I initially suspected that a November 6 trip to The Canal would be my final outing of 2022. At that point, I was satisfied with a great year on the water and had already met my November bass goal with a batch from Lake Storey on November 2. Any more catches would be icing on the cake. And with the passing of the days, I began to observe some ice on the water as well. However, a fifty-degree Black Friday afternoon found me in search of another bite. Read on to see how it all worked out.

Stats
Date: November 25
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 2:15pm-4:00pm
Totals: 1 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 51-48F
Lures: Special K Hammer Spinnerbait (white) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-1 Spinnerbait

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

More from the “Lost and Found”

Black Friday Finds – I chose solitude so as not to get in the way of the retail craziness on the day after Thanksgiving. And while others may have also used Black Friday to set up for Christmas, I spent a few minutes removing some “bargains” or “ornaments” from trees along The Canal. While this day did not produce anything too stellar, a trio of lures from the lost and found joined my 2022 collection. At some point during the 2022 wrap-up posts, those other finds will be revealed.

3:38pm weighing 1-1 (13.5″) on a spinnerbait

Ice, Ice Baby – Although the high temperature had reached the fifty-degree mark for a couple days, I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of open water. Just a few day prior, I had observed a fair amount of ice on shaded stretches of local waters. As I drove to my launching point, I saw that much of my intended target area was open, thus getting to some shoreline cover would not be an issue. Without a water temperature gauge, however, I had no idea on the water temperature other than “cold.” But with the fifty-one-degree air temperature at launch, my fingers were plenty warm and figuratively crossed hoping for at least one bite.

Alternate pic and cool to fool one when there is ice in the backdrop of the photo

One Bite – A mid-afternoon departure left me with roughly a two-hour window of daylight and when fishing this late in the season, I am realistically looking for one bite. I launched at 2:15pm and it took me until 3:38pm before that one bite showed up. Bites during this time of the year are noticeably different than when the water is warm. There are typically no jarring strikes. Instead, the retrieve gets heavy, and it is time to set the hook. Weeds and a couple sticks had fooled me on earlier casts, but this time around there was a fish on the other end. I talked to the bass as I reeled it to the boat, it followed my directions to stay hooked, and I landed the bite that I was seeking. I fished for another twenty minutes without any more action and decided to call it a day at 4:00pm.

 

I suspect that I will call it a year after this catch. Very rarely have I landed a December bass, but The Canal does offer some potential due to proximity and open water around the series of locks on the waterway. Time will tell, but it has been a great year no matter how the remaining month pans out. Talk to you later. Troy

A weather forecast of a high temperature near seventy and moderate winds sounded like a good day to chase my November bass. So good, in fact, that I took a vacation day from work to take my shot. My choice of water was Lake Storey. It has been good to me this fall and it is not often that November provides quality weather worth a late season visit. Read on to see if my decision paid off.

First “catch” of the day

Stats

Date: November 2
Site: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 10:20am-5:20pm
Totals: 11 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy 56-68F
Water Temperature: 53-55F
Lures: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (bleeding shiner) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer pepper green) – 6 bass, Special K Willow Hammer Spinnerbait (chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer pepper green) – 3 bass, Chatterbait (white) with Zako trailer (Tennessee Shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-9 Spinnerbait
Top 4 Weight: 6-3 (2-9,1-7,1-2,1-1)

Winning lures, including another busted spinnerbait

Slow start but optimistic in this text to friend and fellow Top 5 angler, John Kirkemo

Notes and Nonsense

12:21pm – November bass mission accomplished on a spinnerbait

Goal #1 – November Bass
While it took me two hours to get my first bite and it wasn’t a real impressive specimen, the only detail that really mattered was that I had my November bass. Several of my go to spots had failed to produce but I was confident that if I kept on casting and hitting my targets, I’d get what I was after. And at 12:21pm, a stretch of riprap produced.

One That Got Away and would cost me a Top 5 on the day

Goal #2 – Top 5
After landing a November bass, the next goal was to post a Top 5 of bass at or above twelve inches. I had five short bass in the log at 1:45pm when I landed my first “keeper”, a solid 17.5” fish that weighed in at 2-9. Several minutes earlier I had lost a fish that would have qualified, and that missed fish would wind up being the fish I lacked for a Top 5. Instead, I wound up with a Top 4 weighing in at 6-3 with my last “keeper” of the day being a 1-7 landed at 5:16pm.

1:45pm – Top Bass at 2-9 (17.5″) on a spinnerbait

Record Book Roundup
My 2-9 bass on this trip set a new November Lake Storey Top Bass record narrowly beating a 2-8 from November 1, 2008. However, the Top 4 Weight of 6-3 on this outing fell short of the Top 5 Weight record of 7-13 also from November 1, 2008. Based on the brief glimpse of the “one that got away” on this outing, I would have to say that it would not have tipped the scales at the 1-11 required to establish a new Top 5 Weight for November on Lake Storey.

