Some recent evening success on a stretch that I had neglected in 2023, had me interested in checking out the lowlight morning bite as well. I was not disappointed as the bass were all revved up for a topwater bite.

8:08am – Top Bass Runner-Up at 2-2 (17″) on a Whopper Plopper

Stats
Date: June 23
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:40am-10:10am
Totals: 14 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy 75F
Lures: Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 13 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-8 (Frog)
Top 5 Weight: 10-2 (2-8,2-2,1-15,1-13,1-12)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Top 5 Decision – My ongoing commitment to establish a double-digit Top 5 on each stretch of The Canal played a primary role in choosing my destination. Pre-2024, my Top 5 of 5-5 on this stretch needed a boost and an earlier outing with Julie was an eye opener as she landed her own Top 5 tipping the scales at 8-12. I also made a rain-soaked visit on June 19 and boosted my Top 5 to 7-7 so I still lacked a couple quality bites to reach my goal.

9:26am – Top Bass at 2-8 (17″) on a Spro frog

Top 5 Update – I had quite a morning as I landed a double-digit Top 5 on this trip alone. My five best bass topped any of my previous Top 5 catches so the mark for this pool now stands at 10-2. As an added bonus, every bass on this outing was a “keeper” (12″ or better and all released).

Catch chronology, just short of 9:30am the bite completely dried up with no bass in the last forty minutes

Record Results – Prior to this year, the Top Bass for this pool was a less than impressive 1-3 after three visits (two in 2022 and one in 2023). During four visits this year, Julie and I have landed twenty-three bass exceeding that 1-3 mark. On one hand, the pool is connected via tubes to water with quality fish so it makes sense that these fish should be able to move freely between pools. On the other hand, it has been like night and day this year compared to previous years. My best guess for the positive change is an influx of water that has raised the level of the pool. In prior years, the bottom could be seen on nearly the entire stretch. This year, the level appears to be up 8-12” which is a significant amount considering much of the area was maybe three feet deep maximum during my previous visits.

 

So, mark another pool off the list as I have achieved my goal of a double-digit Top 5. That doesn’t mean that I won’t be back though as The Canal changes from year to year and if a spot is hot, you take advantage. And that aspect leads to a lesson to remember about The Canal. Refrain from first, second, or even third impressions as there are surprises all along those miles of water. Talk to you later. Troy

The eve of summer and overcast skies seemed like an ideal time to get out after the 5:00pm end of a Wednesday workday. The forecast did call for a possibility of some light rain, but I’ve been wet before, so not much of a problem, right? Well, I got wet again. Real wet. But I also had a solid night of catching.

Looked like I had it made

Stats
Date: June 19
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:20pm-8:50pm
Totals: 14 bass
Weather: Overcast/calm/heavy rain, 85F
Lures: Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 9 bass, Whopper Plopper #110 (bone) – 3 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (albino) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 (Whopper Plopper)
Top 5 Weight: 7-7 (1-11,1-10,1-8,1-5,1-5)

7:00pm – Top Bass at 1-11 (15″) on a Whopper Plopper while dry under a light gray sky

Notes and Nonsense

Limited Media – For starters, I was in such a hurry to get to the water that I forgot my GoPro. Lack of video wasn’t much of a concern as I fished for decades without such technology and the torrential rains would have put a damper on shooting anyway. The rainy conditions also limited my ability to take pictures of my catches. I only got shots of half of the fish, being those that bookended the heavy rain. In addition, I had to rely on memory for several catches and document them later in the Notes app on my phone. Even then, the screen was wet, and my fingers were so wrinkled and saturated that the phone screen would not consistently register touches or swipes.

7:08pm – Under cover of the trees as a light rain begins

Nowhere to Row, Nowhere to Hide – When your watercraft propulsion is via rowing, there is simply no such thing as a quick return to the boat ramp. My nearly fifty-seven-year-old motor is in decent rowing shape but even at top speed it takes a while to get where I’m going. When the rain began, I had just landed a bass and drifted under some trees to unhook and document. From there, I elected to wait out the downpour with the leaves as an umbrella. However, the canopy soon provided little protection and I was stuck about a half-mile from the truck. That left no option but to keep on casting and get soaked.

Winning Lures

Buzzbait Boon – During the downpour, I relied solely on a buzzbait, and it did not let me down. The crazy thing is the rain was so heavy that it was difficult for me to see and hear the commotion produced by the bait during the retrieve. Fortunately, the bass did not have any issue dialing in their aim as I landed half a dozen amidst thirty minutes of steadily soaking rain.

The deluxe Big Gulp “bailer/bilge pump” 

Bonus Gear – I took a Big Gulp of iced tea (unsweetened, of course) along for hydration but it tipped and began floating in the water accumulating in the bottom of the boat. This made it unpotable, so the cup’s role shifted to bailing water out of the boat. While I was in no danger of sinking or anything, the rain made for a substantial puddle at my feet. I have begun taking a Rubbermaid tub with me to ease hauling tackle and tools and it really saved the day in preventing my gear from getting drenched. Finally, an emergency rain poncho was a winner for the ride home. Now you may ask why I did not wear it to begin with and I will admit that it is a legitimate question. It probably wouldn’t have made much difference but it sure was nice to sit on for the drive to prevent my truck seat from being soaked.

Emergency rain poncho seat cover for the ride home

8:20pm – Soaked to the bone but the bass were still biting

Fourteen bass in two and a half hours of challenging conditions was quite a successful outing. Sure, I was uncomfortable for most of the trip and the entire ride home, but it did convince me of one thing. The rain affects the angler more than the fish. After all, they are already wet. Talk to you later. Troy

I enjoy this time of year as the longer days allow me to work in a few hours of fishing after the typical workday ends around 5:00pm. And twelve days was long enough between trips so off to The Canal I went.

7:44pm – Top Bass at 2-9 (17″) on a buzzbait

Stats
Date: June 11
Location: Hennepin Canal
Time: 6:05pm-8:35pm
Totals: 17 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy, 80F
Lures: Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 15 bass, 5” Yamamoto Senko wacky rig (pumpkin black flake) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-9 (Buzzbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-4 (2-9,1-8,1-8,1-6,1-5)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The Plan – I was lukewarm on my intended destination as two previous visits hadn’t produced much to brag about. In fact, my Top 5 sat at a mere 5-5 (1-3,1-1,1-1,1-0,1-0), barely over one pound per bass. That was part of my goal; to give that Top 5 a boost. In addition, the water levels in this area looked to be higher than previous years, which was to my liking. Higher water on The Canal may only amount to half a foot but it brings new cover into play and makes existing cover more appealing. And it is always fun to visit a body of water under varied conditions to see what you can learn.

Plan B – So, with all that said regarding my initial plan, I never made a single cast at my intended destination. I spotted another angler in the area and as there is not much of a “passing lane” on The Canal, I opted to fish in the other direction instead. Like the intended stretch, this area also had much room for improvement with a Top 5 of only 6-8 (1-6,1-6,1-6,1-3,1-3) from three prior visits.

Top Bass Runner Up clip below

 

Close But No Cigar – Seventeen bass in a two-and-a-half-hour trip is a definite winner, especially after a slow start of only three bass in the first hour on the water. I also shattered the Top Bass mark for the pool with the 2-9 more than doubling the previous record of 1-3. However, I still fell short of the boost needed to push my all-time Top 5 for the pool to the ten-pound mark. The Top 5 mark now stands at 8-5 (2-9,1-8,1-8,1-6,1-6). Which means that I need a return trip. That prospect became more encouraging as the results of this trip were much better than the prior visits. By the way, did you know that the phrase “close but no cigar” is said to have originated on the carnival midway? Apparently, cigars were once given as prizes and if a patron fell short on a game, well, there you go.

 

This impromptu outing on a low-ranking stretch of The Canal turned out to be an eye opener with a dozen “keepers” and a new Top Bass for the spot. It just goes to show that my previous struggles to find a good bite on this stretch don’t mean that they aren’t there. More like it simply wasn’t my day. I took this lesson and put it to work on the next visit as I hit the area I originally intended to fish on this outing. And I had a special guest angler along for the row. Stay tuned for that report as well as a Top 5 Update to begin next week. Talk to you later. Troy