Lake Storey Report – September 15

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A second consecutive Sunday on Lake Storey with my brother, Brent, proved to be another winner. Lots of bass and plenty of other stuff including a batch of song titles to compliment my standard fishing report format.

9:14am 15″ 1-12 Spinnerbait

10:03am 15″ 1-11 Spinnerbait

“Lowdown” (Boz Scaggs – 1976)

Date: September 15, 2019
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 8:50am-3:05m
Weather: Overcast to sunny/windy and some rain
Air Temp: 66-84F
Water Temp: 73-74F
Totals: 21 bass (Brent – 12 bass, Troy – 9 bass)
Lures:
Brent: Spinnerbait (white) w/ tandem hammered blades (copper) – 9 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (grey ghost) – 2 bass
Senko wacky rig (bumblebee) – 1 bass
Troy: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw) – 4 bass
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (watermelon) – 3 bass
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (bluegill) w/ twin tail trailer (smoke) – 1 bass
Bomber Long A Jerkbait (red/yellow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-2 (Troy), 1-15 (Brent)
Top 5 Weight: 9-5 (2-2,1-15,1-13,1-12,1-11)

“The Rain, the Park & Other Things” (The Cowsills – 1967)

“Who’ll Stop the Rain” (Credence Clearwater Revival – 1970) – The original plan was to be on the water before sunrise, roughly 6:15am. The reality was a nasty thunderstorm that delayed my 45 minute drive as Plan B was to meet at Dad’s garage at 7:00am instead. Brent and Dad had already been hanging out there for an hour when I arrived and we didn’t actually get to head to the lake until about 8:30am.

“Double Vision” (Foreigner – 1978) – The bass are rather wily on the heavily pressured waters of Lake Storey so two in the boat (a “double”) is cause for a photo. Or two photos in this case as I was too busy shooting to realize that Brent was doing the same back in my direction. Cool idea, makes for a little something different for the fishing report.

12:20pm 1-15 Spinnerbait

“It’s Raining Again” (Supertramp – 1982) – Although the forecast indicated the rain was supposed to be done by 9:00am, a fairly heavy downpour came calling around 10:00am. Luckily, we had our rain gear at the ready which apparently was not the case for some other anglers launching their boat. We saw them backing down the ramp as the rain began but they were nowhere in sight by the time it subsided roughly 20 minutes later.

“Fly Like an Eagle” (Steve Miller Band – 1976) – A cool sight was a bald eagle that was spotted several times as we fished our way around the lake. In addition, we spotted another large bird of prey, an osprey, for the second weekend in a row. Several great blue herons, green herons, a couple kingfishers and some unidentified ducks at a distance rounded out a quality bird list.

My portion of the lures that fooled our fish

“One Way or Another” (Blondie – 1979) – During our 15 bass outing on Lake Storey the previous Sunday, the bass told us that a spinnerbait was all we needed. Indeed, our pair of spinnerbait selections fooled every one of our catches and with such positive feedback we hardly threw anything else. On this outing, the spinnerbait was still the top producer but caught less than half of our haul. It was fun to alternate baits on different spots to find an effective presentation and Brent actually caught one on each of the three poles he had on board. You don’t see that every day as he often finds no reason to set the spinnerbait aside.

1:39pm 15.5″ 1-13 Red Eye Shad

Not a soul all day but a crowd shows up at our 3:05pm quitting time, go figure

“Still the Same” (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band – 1978) – With the ugly morning weather it was no surprise that we launched mid-morning at an empty ramp. What was surprising was to only see one other boat on the water, a family who had launched at the opposite end of the lake. However, what was not surprising was the crowd that showed up to end the day. In fact, I commented to Brent as we headed to our final spot at 2:48pm that we had not seen a soul in the lot all day but just wait…Sure enough, as we got within a couple casts of the ramp, three bank anglers arrived and began fishing the launch area as did two trailers. I’d give the first crew about a C- if I were grading boat launching while the second guy did quite well with the added pressure of me heading to our truck and trailer. I did offer to assist as he was flying solo but he had it covered in fine fashion. No big deal as we were in no hurry but I swear, it never fails.

