My seventh visit to Lake Storey over the course of six weeks was my best outing of the year on the old fishing hole. I had what I call a “4-3-2-1” day that included my largest Lake Storey bass of all-time. Read on for the rest of the story.
Starting Lineup
Stats
Date: October 12
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 9:50am-4:50pm
Totals: 17 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy, 59-78F
Water temperature: 68-71F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 15 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 4-14 (Spinnerbait)
Top 5 Weight: 13-13 (4-14,3-4,2-5,1-13,1-9)
4:25pm – Last bass of the trip was my all-time Top Lake Storey Bass at 4-14 (20.5″) on a spinnerbait
Tune of the Trip
Save the Best for Last – Vanessa Williams (1991)
By 4:25pm, I had landed sixteen bass with a solid Top 5 Weight of 9-1. I was on the home stretch of my day hoping for at least one more good bite to boost me to a double-digit Top 5 Weight. I had about half a dozen pieces of cover left to hit mostly consisting of shoreline wood. However, there was also one piece of offshore cover that I had found a couple years ago that I needed to work. Boy, did it pay off with my largest ever Lake Storey bass weighing 4-14. I then fished for another twenty-five minutes without a bite. No matter, I was riding high with the record catch as Lake Storey saved the best for last.
2:33pm – Top Bass #4 at 1-13 (16″) on a spinnerbait
Notes and Nonsense
4-3-2-1 Day – It is a rare occurrence when I catch a four-pounder, a three-pounder, a two-pounder and a one-pounder (a total of seven one-pounders) during one day on the water. The last time that I achieved the feat was May 6, 2023, when I was six ounces shy of a first ever 5-4-3-2-1 day on the Knox County public strip pits. While that May 6 day resulted in a heavier Top 5 Weight (17-15), I think that I am prouder of this Lake Storey day. Those bass get a great deal more pressure and big bites are typically tougher to find.
Winning lures
Wood Beats Rocks and Flats – On my previous Lake Storey outings this year, rocky cover has been a consistent producer. I hit my rocky spots hard again on this trip, but they only produced one short bass. I also worked over some flats and points but only fooled two bass off such structures. The winner on the day was wood cover in the form of stumps, logs, brush, and downed trees. Every day is a different day and while making my rounds I found that wood was good. Actually, wood was great (but that does not rhyme).
2:13pm – Top Bass #2 at 3-4 (19.5″) on a spinnerbait
Top Bass Runner-Up – When you catch a near five-pound bass, it is easy to overlook or fully appreciate some of the other catches of the day. One of those was a bass weighing 3-4 that was my second largest of the day and a darn good bass. This bass came off a spot that I call “The Most Fished Tree” as it is reachable for shore anglers and begs a few casts as an impressive looking piece of cover.
12:01pm – Top Bass #3 at 2-5 (16.5″) on a spinnerbait
Top Bass Second Runner-Up – My third largest bass of the day tipped the scales at 2-5, thus qualifying as what I call a “good one” (a bass in the two-pound range). This fish was caught off what could rank as “The Second Most Fished Tree” although it is not as easily accessible from the bank. It is also a great looking piece of cover although not as productive as “The Most Fished Tree” over the years. In fact, this 2-5 bass may be the largest that I have caught from the spot.
A second shot of the Top Bass at 4-14 (so nice that I included it twice)
When you have a great day on the water, it leaves you pondering why it all worked out so well. Maybe the weather pattern, maybe timing the mood of the bass, maybe the right angle on a cast or the speed of the retrieve, and just maybe, a little luck. On this trip though, I can’t help but wonder if it was a different fishing hat and some shades that I borrowed from Dad. Julie and the kids had dropped me off in Galesburg after a family day trip and I forgot my floppy hat and sunglasses at home in my truck. As such, perhaps the bass didn’t recognize me as the guy who has been harassing them for the last five weeks and they let their guard down. Now I have a dilemma, do I return to my normal hat and shades?
Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy