Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

There were plenty of highlights associated with last week’s catches. John Kirkemo completed his initial Top 5 by adding a trio of spotted bass that moved his creel past the ten-pound mark. And a great day for me at Lake Storey allowed me to boost my weight with two more quality submissions, one of which now stands as the Top Bass of 2026. Read on for the details on each of these catches.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-12
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 19
Time on the water: 3:20 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temperature: Unavailable
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline in 10-20 feet of water.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 2-4
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 19
Time on the water: 3:20 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temperature: Unavailable
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Observed fish chasing baitfish on the surface. I cast the lure to the spot where I saw the fish feeding, and this one took the bait.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 2-5
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 20
Time on the water: 9:20 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Weather: Cool morning with temperatures in the 50s.
Water Temperature: Unavailable
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline near the north end of the campground. The lip on the Rapala fell out while handling this fish making the lure useless.
Top 5 Weight: 10-7 (2-5,2-4,2-1,2-1,1-12)

Weight: 4-5 (20”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 25
Weather: Sunny/windy, 65F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Shoreline pocket
Angler Comments: This catch was the result of a fortuitous decision to hit a rather non-descript shaded, shoreline pocket from an alternate angle. Several minutes prior, I had landed a bass as I drifted into the pocket. Before exiting the area, I opted to make a cast behind me to cover a slight point that I had previously drifted over. The lesson here is don’t hesitate to cast behind you as sometimes the fish may react to a different retrieve angle.

Weight: 2-12 (17.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 25
Weather: Sunny/windy, 68F
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Gravel bank
Angler Comments: As I made my way along a gravel shoreline, I cast my chatterbait parallel and retrieved at a speed to keep it just out of sight in the stained water. The lure ticked off something near the end of the retrieve (possibly some brush) and the slight alteration seemed to trigger this fish.
Top 5 Weight: 14-15 (4-5,2-13,2-12,2-10,2-7) culls 2-6 and 2-5

Good stuff as the 2026 Top 5 keeps moving on. Stay tuned for the Lake Storey report from my April 25 trip as well as supplemental post from the outing detailing an odd “fish story.” Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – April 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This outing marked three consecutive days of fishing on The Canal. Each was a brief outing although I intended to stick around longer on this hike. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans as a thunderstorm showed up over an hour earlier than forecast. I got back to my truck in the nick of time as the clouds opened up with a heavy downpour just before noon.

Stats
Date: April 13
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 9:05am-11:50am
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/windy
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 2-1 Chatterbait
Top 4 Weight (only 4 bass at 12” or better): 6-4 (2-1,2-0,1-2,1-1)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
“Yeah, you go back, Jack, do it again, wheel turnin’ ‘round and ‘round.”
Do It Again – Steely Dan (1972)
Early season fishing has been like the proverbial “broken record” with the same lure in the same spots racking up some quality catches. But to use another adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”, so I went back and did it again.

The chattebait continues to get it done, catching all fifty-two of my bass in 2026

Discards after my retying routine to start every day on the water

Notes and Nonsense

Retie and Recheck – Prior to my first casts when I arrive, I strip off several feet of line and clip it past the kink created by the top eye on my rod during the time my poles have sat idle. Then I run several feet of the remaining line through my fingers to check for any abrasions and retie my lures. In addition, I check my line after each catch and periodically when running it through any sort or potentially abrasive cover such as rocks, wood, or vegetation. When in doubt, retie. You will never regret investing those few extra seconds to prevent wondering “what if” should you break off a fish.

10:19am – Top Bass of the trip at 2-1 (16.5″) on a chatterbait

Angler Tips – I encountered a fellow angler on my hike who passed on a few fish stories, pics, and a couple tips. He mentioned landing some four to five-pounders recently and I had to ask, “On The Canal?” As he began to answer, I said that all I was seeking was a “Yes or No” as I was not looking for any specific spots. I just wanted confirmation that such fish still swim in that old water. Turns out they were not from The Canal but from a local, public, off the beaten path fishing hole. He also offered me a tip on a scaled down lure that is successful on The Canal and even gave me a couple to try. You can’t beat that and I will give the lures a shot. But I was a little unsure on the directions to his hotspot so I’m not sure if that will come into play. I am a little reluctant to hop on somebody’s spot, even if they are willing to share insider information. Besides, I have ample water to fish and some milestones on those spots that are in my sights.

A telltale sign that the bass are in the mood to create some more bass

Spawning Tales/Tails – The angler above also noted observing some bass with beat up, bloody tails. I shared that I had also caught a pair with the same look over the weekend. In addition, I had spooked a half dozen bass along the shoreline on this outing as they darted of bare spots on the bottom. All the above points to the bass’ thoughts turning to making more bass in the shallow, warming water of The Canal.

11:38am – Top Bass Ruuner-up of the trip at 2-0 (16″) on a chatterbait

So, the Canal continues to produce what I categorize as “good ones” with a pair of bass at two pounds or better on this trip. However, I have yet to reach the three-pound mark on a catch this year. I know they are in there and the time is approaching to employ one of my favorite techniques to fool some, topwater fishing. Hopefully, it won’t be long although this morning’s cold front thirty-degree temperatures are a letdown after seventies earlier this week. And yep, it is the weekend, go figure. Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – April 12

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After a successful day of casting in the rain the previous day, I found myself contending with a strong wind on this outing. Read on for the results, a rescue, and thoughts on the windy conditions.

Stats
Date: April 12
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 9:15am-12:00pm
Totals: 8 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy, 65F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 8 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 Chatterbait
Top 3 Weight (only 3 bass at 12” or better): 4-0 (1-15,1-1,1-0)

Starting Lineup

Tune of the Trip
“Blow away, Blow away, Blow away.”
Blow Away – George Harrison (1979)
The wind was wicked on this day. When walking The Canal, it really doesn’t pose much of a problem, but it did rock me a few times as I stood on uneven shoreline riprap. More on the wind later in this post.

10:24am – Top Bass Runner-Up weighing 1-1 (12.5″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Battered Chatter – My chatterbait has begun to show some wear upon landing every single one of my bass this year. The unusual streak reached forty-seven with the eight landed on this outing. The battle scars consist of paint knocked off the head and many of the skirt strands ripped away. In addition, I have gone through a batch of swimbait trailers along the way. While ugliness is not a deal breaker, I did bust out a new bait on this trip to give the old one a rest.

Rescued – I nearly donated the chatterbait to The Canal as an errant cast landed on downed limb several feet from the bank. I have a hole in one boot and the muck on the bottom of The Canal is crazy, so I was unable to wade out to the bait. Fortunately, I had a rod and reel spooled up with braided line. I tied on a swim jig, stepped into the edge of the water with my good boot and proceeded to snag the branch. As the braided line is darn near impossible to break, it allowed me to pull the branch within reach and retrieve my lure to cast another day.

Wind Pros – On the upside, wind can be beneficial as it can push the food chain towards the riprapped banks of The Canal. It also breaks up the surface making the shallow fish less spooky which is a bonus for a bank bound angler. I prefer the wind blowing towards me in terms of positioning fish in proximity but at my back or a crosswind has a positive effect on casting distance. Generally, accuracy is more important to me than distance, but it is cool to make some casts that span the entire width of The Canal.

11:15am – Top Bass of the trip at 1-15 (16″) on a chatterbait

Wind Cons – I’ve been slinging a baitcaster for over forty years but even a seasoned angler must deal with a professional overrun from time to time (fancy term for a backlash). The wind also got me on this day as I did not compensate properly on a cast parallel to the bank and caught a branch as described above These days, I always hit the water with my GoPro, and the wind wreaks havoc on the audio as I do not have a fancy wind muff accessory. One final drawback was not being able to hear a bike rider approaching and he scared me half to death even though I was well off the path when the movement hit my peripheral vision.

Good numbers on this outing but I could not find any big bites. However, I had the opportunity to get out the following day to make it three consecutive days on the water. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – April 11

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This trip tested the approach that “the best time to go fishing is anytime you can”, as the forecast for rain and blustery conditions weren’t the most appealing. But hey, I’ve been rained on before, and the fish don’t care as they are already wet.

4:28pm – Top Bass at 2-5 (16.5″) on a chatterbait

Stats
Date: April 11
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 3:15pm-5:30pm
Totals: 7 bass
Weather: Overcast/windy/light rain, 60-56F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 7 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 Chatterbait
Top 5 Weight: 9-7 (2-5,2-3,1-12,1-11,1-8)

Winning lure is once again this battered chatterbait

Tune of the Trip
“It’s the same old, same old situation”
Same Ol’ Situation – Motley Crue (1989)
With the seven bass on this outing, the chatterbait extends its string by catching the first thirty-nine bass of this year. It is an oddity but not entirely surprising with seven of my nine outings of 2026 being on the same stretch of water.