 

It’s always a treat to match wits with the wily bass that call Lake Storey home. Getting to do so this late in the year was a bonus as it marked only the second time that I have fished the lake in November. For the record, I will state that this is my final visit of 2022 to the old fishing hole. Any more bass for 2022 will be those that swim in The Canal. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Time is winding down for my 2022 fishing season. Shorter daylight and busy weekends make it tough to get on the water. And when I do get a shot, it can also be tough to decide on a destination. However, by October some of the options are no longer in play with the Knox County public access strip mines locking out anglers. Therefore, my choices came down to The Canal, Little John Conservation Club, and Lake Storey. I chose the latter and here’s how it went down.

Stats

Date: October 22
Time: 9:30am-5:15pm
Totals: 13 bass
Weather: Sunny/very windy 61-79F
Water Temperature: 51-55F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 8 bass, Special K Willow Hammer Spinnerbait (white with copper head) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Bomber Flat A Crankbait (baby bass) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 Red Eye Shad
Top 5 Weight: 6-13 (1-15,1-6,1-4,1-4,1-0)

 

Notes and Nonsense

Weird Wind – I was pleased when I saw that the prevailing wind forecast was generally south. Not only does that mean warming but it also sets up well with many of my spots getting pounded by the weather. In addition, I don’t have to fight it as much as a west wind when it is time to return to the ramp. However, the wind turned out to be a strange swirling direction that was all over the place. I wound up in few spots that were extremely windy that should not have had any wind at all judging from the observed direction of treetops or flags. At least the end of the day featured gusts from the east. Not my favorite for fish activity and made boat control tough for a stop along the dam but it did help push me back to the ramp.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery exemplified (see note below)

Shad Surge – Over the last few years, I have observed a real uptick in shad sightings at Lake Storey. Schools on the surface are common and you can occasionally see them scatter during casts and retrieves around shallow structure. On this trip, my lure collided with what I suspect were shad and I even snagged one in the back with a near facsimile, the Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad pattern). These days, shad look to be a substantial piece of the forage base along with a population of similarly designed golden shiners. Moral of the story is lures that imitate such species are certainly worth some casts.

A golden shiner from Lake Storey in May that also makes up part of the lake’s forage base

Crazy From the Heat – The summer-like weather brought out an interesting crowd. I was one of three trailered boats on the water along with close to double digit kayakers and well over a dozen bank anglers. I observed a topless paddle boarder (male) intentionally go for a waist-deep wade in the fifty-two-degree water. He hollered at his buddy, “It ain’t too bad!” Nope, as it made me breathe funny just watching and recalling how cool creek water got your attention once it reached a certain level of the anatomy. Fish stories abounded with one kayaker stating he’d landed a five-pound bass that morning. He looked adept in his skills, and I believed him. Another kayaker along the dam regaled me with tales of a seven and eight-pounder from Lake Storey over the years, and many six-pounders this year. He also had a state record bass hooked out there. He stated, “the only bass I’ve ever seen that large was in a Bass Pro Shops tank in Galveston, Texas and it weighed 16.62 pounds.” (Illinois state record sits at 13-1, a controversial catch from 1976). I mentioned that I had lost a good muskie and he then proceeded to tell of his fifty-five-inch Lake Storey muskie that he released not realizing it could be “a state record.” For reference, I believe that the largest verified muskies from Illinois waters came in at fifty-four inches. As his fish stories continued, I was smiling inside. You see, we were conversing near the water control structure. It is the deepest part of the lake, and I felt that the water wasn’t the only thing getting deep during our chat.

Snapshsot from the GoPro footage of a large muskie that wound up as “the one that got away.” Stay tuned for the rest of the story in a follow-up post.

Getting back to reality to close this post, my muskie encounter briefly referenced above will get a blog post of its own. Losing a big fish like that torments me and as a teller of fish tales, I need more time and blog space to do it justice. Besides, this ramble has gone on long enough so stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

I launched my boat at The Canal on the morning of October 2 in search of five bass to reach five hundred for the year. After catching four in regular fashion, that final bass turned into quite a challenge. As I struggled to get that last bite, I couldn’t help but wonder how Albert Pujols or Aaron Judge felt in their recent home run milestone quests. In baseball parlance, my mindset was “stick to your swing, don’t press and it will happen.”

Eventually, it did.

My milestone turned out to be the largemouth bass equivalent of a swinging bunt but as the old baseball saying goes “it looks like a line drive in the boxscore.”

Once again, with a little lyrical accompaniment from the band Boston, here’s how it all went down.

8:09am – Bass #499, one more to go and I sure didn’t care if it was big or not

Stats
Date: October 2
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 7:10am-9:25am
Totals: 5 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy 48-60F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 4 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: none at 12” or better
Top 5 Weight: none at 12” or better

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Party
“And there’s nothing like a party when its kicking into gear.”
(Don’t Look Back – 1978)
Arriving at The Canal shortly after sunrise, I was surprised to find a table set up with refreshments opposite my point of launch. I thought that word of my quest had spread, and the media and fans would arrive shortly to cheer me on towards my goal. That’s not how the whole setup turned out, but more on that in a bit.

