I do not typically reveal my exact location in fishing reports, instead choosing to simply include a screenshot of the general location displayed by the weather app on my phone. However, this report is an exception as I will tell you exactly where I launched as a sort of public service message. If you elect to put a watercraft in at the Lock 23 Campground, stick to that short pool and do not attempt to pass through the tube headed east.

That tube is among the lengthiest on The Canal and possibly the least traveled based on the sheer volume of cobwebs and spiders that call the dark passage home. As I emerged from a tough upstream traverse, I was covered in webs, sharing my boat with various arachnids, and paraphrasing Dr. Seuss (including a few words that are not found in his entertaining writings).

So, with a nod to Theodor Geisel, here we go with another fishing report.

9:33am – Top Bass at 1-12 (15″) on a topwater frog

Stats
Date: July 7
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 5:50am-12:15pm
Totals: 8 bass, 1 freshwater drum
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy, 63-80F
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass/1 freshwater drum, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 2 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with Bass Pro Shops Twin Tail trailer (Houdini) – 1 bass, 5” Yamamoto Senko (pumpkin/black flake) – 1 bass
Top 5 Weight: 6-4 (1-12,1-8,1-0,1-0,1-0)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Oh, the Places You’ll Go (1990) – This trip checked off another mile of previously unseen water in my quest to row/fish all thirty-four miles from the Rock River in Colona to the Feeder Basin just northwest of Sheffield. To do so it requires a bit more effort than other fishing holes that feature convenient parking lots and functional boat ramps. And that is part of the appeal of this adventure.

These were not too intimidating but their relatives below did creep me out a bit

And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937) – Partially obstructing the downstream entrance to the tube were mulberry tree branches. My efforts to enter and begin moving through the tube caused not only several mulberries to fall into the boat but also a batch of the resident spiders to come along for a ride. I am not a huge fan of spiders, but these wispy web weavers were not very intimidating. The interior residents of the tube, however, were a whole different story.

Not a Dr. Seuss composition but in the same vein from Al Perkins and quite fitting.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish (1960) – Okay, maybe more like green fish, silver fish as two species were caught, largemouth bass and freshwater drum (above).

Cool looking spider on my boat cushion but not real cool when a bunch of them are crawling around in an eight-foot johnboat

“I do not like them, Sam-I-Am” – Green Eggs and Ham (1960), Dr. Seuss

“They live in tubes of steel and tin,
I don’t like spiders, Hen-nep-in
Not in a boat,
Not on my float,
Not in a tunnel,
Not on my gunnel,
No not at all,
It’s just no fun-nel,
I do not like them in my stache or beard,
Or on my hat, it’s just plain weird,
I don’t like the spiders, Hen-nep-in,
I will not pass that tube again!”

Troy Jackson (2024)

 

I have done a few things over the years in pursuit of those green fish that have prompted me to question if it was worth the effort or potential consequences. You know, things like poison ivy, ticks, storms, distance, terrain, and a little borderline trespassing. For all the above, despite knowing better the first time, I did them again. Maybe I am getting older, wiser, or both, but I can confidently say that I will never pass through the tube at the Lock 23 Campground ever again. Talk to you later. Troy

As I was not having much success close to home, I decided to take the show a bit further down the road. The stretch that I selected runs over a mile and a half in length between tubes, and I had only covered roughly a third of the water during one prior visit. The Top 5 quest continued as this spot lacked a couple quality bites of hitting the ten-pound mark. Read on for the results.

8:54am – Top Bass at 1-5 (15″) on a frog

Stats
Date: July 6
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:05am-11:35am
Totals: 11 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy, 61-77F
Lures: 6” Zoom Ultra Vibe Speed Worm (white pearl or junebug) – 8 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass
Top 2 Weight (only 2 bass at 12” or better): 2-9 (1-5,1-4)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Top 5 Update – I launched in search of a near three-pound boost in my Top 5 as the mark for this stretch stood at 7-2 (1-12,1-7,1-6,1-5,1-4). Well, I left disappointed as I only fooled two small “keepers” among the eleven bass that I reeled in. At the end of the day, I boosted my Top 5 on the pool by an entire ounce so there’s still plenty of work to do to reach my goal.

A swimming worm was a new trick that racked up some bass and some casualties in the process

New Presentation – For some reason, a solid June topwater bite has completely dried up in the last two weeks. I was on the water shortly after sunrise on this trip when the topwater bite should shine but I could not raise a single fish on a Whopper Plopper, buzzbait, or frog during the lowlight window before the sun cleared the tree line. This prompted me to try a new presentation that a fellow angler had mentioned to me while conversing on the water in late June. The swimming worm offering saved the day in landing eight of my eleven bass. Positive feedback but lacking in quality as none of those eight bass made the 12” mark.

10:56am – Top Bass Runner Up at 1-4 (14″) on a lipless crankbait 

Talking Trash – While on the water, I was occasionally checking a local fishing forum on social media. I was lamenting the lack of a topwater bite on recent outings and found that others were in the same boat. The strange thing was that amid badmouthing the Canal bass, I landed my Top Bass of the day (only 1-5) on a Spro frog in less-than-ideal bright sunny conditions. I was hoping that my trash talk would get a few more fired up but not so lucky as I never had another topwater strike.