5:12pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 2-3 (16″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

3:52pm – Two views of a bass with a deformed or injured lower lip

A Look at Lips – There’s more to catching a fish for me than just set the hook, reel it in, unhook, and release. Of course, there is the documentation via a log entry, perhaps a picture, and in more recent years, video. But beyond those aspects, I take a good look at the fish as you will find that not all bass look the same. In the instance of the fish above, the lower jaw came to a pronounced point with a knob rather than the normal more rounded shape as shown in the photo below. The best that I can find online is that the characteristic may arise genetically or from an injury. Either way, it is an interesting feature, and I take pride in giving my catches a closer look to spot such a variation. On the flipside, I have wondered if bass think we all look alike. I hope not after all of the effort to introduce myself to thousands of bass on a couple hundred lakes over the years.

Example of a bass with a normal uniform, rounded lower lip

The tale of the scale as it read 2.30 on the bass caught and weighed in the video below

 

Guesstimation – When I catch a decent bass, I often try to employ my “built-in” scale to estimate a weight before actually putting the fish on the scale. The clip above is an example and it turns out that I was right on the money, even though I profess an accuracy of +/- 2 ounces. I also profess that it doesn’t always work out as precisely as this catch. But therein lies the beauty of being the video and blog editor.

 

A good day in the rain as I nearly reached my goal of a ten-pound Top 5 for the outing. Even better, the bass were able to put me within nine ounces of the mark in just over two hours on the water. The success inspired me to hit the water again the following morning. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Four anglers contribute to this week’s update. Longtime participant, John Kirkemo, is on the board with a pair of quality spotted bass from South Carolina. Jim Junk adds another solid fish to get one step closer to filling out his initial limit. And both Brent and I knock out a lighter fish to add a few ounces to our creels.

Weight: 2-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 7 (11:00am-3:30pm)
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temp: 68.3F
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½” shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline in 11 feet of water.

Weight: 2-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 7 (11:00am-3:30pm)
Weather: Almost cloudless skies, air temperature low 70s
Water Temp: 68-70F
Location: Lake Keowee near South Cove County Park, Seneca, SC
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½” shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Trolled the Rapala along the South Cove County campground shoreline in 20 feet of water.
Top 5 Weight: 4-2 (2-1,2-1)

Weight: 2-5 (16.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy/light rain
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad trailer (sight fish)
Structure: Channel
Angler Comments: Midway back on a lengthy retrieve from one of the few points on The Canal, my chatterbait ticked some submerged weeds. I popped the lure to get it free and tried to shake any vegetation and this bass loaded up shortly after that slight change in the retrieve.
Top 5 Weight: 12-9 (2-13,2-10,2-7,2-6,2-5) culls 2-3

Weight: 2-15
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 12
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Dark Sleeper (white/blue)
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: This long and skinny fish hit on a white and blue Dark Sleeper. Didn’t have a tape measure with me but wonder what the “usual” Banner fish at this length historically has weighed.
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (4-4,2-15,2-6)

Weight: 1-8
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-7 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-8) culls 1-3

Now that’s a fun week when each of our anglers contributes to the update. Hopefully a sign of things to come as we hit the Ides of April. Stay tuned for the latest fishing reports from several trips to The Canal. Talk to you later. Troy

2026 Fishing Targets

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This post slipped by me as I have already kicked off my 2026 fishing. However, the goals have not changed since I initially wrote them up. Instead, I’ve just added a few more numbers to the totals with this year’s early season catches. What follows is a look at the milestones that are within reach, and some historical data for many waters. For the bodies of water, I have broken them up into the Hennepin Canal, Lake Storey, and Strip Mines I, II, and III to reflect different collections of waters.

Hennepin Canal

June 5, 2021 – my first ever bass from the Hennepin Canal

Overview
I have divided The Canal into 25 sections as it runs east from Colona/Rock River to the Feeder Junction just northwest of Sheffield. One lofty aim is to post ten-pound Top 5 weights from each section. At present, I have accomplished this goal on seventeen of the twenty-five stretches, with Top 5 weights ranging from 10-1 to 15-15. Thus, one of my goals is to fill in the blanks for the missing stretches. Another Canal goal is to land Canal Bass #1,000 since first fishing the area on June 5, 2021.
Targets
Two of these stretches I have never visited. The other six stretches have weights ranging from 1-3 to 8-14. I have my work cut out and some transportation issues may limit my visits to the spots that are lacking a double-digit Top 5.

