackson)
Swimbait = 1 bass (1-13 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
January
No submissions
February
3-15 Jim Junk
March
5-5 Jim Junk
April
5-2 Jim Junk
May
4-6 Jim Junk
June
4-3 Troy Jackson
July
6-0 Jim Junk

Top 10 Bass
6-0 Jim Junk (7/3)
5-5 Jim Junk (3/26)
5-3 Jim Junk (4/8)
5-2 Jim Junk (4/6)
4-6 Jim Junk (5/25)
4-3 Jim Junk (3/30)
4-3 Troy Jackson (6/19)
4-2 Jim Junk (3/19)
4-2 Jim Junk (3/24)
4-2 Jim Junk (3/28)

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 26-0 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)
Troy Jackson 16-8 (4-3,3-9,3-1,2-14,2-13)
Brent Jackson 14-14 (4-0,4-0,2-5,2-6,2-3)
John Kirkemo 11-14 (2-10,2-8,2-8,2-6,1-14)
Jayce Jackson 3-7 (1-3,1-3,1-1)
Landon Hannam 2-12 (2-12)
Patricia Kirkemo 2-10 (2-10)

While I save the full commentary on the statistical breakdown for the final wrap-up, I must say that it has been an interesting batch of catches in a couple regards. The vast majority of our bass have come from the bank on public waters. I find that kind of fun as those are aspects that many anglers understand. Nothing wrong with a nice boat or a honey hole but neither are required for a good time and some good catches. Talk to you later. Troy

Mautino Report – July 3

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area re-opened last summer after many years of significantly limited access due to much needed interior road repairs. While I didn’t manage to get over there last fall, this past weekend presented a few open evening hours and I decided to give the site a look. I had not fished the area for five years and had high hopes that I would encounter some solid, uneducated bass.

Stats
Date: July 3
Location: Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area – Bureau County
Time: 6:15pm-8:45pm
Weather: Sunny/breezy to calm
Air Temp: 81F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 9 bass (2 lakes)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors) – 4 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (salt and pepper) – 2 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 0-14 (Buzzbait)
Top 5 Weight (only 1 bass at 12” or better): 0-14

6:21pm – First bass, hoping they’d get bigger, didn’t really happen

Notes and Nonsense

Anticipation – On my last three visits prior to the closure of nearly the whole site back in 2016, I managed a decent Top 5 collection that pushed 13 pounds. Thus, my anticipation was riding high on the ride to the fishing holes. After all, a lot of the fish had not seen many lures over the last five years. Well, the larger fish weren’t quite as dumb as I’d hoped as my lone “keeper” was a 13.5” bass on a buzzbait.

Changes – Of the two lakes that I opted to fish, one was much murkier than the “old days” while the other remained just as murky as it always was. A few other waters were observed from the road and seemed to be the same as I recalled in terms of clarity and aquatic vegetation. I spotted several bank anglers, three trailers at three different lakes and a pair of kayakers on a spot with a rudimentary ramp. The latter approach is certainly a change as those personal watercrafts have really taken off in the last several years.

8:19pm – Last bass of the evening was Top Bass at 13.5″ and 0-14, a tough outing

Stocking – My hopes were that during the downtime in fishing access that fish stocking would continue or perhaps kick up a notch on the site. In checking the IDNR info, it looks like a modest stocking program occurred during the site closure but nothing that really seemed to give the site much of a boost, particularly in terms of my favorite pursuit, the largemouth bass.

So much for my triumphant return to a couple of Mautino’s fishing holes. I’ll chalk it up to the dog days of summer getting an early start as the weather conditions were quite balmy. In addition, a small sample of a few hours on the water may say more about the fisherman than the fish. Perhaps I’ll be back for a second chance in the fall to see if we get along better.

Time will tell. But, hey, the roads are nice. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, it was a productive stretch on the water during a balmy July the Fourth week and weekend for the Top 5. A trio of anglers boosted their totals and no knock on the submissions of myself and another angler, but our Top 5 leader really reeled in something special with our new Top Bass of 2021.

