This time of the year is about finales as some of my fishing holes are shutting down and cold weather is on the horizon. For my final visit to a batch of public strip pits, the plan was to hit a few lakes one last time before bidding them farewell for 2024. The goal was thirteen bass as that would establish an all-time yearly bass record of 554 bass.

Stats
Date: September 27
Location: Knox County public strip pits (5 lakes)
Time: 1:20pm-6:35pm (3.75 hours fishing)
Totals: 21 bass
Weather: Overcast/very windy, 73F
Lures: 3.75” Strike King Rage Swimmer Swimbait (sexy shad) with a Twist Lock Flashy Swimmer jighead – 16 bass Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 1-9 (Swimbait)
Top 5 Weight: 6-13 (1-9,1-6,1-6,1-5,1-3)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

3:20pm – Bass #554 at 1-0 (13″) on a swimbait

Mission Accomplished – At 3:20pm, I landed a 13” bass (weight 1-0) on a swimbait as Bass #554 of the year. I wasn’t overly concerned with what size the record breaker would be, but I was happy that at least it was a “keeper.” And speaking of keepers, ten of the twenty-one bass on this outing met or exceeded the twelve-inch mark. Not a bad percentage, but the best of the keepers only weighed 1-9.

4:05pm – Top Bass at 1-9 (14″) on a swimbait

Rare Sight – Some of these waters are well off the beaten path, so I don’t often see many anglers who aren’t my brother. On this trip, I did spy another fellow across a deep strip mine cut. The guy was a few hundred yards away as the bass swims. However, it would have taken half a mile of walking to get to have a normal conversation. I could not determine what he was casting, and I did not hear the commotion of any catches as I focused on my fishing tasks. Hopefully, he had success though as I have been in his shoes. It takes considerable effort to get to where he was standing.

Some serious wind on this day

Strip Pit Perils – Hiking the strip mines is no walk in the park. At this time of the year, terrestrial vegetation presents navigational challenges. It can range from knee high on high ground to over your head in the low-lying areas. It also hides washouts, so you must be careful not to get in too big of a hurry and not get too ambitious jumping over what appear to be small ruts. On several lakes, the banks are steep and the extreme wind on this day also rocked me on my heels numerous times. Oh yeah, and then there’s all the Argiopes (commonly called “garden spiders”) hanging between the weeds.

It’s a workout

Aftermath – The combination of four miles of challenging hiking along with standing in a boat for eight hours on the previous day left me sore. The list included a stiff lower back, a twinge in my right knee, a version of tennis elbow (I call it “caster’s elbow), a sore left shoulder, both of my heels were hollering at me, and my hands hurt. On the upside, I managed to avoid the post-trip cramps that have popped up in the last several years. Julie and I went out for lunch and a drive the following day for our anniversary, and I got along just fine. In the past, I got stuck on an elevated stool at a restaurant as my legs cramped up so bad that I was not going to be able to stand if I left the stool. Last year, I ended up sitting in my truck in the driveway for five minutes after the hour drive home waiting for leg cramps to run their course. Just can’t beat fun at the old fishing hole.

 

With record Bass #554 in the log, I have now set my sights on reaching the six-hundred mark. And I have already started chipping away with a couple trips to The Canal. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

So long to this batch of strip pits. See you again in April of 2025.