March 31, 2024 – Jayce with a top ten Canal bass weighing 3-4

Records
Hennepin Canal Bass Totals (2021-2026) = 939 bass, target is Canal Bass #1000
All-time Hennepin Canal Top 5 Weight = 17-5
Top Bass Personal = 3-10 (tie)
Top Bass Partner = 3-4 Jayce Jackson

Lake Storey

1988 – Dad with the one-time Top Lake Storey Bass weighng 4-6 (currently #5 all-time from Lake Storey)

Overview
I spent more time on Lake Storey last year that I have in many years with eight visits between August 31 and November 4. Along the way, I landed eighty-six bass which got me to pondering a larger goal of 100 bass for 2026. I also landed my largest ever Lake Storey bass at 4-14 which was a treat after over forty years of bass fishing on the old favorite.

October 12, 2025 – current Top Lake Storey Bass weighing 4-14

Targets
Lake Storey Bass Totals (1997-2026): 588 bass, target is to reach the 600 bass mark
All-time Top 5 Weight = 20-13 (solo)/22-7 (with partners)

Top Bass = 4-14 (Troy) /4-11 (Brent)/4-6 (Dad)

Strip Pits I

September 24, 2023 – Brent with a 4-4 from a Strip Pits I lake

Overview
For these waters, and the rest of the strip mines to follow, I will steer clear of any specifics on location or name. All are Knox County public waters where we have paid our dues over the last thirty-five years, so it is up to fellow anglers to do their own exploration. Two lakes in this batch are within striking distance of landing one hundred bass so that will be an aim when I am in the area. A twenty-pound personal Top 5 is also a goal and will take a few big bites, but I know that they are in there. In fact, Brent has already landed a 4-1 this year to push our all-time combined Top 5 over the twenty-pound mark.

April 3, 2026 – Brent with a recent addition to the Strip Pits I record book weighing 4-1

Targets
Total Bass from Strip Pits I = 201 total
All-time Top 5 Weight = 17-6 (solo)/20-5 (with Brent)
Top Bass = 4-7 (Brent)/4-2 (Troy)
Lake A = 90 bass all-time, target is bass #100
Lake B = 80 bass all-time, target is bass #100

Strip Pits II

April 25, 2012 – A 4-11 from one of the Strip Pits II lakes

Overview
As far as milestones, a boost to 1200 bass is in sight and there is a longshot for a lake (Lake A) reaching the 200 bass mark. Lake A is also shy of a ten-pound Top 5 at 7-7 but it just doesn’t reside too high on my target list among the multitude of pits available.

October 13, 2019 – Brent with a 4-5  from a Strip Pits II lake

Targets
Total Bass from Strip Pits II = 1159 bass, target to reach the 1200 bass mark
All-time Top 5 Weight = 21-10 (solo)/22-13 (with Brent)
Top Bass = 5-2 (Troy)/4-15 (Brent)
Lake A = 163 bass, longshot target to reach 200 bass

Strip Pits III

April 12, 2014 – a 4-6 from a Strip Pits III lake

Overview
The 1500 all-time total bass mark is within reach on this group of strip mines and I also have four lakes that are each a handful of bass from either 100 or 200 bass all-time. Each of these marks is achievable if I wish to invest the energy in a hike as two of them are well off the beaten path.

April 2, 2021 – Brent with a 4-0 from a Strip Pits III lake

Targets
Total Bass from Strip Pits III = 1446 Total, target to reach the 1500 bass mark
All-time Top 5 Weight = 23-13 (solo)/24-11 (with Brent)
Top Bass = 5-4 (Brent)/5-3 (Troy)
Lake A = 189 bass
Lake B = 188 bass
Lake C = 96 bass
Lake D = 88 bass

Recent Overall Totals

October 11, 2024 – Bass #600 of 2024 landed at Lake Storey

Overall Totals for the last five years
Totals from 2020-2025 = 2,319 bass
2025 = 359 bass
2024 = 626 bass
2023 = 468 bass
2022 = 553 bass
2021 = 313 bass

Top 5 Project Weights from 2021-2025 (my weight and winners’ weights)
(NOTE: 20 pounds is the target goal)
2025 = 20-11 (Top 5 Winner Jim Junk 24-9)
2024 = 16-5 (Top 5 Winner Brent Jackson 17-14)
2023 = 21-10 (Top 5 Winner Jim Junk 25-9)
2022 = 16-10 (Top 5 Winner Jim Junk 27-13)
2021 = 20-0 (Top 5 Winner Jim Junk 26-0)