Weight: 2-8
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: June 30
Weather: Hot and humid, overcast sky
Air Temp: High 80s
Water Temp: 90.8
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Dark wacky worm
Angler Comments: This fish was in four to five feet of water.
Top 5 Weight: 11-14 (2-10,2-8,2-8,2-6,1-14) culls a 1-8

Weight: 2-13 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: July 2
Weather: Sunny/calm
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake)
Structure: Weed edge
Angler Comments: A new spot with plenty of open water on the canal came up a winner. Not my first cast of the trip, but the first in this promising looking area. One ounce shy of tying my personal best from the Hennepin Canal.
Top 5 Weight: 16-8 (4-3,3-9,3-1,2-14,2-13) culls a 2-0

Weight: 6-0
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: July 4
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Texas rigged Senko
Angler Comments: Felt like a good fish but as usual at Banner she was deep in the weeds quickly. Had to keep my thumb on the spool and pull in a few inches at a time. Really scared that the line would snap. Got her to the bank with at least 10 pounds of vegetation. Still had not seen the fish and had no idea how big she was until I started pulling off vegetation and got the first look.
Top 5 Weight: 26-0 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6) culls a 4-3

Way to go, guys in getting out there during the dog days of summer. I must say that Jim’s six-pounder still has me shaking my head. Simply impressive as he adds nearly two pounds to a hefty total weight that was already pushing the twenty-five-pound mark. Great stuff. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – June 25 & July 2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The past week found me on the Hennepin Canal on two occasions as my fishing exploration of the historic corridor continues. Both locales were spots I’d seen previously while on bike rides, but those trips had not seen me wet a line. On the latest trips it was time to bring along the fishing gear to see what would happen.

Stats
Date: June 25 and July 2, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 6/25 (7:35-8:50pm), 7/2 (7:40pm-8:55pm)
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy/calm both days
Air Temp: Mid-80s
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 8 bass (3 bass on 6/25 and 5 bass on 7/2)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 3 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- (rainbow) – 3 bass, Strike King Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-13 (Senko on 7/2)
Top 5 Weight (only 4 bass at 12” or better): 6-14 (2-13,1-11,1-9,0-13)

June 25 at 7:35pm – best I could muster, courtesy of a Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Notes and Nonsense

June 25 – The first stop had a modest amount of open water which can be a tough summer find among the stretches I have checked out thus far. However, bank access presented some challenges which is another standard canal feature. I fished four or five areas of access and found only three small bites.

July 2 at 7:53pm – Top Bass at 2-13 on a wacky rigged Senko

July 2 – Several “keepers” were caught from another area featuring a fair amount of open water. In addition, the water had some better depth than most stretches of the canal. This allowed me to toss the Strike King Squarebill crankbait and fool a couple decent fish. But it was the Senko wacky rig which once again came through for the Top Bass of the evening. The 2-13 fell one ounce shy of my canal personal best and further proved that there are some quality bass that call the waterway home.

July 2 at 8:30pm – Top Bass Runner-Up at 1-11 on a Strike King Squarebill crankbait

So, what have I learned from my four Hennepin Canal adventures to date?

1. The overall quality of catches has been a pleasant surprise. Previously, I never viewed the local sections of the canal as a regular destination but results and social media posts have opened my eyes.

2. Casting is key as is generally the case in bass fishing. There’s lots of vegetation where the bass can hide or wait in ambush, but that vegetation can also ruin a cast with many lures. Accuracy and repeated casts (at varying angles if possible) have been keys to success.

3. A bike is a bonus as stretches of open water can be few and far between at this time of year. Pedaling cuts down transit time and gets you away from the easy to access spots at the scattered parking areas.

4. While I have several topwater frogs in my tackle backpack, I have yet to put any of them to use. Fortunately, my other presentations have kept me busy with bites, but I do need to see if I can entice some quality strikes from beneath the plentiful surface vegetation.

