Category: Stats

2024 Bass Recap – Partners

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A regular part of my annual recaps is a look at who I got to chase fish with and how we did. Read on for a summary of each trip and the final tallies racked up by the 2024 trio of fishing companions.

March 31 – Jayce with Top Partner Bass at 3-4 on a chatterbait

Date: March 31 with Jayce
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 1:10pm-3:10pm
Weather: Overcast/windy, 58F
Totals: 4 bass (Troy – 3, Jayce -1)
Top Bass: 3-4 Jayce on a chatterbait
Top 4 Weight (combined only 4 at or > 12”): 7-9 (3-4,1-9,1-9,1-3)

April 13 – Brent with Top Bass of the trip at 2-4 on a jerkbait

Date: April 13 with Brent (bank fishing)
Location: Knox County public strip pits (7 lakes)
Time: 11:25am-7:15pm (6.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy, 64-74F
Totals: 65 bass (Troy – 43, Brent – 22)
Top Bass: 2-4 Brent on a jerkbait
Top 5 Weight (combined): 7-11 (2-4,1-10,1-6,1-4,1-3)

June 14 – Julie with Top Partner Bass #4 on a Whopper Plopper

Date: June 14 with Julie
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:40pm-8:40pm
Totals: 7 bass (Julie – 6 bass, Troy – 1 bass)
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 81-73F
Top Bass: 2-10 Julie on a Whopper Plopper)
Top 5 Weight (Julie only): 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)

July 13 – Brent Top Partner Bass #2 at 2-13 on a Senko

Date: July 13 with Brent
Location: Knox County public strip pits (2 lakes)
Time: 5:45am-8:30am, 9:30am-1:15pm
Totals: 43 bass (Troy – 28, Brent – 15)
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 68-89F
Top Bass: 3-2 Troy (Senko), 2-13 Brent (Senko)
Top 5 Weight (combined): 14-3 (3-2,2-14,2-13,2-11,2-11)

August 3 – Brent with Top Bass of the trip at 1-10 on a spinnerbait

Date: August 3 with Brent
Location: Knox County public strip pits (3 lakes)
Time: 5:45am-11:40am (5.25 hours fishing)
Totals: 64 bass (Brent – 36 Troy – 28)
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 68-88F
Top Bass: 1-14 Troy (Buzzbait), 1-10 Brent (Spinnerbait/Popper)
Top 5 Weight (combined): 8-6 (1-14,1-12,1-10,1-10,1-8)

October 11 – Brent Top Partner Bass #5 at 2-9 on a lipless crankbait

Date: October 11 with Brent
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 7:40am-3:10pm
Totals: 23 bass (Brent – 12, Troy – 11)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy, 51-77F
Water temperature: 69F
Top Bass: 2-15 Troy (Spinnerbait/Chatterbait), 2-9 Brent (Lipless Crankbait)
Top 5 Weight (combined): 12-12 (2-15,2-15,-2-9,2-4,2-1)

July 13 – Brent Top Partner Bass #3 at 2-11 on a topwater frog

Partner Numbers
Total Bass: 92
Top Bass: 3-4 Jayce
Top 5 Weight: 13-15 (3-4,2-13,2-11,2-10,2-9)

Always a treat when I can get on the water with family, and I look forward to doing it again in 2025. More recaps in the works with a look at the lures that fooled the bass along with bonus notes and video from a successful year on the water. Talk to you later. Troy

2024 Bass Recap – Locations

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Lake Storey Top Bass (tie) at 2-15 on October 11 caught on a spinnerbait

I fished a lot of water and covered a lot of miles chasing bass in 2024. However, the locations can be broken down into three classifications. The Hennepin Canal (23 pools), the Knox County public strip mines (23 lakes), and Lake Storey. Below is a closer look at the numbers from these locations ranked by the number of bass landed (least to most).