March 5, 2023 – Jim Junk with a 5-1 from his public strip pit stomping grounds  

Top Bass 2021-2025 (my Top Bass and Top Bass for all Top 5 anglers)
2025 = 4-14 (2 fish) and Top 5 Top Bass Jim Junk 5-7
2024 = 3-10 and Top 5 Top Bass Jim Junk 4-6
2023 = 5-3 and Top 5 Top Bass Jim Junk 5-9
2022 = 3-10 and Top 5 Top Bass Jim Junk 6-9
2021 = 4-10 and Top 5 Top Bass Jim Junk 6-0

Stay tuned for the rest of 2026. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As we reach the end of the first week of April, it is time for a belated monthly Top 5 Stat update. Thus far, we have three anglers who have contributed a total of sixteen largemouth bass. The Jackson brothers have managed to land a limit and are set to continue culling fish to boost their weights. Defending champ, Jim Junk, has yet to round out his initial limit but has staked a claim to the Top Bass of 2026. In an interesting development, every single bass submitted this year has been caught on a chatterbait. Read on for the full breakdown of the numbers.

2026 Totals
March = 11 bass
April = 5 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 14-8 (4-4,2-13,2-10,2-7,2-6)
April = 12-2 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 6 bass
Bank = 10 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 13-7 (4-1,2-9.2-7,2-6,2-0)
Bank = 14-7 (4-4,2-13,2-10,2-6,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 16 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 16-5 (4-4,4-1,2-13,2-10,2-9)
Private = Not applicable

The Baits
Chatterbait = 16 bass (Top Bass 4-4 Jim Junk)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-4 Jim Junk
April
4-1 Brent Jackson

2026 Top 10 Bass
4-4 Jim Junk 3/2
4-1 Brent Jackson 4/3
2-13 Troy Jackson 3/22
2-10 Troy Jackson 3/22
2-9 Brent Jackson 4/3
2-7 Troy Jackson 3/29
2-6 Jim Junk 3/22
2-6 Troy Jackson 3/22
2-5 Brent Jackson 4/3
2-3 Troy Jackson 3/22

Angler Weights
Troy Jackson 12-7 (2-13,2-10,2-7,2-6,2-3)
Brent Jackson 12-2 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-3)
Jim Junk 6-10 (4-4,2-6)

A solid start and looking forward to some stable warm weather on the horizon locally. Hopefully we can take advantage and dodge the storms in the forecast to add more catches. Good luck out there, send your catches my way at troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com, and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Brent had a great Friday on Good Friday as he got on the water for the first time, trying his luck at the Knox County strip pits. He selected a spot that allowed kayaking access rather than opting for a hike and/or bike trip. As the results show, his approach worked out quite well.

Weight: 4-1
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-5
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 2-0
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait

Weight: 1-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 3
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Chatterbait
Angler Comments: A pretty good day. The wind was tolerable and my hands did not get cold. I think two of the two-pounders and the four-pounder came from about the same place. The spot where a log comes out in the deeper bowl area. (Editor’s Note: Fortunately, I know exactly where that spot is and it has long been a winner.)
Top 5 Weight: 12-2 (4-1,2-9,2-5,2-0,1-3)

Great to get a report from Brent and all told he logged just over two hours on the water and landed six bass with the five above being “keepers” to fill out his initial Top 5 limit of 2026. Thus far, it looks to be the Year of the Chatterbait as all sixteen of our 2026 Top 5 submissions courtesy of three different anglers have been caught on the lure. Good luck out there and talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – March 30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Following a morning appointment and before having to pick up the boys from school, I took advantage of a few open hours to make a short trip to The Canal. Weather was pleasant although quite windy but when walking The Canal, it typically doesn’t cause any issues beyond slightly affecting casting accuracy. Read on for the results and notes from a solid outing.

10:26am – First bass and Top Bass at 1-15 (16″) on a chatterbait

Stats
Date: March 30
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 10:20am-12:40pm
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Sunny/very windy, 57F
Water temperature: Not available
Lures: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 Chatterbait
Top 3 Weight (only 3 bass at 12” or better): 5-4 (1-15,1-13,1-8)

And on my fifth visit of the year, The Canal said, “Let there be slime.”