Long Time
“I’ve got to keep on chasin’ that dream, though I may never find it.”
(Boston – 1976)
Five bass didn’t seem like a whole lot considering I had decent weather, quality water, and about forty years of chasing bass in my favor. I fished the length of my chosen pool and landed four of the five I needed in my first hour of fishing. At that point, I was confident that I could retrace my water on the return to the lot and get that final fish. Not so fast, as I covered the mile of water back to the launch and never had a bite. My last shot was an area with increased current around a tube which runs under a roadway. And I had about ten minutes left to fish until I had to head home and get the boys to religious education class.

9:25am – That’s a 10″ winner for Bass #500

Feelin’ Satisfied
“So come on, put your hands together, you know it’s now or never.”
(Don’t Look Back – 1978)
I hit the heavier current in search of one more bite with a couple of decisions to make. First, what lure was I going to use? That turned out to be Senko wacky rig. Secondly, was it more important to get my bass or to get my boys to church on time? Luckily, the Senko came through right away and I didn’t have to weigh the consequences related to a poor decision on question number two. While there was neither a cheering crowd nor even a triumphant fist pump, there was relief. After a picture and release of the bass, I put down my pole and rowed for the launch feeling satisfied upon reaching my goal.

I Had a Good Time
“And I, I just wanted you to know, I had a really good time.”
(Corporate America – 2002)

 

Throughout my morning I had seen an increased number of walkers and runners along the towpath that parallels the length of The Canal. I suspected that the crowd was part of an event called the “The Hennepin Hundred,” a hundred-mile ultramarathon. And yes, the refreshment table was for their benefit and not related to my quest after all. As I loaded my boat, a vehicle pulled up with a couple of guys who looked like runners. I said, “Hello” and inquired about the race. One individual confirmed that it was indeed The Hennepin Hundred with the finish line located several miles to the west. He also noted that he was from Michigan, had finished his hundred miles earlier that morning and was now ready to cheer on fellow participants. I congratulated him and marveled at his achievement, electing to keep my fish story to myself. It just kind of paled in comparison.

I am still looking for Bass #501 and beyond as I have yet to get back on the water. Time will tell where the final tally for 2022 ends. Talk to you later. Troy

Four days prior to this outing, I finished a day of casting in a ninety-eight-degree heat index. In the meantime, the seasons changed, and I hit the water hoping that the fall bite would be kicking into gear.

Stats
Date: September 24 (two pools)
Time: 3:20pm-7:00pm
Totals: 12 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/breezy 71-69F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (watermelon seed) – 9 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 3-4 (1-5,1-3,0-12)

5:07pm – Top Bass at 1-5 (14″) on a spinnerbait

Notes and Nonsense

Short Stop – As I was having difficulty choosing between a pair of pools for my destination, I opted to fish both. My aim was to speed fish the first stretch by investing an hour to spot hop between the most productive areas. It turns out that my shortened visit only produced short fish with a seven-inch bass and two ten-and-a-half inchers. Not the start that I was anticipating, so on to stop number two.

Feeling Good – My evening finished on my best stretch of The Canal in overcast conditions that just felt right for something good to happen. I even commented with the GoPro running that I sensed I was on the verge of a big bite. After all these years, I trust my gut feeling, but on this day, the anticipated bite never showed. I felt that I had the right presentations, and I was putting the lures in the right places, but the bass weren’t interested. Just one of those things that leads me to frequently say, “That’s fishing.”

Winning Lures

Fall Fail – Last year was my first year fishing The Canal. I caught my first ever Canal bass in June 2021 and found a good batch of quality bass throughout the summer. I recall looking forward to a solid bite when the cooler fall temperatures kicked in, but it never materialized. This trip has me concerned that the quality fall bass are going to get the better of me again in 2022. However, I’m not ready to give up just yet.

Local Legend – As I loaded my boat in the parking area, I had the pleasure of meeting a fellow angler who was getting ready to wet a line. He introduced himself and we briefly compared some notes on The Canal. As we both headed our ways, I mentioned that I had a website (did not have my cards in my tackle bag, duh!) and he noted that he did as well. He stated that it was J-Mac Lures and of course I did a bit of internet prowling when I got home. Turns out that Tom has quite a history regarding fishing and fishing tackle in the Quad City Area. Not being an area native, I had no idea who I was speaking with but perhaps we may get a chance to cross paths again.

 

I did manage a dozen bass in my three hours of casting which overall isn’t that bad, but I just couldn’t find any big bites. With those twelve bass, however, I began pondering a milestone that was well within reach. Back on September 17, I had landed bass #420 to establish a new personal record for bass caught in a year (topping 419 in 2020). Following several other trips and including the dozen bass landed on this Canal outing, I stood only nine bass from #500. Stay tuned for the details on that quest later this month. Talk to you later. Troy