Lake Storey Top Bass (tie) at 2-15 on October 11 caught on a chatterbait

Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
(5 visits – 9/16 through 10/11)
80 Bass
35.50 hours
2.21 bass/hour
Top Bass: 2-15 (tie) Spinnerbait/Chatterbait both caught on 10/11
Top 5 Weight: 13-6 (2-15,2-15,2-10,2-8,2-6)
Comments: 2024 was a record year on Lake Storey as the 80 bass vastly exceeded my best yearly total according to data dating back to 1997. The previous best was 45 bass in 2007. The 2024 catch rate of 2.21 bass/hour also represented a significant uptick as the overall catch rate from 1997 through 2023 was a combined 1.11 bass/hour. While I fell an ounce shy of the three-pound mark for a Top Bass, among my catches were many solid, healthy fish. What was the secret to success? Practice, presentation, and precision are good places to start and concepts for another time.

Hennepin Canal Top Bass at 3-10 on September 29 caught on a frog

Hennepin Canal – Henry, Bureau, Rock Island County
(45 visits, 23 pools – 3/2 through 11/17)
270 bass
136.00 hours
1.99 bass/hour
Top Bass: 3-10 Frog on 9/29
Top 5 Weight: 15-15 (3-10,3-6,3-0,3-0,2-15)
Comments: One of my aims in 2024 was to expand my exploration of The Canal. As I explored, I also looked to land enough quality bass to establish a ten-pound or better Top 5 limit on each stretch of The Canal between Colona and the feeder basin just west of Sheffield. I made good strides towards the latter goal and the 3-10 bass represented my largest Canal bass to date. For 2025, I am looking to fill in the blanks on stretches lacking a double-digit Top 5 while still in search of my first four-pounder from the historic waterway.

Knox County strip mine Top Bass at 3-3 on July 13 caught on a frog

Knox County, IL Public Strip Mines
(11 visits, 23 lakes – 2/25 through 9/27)
276 bass
49.00 hours
5.63 bass/hour
Top Bass: 3-3 Frog on 7/13
Top 5 Weight: 14-13 (3-3,3-2,2-15,2-14,2-11)
Comments: The strip mines offer a multitude of fishing holes if you are willing to put in the effort. 2024 featured a combination of the regular haunts along with exploring several spots where I previously had limited experience. Results were all over the place with struggles on productive water, surprises on unfamiliar water, and exactly what I have come to expect on other fishing holes. The overall catch rate looks impressive, but I had to weed out a lot of small bass to get a handful of quality bites on a few different spots. The jury is still out on how I plan to attack the strip mines in 2025 as there are so many choices but only so much time to get on the water.

The recaps continue with posts on the way covering lures and partners. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

2024 Bass Recap – Intro

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2024 established a new BYOB (Best Year of Bass) mark with 626 largemouth bass landed. Today’s post is the first of a collection of submissions that delve into various details of those catches.

2024 First Bass – March 3 at 8:55am on the Hennepin Canal

2024 Bass Stats
Bass = 626
Outings = 61 (ranging from 1.00-hour to 8.25-hour trips)
Bodies of water = 47
Bass Fishing Hours = 220.50
Bass/hour = 2.84
First Bass of the Year: March 3 at 8:55am on the Hennepin Canal
Last Bass of the Year: November 17 at 3:10pm on the Hennepin Canal
Comments: Forty-seven bodies of water make me seem like quite the bass fishing vagabond. However, the truth is not as epic as it may seem. Twenty-three spots represent different pools on the Hennepin Canal covering Rock Island, Henry, and Bureau Counties. Twenty-three other spots were Knox County public strip pits. And the other fishing hole was good, old Lake Storey.

First Bass Video below

 

Top 5 Bass (Weight, Location, Date, Lure)
3-10 Hennepin Canal 9/29 Frog
3-6 Hennepin Canal 9/29 Frog
3-3 Knox County public strip pit 7/20 Frog
3-2 Knox County public strip pit 7/13 Senko
3-0 Hennepin Canal 6/29 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Total Weight: 16-5 (3-10,3-6,3-3,3-2,3-0)

2024 Last Bass – November 17 at 3:10pm on the Hennepin Canal

Access
Bank Bass (Northerner boots, hiking, and biking) = 232 bass
Little Boat Bass (over 40-year-old 8’ johnboat) = 314 bass
Big Boat Bass (1987 Bass Tracker Pro 17) = 80 bass
Comments: Nothing out of the ordinary here with eighty-seven percent of my bass coming via hiking, biking, and rowing. The remaining bass were caught on Lake Storey while fishing out of Dad’s Bass Tracker.

