Category: Fishing Reports

Hennepin Canal Report – May 10 & 12

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The Canal bass continue to outsmart me in 2023 as I am really struggling to find bites on the waterway. The latest results consist of three short bass over two trips for a combined four hours. As always, I promise a fishing report no matter the “luck” so here we go.

Lone catch of May 10 but good to get on the water with a fishing partner

Stats
Date: May 10 & 12
Location: Hennepin Canal (two locations)
Time: 5:00-6:45pm & 4:55-6:55pm
Totals: 3 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy & mostly cloudy/breezy
Lures: Booyah Buzzbait (white) – 2 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 1 bass
Top Bass: not applicable as none at or > 12”
Top 5 Weight: not applicable

May 12 Top Bass but half-inch shy of a “keeper” at 11.5″

Notes and Nonsense

May 10 – I was able to get one of my boys, Jayce, out for a quick evening trip and chose a section of The Canal that we had fished last spring. On that previous outing, he shut me out two bass to zero including a Top Bass of 2-3 along with a 1-4, both on a Whopper Plopper. Well, the bass turned the tables on Jayce this time around as they dealt him a shutout. I didn’t fare much better with one short bass and a decent bite winding up being “the one that got away.”

Hopes were running high with some evening cloud cover but I couldn’t get much going

May 12 – As noted above, I hit The Canal on this evening with expectations running high due to overcast skies, decent water clarity, and warm stable weather. It then took me an hour and a half to get my first bite. Twenty minutes later, I had my second fish in the boat, both short. Ten minutes later, I loaded up to head home and tune in on the radio to the Cubs game. Those Canal bass left me perplexed again but the Cubs came through with a victory over the Twins thanks to some late innings run production.

Relied heavily on topwater but just couldn’t find many bites

Topwater Time – While the results weren’t especially convincing, topwater time is in full swing and much of The Canal is well suited for such an approach. Jayce and I relied almost exclusively on such presentations during our trip although sunny conditions are not prime. I call this “force feeding” or the “swing for the fences” approach. We had a couple hours, I wanted to cover a lot of water quickly, and I was hoping for at least one or two quality bites. I employed a similar tactic on the May 12 outing with much more favorable conditions but struggled yet again. That’s just the way it goes sometimes but we will be back for another try as the year rolls on.

New life jacket will be much more angler friendly for my young fishing partners

New Gear – The outing with Jayce featured an overdue item to enhance his fishing experience. I purchased an A/M 24 Auto/Manual Life Jacket which is much more comfortable than the older life vests I have on hand. Jayce had borrowed one from my brother, Brent, on an outing for several hours last year and I could see that it was the way to go. In addition, I have pieced together a pair of reasonably priced baitcasting setups, we just need some practice. He opted to stick with the spinning rigs he has but one of these days we will find some wide-open space and open his eyes to a new approach.

This guy bounced into my passenger seat at about 40mph, would have been exciting if I had a partner along, right in their lap

Even if the fish are not cooperating, it is always good to get some fresh air and take your shot. Also cool to get one of the kids on the water and hope to do so more once school wraps up. Stay tuned for the latest Top 5 Update and more. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – May 6

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I used to think I was a baseball player. In those days, we didn’t say someone was “in the zone”, we would say “Have a day”. Well, no matter what lingo you use, last Saturday was one of those days for a guy who now thinks that he is a bass fisherman.

 

Stats
Date: May 6, 2023
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (5 lakes)
Time: 7:15am-3:50pm (6.50 hours fishing)
Weather: Overcast to sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 58-76F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 27 bass, 3 crappie
Lures: Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 12 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with a BPS XPS double tail grub trailer (Houdini) – 4 bass, Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait (perfect pumpkin) – 4 bass and 3 crappie, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 4 bass, 5” Yamasenko weighted wacky rig (natural shad) – 2 bass, 5 3/8” Stik-O weighted wacky rig (candy corn) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 4-10 Whopper Plopper
Top 5 Weight: 17-15 (4-10,4-2,3-7,3-1,2-11)

Notes and Nonsense

Plan B – I rolled out of bed at 4:14am for some prep and roused my son, Jayce, at 4:52am as we had planned. By 5:08am, I was on the road flying solo as he elected to go back to bed. I was looking forward to getting one of the kids out for the first time this year but no hard feelings on the change of plans. I suspect that over forty years ago when I was his age, I may have reconsidered as well.

