My third visit of September to Lake Storey during the fall drawdown found the lake to be about as low as it was going to go. Many targets were high and dry but there were still plenty of secrets and reliable stretches of bank that held a fish or two, or nearly two dozen.

Stats
Date: September 26
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 10:00am-5:30pm
Totals: 23 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Water temperature: 76F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 10 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 10 bass, Bomber Flat A (baby bass) – 2 bass, ZMan Chatterbait (sexy shad) with swimbait trailer – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-3 (Spinnerbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-2 (2-3,1-12,1-9,1-6,1-4)

Winning lures

Notes and Nonsense

Juice and Jumps – Roughly two hours into the outing, I began to realize that the battery running the bow mount trolling motor was not up to speed. Therefore, I relied primarily on the stern mounted trolling motor which left much to be desired in terms of precise boat control. I made it work but I believe that it cost me a few fish as I was unable to work some spots as the wind picked up. I also lost two bass in the two-pound range that threw my spinnerbait on the way to the boat. These factors contributed to falling short of the double-digit Top 5 goal for the outing.

12:54pm – Top Bass at 2-3 (16.5″) on a spinnerbait

Straightened hook from a hidden snag

Tackle Casualties – A pair of lures ended up out of commission and neither instance occurred with a fish on the line. First up was a snag grabbing my Strike King Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait. While my lure retriever did not knock the lure loose as intended, it got hung on the bait which in turn was hung on a huge log. As I use stout line on my lure retriever, I was able to pull the log to the surface and dislodge both the lipless crank and the lure retriever. However, the rear treble on the lipless crank was straightened and will need to be replaced before using again. On the contrary, a War Eagle spinnerbait is done for good as the wire arm broke as I attempted to straighten it after a battle with a bass.

4:17pm – Top Bass Runner-up at 1-12 (16″) on a chatterbait

Blue Glimmer – The loss of my last War Eagle spinnerbait prompted me to bust out an old legend that I call the “Blue Glimmer.” I have long called it the Blue Glimmer as it is a much shorter nickname than the actual name of a 3/8 oz. Stanley Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait in the Blue Glimmer pattern. It is a member of what I call my “Legendary Lures”. I don’t throw it much as it is out of production, and I am hesitant on Lake Storey as toothy critters (muskies) represent a chance to lose a legend. The Blue Glimmer did hook a two-pound class bass, but the fish was one of those that got away.

Twenty-three bass is a good haul for me on Lake Storey and puts me within reach of a new yearly record for bass catches. After this outing, I stood at 541 bass with my all-time best year being 553 in 2022. Fortunately, I had a chance to get on the water the following day in search of thirteen more bass. Stay tuned for a report from the Knox County strip mines. Talk to you later. Troy