2:14pm Top Bass 16.5″ 2-2 Baby Brush Hog

All in all, “One Fine Day” on the water (The Chiffons – 1963). But “Enough is Enough” (April Wine – 1982) as I don’t want to contribute to any “Wasted Days and Wasted Nights” (Freddy Fender – 1975). “Talk to ya later.” (The Tubes – 1981). Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 8/31 & 9/1 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Round two of the recent radio trip down memory lane, so read on.

5. “If You Want My Love” – Cheap Trick (1982) – The guys from Rockford, Illinois just aren’t heard from enough on the radio. Seems like it’s either “I Want You to Want Me” or “Surrender” and that’s about it. So, when you get one like this love song you’ve got to turn it up and sing along. Be careful though trying to get too close to Robin Zander’s delivery as you may hurt yourself. Probably best if you’re riding solo too, at least if your vocal talents rival yours truly.

4. “Don’t Ask Me Why” – Billy Joel (1980) – I still recall getting the “Glass Houses” 8-track from the Columbia House Record and Tape Club. How cool was it to pore over the ad in some periodical as you narrowed down your dozen selections for a mere penny? My folks and some mowing money covered the rest of the “contract” helping to fill several old wood grain cassette and 8-track storage boxes. As far as this tune it was one of many favorites on that “Glass Houses” album back in the days when you listened to those 8-track tapes start to finish, mid-tune skips between programs and all.

3. “Takin’ Care of Business” – Bachman Turner Overdrive (1973) – Rock and roll at its finest with this enduring tune from some north of the border rockers. Apparently, they weren’t fishermen as evidenced by the lyric, “If it were easy as fishin’”. Then again, perhaps it’s either tongue in cheek or maybe I just take this fishing thing to seriously or perhaps I just need some more practice to make it easier. Whatever the case, BTO always provides an enjoyable musical escape as the boys just turn it up and let it ride.

2. “Fox on the Run” – Sweet (1975) – Who knew a “fox” wasn’t exclusively a red furred, bushy tailed canine? Not the eight year old kid who was digging this tune along with other Sweet favorites like “Little Willy” and “Ballroom Blitz.” Some darn good glam rock from the radio filled days of my youth featuring entertaining and varied genres on the airwaves. From song to song in 1975 you could hear singer/songwriters (ex: James Taylor), art rockers (David Bowie), crossover artists (Freddy Fender), soft rock balladeers (Barry Manilow), hard rockers (Doobie Brothers), funky folks (Ohio Players), comebackers (Neil Sedaka), disco beginnings (K.C. & the Sunshine Band), instrumentalists (Average White Band) and even novelty singles (Ray Stevens). Yet more reasons it was good to be a kid.

1. “Hey Nineteen” – Steely Dan (1980) – “Way back when in ‘67” begins this cut from the duo of Donald Fagen and Walter Becker with an assist from an ensemble of polished players. Well, that year was when it all started for me, literally. Which put me at 13 when this tune peaked at #10 on the Billboard chart. At that time, I represented the youthful disconnect that the singer observes in a young lady from the younger generation. Now, 39 years after the release of the single, the shoe is on the other foot. I suppose at this point I relate (or is it resemble) some lyrics from the second verse. “She thinks I’m crazy but I’m just growing old.” Now, that’s the mark of a great song, a different interpretation at a different stage of life.

Ah, these are fun for me, brings back lots of memories when assessing each of these three or four minute escapes courtesy of the radio dial. But up next, it’s back to contemporary memory making with another trip to Lake Storey. Hope you’ll tune back in for the latest fishing report and talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 8/31 & 9/1 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For better or worse, here we go again with another trek into some tunes from a pair of fishing drives back on August 31 and September 1. First half today and the Top 5 tomorrow.