A good day when your ninth largest bass is just shy of two pounds and the Whopper Plopper bite is on

Dual Approach – I started my morning rowing around a couple strip pits from 7:15am-11:15am. Before the wind ran me off the water, I was laughing at my good fortune as my haul consisted of a dozen bass including a Top 5 of 15-13 (4-2,3-7,3-1,2-11,2-8). Quite a start but little did I know that my Top Bass of the day was yet to come. A hike from 12:45pm-3:50pm produced fifteen more bass with a Top 5 of 11-8 (4-10,1-15,1-14,1-11,1-6). The overall 17-15 Top 5 for the day stands as my best Top 5 weight for public waters.

Winning Lures

Quote of the day: “Boy, that looks like an ideal spot for a spinnerbait.”
As I landed, photographed, and logged a 2-11 bass at 8:20am, I drifted across where I had hooked the fish. In the process, I spotted a laydown about a foot under the surface, and it did not surprise me that a good fish called it home. Such a spot set up perfectly for a parallel retrieve with a spinnerbait. I don’t know if I said the above quote only in my head or out loud (yes, I do talk to myself on the water), but I hit the log again after letting it settle for a bit. At 8:39am, my second cast back to the spot resulted in a 2-8 on a spinnerbait. Tough to beat when things work out that way.

Changeup – As the wind was beating me up and making boat control tough, I opted to let it push me up into the bank in a pocket with some deep water (meaning I couldn’t see the bottom). My natural anchor allowed me to fancast along and across the oval shaped area. I worked it over with a Whopper Plopper as it had been my top lure up to that point but no takers. The spot looked too good to not hold a bass, so I shifted gears to a spinnerbait. A cast to a ledge with the back-up presentation worked out well to the tune of a 3-7. Tough to beat when things work out that way.

Not all about the bass

After the above catches, I moved from boat to bank, but I will save elaborating on that aspect for a couple other blog posts I have in the works. But bass were not the only species encountered as I also landed three “accidental” crappies, found a pair of ticks, and watched a snake swim past.

By the time I pulled back into the driveway at 5:24pm, it had been a long, productive day with a good workout. Just over twelve hours of driving, rowing, dragging, hiking, and battling some quality fish had me worn out. In fact, I passed on a Sunday morning outing on The Canal to sleep in like Jayce had elected to do the previous day. Some days my body is eager to remind me that I am a long ways from being a teenager. But it’s worth it and I am ready to do it again when I get the chance. More to come from this fishing trip so stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – April 29

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I had a good day on the strip mines yesterday but since I have been unable to keep up with the latest fishing reports, I am still wrapping up April. So, here we go with my most recent Canal visit where I found a solid number of bites when I had a couple afternoon hours to spare.

Stats
Date: April 29
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 2:30pm-4:45pm
Totals: 7 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy, 59F
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with a BPS XPS double tail grub trailer (Houdini) – 7 bass
Top Bass: 1-3
Top 5 Weight: 5-2 (1-3,1-1,1-0,1-0,0-14)

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

Wind – This day was extremely windy which is generally less of a factor on The Canal than any other waters I fish with a boat. However, if the wind is from the west, even The Canal gets pounded on many of the stretches that I visit. Such was the case, so I chose a stretch bordered by trees on both sides and a high bank on the west end. In addition to the windbreak, this choice also gave me an opportunity to explore. I had fished this section twice before but both times were later in the year when the weeds really took hold. The lack of weeds in late April provided ample open water cover to fish and resulted in enough bites to keep me interested.

3:06pm Top Bass at 1-3 (14.5″) on a spinnerbait

Top 5 Quest – In just under two years of fishing The Canal, I have landed bass in many stretches of the waterway from Colona to Wyanet. Being a stat guy, I log all catches and track the Top 5 from each section that I have designated (that’s another story on how I divide The Canal). Anyway, the section that I fished on this trip only had two “keepers” in the log (keeper = 12” or better and always released) totaling 2-1 (1-1,1-0). Thus, I was in search of at least three more keepers to establish a Top 5. Each of the seven bass that I fooled on this outing were between 12-14.5” so I met my goal. The Top 5 for this section now stands at 5-5 (1-3,1-1,1-1,1-0,1-0). Not a particularly impressive Top 5 but it gives me something to shoot for on my next visit as I try to boost my weight.