Last Bass Video below

 

Public vs. Private
Public Water = 626 bass
Private Water Bass = 0 bass
Comments: As best I can tell, this is the first year that all my catches have come from public water. Looking back over the logs, 2009 and 2022 were lean on private water catches but did include a few. I do need to invest more in my Little John Conservation Club membership as I am in the neighborhood when I fish the Knox County strip mines. However, there is something rewarding about catching public water fish where everyone can take their shot. Many of my public strip mine fish require considerable effort in hiking or dragging a boat and one of these years I will have to scale back on such adventures. But so far so good, and I intend to keep chasing those fish in 2025.

Next up is a breakdown of the locations where I caught my bass. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I normally get the stat update posted at the beginning of each month but got lazy this time around. Hard to believe there is only a month and a half remaining in 2024. Time flies when you are reeling in some fish.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass
August = 1 bass
September = 4 bass
October = 1 bass
November = 2 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)
August = 1-3 (1-3)
September = 11-5 (3-10,3-6,3-2,1-3)
October = 3-9 (3-9)
November = 3-2 (1-15,1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 49 bass
Bank = 20 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-12 (3-15,3-12,3-9,3-4,3-4)
Bank = 18-14 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-10,3-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 68 bass
Private = 1 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = 1-3 (1-3)

The Baits
Jerkbait = 18 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 9 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Frog = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-10 Troy Jackson)
Propbait = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Spinnerbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Brent Jackson)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson
August
1-3 Brady Jackson
September
3-10 Troy Jackson
October
3-9 Brent Jackson
November
1-15 Troy Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-10 Troy Jackson 9/29
3-9 Brent Jackson 10/19
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-6 Troy Jackson 9/29
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 17-14 (3-15,3-12,3-9,3-6,3-4)
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Troy Jackson 16-5 (3-10,3-6,3-3,3-2,3-0)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)
Brady Jackson 1-3 (1-3)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 9-13 (3-5,2-6,1-12,1-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

While we won’t hit the one hundred bass mark this year, the Top 5 project is a treat no matter the haul. Stay tuned for the latest fishing report from The Canal as the casting in our neck of the woods winds down. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

August is historically a slow Top 5 month and 2024 was no exception with only one entry. September equaled the August total after one day and that entry helped boost Brent into the lead among our seven anglers. Read on for those standings and the rest of the up-to-date stats.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass
August = 1 bass
September = 1 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)
August = 1-3 (1-3)
September = 3-2 (3-2)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 45 bass
Bank = 18 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-6 (3-15,3-12,3-4,3-4,3-3)
Bank = 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 62 bass
Private = 1 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = 1-3 (1-3)

The Baits
Jerkbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 9 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Propbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Frog = 6 bass (Top Bass 3-3 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson
August
1-3 Brady Jackson
September
3-2 Brent Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5
3-3 Troy Jackson 7/20
3-2 Troy Jackson 7/13
3-2 Brent Jackson 9/1

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 17-7 (3-15.3-12,3-6,3-4,3-2)
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Troy Jackson 15-4 (3-3,3-2,3-0,3-0,2-15)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)
Brady Jackson 1-3 (1-3)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 6-11 (3-5,2-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

Here’s to a strong fall finish although it gets tough for some to boost their totals late in the season. The good thing is that the fall bite should present opportunities to fool some quality fish if you find time to get on the water. And I certainly plan to as I intend to hit my go to spots at least a time or two before the year winds up. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another month means another look at the latest stats.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2024 Totals
March = 15 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 11 bass
June = 12 bass
July = 7 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 18-3 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-4,3-1)
April = 11-0 (2-8,2-7,2-4,2-0,1-13)
May = 14-15 (3-6,3-4,3-0,2-12,2-9)
June = 14-7 (3-12,3-0,2-10,2-9,2-8)
July = 16-2 (3-15,3-3,3-2,2-15,2-15)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 44 bass
Bank = 17 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 17-6 (3-15,3-12,3-4,3-4,3-3)
Bank = 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)

Public vs. Private
Public = 61 bass
Private = 0 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 19-9 (4-6,3-15,3-14,3-12,3-10)
Private = no submissions

The Baits
Jerkbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Chatterbait = 10 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 8 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Brent Jackson)
Propbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Frog = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-3 Troy Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Jim Junk)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-11 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
4-6 Jim Junk
April
2-8 John Kirkemo
May
3-6 Brent Jackson
June
3-12 Brent Jackson
July
3-15 Brent Jackson

2024 Top 10 Bass
4-6 Jim Junk 3/3
3-15 Brent Jackson 7/19
3-14 Jim Junk 3/18
3-12 Brent Jackson 6/27
3-10 Jim Junk 3/3
3-6 Brent Jackson 5/4
3-4 Jayce Jackson 3/31
3-4 Brent Jackson 5/5
3-3 Troy Jackson 7/20
3-2 Troy Jackson 7/13

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 17-5 (4-6,3-14,3-10,3-1,2-6)
Brent Jackson 17-4 (3-15,3-12,3-6,3-4,2-15)
Troy Jackson 15-4 (3-3,3-2,3-0,3-0,2-15)
John Kirkemo 10-9 (2-8,2-7,2-0,1-13,1-13)
Julia Jackson 8-12 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-6)
Jayce Jackson 3-4 (3-4)

Other Species

Bowfin
Troy Jackson 3-13 (3-13)

Channel Catfish
John Kirkemo 2-3 (2-3)

Freshwater Drum
Troy Jackson 2-10 (2-10)

Gar
John Kirkemo 28” (28”)

Striped Bass
John Kirkemo 6-11 (3-5,2-6,1-0)

Trout (brown and rainbow)
John Kirkemo 24” (12”, 12”)

How in the world did it get to be August already? Keep on casting and catching out there. Talk to you later. Troy

2023 Fishing Recap – Lures Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Part II of the lure recap features the heavy hitters that landed 411 of the 466 bass in 2023.

Buzzbaits – 25 bass vs. 76 bass in 2023
Booyah Buzzbait (black or white)
Top Bass: 3-2 Hennepin Canal – May 25
Top 5 Weight: 10-7 (3-2,2-7,1-11,1-10,1-9)
Comments: All but three of my buzzbait bass came from The Canal, including the Top 5 Buzzbait Bass of the year. The Canal is a perfect fit for a buzzbait with abundant weed edges and nearly all the water less than five feet in depth.

Topwater Frog – 25 bass vs. 1 bass in 2023
Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino, killer gill, natural red)
Top Bass: 4-1 Knox County public strip pit – July 24
Top 5 2023: 15-7 (4-1,3-10,3-2,2-6,2-4)
Comments: After struggling to get dialed into a solid topwater frog bite for years, I finally found a frog to my liking. The Spro Flappin Frog combined the castability and commotion that I have been seeking and caught a good batch of quality bass up to four pounds. While the larger catches came on the strip mines, The Canal bass also showed an interest that has been lacking on my other frog presentations over the last two years.

Crankbaits – 28 bass vs. 61 bass in 2023
Rapala Shad Rap (blue), Mann’s Baby 1- (red craw or grey ghost), Strike King Rattling Squarebill (sexy shad)
Top Bass: 1-7 Hennepin Canal – October 15
Top 5 Weight: 6-6 (1-7,1-6,1-4,1-3,1-2)
Comments: While crankbaits did not fool any large bass, they were effective when and where I chose to cast them. From April to October and on The Canal, the strip mines, and Lake Storey, crankbaits came through. Twenty of the bass fell for a Mann’s Baby 1-, a super shallow bait with a wide wobble that shines when worked around shoreline riprap or shallow rockpiles.

Chatterbait – 33 bass vs. 26 bass in 2023
Z Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with various trailers
Top Bass: 2-8 Lake Storey – October 12
Top 5 Weight: 9-11 (2-8,2-2,1-13,1-12,1-8)
Comments: I have never given chatterbaits the shot that they deserve despite glowing reports from other anglers. Well, this fall, I decided to buy in and started by buying a brand new chatterbait in the sexy shad pattern and adding a Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad trailer. This represented a departure from the half dozen other chatterbaits in my tackle that I typically threw paired with a Yamamoto Zako trailer. Between October 12 and October 22, I managed to rack up thirty-three bass on The Canal and Lake Storey. The coolest catches came from the latter fishing hole in a spot that I typically do not visit but caught my attention as it was being hit with a stiff wind. Five bass in about twenty minutes of hitting shoreline indentations while blowing around a broad point made me a believer. I am interested in seeing what 2024 has in store for my new find.

Propbait – 46 bass vs. 29 bass in 2023
Whopper Plopper 110 (bone)
Top Bass: 4-10 Knox County public strip pit – May 6
Top 5 Weight: 17-0 (4-10,4-2,3-1,2-11,2-8)
Comments: My second year of casting the Whopper Plopper focused exclusively on the 110 model in the bone pattern. I find this size to be not too big (size 130), and not too small (size 90), but the proverbial “just right.” The Whopper Plopper has been a nice topwater companion to the buzzbait as it allows for variations in retrieve due to being a floating bait.

Spinnerbaits – 63 bass vs. 254 bass in 2023
War Eagle (white/chartreuse), Berkley Power Blade (coleslaw)
Top Bass: 3-10 Hennepin Canal – October 22
Top 5 Weight: 15-5 (3-10,3-7,2-14,2-12,2-10)
Comments: Several factors contributed to the significant decline in spinnerbait bass from last year. And all revolved around the Hennepin Canal. Factor one involved spending fewer hours on The Canal where spinnerbaits have been my Top Lure. Factor two, was expanding my Canal prowls to include stretches of water that I had not fished previously. While each of these new stretches offered plenty of appealing spinnerbait targets, a final factor came into play. The bass just weren’t as cooperative on The Canal in 2023 when offered a spinnerbait. Perhaps the word is out to avoid the guy in the little boat.

Plastic Worms – 191 bass vs. 81 bass in 2023
5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors), Yum 7.5” Ribbontail Worm (plum), 7” Berkley Power Worm (blue fleck firetail), Bass Pro Shops Stik-O (candy corn)
Top Bass: 3-9 Knox County private strip pit – May 20
Top 5 Weight: 16-1 (3-9,3-4,3-2,3-2,3-0)
Comments: After a down year in 2022, the plastic worm returned to familiar ground as Top Lure for 2023. The boost came almost exclusively due to increased hours prowling the strip mines where the wacky rig shines. Plastic worm referred primarily to the Senko wacky rig as the presentation racked up 177 bass, while a similar Bass Pro Shops Stik-O added one other wacky bass. Summertime did see the return of an old friend in the form of Texas rigged offerings that fooled 13 bass.

And there you have it, a complete statistical breakdown of the tools from my tacklebags that fooled the fish. Many variables come into play when selecting what to cast to the bass. Factors such as weather, water, structure, season, and time of day are significant but don’t discount experience and confidence when it comes to making your choices. It all boils down to getting out there and getting on the water. Talk to you later. Troy

2023 Fishing Recap – Lures Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, the 2024 fishing season arrived before I got around to the annual recap of the previous year. So, prior to the 2024 reports, it’s time to do a little catching up.

For today’s recap, we look at the lures that got the job done in landing 466 bass. I managed to employ over a dozen different general lure types to catch my fish in 2023. As such, the Lures portion of the 2023 Fishing Recap will be submitted over two posts working from fewest bass caught to most.

Jig – 1 bass vs. 5 bass in 2023
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (green pumpkin) with plastic craw trailer
Top Bass: None at 12” or better
Comments: Unless the bass tell me slow down, I usually don’t. And in the early season cool water period of 2023, I found another presentation that got the job done in a big way (more on that later). My lone jig bass was a short fish from Lake Storey in mid-September. It all boils down to getting enough bites on other presentations such that I opted to rarely toss a jig.

Inline Spinner – 2 bass vs. 0 bass in 2023
Mepps #5 (rainbow trout)
Top Bass: None at 12” or better
Comments: Two early April bass were the lone contributors to this offering. In this instance, I had run through my batch of “can’t miss” baits with nary a bite and the old school Mepps saved the day with a couple small bass to avoid a shutout.

Swimbaits – 2 bass vs. 0 bass in 2023
Keitech Swing Impact (electric blue), Bass Pro Shops 3” Speed Shad (smallmouth magic)
Top Bass: 1-7 Hennepin Canal – June 3
Top 1 Weight (only one at 12”or better): 1-7 (1-7)
Comments: Similar to jigs, I rarely tossed a swimbait unless it was a downsized version in what I classify as a “grub” or “Ned Rig” (more on those later in this wrap-up series). The pair of swimbait bass that I fooled in 2023 arose from situations when my go to lures weren’t producing and I had to shift gears for a lone bite. While the presentation can certainly be effective, it’s just not my thing.

Creature Bait – 5 bass vs. 0 bass in 2023
Yum Wooly Bug (crawdad)
Top Bass: 3-2 Knox County public strip pit – September 30
Top 3 Weight (only three at 12”or better): 5-1 (3-2,1-0,0-15)
Comments: Four of my five bass on a creature bait came on the last day of September as the strip mine bass forced me to slow down. Included in the mix was a solid three-pounder. Positive feedback on a presentation that does not get many casts these days.

Jerkbait – 8 bass vs. 1 bass in 2023
Rebel Ghost Minnow
Top Bass: None at 12” or better
Comments: I chose a jerkbait for a handful of casts on a pair of early April strip mine visits. One lake had potential for a quality fish while the other spot is chock full of short bass. Both turned out to produce a batch of the latter, but it was fun to throw the old Rebel Ghost Minnow that had a few shining moments in the early 2000s.

Lipless Crankbaits –14 bass vs. 4 bass in 2023
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad or red craw)
Top Bass: 2-10 Lake Storey – September 25
Top 5 Weight: 8-8 (2-10,1-13,1-8,1-5,1-4)
Comments: The first bass of 2023 came on a lipless crankbait during a March bike ride on The Canal. And while the lure didn’t get much of a workout for the rest of the year, it was still producing in mid-October as it is an open water winner start to finish. All the Top 5 bass in this lure category came during the Lake Storey fall drawdown as it is an effective imitation of the lake’s abundant shad forage base.

Grub – 23 bass vs. 8 bass in 2023
Lunker Hunt Finesse 3” Swimbait (perfect pumpkin)
Top Bass: 5-3 Knox County public strip pit
Top 5 Weight: 14-15 (5-3,3-1,3-0,2-7,1-3)
Comments: The surprise lure of the year was a small swimbait on a light jighead that I call a Ned Rig under the Grub category. All the catches came during a month-long stretch from April 7 to May 6 while walking the Knox County public strip mines. Even better were three quality fish (5-3,3-1,3-0) from a lake where my previous Top Bass had barely eclipsed the one-pound mark. I am eager to see if luck is on my side again in 2024.

Today’s warm-up was dominated by several effective lures that were sparingly employed in specific situations when I was struggling to get a bite or forced to tone down my offerings. Next up is Part II of the lure recap featuring the heavy hitters that accounted for over four hundred bass in 2023. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Somehow, it’s already September and another month means another look at this year’s Top 5 stats. August produced a lot of bass and many quality fish but only two were large enough to provide a boost to our anglers. Overall, not too surprising as solid weights have been established and it gets tougher to find those big bites to increase our totals.

Other Species – Channel Catfish
2-3 John Kirkemo July 6 – Lake Storey

Bass Stats
2023 Totals
January = no submissions
February = 2 bass
March = 7 bass
April = 32 bass
May = 20 bass
June = 9 bass
July = 10 bass
August = 2 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
January = no submissions
February = 6-10 (3-9,3-1)
March = 19-8 (5-1,4-5,4-4,3-5,2-9)
April = 24-0 (5-5,5-3,4-12,4-8,4-4)
May = 24-11 (5-9,5-6,4-14,4-10,4-4)
June = 11-6 (3-2,2-13,2-4,2-0,1-3)
July = 16-10 (4-1,3-5,3-3,3-1,3-0)
August = 7-5 (3-11,3-10)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 30 bass
Bank = 52 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 20-4 (5-6,4-2,3-11,3-9,3-8) culls a 3-7
Bank = 26-0 (5-9,5-5,5-3,5-1,4-14)

Public vs. Private
Public = 79 bass
Private = 3 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 26-8 (5-9,5-6,5-5,5-3,5-1)
Private = 8-4 (3-9,2-11,2-0)