10. “California Girls” – David Lee Roth (1984) – Once upon a time MTV played music videos and some were better than others in terms of being attention getting. As a 17 year old kid headed down the home stretch of high school I must say that some of the extras in this shoot were extra eye catching. And looking back now, I still think, “Boy, I bet it was pretty cool being David Lee Roth.” Energetic and fun, he does it up right with this remake of The Beach Boys classic.

9. “Macho Man” – Village People (1978) – If you were a 10 or eleven year old kid like I was when these guys hit the scene you know you liked this one. This cut along with “In The Navy” and, of course, “Y.M.C.A.” all had that hook and had you singing along. I suspect you still do, it’s okay to admit it. It is kind of wild to look back and realize that those three tunes all hit the airwaves within slightly over a year before radio airplay pretty much left the fellows behind. But if you are old enough to have had an ear on the radio as the 70s were drawing to a close, these cuts are stuck in your head. I admit that I’m chuckling a bit at the thought of “Macho, macho man” pestering you the rest of the day.

8. “Clap for the Wolfman” – The Guess Who (1974) – Was there anybody cooler than “Wolfman Jack” back in the day? His gravelly voice, cool delivery and hip lingo left quite an impression during his gig on “The Midnight Special” and other various television appearances. And this seldom heard gem from The Guess Who features a collection of rambles and phrases form the subject of the song such as “she was diggin’ the cat on the radio”. Having been raised on the radio, “The Wolfman” and Larry Lujack and John Records Landecker of WLS were my vintage of disc jockeys. The term and role of DJ has since evolved and expanded as my kids now call a guy with a marshmallow head a “DJ.” Kudos to his creativity but for crying out loud he doesn’t even speak. Nope, these days I get my fix with the likes of “Uncle Tim” and “Mamma C” and “Tazz” on Vintage Radio WQUD 107.7FM out of Erie, IL. “Vintage Radio”, huh? Guess that means I’m old and in this case older is better, of course.

7. “Creeque Alley” – The Mamas & the Papas (1967) – This autobiographical romp through some folk, pop and rock history is a fun four minute journey. I’ve long marveled at how songwriters can tell a story that covers all the bases and hits you with a hook all in the span of a what was generally considered a radio friendly length (roughly 3:45 in this case). For this tune to tell its tale there’s an interesting batch of rhymes like “Mugwumps, love bumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps.” Add a little name dropping with McGuinn and McGuire, as well as Zal, Sebastian and the Spoonful. Throw in a fishing reference in “tryin’ to get a fish on the line” and finish it off with a catchy hook that concludes with “everyone’s getting fat except Mama Cass.” Of course, the basic musical accompaniment, blend of voices and shout out to “California Dreamin” just flat out hit the spot.

6. “Hungry Heart” – Bruce Springsteen (1980) – I dig many things lyrical and a killer opening line certainly gets your attention. “Got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack, I went out for a ride and I never went back.” Yikes, that’s pretty heavy, leaves you wondering if you really want to stick around and see where this thing is going to end up. Of course, you can’t resist the infectiousness of this tune from “The Boss” that reinforces the turmoil with phrases like “took a wrong turn’, “don’t make no difference”, and “we ripped it apart.” Gotta like a lyricist who can turn a two syllable word into five and make it work, “Everybody’s got a hu-u-un-ga-ry heart” (something like that).

An interesting mix as usual, nothing like surfing the airwaves on the way to the fishing hole. Sometimes almost wish the ride was a little longer when the tunes are hitting the spot. Okay, maybe exaggerating a bit but I’m sure fellow music fans know how it goes. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

One limit filled and a pair of culls as we move into the final official week of summer.