 

Spinnerbait Holdout – All seven of the bass landed on this trip came on a spinnerbait. In fact, a spinnerbait was about all I threw due to a combination of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” along with the abundant wood structure setting up ideally for the presentation. I cut my bass fishing teeth throwing spinnerbaits just like the pros back in the 1980s. While the lure has faded over the years on the paid circuit, this amateur, wannabe bass angler still wears them out when conditions warrant. And much of The Canal screams out, “Spinnerbait!”

Bites on The Canal this year have been tough to come by so seven bass in a couple of hours was a winner. Time will tell if this gets me back on track as I headed away from The Canal on my next outing. The strip mine bass treated me well so stay tuned for Monday’s Top 5 Update and a full report later next week. Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – April 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I keep waiting for a chance to open one of my reports from The Canal with something like, “Boy, The Canal bass really turned things up a notch…” Well, this report doesn’t feature such an intro as the bass in that old trough continue to outsmart me in 2023.

3:40pm – Top Bass at 2-14 on a spinnerbait

Stats
Date: April 26
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 3:25pm-5:40pm
Totals: 2 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with a BPS XPS double tail grub trailer (Houdini) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-14
Top 5 Weight (only 2 at 12” or better): 3-14 (2-14,1-0)

Winning lure

Notes and Nonsense

Canal Struggle – Last year, by April 26 I had landed twenty-nine Canal bass during seven hours of April trips. In contrast, this year I have a total of four bass in just over thirteen hours of fishing The Canal starting on February 11. Water conditions have been solid and while weather conditions have been up and down, I have hit the water during a couple favorable warming trends. Just one of those things that I chalk up as “that’s fishing.” Some days you look like you know what you’re doing, and other days the fish prove to be elusive.

 

The Beauty of Bass – As the years have passed, I have found myself becoming more appreciative of my favorite fish. I could write a substantial post on this aspect of my fishing evolution but today I will simply touch on observing the coloration of my catches. As I lipped the Top Bass of this outing, I commented on how dark the fish looked. Just a casual, unrehearsed remark on camera that says a lot about my approach to this hobby. After landing thousands of bass over the past forty plus years, each one deserves a pat on the back and a little more than just unhooking and tossing back over the side of the boat. I’m proud of this progress in my fishing approach and hope that I am not alone in complimenting the catch.

April 26, 2023 bass sandwiched by two similarly sized April 23, 2022 bass from same stretch of The Canal highlight coloration differences

Not much more to add to this report other than to say that I will keep plugging away on The Canal as I know there are friendlier bass to find. Fortunately, the strip mine bass have been winners for me in 2023. Perhaps they felt neglected during my focus on The Canal last year. Who knows? Just keep trying to think like a fish and keep on casting. Talk to you later. Troy

4:18 pm and 1-0 on a spinnerbait – When you only land two bass, you can include pics of them all in your report.

Hennepin Canal Report – April 15

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Had to get out as the warm weather was about to end

Following some strip mine success as the weather warmed up, I was looking to test the waters of The Canal. Well, the bass got the best of me as I continue to struggle on the waterway early in the year. I did land one bass and there’s always stories to tell from every outing, so read on for the scoop on the latest prowl.

Stats
Date: April 15
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 2:55pm-5:10pm
Totals: 1 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) with a BPS XPS double tail grub trailer (Houdini) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-0

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

Reports – I not only prowl The Canal in the real world but also on the world wide web and social media. One talented Canal angler was posting topwater (Whopper Plopper) catches to the west. Another reliable source was reporting nothing on power techniques to the east but slowed down with some plastics and had success. From even farther east came reports of solid catches on a spinnerbait by a talented young lady angler. The latter lure posted my lone catch but beyond that, I couldn’t get anything going from top to bottom.

Slime – Later this spring, I will have two years of Canal experience in the books. One observation that sticks out is the progression of vegetation. The bulk of the stretches that I prowl are shallow, even for The Canal. As such, it doesn’t take long before aquatic vegetation becomes a factor in presentations. Surface vegetation is already emerging but not to the point of effecting lure options for shoreline cover. However, the green slimy stuff has taken hold in the stretch that I fished on this outing. Many casts came back to the boat with the nasty, snotty goo fouling the lure. Such is the life of a Canal angler.

