Time for the annual Top 5 Record Book wrap up series. What follows is a look at how our bass stack up with respect to the calendar. Four years, 27 different anglers and 475 bass (all but 22 from Illinois waters) make up the all-time record book. Here we go.
Group Totals = 475 bass (2014 = 154/2015 = 106/2016 = 136/2017 = 79)
Submissions by month (2014/2015/2016/2017) * = new record
118 April (43/33/31/11)
82 May (27/23/19/13)
68 March (13/11/34/10)
64 June (34/14/15/1)
48 July (18/11/8/11)
24 February (2/2/7/*13)
22 September (6/4/6/6)
21 October (4/5/4/8)
10 November (6/0/4/0)
9 August (1/3/1/*4)
8 December (0/0/7/1)
1 January (*2017 had first submission)
Comments: Spring continues to rule the day in terms of submissions. Warming weather, looking to scratch that fishing itch after a long winter and the simple fact that you’re starting your haul makes the totals add up significantly. Summer continues to be a bummer when it comes to numbers but a solid year with only November failing to see a contribution.
Top 10 Top 5 Monthly Weights (group total) * = new entry
37-9 May 2014
29-8 June 2014
29-7 March 2016
29-2 April 2014
28-7 December 2016
27-14 April 2015
27-12 March 2015
27-11 July 2014
27-10 April 2016
27-1 May 2016
Comments: Takes just over 27 pounds combined from our anglers to crack the Top 10 all-time monthly weights and we fell just a little shy during May (26-14) and October (26-11) in 2017.
Top 5 Weights per Month (group total) * = new record
*January (2017) = 2-11 (one fish)
February (2016) = 22-9 (6-7,4-15,4-10,4-1,2-8)
March (2016) = 29-7 (6-5,6-1,5-14,5-10,5-9)
April (2014) = 29-2 (8-0, 5-11, 5-10, 4-15. 4-14)
May (2014) = 37-9 (9-4, 8-10, 8-8, 6-1, 5-2)
June (2014) = 29-8 (6-11, 6-4, 5-10, 5-8, 5-7)
July (2014) = 27-11 (6-6, 6-0, 5-5, 5-0, 5-0)
*August (2017) = 18-9 (6-6,5-11,4-3,2-5) old mark 13-6 (2015)
September (2014) = 22-3 (5-8,5-2,4-0,3-13,3-12)
*October (2017) = 26-11 (7-4,6-8,5-10,4-3,3-2) old mark 22-11 (2015)
November (2016) = 24-9 for 4 bass (6-8,6-5,6-4,5-8)
December (2016) = 28-7 (7-7,6-5,5-13,4-11,4-3)
Comments: Our first ever January bass sets the mark and two other monthly records get a boost as well. Particularly good to see August up the mark by five pounds as the “Dog Days” can be a tough sell. Interestingly, the new August mark only featured four fish but easily eclipsed our former mark that consisted of a full limit. As always, good to see fishing rods that aren’t put away too early as evidenced by the new October record.
Monthly Top Bass * = new record
*January
2-11 Mark Balbinot 1/29/17 Underspin (first January submission)
February
6-7 Mike Overturf 2/27/16 Plastic Worm
March
7-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/22/15 Jig
April
8-0 Kamryn Kaesebier 4/13/14 Crankbait
May
9-4 Jake Breeson 5/23/14 Jig
June
6-11 Ty Hartlipp 6/11/14 Topwater Frog
July
6-6 Jake Breeson 7/11/14 Plastic Worm
August
6-8 Gary Le 8/16/14 Swimbait
September
6-0 Austin Chapman 9/19/15 Jig
October
*7-4 Mark Balbinot 10/29/17 Jig (old record 6-0 Mike Mooney 2016)
November
6-8 Mark Balbinot 11/20/16 Plastic Worm
December
7-7 Mark Balbinot 12/11/16 Underspin
Comments: Another outstanding year by our 2017 Champ, Mark Balbinot, saw him establish a pair of new monthly marks, January (2-11) and October (7-4). And, hey, unseasonably warm out there for January so you got a few more days to take your shot at fame.
Always fun for me this time of the year to compile the records and daydream about what this year holds in store. Back tomorrow with a breakdown of baits and locations. Talk to you later. Troy