Another tough day on the water and while I saw three other boats, they all went in the opposite direction from my choice. I did not get an opportunity to speak with any of the anglers, so I have no clue on their results. Regardless, I stick by my choice as many firsthand hours and secondhand reports on The Canal have convinced me that the bass are there no matter which direction I turn. Some days I win, some days I come up short and I was back the following day in the direction that those other boats headed in search of some answers. Stay tuned for that report and talk to you later. Troy

I ended my workday Wednesday looking at a four-day weekend courtesy of the Fourth of July holiday on Thursday and a vacation day on Friday. What better way to kick off a break from work than with a quick trip to The Canal.

8:18pm – First bass at 1-1 (13″) on a frog

Stats
Date: July 3
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 7:25pm-8:55pm
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm 80-76F
Lures: Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass
Top 3 Weight (only 3 bass at 12” or better): 3-6 (1-4,1-1,1-1)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Choices – The Canal is an interesting place as it is a linear collection of relatively narrow fishing holes connected or separated by tubes, locks, berms, and siphons. As such, anytime that I have a couple evening hours to get away, I am faced with the dilemma of selecting a spot from about a dozen options within twenty minutes of home. On this occasion, I chose a spot that I don’t fish often for a bike and hike adventure.

8:46pm – Second bass at 1-1 (13″) on a Whopper Plopper

Goals – My Top 5 on this stretch was not even a Top 5, only a Top 2. Those two “keepers” consisted of a 2-13 on July 2, 2021, and an 0-14 on May 20, 2023. Thus, goal number one was to fool three more keepers to establish an initial Top 5. Mission accomplished as I landed three bass, and each met or exceeded twelve inches to qualify. Goal number two was to hit the ten-pound mark in my quest for a double-digit Top 5 in every pool from Colona to the Feeder Basin. I did make progress on that goal but still have a ways to go with the current Top 5 for the pool sitting at 7-1.

8:54am – Third bass at 1-4 (14″) on a Whopper Plopper

Short and sweet for today’s report and a successful quick hit on The Canal. The water level has been manipulated over the last two years on this stretch to such an extent that I was concerned about winter kill. Apparently, there are decent bass that weathered the storm, and the water has returned to normal pool. I’ll be back and I hope to encounter the bites that will push me to the ten-pound mark. Word has it that the pool used to hold plenty of quality bass. Time will tell. Talk to you later. Troy

The Top 5 Canal Quest was back in action on a stretch that I had only fished one time back on May 8 of this year. That outing was a tough day as I came up two bass shy of a Top 5 for the pool with three keepers weighing in at 4-0 total. Read on to see of I could avoid a shutout, catch at least two keepers, and ideally boost my Top 5 weight to double digits on this trip.

Stats
Date: June 29
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 5:45am-9:15am
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy 75F
Lures: Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 3 bass
Top 2 Weight (only 2 bass at 12” or better): 5-9 (3-0,2-9)

6:01am – First bass of the morning was Top Bass at 3-0 (18.5″), catch video below

 

Notes and Nonsense

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad (Part I) – Just over forty minutes into the trip, I had two good bass in the log with a 3-0 at 6:01am and a 2-9 at 6:27am, both on the Whopper Plopper. In the roughly three hours that followed, I caught a lone short bass, also on the Whopper Plopper. Disappointing to say the least, but if I am only going to muster three bites, it is good when two are quality fish.

Tried ’em all but only the Whopper Plopper (lower right) was a winner

Kitchen Sink Approach – My lack of bites wasn’t for a lack of adjustments to find a winner. When reviewing my morning post trip, I determined that ten different lures hit the water, covering the water column top to bottom. When I say top to bottom, that encompasses about four feet maximum on this stretch of The Canal. My “depthfinder” is one of my oars and I have yet to find a spot where I don’t hit bottom before I run out of oar. Anyway, only one of the ten lures resulted in any bites. That’s a rough day.

New Trick? – As I wrapped up my morning, I crossed paths with another angler with whom I had briefly chatted earlier. When we spoke around 7:00am, I had my two quality bass in the log and was feeling confident about my prospects for a banner day. Fast forward to 9:00am and I was scratching my head after only landing one more short fish. I spied what he was using but incorrectly assessed his presentation. He gave me the scoop and I went shopping online with one of my ancient gift cards when I got home. Stay tuned for the reveal and the results in an upcoming report as I have already put the presentation to use.

6:27am – Top Bass Runner-Up at 2-9 (18″), catch video below

 

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad (Part II) – As noted in the introduction, my aim in visiting this stretch was threefold: don’t get shutout, land two keepers to complete a Top 5 for the pool, and then find enough weight to push that Top 5 into double digits. I had met the first two goals in no time but the third eluded me as the boost to my initial Top 5 of 4-0 still comes up short at 9-9.

All I needed was one more decent bite. But that’s kind of how fishing works, always looking for that “one more bite.” Talk to you later. Troy