You’d think a guy would look a bit happier when avoiding a shutout

Batting 1.000 – After two hours without a strike, I finally got a hit within sight of my truck as I neared the end of my day. A spinnerbait crawled around a laydown came through unlike dozens of similar casts over the afternoon. That would be a miserable percentage were it a batting average. After setting the hook on my lone bite, I found myself talking to the bass as I reeled it to the boat, encouraging it to stay hooked. Luck and a solid hookset were on my side as the bass came aboard to avoid an embarrassing shutout. To look on the bright side, in terms of bites, I wound up with a “batting average” of 1.000.

Sunlight and a smudge, not the best clip but it’s all I’ve got

 

While it wasn’t my day, I left the water recalling a bit that I used to hear on the old Bassmaster television programs in the 1980s as we were getting hooked on our hobby. The host would offer up that while many in the field were struggling, “somebody, somewhere, is finding some fish” (or something like that, it was a long time ago). Here’s hoping that next time out, I am a “somebody.” Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 10

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After a good Good Friday strip mine outing with Brent, I was back with boots on the ground the following Monday courtesy of a vacation day. Hopes were high with a stretch of pleasant weather and a five-pounder on the previous outing. Read on to see how this solo trip panned out.

Top Bass 3-1 (18.5″) at 10:18am on Ned Rig

Stats
Date: April 10, 2023
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (7 lakes)
Time: 7:25am-12:55pm (4.50 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 44-67F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 24 bass, 1 crappie
Lures (Troy): Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait (perfect pumpkin) – 12 bass, Rebel Ghost Minnow – 5 bass, 5” Yammasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 4 bass, Rapala Shad Rap (blue) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 3-1 (swimbait)
Top 5 Weight: 10-8 (3-1,3-0,2-7,1-1,0-15)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Ned Rig getting it done again

Ned Investment – The highlight of the day was a fifteen-minute stretch that saw two three-pound fish landed on the Ned Rig. Throw in a 2-7 about an hour earlier and it was a good showing for a new approach. The top four bass of the day’s Top 5 on the day came on the finesse presentation with the lone exception being an 0-15 on a Shad Rap. All told, the Ned Rig has posted a Top 5 of 14-13 over the last two visits to the Knox County public strip mines. I will enjoy it while it lasts as once the weather warms and the weeds take over, I will shift to other presentations.

Senko Season – One of those other presentations will certainly be the Senko wacky rig. I typically begin using it around the middle of April and it remains on one of my spinning setups until October. This trip produced the first Senko bass of the year from a small, shallow spot that I don’t regularly fish. However, since I was hiking right by on this trip, I gave it a look. Seven short bass (8-9”) reinforced why I don’t make this a regular stop, but it did help me to get on board with the Senko.

Much better steps/bass than previous outings

Top Bass Runner-Up 3-0 (17″) at 10:33am on Ned Rig

Mission Accomplished – I touch on this from time to time but for me it bears repeating. My goals when I hit the water are as follow:

1. Don’t get shutout
2. Land a Top 5 (five bass as 12” or better)
3. Post a double digit Top 5 (combined weight at 10-0 or better)

Four and a half hours of casting on this day got the job done thanks to three “good ones.” Which also is a term which bears repeating a definition.
“Good one” – a bass that weighs in the two-pound range or better.

 

A good day in terms of quantity and quality as the bass were quite cooperative in the warm, stable weather. Hoping to take a shot at the bass on The Canal soon and see how they are doing. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 7

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Since work was out of the equation for us on Good Friday, Brent and I hit the Knox County strip mines for our second walk-in outing of the year. Would it be a good Friday or another struggle like our six bass first outing? Read on for the reveal.

Pre-hike predictions

Stats
Date: April 7, 2023
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (6 lakes)
Time: 10:45am-4:55pm (5.50 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 49-60F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 25 bass, 2 crappie (Brent – 13 bass, Troy – 12 bass, 1 crappie apiece)
Lures (Brent): Ned rig – 8 bass, Spinnerbait (white) – 4 bass, Mann’s 4- crankbait – 1 bass
Lures (Troy): Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait (perfect pumpkin) – 6 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 3 bass, Rebel Ghost Minnow – 3 bass
Top Bass: 5-3 Troy (swimbait)
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 8-10 (5-3,1-4,1-2,1-1)

Brent Lures

Troy Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Short Start – The bite was scattered to start our day and left much to be desired in terms of quality bass. Nearing the four-hour mark, we had a less than impressive haul of eleven bass and no “keepers” (our term for 12” or better bass and all are released). However, the next twenty minutes would result in three of our four keepers, including one that was a real winner.

