Last Saturday I took a shot at three adjacent sections of The Canal. Beyond just trying to outsmart some bass, I was also in search of the quality bites needed to meet some Canal goals. For now, I will stick to the regular report format but anticipate a future post outlining just what those Canal goals encompass.
7:57am – Top Bass at 2-1 (16″) on a topwater frog
Stats
Date: May 18
Location: Hennepin Canal (three sections)
Time: 6:30am-10:20am
Totals: 17 bass
Weather: Sunny/calm, 61-77F
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with Bass Pro Shops Twin Tail trailer (Houdini) – 8 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 8 bass, 5” Yamamoto Senko (blue pearl/silver flake) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-1 (Spro Frog)
Top 5 Weight: 7-11 (2-1,1-14,1-7,1-4,1-1)
Winning Lures
Notes and Nonsense
Pool One – A solid start on a return trip to a spot that I had first fished two weeks prior resulted in nine bass from 6:30am-8:15am. A spinnerbait was the ticket around abundant wood as it fooled seven of the nine bass. Rounding out the haul was one short bass on a Senko wacky rig and Top Bass of the Day at 2-1 on a Spro Flappin Frog.
9:10am – Top Bass Runner-up at 1-14 (16″) on a topwater frog
Pool Two – One hour on this section produced five bass, all on the Spro Flappin Frog. I buzzed the frog through any open water between riprap banks and the emerging lily pads to elicit strikes. Top Bass among the five catches weighed in at 1-14.
Pool Three – I wrapped up the morning with three bass in one hour on the last section, two on the frog and one on a War Eagle spinnerbait. Top Bass for the pool was a 1-4 on the frog but I lost another fish in the two-pound range that threw my spinnerbait on the way to the boat.
Video below from 9:02am – My favorite bass of the trip as he was one brave and greedy guy
Synchronized Fishing – My brother, Brent, was on the water at Snakeden Hollow during the same time that I was trying my luck on The Canal. And I’ve got to say that while technology has its pros and cons, it is cool to text real time updates back and forth from thirty-five miles away. I fished slightly longer than Brent this morning, but our totals were quite similar. We each landed seventeen bass. Brent’s Top 5 Weight was 7-1 while mine was 7-11. He got me on Top Bass of the Day with a 2-7 edging out my 2-1.
Logs below – Brent at Snakeden (left), Troy at The Canal (right)
Nature – Mother Nature’s spring fling was on full display. Cottonwood fuzz littered the surface and frequently needed to be removed from lures and lines which can be a challenge at times. The gnats were so bad that I considered calling it quits after about an hour on the water (and mind you, I love fishing). Aquatic vegetation had taken hold affecting lure decisions and presentation as it varies from pool to pool. On a positive note, I did get to observe a Bald Eagle as it flew across The Canal about thirty feet in front of me. Such a cool bird and still a big deal to me even though they aren’t as big a deal in terms of sighting frequency as back in the day.
A successful day on the water although a batch of big bites still eluded me. But The Canal continues to impress as I invest more hours on new spots. And it didn’t take long to return for some more casts as I was back on the water the following day. Stay tuned for that report. Talk to you later. Troy