Weight: 2-7
Angler: Landon Hannam
Date: September 14
Location: Private pond
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait with swimbait trailer
Angler Comments: First bass on the chatterbait since earlier this spring.
Top 5 Weight: 6-14 (2-7,1-4,1-2,1-1,1-0)

Weight: 5-0
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: September 15
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait
Angler Comments: Throwing a chatterbait over weedline into deeper channel, hit right at weed edge.
Top 5 Weight: 24-7 (5-3,5-0,4-14,4-12,4-10) culls a 4-8

Weight: 1-15
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 15
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Spinnerbait (white)
Structure: Laydown
Top 5 Weight: 10-14 (2-14,2-6,1-15,1-15,1-12) culls a 1-10

Keep on casting as there’s plenty of good bites left out there as we head into another season. Hoping to find time to get another Lake Storey fishing report completed as well as an overdue Top 10 Trip Tunes feature. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 14, 1999

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Once upon a time, me and my girlfriend could pretty much pack up the truck and go whenever we wanted. Perhaps it would take a vacation day or two from work but there were plenty of those to go around with the jobs we had at the time. And considering we were kid free it sure made the packing and the planning just a tad bit easier too.

Kind of hard to remember that lifestyle twenty years, a marriage and four kids later. All good though, been a wild ride and kind of funny how you shift gears, get more responsible and become parents.

But that’s all another story. The happily ever after part that’s still being written.

20 years later and I’ve still got the hat, the sweatshirt and most importantly, the girl (Julie’s still got that camping chair too).

Instead, we’re going back to 1999 today at Morrison-Rockwood Park in Whiteside County, Illinois. Julie and I selected the location for a late summer camping trip and chose to bring Dad’s boat in tow to try our luck on the site’s Lake Carlton.

Chivalry is not dead when a fellow buys a fishing license for that special lady.

From the pics below, you can see who the winning angler was during some exploration of the lake. Yep, the wannabe bass fishing guy was outfished by his companion two to zero. I used to joke that if someone caught more fish than I did on a trip that I wouldn’t take them anymore. Not entirely true, of course. In fact, when you get outdone on the water by your girlfriend that should serve as a hint that perhaps you have found a keeper. Took me two more years to pop the question but obviously glad I did all of these years later.

 

Speaking of all of these years later, we should actually try to go fishing again sometime. Anybody up for taking care of a batch of kids? Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A popular assessment over the years regarding my “home” lake, Lake Storey, was “there’s no fish in there!” Such a lament was always music to my ears and brought a grin. It can take some work to find them but there a few nice fish swimming in that old fishing hole. Last Sunday, me and my brother, Brent, found some during a shortened morning outing.

7:58am First Bass 1-3 Spinnerbait

Stats

Date: September 8, 2019
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 7:30am-11:00am
Weather: Overcast to partly cloudy/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 61-66F
Water Temp: 73-74F
Totals: 15 bass (Brent – 10 bass, Troy – 5 bass)
Lures:
Brent: Spinnerbait (white) w/ tandem hammered blades (copper) – 10 bass
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (bluegill) w/ twin tail trailer (smoke) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 2-6 (Brent)
Top 5 Weight: 8-2 (2-6,1-15,1-8,1-3,1-2)

                                                                                            8:08am  13.5″ 1-8 Spinnerbait                                                                                                     No shutout for either guy and nice to have a photographer aboard for some variety in shots 

8:17am 1-15 Spinnerbait

Notes and Nonsense

Abbreviated – Initially we were to meet up at 5:30am to head out from my folks but a torrential downpour greeted me at 4:45am as I rolled out of bed at their place. A quick look at the forecast and a text to Brent pushed our meet up back to 7:00am which worked out fine. On the other end, we had to be off the water around 11:00am to make a family reunion sort of lunch date. Thus, there was no time for fooling around with slow presentations or hitting any spots beyond our top haunts.

9:18am 1-2 Spinnerbait

Spot Success Rate – Rehashing our route as I composed today’s post, we hit fourteen of our regular stops. Of those areas, eight of them produced a bass with multiples in a couple spots. That works out to a 57% success rate which in my book is pretty solid no matter where we fish and definitely worth a self-congratulatory pat on the back for a run and gun Lake Storey outing.

Fishing Tip – Wear your rain pants to the lake to increase the odds that the rain will cease as opposed to leaving them at home which will pretty much guarantee you’ll get wet.