The evening outings have been a fun way to work in a few weekday casts and I have been pleased with the action. There’s plenty more water to explore so I suspect that I will be back with some future reports as I continue to “prowl the canal.” Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – Summer 1986

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Time flies when you’re catching bass as do the many other happenings and events over the last 35 years. But since this is generally an outdoor blog, we’ll stick to the “fish stories” behind the pics and the years in between.

Waters – All of the catches in today’s post came from Knox County. Our pair of 2021 catches came from Snakeden Hollow, Brent’s 1986 bass called Lake Storey home, and my 1986 catch came from a pond located southeast of Victoria. The latter was owned by Les Vicary, who passed away in 2019. It was the lone time that I fished the pond after Dad had gained access from Mr. Vicary via a work connection through their employers, Dick Blick and Consolidated Freightways, respectively. That pond is located less than a mile from my strip mine stomping grounds and I occasionally cruise by the property and reminisce.

Wardrobe – The fashion statement of a couple teenage boys in the 80s were what we called baseball “sleeves.” Over the years, we collected quite a rainbow of colors for various local teams. In 2021, we both showed up with Nike t-shirts although I am personally not a fan. I think I found the shirt somewhere over the years and it makes for good fishing attire.

Watercraft – Separated by many years, that is indeed the same boat in the 1986 Lake Storey picture and the 2021 Snakeden photo. We’ve rowed many a mile, caught plenty of fish and made a boatload of memories in that old 8-foot johnboat.

Worms – Two of the four bass in the pictures were caught on plastic worms, my 1986 fish and Brent’s 2021. Mine came on a Mister Twister Curly Tail fished Texas rigged. In fact, it was one of the earliest bass that I ever caught on such a setup. The bass at the pond were quite cooperative so I figured it was an ideal classroom to work on such a presentation. Brent’s bass came on a more modern rage, a wacky rigged Senko, one of our top offerings. Still hard to beat the old plastic worm.

Technology – We’ve come a long way as the 1986 shots were taken with a disc camera while the 2021 pics were taken with a “phone.” Also cool is the fact that there is video of the recent catches courtesy of a GoPro. While these anglers are arguably not as polished as the legendary fishing host, Virgil Ward, the video quality of those little cameras leaves the 80s in the dust.

Each of the topics above could fill a series of blog postings on their own but I try not to get too carried away on the Friday Flashbacks. Perhaps another day. Talk to you later. Troy

200,000 Mile Fishing Report – June 21

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

My truck means a lot to me as it came into possession after the passing of my father-in-law back in 2006. Junior Breuer put a lot of miles on that 1998 Chevy Silverado, and I have added over the years with the truck on the verge of 200,000 miles as I set out on this fishing trip. I figured that there was only one way to celebrate the milestone and that was a round trip ride to the fishing hole.

 

Stats
Date: June 21, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 7:35pm-8:35pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm
Air Temp: Low 60s
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 6 bass
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig – 5 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- (rainbow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-14 (Mann’s Baby 1-)
Top 5 Weight (2 bass at 12” or better): 3-11 (2-14,0-13)

Trip Lyric
“Long may you run, long may you run, although these changes have come.” – Long May You Run, Neil Young (1976)

Notes and Nonsense

Back on the Bike – I’ve got this plan to explore some more of the Hennepin Canal as I have seen reports of solid bass over the years. The historic corridor covers over 100 miles (including a feeder portion) with a decent section within a half hour drive from home. Such makes for a nice weekday evening shot at wetting a line for an hour or so when I can get away. Open shoreline access is scattered which makes for a perfect excuse to get the bike tires aired up, toss it in the truck bed and get some needed exercise along the way.

4-4 – On new water, my first goal is to get that one bite to get me on the board and avoid the shutout. Well, it sure didn’t take long to get that monkey off my back as I landed a bass on my first cast. And it didn’t stop there as I managed to catch a bass on each of my first four casts. It got me wondering if I had ever had such good fortune once upon a time when I played a little baseball. Among the scattered archives I found an affirmation that such a feat took place at least once. The proof from July 13 is below and it sure is fun to reminisce on the names of teammates from a portion of the Hi-Lo highlight recap of the 1986 season.

