For this outing, I was able to complete full exploration on a lengthy stretch of water that I had only partially covered on a previous visit. In the process, I was able to complete a Top 5 for the pool as I previously had just two keepers for a 2-13 weight. Following this trip, my Top 5 Weight for the stretch stands at 7-15. Read on for some notes on the trip as well as some general observations and stats from The Canal.
6:09am – First bass at 1-12 (16″) on a buzzbait
Stats
Date: June 22
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:00am-12:00pm
Totals: 13 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/windy 73-88F
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw or sexy shad) – 6 bass, Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 3 bass, 7” Berkley Power Bait Power Worm (blue fleck/firetail) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with Bass Pro Shops Twin Tail trailer (Houdini) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 (Red Eye Shad)
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (1-15,1-12,1-7,1-0,0-15)
Winning Lures
Notes and Nonsense
Row, Row, Row, Your Boat – I looked at the map when I got home just to get a feel for how far I traveled on this outing. For this trip, I selected a pool with the intent of covering the entire distance from a tube on one end to a lock on the other end. Turns out there was roughly nine thousand feet. Now multiply that by two as when I row out from my launch point, I also need to row back. Converting the footage equates to right around 3.4 miles. Good exercise whether my quarry is cooperative or not.
8:54am – Top Bass at 1-15 (17″) on a lipless crankbait
Gently Down the Stream – The Canal does have current and the pools west of the feeder junction near Sheffield all flow to the Rock River in Colona. Depending on which end of a pool I launch, I either get help on the row out or on the row back. In this instance, I was working against the current as I fished my way east to start the morning. Therefore, I had some help from the flow on the way back to my truck. If I had my druthers, this is the best way to approach a trip but the choice on many stretches is typically based on launch accessibility. Now, I can make a launch most anywhere if I want to work hard enough. But I opt for easier access this time of the year largely due to poison ivy taking over areas that were clear in the spring.
Been a while since I collected anything from the “Lost and Found” on The Canal
Merrily, Merrily, Merrily, Merrily – I caught my first bass on the Hennepin Canal on June 5, 2021, so this trip marks just over three years of fishing the waterway. I’ve really grown to enjoy my time rowing, walking, and biking along the miles in those three years. For me, each section represents a different, long, narrow lake. Some stretches are more well-travelled by other anglers, hikers, and bikers depending on proximity to towns and parking areas. On some stretches, I may not see or hear another person the entire time that I am on the water. Such peace and quiet is a welcome break from busy days. Oh, and by the way, with thirteen bass landed on this trip, my all-time Hennepin Canal bass total stands at seven hundred and eighteen.
Life is But a Dream – With thirteen bass landed on this trip, my all-time Hennepin Canal bass total stands at seven hundred and eighteen. As a stat guy, I am always dreaming of new targets as I pore over the data. I’ve still got a ways to go but I now have my sights set on the one thousand bass mark from The Canal. I have no predictions on when I may reach that goal, but I intend to keep on casting when the opportunity arises. Hopefully some of those two hundred and eighty bass that I am seeking live in the “uncharted” sections of The Canal that are part of the dream to cover every mile from Colona to the Feeder Basin.
A bit of a departure from most reports and I didn’t really cover the baits and bites in the above notes. A quick recap of those aspects was running through my tackle bag as it took some work to fool thirteen bass on six different lures. Always learning out there and stay tuned for two more reports as my on the water education continues. Talk to you later. Troy