After two weeks off the water, I selected Lake Storey for my return. As I have mentioned in previous reports, I made a 2026 goal of at least one visit to Lake Storey each month from March through October. So far so good, although this August trip was a tough bite.
Stats
Date: August 23
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 6:40am-1:10pm
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 57-74F
Water temperature: 77-79F
Lures: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (snow white shad) – 3 bass, Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-13 Spinnerbait
Top 3 Weight: only three bass at 12” or better: 3-14 (1-13,1-3,0-14)
Starting lineup
Notes and Nonsense
Trolling Motor Report – As my last blog entry noted, with an assist from the internet, I was able to repair a trolling motor issue on Dad’s Bass Tracker. I am happy to report that the motor performed as designed on this trip to confirm a successful fix. The full functionality restored precise boat control which allowed me to work areas more effectively and put my casts in high percentage spots.
Lure Retriever – An unsung tool in my tackle is a plug knocker type of lure retriever. The device is a heavy cylinder featuring a series chains and a corkscrew line guide that slides down your line to a snagged lure. The concept being that the weight of the retriever will either knock the lure free or the chains will snag in hooks. I employed the device twice on this trip to save a crankbait and a Texas rigged worm with a tungsten sinker. These “rescues” alone saved close to ten dollars and over the years the plug knocker has prevented the loss of dozens of lures and hundreds of dollars.
8:37am – Top Bass Runner-Up weighing 1-3 (13″) on a buzzbait
August Aim – I haven’t fished Lake Storey much in August over the years. Coming into this trip, my all-time August Lake Storey Top 5 Weight sat at 8-5 (1-14,1-12,1-12,1-8,1-7) so one of my goals on this outing was to find the bites to boost my creel to double digits. The lone boost that I got was a 1-13 on a spinnerbait that added six ounces to my creel.
11:25am – Top Bass weighing 1-13 (15.5″) on a spinnerbait
August Woes – If I were to choose my least favorite open water month of the calendar, it would be August. The heat takes it out of me more than it used to and a portion of the bass population heads deeper. While those fish find deeper habitat as their comfort zone, anything beyond eight to ten feet is out of my comfort zone. Now there are still ample bass that call the shallower water home in the summer, it just seems harder to find as many that are in a biting mood. Even after forty plus years of trying to figure out these fish, August remains a bane. And yes, I often fall into the habit of trying to feed them what I want them to eat rather than trying something different.
Winning lures
While I did not get the results that I was seeking, I was pleased to keep the monthly Lake Storey visits intact. I pondered a return trip as there was a week of August remaining but opted to try my luck elsewhere. Stay tuned for a successful three-day run on the Hennepin Canal. Talk to you later. Troy
Was told by Park Dist. workers that the DNR suggested the drawdown would not be needed after labor day. I’d be interested to know when a creel survey was last done or any recent stockings. One change I’ve seen since the lengthy drawdown is the white to black crappie catch is close to 50-50. Never saw this many whites before.
Interesting, as I wondered if they would skip the drawdown this fall since it was extended into June this year. I enjoyed the opportunity to fish the lowered pool at a different time of the year and had solid results. Similarly, it would be fun to fish it while it is full in the fall for something different. At least the west ramp would be suitable through the end of open water as it gets an ugly dropoff when the lake is down. Been an unusual look as well with the lack of abundant shoreline aquatice vegetation courtesy of the extended drawdown. Haven’t pursued crappie out there for many years but used to have a good time with Dad around Mother’s Day. We’d get into them so shallow in one area that their backs were nearly sticking out of the water. Apprecite the insight on the population dynamics as I always enjoy hearing feedback from fellow anglers on that old fishing hole. One of my favorite places, lots of memories.