9:24am Top Bass 2-6 Spinnerbait

Nephew Needs to Know – As I edited GoPro footage from this outing, my son Zac asked, “Does Uncle Brent talk while you’re fishing?” Initially I told him that Uncle Brent lets his spinnerbait do the talking for him which my other boy, Jayce, thought was pretty cool (that boy does his talking with a Senko). I then told the boys that I do hear Uncle Brent talk while we are on the water but not to me. Jayce got the point and replied, “He talks to the bass, huh?” Zac then piped up, “What does he say to them?” Boy, if I only knew…

10:46am Last bass on last stop 13.5″ 1-1 Spinnerbait 

Deserted ramp all morning just as seen here…until it’s time to trailer the boat

Never Fails – At 7:25am we launched at a deserted ramp. At 10:45am we were headed across the lake to a still deserted ramp right on schedule to hit a final spot and have the boat back on the trailer just after 11:00am. Of course, two vehicles with boats in tow showed up at just that time. Fortunately, both looked as if they had launched a boat before so we were still able to make our scheduled departure time and nab one final bass in the process.

All you needed on this day, although there is a little more to it than just simply casting and retrieving

A good day on an old favorite fishing hole with a close to old favorite fishing partner (not quite 50 yet but won’t be long). Always a challenge to fool some of the highly pressured and wily bass that swim in that stained water. Here’s hoping for another visit or two before the fishing year draws to a close. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

September is rolling along with a pair of anglers adding three more Knox County bass. I’m also trying out a new Top 5 wrinkle with a video of one of the catches in addition to the required photo.

Weight: 4-12
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: September 7
Location: Knox County Strip Mine
Lure: Whopper Plopper
Angler Comments: Got a couple small ones on a Red Eye Shad and this 4-12 hit a Whopper Plopper about 15 or 20 yards from the shore.
Top 5 Weight: 23-15 (5-3,4-14,4-12,4-10,4-8) culls a 4-6

Weight: 1-15
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 8
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Spinnerbait (white)
Structure: Laydown/scattered weeds

Weight: 2-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 8
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Spinnerbait (white)
Structure: Brush/scattered weeds
Top 5 Weight: 10-9 (2-14,2-6,1-15,1-12,1-10) culls a 1-2 and 1-1

Good job guys, proof that you don’t want to put those poles away just yet. I suspect the Top 5 has a few more updates in store over the next couple months. More video to come this week in a Lake Storey fishing report and another Trip Tunes feature when time permits. Talk to you later. Troy

Labor Day Report – September 2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

I am fortunate to get Labor Day off from work so after taking in the UTHS Marching Panthers and Color Guard at the local parade it was off to the fishing hole with a special guest. My boy, Zac, commented that it had been a long time since we’d been fishing. Actually, he commented on a lot of stuff as that fellow can be a chatty one.

So, we stop for waxworms and this guy ends up with a basketball, all good, season is just around the corner

Stats

Date: September 2, 2019
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 private)
Time: 4:30pm-9:00pm (2.5 hours driving, 1 hour fishing, maybe)
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 70s F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: about half a dozen bluegill
Lure: waxworms on jighead hung from a slip bobber

Bluegill success and of course, you have to test out the new boots by getting in the lake

Notes and Nonsense

Belly Flips – Hopefully more than a few out there can relate to a country drive up and down some hilly, low traffic roads which are ideal for producing that funny feeling in your belly. Me and Zac got plenty of belly flips once we left the beaten path to travel those last few miles to a couple new fishing holes. Why it seems like it was just forty five years ago that I was about his age enjoying the same treat with Dad at the wheel.

 

Questions 67 & 68 – I couldn’t help but think of this old Chicago tune and I kind of wish that I had actually counted as Zac may have exceeded these numbers. Sample questions included:
“How much is a fishing license?”
“Does everybody need a fishing license?”
“Is it funner fishing with me or Jayce?”
“Are those oars or paddles?”
“Can you see in the water with your glasses?”
“Will this boat tip over?”
“Is a kayak easier to tip over than this boat?”
“Why is it called a buzzbait?”
“How come you don’t have to wear a life jacket?”
“Who is a better fisherman, you, Papa or Uncle Brent?”
“Were you, Papa or Uncle Bubba a better basketball player?”
And while not a question, there was also a lot of “Dad, Dad, Dad.”

 

One on One – With four kids in the house and the resultant constant motion of daily responsibilities and activities, it really is rewarding to spend some “alone” time with a single kid. While it was billed as a fishing trip, we maybe spent an hour in the boat and even less time actually fishing. Along with catching a few bluegill, we caught the end of a Cubs victory, jammed on some 70s and 80s tunes, shot some hoops, made a Subway supper stop (complete with two cookies apiece) and one of us even got in a nap on the late night drive home. Good stuff no matter how the fish were biting.

Told Zac we’d hit Galva Subway at 8:02pm upon leaving the lakes. Yep, travelled this route just a few times before

Game over after some fresh air and a three day weekend

This trip concluded a busy and enjoyable three day Labor Day weekend with a good mix of family time and time on the water. And this particular angling journey was an entertaining combination of both. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 11, 2004

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today we take a second look back at Pat’s Creek from 15 years ago (click here for the July 25 flashback post). The timing on this one is kind of funny as my boy, Zac, just asked me the other day, “Dad, who is a better fisherman, you or Papa?” The best I could offer as a response was “It depends on what we’re fishing for.” Read on for some evidence via an excerpt from the original October 5, 2004 post.

September 11, 2004 – Dad and I headed for Pat’s Creek in hopes of matching the success from our trip in late July. Well, Dad did pretty well and I caught one fish. Guess I wasn’t holding my mouth right or something (a concept for a future article). However, the trip did have a few highlights.

Action shot and catch from Dad’s Top Carp as detailed below

Top Carp 2004 – Less than twenty minutes after our first cast, Dad nailed a 5-1 carp that stands as the current record for the year. The fish bested my 4-9 from Pat’s Creek on 7/29. The carp stands as number three from Pat’s with my 6-11 on top and Dad’s 5-12 at number two. The fish also established a new record for the month of September as no other carp had been entered for this month.

Early Fall – Though the season had another week and a half to arrive, I got to witness a fall firsthand. The last trip Dad and I made to Pat’s, we both took a tumble as we entered the creek as detailed in my 9/8 article. During our latest trip, only one of us went down and it wasn’t me. Things actually looked pretty good as I hit the creek stating “We both made it” only to watch Dad take a dive. No injuries other than pride and always good for a laugh at someone’s expense.

A pleasant and unusual catch from the creek described below

Smallmouth – While on the subject of falling, the creek had dropped considerably and was much clearer than normal. In fact, I was able to watch a school of minnows nibble on my shins as I stood in water just over my knees. Typically, you can feel something but can’t see anything below the surface. A pair of smallmouth bass fell to our offerings marking the first appearance of this species at Pat’s Creek. In speaking with Uncle Dick, this occurrence was not surprising considering the water clarity. Smallmouth prefer less turbid conditions and have moved in as favorable conditions arose. It was exciting to add a new species to the list of fish caught at Pat’s and if anyone could shed some light on the arrival of smallmouth, Uncle Dick would be your guy.

Dad doing what he does best, and considerably better than the other guy on this trip

Species Title – Dad nabbed the species title, easily outdistancing me six to one. While I managed only a smallmouth bass, Dad reeled in a redhorse sucker, a carp, a creek chub, a channel cat, a freshwater drum and a smallmouth. Actually, an argument could be made for a seventh species as he reeled up a small turtle that politely unhooked itself.