Notes and Nonsense

Slime Time – The shallow, fertile waters of The Canal on the stretch where I was fishing sport an extensive collection of aquatic vegetation as the water begins to warm. Well, apparently, it has already warmed enough to see an explosion of slimy, green algae that I appealingly refer to as “snot grass.” In addition, clumps of surface vegetation are floating throughout the waterway and are beginning to extend out several feet from the shoreline. The snot grass fouls deeper presentations, and the surface clumps require yanking your lure from the water several feet before it reaches the bank.

Shoreline scum, submerged slime, and dingy water greeted me on this visit

Dirty Water – I have fished this stretch of The Canal multiple times this year and on those previous trips the water clarity was quite clear. This aids me in spotting the submerged pieces of wood that are among my primary targets. The added visibility is particularly helpful when windy conditions cause chop on the surface. On this trip, the wind was really whipping and seemed to have stirred up the shallows causing a noticeable decline in water clarity.

Winning lure again, and all year thus far

Chatterbait Streak – In landing all five bass from this outing on a chatterbait, the lure has now caught every one of my bass in 2026. The 32 for 32 streak to begin the year is unheard of as other lures such as a lipless crankbait, spinnerbait, jig, or Ned Rig have always pitched in to start the season. Part of the equation is that the chatterbait is an effective presentation on The Canal in the shallow and increasingly weedy water. However, I have also spent several hours on Lake Storey and the strip mines where the chatterbait had success as well. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

12:17pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 1-13 (15.5″) on a chatterbait

Early on, April has left much to be desired in terms of weather and other priorities have prevented me from getting on the water. But there’s plenty of month left to see if I can work in another Lake Storey trip and put in some time on the strip mines. Speaking of the strip mines, Brent took a shot recently and had impressive results. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s Top 5 Update that features a batch of his catches. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – March 29

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After a productive late summer and fall on Lake Storey last year, I made a goal to spend more time on the old lake this year. I am hoping to get out there once a month and so far so good with this March outing. An added wrinkle on this trip was fishing out of the old johnboat on the lake for the first time in over thirty-five years.

Stats
Date: March 29
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 11:20am-3:50pm
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 57-60F
Water temperature: Not available
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with BPS Speed Shad trailer (sight fish) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-7 Chatterbait
Top 2 Weight (only 2 at 12” or better): 4-2 (2-7,1-11)

Starting lineup

Tune of the Trip
“Old days, good times I remember”
Old Days – Chicago (1975)
It has been a long time since I rowed around Lake Storey as we got spoiled back in the late 1980s when Dad bought a bass boat. Good times back then, and a good time all these years later.

11:55am – First bass at 1-11 (15″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Drawdown – Normally the lake would be near full pool as winter snowmelt and runoff bring the water level back to normal. However, the lake remains close to full drawdown. The explanation that I have heard is that the lake will remain lowered to facilitate the construction of a walking path extension on the south side of the lake. Currently, there is a path that runs along the west and north sides of the lake. Completion of the project will make a circuit around the entire lake area.

Brush clearing along the south side of the lake

Ramps – As a consequence of the lake remaining lowered, launching a boat is not possible at the east ramp and at your own risk on the west ramp. The east ramp is high and dry, and the west ramp has a nasty drop at the end which could damage your boat trailer. For this reason, I opted to go old school and drag my little johnboat down in proximity to the west ramp to take my shot. In addition, I stuck with oars rather than having to lug around a trolling motor and battery. It worked fine, just as it did all those years ago.

1:37pm – Top Bass at 2-7 (16″) on chatterbait

Float Trip – The plan on this outing was reminiscent of the float trips we used to enjoy on some Henderson County creeks. Mom and Dad were kind enough to help me out with a vehicle move. After I launched the boat at the west ramp, Dad drove his truck to the east ramp to leave it for me and hitched a ride with Mom. This approach allowed me to fish the entire length of the lake without having to turn around and row back to where I launched.

Winning lure as the chatterbait has landed all twenty-seven of my 2026 bass to date

A squadron, pod, scoop, or pouch of pelicans (yes, I had to cheat and look that up on the internet)

While I did not fool many bass on this early season visit to Lake Storey, I was pleased that I gave it a shot. One month down and hopefully more to come whether I must stick with the little boat or can get Dad’s boat back on the water. Next up is another Hennepin Canal visit to round out my March fishing. Talk to you later. Troy