Crooked Bass – Top Bass was an interesting specimen with a stubby, crooked back end. I have caught several odd bass over the years including those with a similar affliction but have yet to determine the cause of the crookedness. On the positive side, the bass was eager to eat, otherwise healthy looking and put up a good fight. Here’s hoping it rewards other anglers and leaves them scratching their heads as well.

 

A good hour on the water and mission accomplished on the sunset drive home as I watched the odometer turn. Someday I suppose there will be a post or two in tribute to the old truck but for today I’ll leave it as a fishing report. As a fellow fisherman, I’d like to think that Junior would have enjoyed the drive. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A submission from a new stretch of public water joins the list this week.

Weight: 2-14
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: June 21
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm
Air Temp: 64F
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake)
Structure: Open water with scattered weeds
Angler Comments: Some scouting earlier in the month during a family camping trip brought me back to a promising section of the Hennepin Canal and it did not disappoint.
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-3,3-9,3-1,2-14,2-0) culls a 1-13

As you can see from the picture, the bass was a bit crooked on its backend. More on the bass, the ride to and from the fishing hole and more in the complete Hennepin Canal report coming your way tomorrow. Thanks. Troy

Friday Flashback – June 27, 1996

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The evening of June 27, 1996 at the Lake Bracken Spillway was like night and day for a group of carp anglers. The carp that called the spot home were sometimes an odd bunch. Some days, you could see several swimming below the surface from high atop the ridge as you looked down into the pool. And then not even get a bite.

Other times, no fish were to be seen from above, but the bite would be well worth navigating the tricky path down to the promised land. Of course, that was also part of the fun. From the sneak peek from up top to the tentative steps needed to maintain balance when armed with a couple poles and cooler of beer to the slight hop for the last step on the dirt descent to The Spillway, it was always an adventure.

On this trip, the carp chasers consisted of myself, my brother, Brent, and our friends, John and Lisa Junk. Us three guys had established ourselves as some solid carp fishers with a dozen years of experience at The Spillway dating back to high school. As for Lisa, well, she had been designated “The Carp Queen” following an impressive 1994 performance when she outfished the guys.

However, even Lisa’s 1994 success would pale in comparison to Brent’s domination on this trip. All told, he caught over thirty pounds of carp, easily outdistancing the rest of the crew. In fact, neither John, Lisa nor I caught a single carp. I’ve never seen anything like it. Quite odd as we were all using the same bait and fishing The Spillway was akin to the old fishing in a barrel adage.

 

All these years later, I still don’t have a true explanation for the discrepancy in fish catching. Sure, Brent is a skilled angler, but the rest of us are no slouches. The best I can come up with is that while Brent was more than willing to assist with hauling any of the gear, beverages and supplies down the slope, he always left the beer alone. For the rest of us, I’m not sure that we would have traded in our cold ones for a couple carp back in the day. Speaking for myself, I believe I was simply content to knock back a few and enjoy the show. Talk to you later. Troy

Snakeden Hollow Report – June 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It sure felt like summer on the last day of spring so what better time for a workout walk-in at Snakeden Hollow? I psyched myself up as best I could during the hour drive to meet my brother, Brent, as I knew it would be a chore in the near 90-degree heat.

Was it worth it?

Read on.

Stats

Date: June 19, 2021
Location: Snakeden Hollow (4 lakes)
Time: 3:10pm-9:15pm (4.50 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy to dead calm, hot and humid
Air Temp: 81-87F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 55 bass (Troy – 29, Brent – 26) and 2 bluegill
Lures: Yum Dinger wacky rig – 19 bass, Strike King Pro Model Series 4 Crankbait (sexy shad) – 17 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 10 bass, Emiquon Special Spinnerbait – 7 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 4-3 (Troy – Red Eye Shad)
Top 5 Weight: 13-5 (4-3,3-9,2-6,1-13,1-6)

Winning Lures

Bonus, big bluegill on a crankbait

Trip Lyric
“And I would walk 500 miles…” – I’m Gonne Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers (1993)