Ned Rig Tip – As we coordinated our arrival, Brent texted me the above insight which would turn out to be a productive piece of advice. Brent opted for a Z-Man TRD for his version of the Ned Rig while I went with a Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait. These baits would produce over half of our catches, three of our four keepers, and Top Bass for the day.

Top Bass at 2:49pm on a Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait 22″ and 5-3

Top Bass – After wandering around five of our regular stops without anything to brag about, we decided to try another spot since we were in the neighborhood. Our Top Bass from the lake stood at 2-3, caught by Brent several years ago. Beyond that catch, a handful of bass in the one pound to one-and-a-half-pound range were the extent of our luck. That all changed about fifteen minutes into prowling the bank as I hauled in a surprising 5-3 on my version of the Ned Rig. I could go on about what led to the picture above, but I will save the fish story for an upcoming post instead.

Brent Top Bass on a Ned Rig

Top Four – The goal each time out is to fool five keepers to establish a Top 5 weight for the outing. Near simultaneous to the 5-3, Brent nabbed keeper number two at 1-1. Fifteen minutes later, I added a 1-2 and a 1-4 joined the log near the end of the day. While we fell one bass shy of our Top 5 goal, it’s tough to complain with a five-pounder in your creel.

Brent followed up on Saturday with some quality bites

Twenty-five total bass was a step in the right direction after a rough six bass outing to start the month. The bite should only get better as the warm, stable weather has stuck around and the bass are stocking up on energy in preparation for the spawn. We didn’t waste much time to evaluate that prediction as a Saturday outing for Brent produced four two-pounders as noted in the snip above. I opted to wait until Monday to test the bite, but it worked out well as well. But that’s a fishing report for another day. Talk to you later. Troy

Final Results – April 7

Strip Mine Report – April 2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Got out on the strip mines to hike with my brother to start the month. Read on to see how it went with a bit of a musical twist for fun.

Pre-walk predictions, results below

Stats
Date: April 2, 2023
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (5 lakes)
Time: 11:10am-4:25pm (4.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 49-63F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 6 bass, 1 crappie (Brent – 4 bass, Troy – 2 bass, 1 crappie)
Lures: Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap (gold shad) – 3 bass, Jig (black/blue) with split double tail trailer (black/blue flake) – 1 bass, Mepps spinner (white) – 2 bass, Rapala Shad Rap (blue) – 1 crappie
Top Bass: 2-13 Brent (lipless crankbait)
Top 5 Weight (only 3 at 12” or better): 7-8 (2-13,2-12,1-15)

Top Bass 2-13 on a Rat-L-Trap

Notes and Nonsense

“All the right junk in all the right places” – All About That Bass, Meaghan Trainor (2014)
Our results were right on target with Brent’s Total Bass prediction while I was much more optimistic with my guess. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort as we employed a batch of tried-and-true early season lures in proven spots but just couldn’t get much going.

Classic baits get the job done on a tough day

“And I’m never going back to my old school” – My Old School, Steely Dan (1973)
Our meager haul of bass came on a trio of “old school” lures, a Rat-L-Trap, a Mepps spinner, and a black/blue jig. There’s a reason that these lures are still around as they continue to produce many decades after their arrival. I got a kick out of Brent’s Rat-L-Trap as it may be from last century and I had to do a fair amount of internet searching to determine the color. And the classic Mepps spinner saved my day as I would have been shut out without it. So, contrary to the Steely Dan lyric above, Brent and I are not above going old school to get it done.

Roughly 3900 steps per bass for me, not too impressive

“Blow away, blow away, blow away” – Blow Away, George Harrison (1979)
The day started windy and got windier. On the upside, windblown banks can hold some fish and fishing on foot takes the boat control issue out of the equation. On the downside, casting into the wind can be a challenge. Baitcasting reels can result in the occasional backlash and casting distance can suffer. The lighter lures that I throw on my spinning setups are also prone to inaccuracy in such conditions as you must play the wind for the bait to land in the intended spot.

What is a collection of pelicans called? Read on for the answer.