The Baits
Lipless Crankbait = 24 bass (Top Bass 5-6 Natalee Townsend)
Plastic Worm = 23 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Troy Jackson)
Chatterbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 5-9 Jim Junk)
Grub = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Troy Jackson)
Jerkbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 2-13 Brent Jackson)
Popper = 5 bass (Top Bass 3-11 Brent Jackson)
Propbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-10 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 3-7 Troy Jackson)
Buzzbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-8 Brent Jackson)
Frog 2 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Troy Jackson)
Swimbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 4-4 Jim Junk)
Jig = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-13 Brent Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-7 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
January
No submissions
February
3-9 Jim Junk
March
5-1 Jim Junk
April
5-5 Jim Junk
May
5-9 Jim Junk
June
3-2 Troy Jackson
July
4-1 Troy Jackson
August
3-11 Brent Jackson

2023 Top 10 Bass
5-9 Jim Junk 5/2
5-6 Natalee Townsend 5/26
5-5 Jim Junk 4/23
5-3 Troy Jackson 4/7
5-1 Jim Junk 3/5
4-14 Jim Junk 5/5
4-12 Jim Junk 4/9
4-10 Troy Jackson 5/6
4-8 Jim Junk 4/1
4-5 Jim Junk 3/11

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 25-9 (5-9,5-5,5-1,4-14,4-12)
Troy Jackson 21-10 (5-3,4-10,4-2,4-1,3-10) culls a 3-9
Brent Jackson 16-12 (3-11,3-8,3-5,3-3,3-1) culls a 2-15
Natalee Townsend 7-9 (5-6,2-3)
John Kirkemo 7-2 (2-4,1-15,1-3,0-14,0-14)
Carly Jackson 3-10 (2-13,0-13)
Landon Hannam 3-8 (3-8)
Terry Jackson 2-11 (2-11)
Jayce Jackson 1-3 (1-3)
Julia Jackson 0-14 (0-14)
Zac Jackson 0-11 (0-11)

With fall on the horizon, the bite can really kick into gear as the fish feed up while the water begins to cool down. The next six to eight weeks are a great time to get on the water. With that said, some of us are wasting little time to the “fall” fishing started, so stay tuned. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – July Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This marks the third year of chasing bass in July on The Canal. And now that we have reached August, it is time for a look at the July stats and running totals from the historic waterway.

July Breakdown
July 2023 Totals: 24 bass in 13.25 hours (1.81 bass/hour)
July 2022 Totals: 66 bass in 22.75 hours (2.90 bass/hour)
July 2021 Totals: 23 bass in 9.75 hours (2.36 bass/hour)

July 2023 Top Bass: 3-0 July 29 Senko
July 2022 Top Bass: 2-11 July 2 Spinnerbait
July 2021 Top Bass: 3-6 July 21 Senko

2023 Best July Top 4 Day: 7-2 (3-0,1-9,1-5,1-4) – July 28
2022 Best July Top 5 Day: 9-6 (2-11,1-13,1-11,1-10,1-9) July 2
2021 Best July Top 4 Day: 9-4 (3-6,2-10,2-0,1-4) – July 21

2023 July Top 5: 12-5 (3-0,2-8,2-5,2-5,2-3)
2022 July Top 5: 11-6 (2-11,2-6,2-4,2-3,1-14)
2021 July Top 5: 12-8 (3-6,2-13,2-10,2-0,1-11)

2023 July Lure Breakdown
Plastic Worms – 14 bass
Buzzbaits – 5 bass
Topwater Frogs – 4 bass

Top 5 All-Time July Bass Weight: 14-8 (3-6,3-0,2-13,2-11,2-10)

2023 Overall Canal Stats
100 bass in 64.50 hours (1.55 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 3-2 Buzzbait – May 25
Best Top 5 Day: 10-4 (3-2,2-6,1-10,1-10,1-8) – May 25

Yearly Top 5 Totals
2023 Top 5 Canal Weight: 14-0 (3-2,3-0,2-14,2-8,2-8)
2022 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-15 (3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15)
2021 Top 5 Canal Weight: 15-6 (3-6,3-4,3-1,2-14,2-13)

The Canal bass continue to be tough to fool in 2023. It has taken some work, but investing just over sixty hours on the waterway pushed me exactly to the century mark as July ended. I’ve already hit The Canal once in August, but that report will wait until some notes from the July prowl are posted next week. Talk to you later. Troy