The log doesn’t lie as the “D” signifies Dad’s catches, the “T” my catch

So, I guess there’s Zac’s answer to his question and this outing was not a fluke. Hands down, Dad is the better creek fisherman. Zac also asked, “Dad, who is a better fisherman, you or Uncle Brent?” Well, I’ll save that answer for a couple flashback posts later this fall. However, next up in the Friday Flashback series is a fishing trip with another of Zac’s relatives. The boy didn’t ask if I was a better angler than his Mom. Tune in for that one next week and plenty more in between including Zac getting back on the water. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Starting to get a bit of that end of the fishing year feel during some recent cool mornings and shorter evenings. Still a ways to go but it’s in the air already with a mild finish to August. We did add seven more bass during the month from four anglers including our leader who managed to add just over a pound to an already impressive limit. Overall, not too bad for what has traditionally been a slow Top 5 month.

2019 Totals (* = new record)
January = 1 bass
February = no submissions
March = 8 bass
April = 14 bass
May = 12 bass
June = 14 bass
July = 11 bass
August = 7 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
January = 3-3 (one bass)
February = no submissions
March = 19-3 (4-8,4-2,4-1,3-5,3-3)
April = 19 -10 (4-1,4-1,4-0,3-12,3-12)
May = 19-1 (4-6,4-0,3-15,3-10,3-2)
June = 19-15 (4-3,4-1,4-1,3-15,3-11)
July = 13-15 (5-3,3-14,1-15,1-8,1-7)
August = 19-4 (4-14,4-10,4-6,2-14,2-8)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 20 bass
Bank = 47 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight (* = new record)
Boat = 14-9 (3-14,3-11,2-8,2-4,2-4)
Bank = 23-9 (5-3,4-14,4-10,4-8,4-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 54 bass
Private = 13 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 23-9 (5-3,4-14,4-10,4-8,4-6)
Private = 15-11 (3-14,3-10,3-2,2-10,2-7)

The Baits (* = new record)
Plastic Worm = 25 bass (Top Bass 4-14 Jim Junk)
Chatterbait = 12 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Jim Junk)
Lipless Crankbaits = 9 bass (Top Bass 4-8 Jim Junk)
Spinnerbaits = 9 bass (Top Bass 3-10 Chris Schwarz)
Buzzbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-4 Troy Jackson)
Jigs = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-10 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-11 Chris Schwarz)
Underspin = 2 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Livebait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Jim Junk)
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-1 Landon Hannam)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
3-3 Jim Junk
February
No submissions
March
4-8 Jim Junk
April
4-1 Jim Junk
May
4-6 Jim Junk
June
4-3 Jim Junk
July
5-3 Jim Junk
August
4-14 Jim Junk

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
5-3 Jim Junk 7/28
4-14 Jim Junk 8/3
4-10 Jim Junk 8/20
4-8 Jim Junk 3/28
4-6 Jim Junk 5/14
4-6 Jim Junk 8/3
4-3 Jim Junk 6/14
4-2 Jim Junk 3/30
4-1 Jim Junk 3/31
4-1 Jim Junk 4/10
4-1 Jim Junk 4/13
4-1 Jim Junk 6/20
4-1 Jim Junk 6/28

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 23-9 (5-3,4-14,4-10,4-8,4-6)
Chris Schwarz 15-8 (3-11,3-10,3-2,2-10,2-7)
Troy Jackson 13-8 (3-14,2-10,2-8,2-4,2-4)
Brent Jackson 8-7 (2-14,1-12,1-10,1-2,1-1)
Landon Hannam 4-7 (1-4,1-2,1-1,1-0)
Terry Jackson 3-13 (1-15,1-1,0-13)
Jayce Jackson 2-13 (1-8,1-5)
John Kirkemo 2-12 (1-7,1-5)

Other Species
Bluegill 1-8 Teagan Mills 6/2/19 Private pond
Channel Catfish 13-0 Teagan Mills 4/20/19 Private Pond
Catfish 6-9 Chris Schwarz 6/12/19 Spring Lake – McDonough County
Catfish 34-35” Chris Schwarz 6/2/19 Spring Lake – McDonough County
Muskellunge 6-4 Chris Schwarz 6/28/19 Lake Storey

Welcome, September, and here’s hoping for a solid batch of submissions as we head towards the home stretch. Good luck if you get out there and send them my way. Talk to you later. Troy