Not technically a spider (but an arachnid at least) and garter snake, both firsts for 2023

“I don’t like spiders and snakes” – Spiders & Snakes, Jim Stafford (1974)
While the warming weather did not really perk up the bass, other creatures were taking advantage of the conditions. I saw my first snake of the year, a small garter snake, and found my first tick upon arriving back at the truck. We also spotted a beaver along with a couple squadrons of pelicans (had to look that one up).

Not the greatest results but always good to chase fish with one of my little brothers

“Two out of three ain’t bad” – Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, Meatloaf (1978)
Our pre-walk predictions found me significantly more optimistic than Brent in predicting our total bass. Although he won that part of the prognosticating, I was closer on the Top Bass and Total Weight guesses. While he clearly outfished me, I can brag about my two winning predictions as well as the unofficial species title courtesy of an accidental crappie catch.

Top Bass Runner Up at 2-12 on a jig

Brent came through with a trio of solid bass but 2023 continues to be a struggle. That won’t deter us though, as we are headed out again a time or two during Easter weekend. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – March 21

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The struggle continues for 2023 as another trip to The Canal comes up empty. But even though I couldn’t get a bass in the boat, there is always something to report and learn along the way.

Stats
Date: March 21
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 11:25am-2:40pm
Totals: 0 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy

Tossed a collection of lures but couldn’t land a bass

Notes and Nonsense

Choices – In the last year and a half, I have fished over twenty different stretches of The Canal from Colona to Wyanet. While The Canal is generally just a long trough, each section has a little something different to offer. Therefore, it can be tough to decide on a destination when it comes time to fish. For this outing, I opted for a quality stretch that I have only fished twice with a boat instead of hitting my best section of water. My hope was to find some willing early season bass before the weeds take over. Well, no bass came aboard but the surface weeds were not an issue. However, the slime was already taking hold as a high percentage of casts required some degree of lure cleanup.

 

Short and sweet for this report as not much to relay from three hours with only two bites and no catches. 2023 is off to a tough start after landing my first bass of the year on March 5. At that point, I was ahead of my 2022 schedule that saw my first bass join the log on March 20. So much for my optimism as I am now five bass behind last year’s production.

On a positive note, I am looking to hit some strip mines in early April and reports of bass biting on The Canal are starting to hit the internet. A pair of hikes this past week on The Canal (without fishing gear) also showed a noticeable increase in observed fish activity along with a thumbs up from an accomplished Canal angler. Sounds like things are looking up and maybe even I can fool some soon. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – March 5

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, I am on the board with my first bass of 2023 after a recent outing courtesy of early open water. In fact, in terms of open water, I was able to make some casts in February which is unusual in my neck of the woods. However, three and a half hours of chasing those February bass resulted in zero bites. But that’s all water under the bridge as I post my first fishing report of 2023.

Stats
Date: March 5
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 4:00pm-5:30pm
Totals: 1 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-0

Winning Lure

Notes and Nonsense

Bike Over Boat – While I had my boat on the water once in February, the conditions for this March trip were more conducive to bank fishing (high winds and limited time). As such, I aired up my bike tires, repaired my kickstand, drove to a stretch of The Canal that is conducive to bank fishing, and pedaled to a productive area. About twenty minutes into casting, I had my first bass of 2023. After another hour or so of fishing, it remains my only bass of 2023 as I could fool no others.

GoPro No Go – Earlier this year, I was able to obtain a replacement GoPro as my Hero9 Black model had ceased functioning. Unfortunately, the replacement device that was provided had issues of its own, shutting down repeatedly while recording. A resolution is in the works and hopefully I will be back on track for video once the bass bite and the weather begin to pick up.

The best I could muster with a faulty GoPro

 

Weedless – Prior to this outing, the earliest that I had ever fished The Canal was April 15 last year. The entire Canal is quite shallow, and many stretches become choked with surface vegetation by summertime. Of course, the fish don’t go anywhere but the vegetation gives them more places to hide and can make for some challenges with lure presentations. In contrast, early March finds The Canal waters wide open and quite appealing. Better weather will certainly change those conditions but will also see an uptick in bass activity. Such are some of the many variables that come into play in chasing these green fish.

It’s great to be on the board and a couple weeks ahead of the 2022 results as my first bass last year didn’t show up until March 20. Only 553 bass to go to top the 2022 results. That’s a tall order, and probably not realistic as 2023 may see some changes in time and approach. As always, stay tuned for the results. Talk to you later. Troy