Notes and Nonsense

New Water, Old Tricks – Even after 34 years of fishing Snakeden, there are still things to learn. Back in March, Brent and I hiked in to check out one spot that I had always wanted to try but was never able to attempt. Our scouting trip revealed a positive change in water level and shoreline access and a few casts proved that there was at least one bass that called the lake home. On the return trip, Brent came armed with a wacky rig and a spinnerbait while I took to casting a crankbait, no surprise from either guy. The combined attack produced 34 bass as we drifted the shorelines with Brent working the shallows while I cranked the drops. Should we muster the energy again, a return trip would certainly be worthwhile.

7:20pm – Top Bass at 4-3 and 20″ on a lipless crankbait

Lost Tackle – While I was getting ready to replace a Senko wacky rig, our boat began to drift into some trees. I had several poles sticking out of the boat, so I instinctively reached to grab them and get them out of harm’s way. What I failed to realize was that my film container holding my wacky rig hooks and O-rings was open in my hand. In the process of grabbing the poles, the entire contents flew out of the container. A sickening “plop” behind me clued me in that the gear was gone. Although not an expensive mistake, it was still disheartening and a bit embarrassing. Fortunately, my fishing partner is also a wacky guy and had plenty of spare items. However, I had a solid crankbait bite dialed in, so I did not have to resort to begging for a borrow.

8:56pm – Brent Top Bass at 2-6 on a wacky rigged Yum Dinger

Change For the Better – I worked a six-month temporary stint at Snakeden back in 1990 and to say that it was in a primitive public access state would be an understatement. Of note for today’s entry, were several nasty, barren depressions on the landscape that looked more like the lunar surface than our planet. One such area produced our two largest bass of the trip, so I’d like to give a well-deserved shout out to those who have managed the area over the years. It is incredibly rewarding to cast on the former sickly, damaged area all these years later. And nearly eight pounds of bass on two casts a half hour apart is quite rewarding as well.

 

As we trudged through our trek, I thought back to a challenging June 21, 2019, journey that Brent and I took to a remote Snakeden lake. We called that one the “100 Year Trip” as Brent was 49 and I was 51 for a combined 100 years of existence. I guess that this latest outing would be a “104 Year Trip” at 51 and 53 years of age. While 105 years might have been a better headline, if I wait until I turn 54 on July 23, I’m afraid the weather might be too hot. Near 90 degrees like this trip is just about my limit. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A good batch of submissions this week as Knox County continues to produce during the spring/summer transition. Conditions have been challenging for anglers with hot and humid conditions on the water but for those willing to put forth the effort, there are rewards to be had.

Weight: 1-2 (13″)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: June 18
Weather: Hot and humid, overcast with intermittent sun
Water Temp: 82-83F
Location: Lake Storey, Galesburg, IL
Lure: Dark colored wacky worm
Angler Comments: Fished from 1:00-3:15pm. Very few bites but this fish hit the lure hard close to shore in three to four feet of water.
Top 5 Weight: 10-14 (2-10,2-8,2-6,1-14,1-8)

Weight: 4-3 (20″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: June 19
Weather: Partly Cloudy/calm and hot, 85F
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad)

Weight: 3-9 (19″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: June 19
Weather: Partly Cloudy/calm and hot, 85F
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad)
Angler Comments: Both catches came from a lake that did not exist when I first fished Snakeden. More details to come on the fishing report later this week.
Top 5 Weight: 14-10 (4-3,3-9,3-1,2-0,1-13) culls 1-13 and 1-11

Weight: 1-13
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 19
Weather: Partly Cloudy/calm and hot, 81F
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Yum Dinger wacky rig
Structure: Weed edge

Weight: 2-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: June 19
Weather: Partly Cloudy/calm and hot, 81F
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Yum Dinger wacky rig
Structure: Weed edge
Top 5 Weight: 14-14 (4-0,4-0,2-6,2-5,2-3) culls a 2-3

A nice spring finale and keep those fish coming through the summer. Talk to you later. Troy