Date: August 15-17, 1985
Location: Big Creek at Pat’s.
John, Brent, Doug and I went camping for three days and two nights and set out bank poles and a throwline. We started out with twenty poles and a ten hook throwline. During our trip we ran our poles three times, twice the second day and once the last day. We caught three on our first run (one hit a pole we had baited less than a minute and was about twenty five feet behind us). On our final run we caught four (one on our throwline), including a small flathead. The largest channel was 3.5 pounds; we also had a 1.75 pound fish and three or four 0.5 to 1.0 pound fish. Bait – used minnows and crawdads.

Portion of original log entry as detailed above

Beginning around 1984, this crew (and various other assorted characters) dove headlong into fishing (some of us quite literally at times). Along the way, we also did our share of goofing off as big kids get distracted just like little kids. The bulk of our “learning” took place at Lake Bracken although we also frequented Sperry’s Pay Ponds on occasion. We put in a lot of effort targeting either carp in the Lake Bracken spillway or anything that would bite on the main lake. All told we put in hundreds of hours rowing and beating the banks discovering a passion for fishing that remains with me to this day.

This particular adventure was concocted by four teenagers with a penchant for both the angling and the distractions. But this time we took our show on the road for a three day/two night vacation shortly before three of us headed off for college: a time when real jobs and responsibilities seemed about as remote as our campsite in The Big Timber.

A more recent shot of a couple guys from this crew

Starting from the left is John Junk who has been a friend since 1982 when we were teammates on the Galesburg High School sophomore basketball team. Previously we had been junior high basketball and Little League baseball opponents. We would later serve as co-captains for the Silver Streaks basketball team and then room together at Knox College where John continued his impressive basketball career. We then spent several years renting a house along with John’s brother Mark/”Geek” and another buddy, Matt “Hacksaw” Reynolds, worked together at a local plant, took part in each other’s weddings and enjoyed more than a few beers along the way. Though we rarely see each other these days, I’m proud to consider myself an honorary Junk and he will always be held in the same regard by my family.

Youth sports opponent and later teammate and friend, Doug Dawson

Next up is Doug Dawson whom I also befriended during the same time period when we played together as freshman on the Galesburg sophomore baseball team. I’d also known Doug as a rival during two seasons of the heated Lombard-Churchill Junior High basketball series. We took part in the football rivalry only once as he and his buddies (primarily GHS Hall of Famers Joe Dennis and Bob Jackson, who would later become friends and teammates) convinced me that baseball and basketball were much less painful pursuits. We’d also competed in Little League and Junior Hardball before teaming up in high school and American Legion baseball. In addition, we spent several summers working (most of the time) for the Galesburg Park Department. Doug went on to play some baseball at Carl Sandburg College and Olivet Nazarene College and last I knew lived somewhere in Iowa.

The campout wasn’t the first time me (left) and my brother, Brent (right), had been up a creek

I’m next and the kid with the tree branch in front of his face is my younger brother, Brent. Growing up, we used to joke about one of our parents having a tendency to chop heads off in photos. I’m not sure if she snapped this picture but it appears to be a similar mishap (if only we’d had the instant feedback afforded through today’s digital photography). Anyway, I’ve obviously known Brent his entire life. Our hardball careers started out as Little League teammates and would culminate in spending some time covering the left side of the infield together at Knox College. Later we would play softball together for a number of years, serve as best man in each other’s weddings and spend considerable time pursuing various fish species.

At the time of this adventure, Brent and I must have sufficiently matured to the point that Mom and Dad felt comfortable allowing us to go camping together unsupervised. For a number of years there was a distinct possibility that only one of us would have made it back home. As further proof, I don’t particularly recall being forced to let my younger brother tag along, I think we actually welcomed his presence. In fact, he was a more seasoned outdoorsman than any of the rest of us, having spent a fair amount of time hanging out with Dad and Uncle Dick as a youngster. These days I could probably give him a run for his money when fishing or camping but I concede in the areas of hunting and trapping.

The four of us camped in The Big Timber near a small creek that served as both a livewell and a baitshop (seining minnows and crawdads). Each time we ran our bank poles and throw lines we would haul our catch back from Pat’s Creek and stash them in a shallow pool that was dammed up on each end with rocks in order to prevent the fish from escaping. Fortunately, the raccoons didn’t get wind of our trophies as they would have had a fairly captive feast.

Our campsite was not far from The Waterfall which served as a swimming hole for some relaxation. I remember using BB guns to shoot snakes out of the bushes overhanging a portion of the pool prior to taking a dip, giving little thought to the prospect of the angry reptiles exacting revenge. Yet it wasn’t all valor as we were later startled by a large snake while making our way to Pat’s Creek to run our lines. I suspect that Doug was likely the most alarmed of the bunch since he was the one who actually stepped on it.

Checking and rebaiting our lines also held its share of adventures. The incident mentioned briefly in the original log entry was rather unusual as I can’t understand why a catfish would have been anywhere near a group of wild teenagers noisily tromping through the creek. I also recall the rest of us electing John to check several of the deeper holes when it appeared that we may have hooked a snapping or softshell turtle. Often, a turtle will rest on the bottom causing a steady bend in the pole. However, you can also be fooled by the hook or sinker catching on a root or snag. You never really know until grabbing the pole or poking under the water with a stick or dipnet handle. If it’s a turtle, things get quite exciting in the vicinity and equally amusing from a distance. I guess we figured that John had the longest arms which gave him the greatest distance between another angry reptile and human flesh. John was a good sport although I’m pretty certain that he wasn’t quite as fond of the arrangement as the rest of us. Since we did not hook a turtle, John can still boast of his courageousness while I’ve always been left to wonder just how quickly he could have exited armpit deep water with or without an unhappy creature attached to some part of his anatomy.

Most of what the four teenage boys discussed has been lost in the passage of time but I surmise that the majority of topics would either be uninteresting or unfit for print. Yet I do recall my computer genius/scientist younger brother schooling us in the laws of physics. The middle of nowhere, starry skies and the meager light of a campfire provided an ideal backdrop for pondering the complexities of the universe. I clearly remember his dissertation on inertia and momentum using the example of landing in the same spot when leaping upwards inside of a moving train. There was also a discussion concerning the behavior of a ball shot from the back of a pickup truck moving at various speeds in the opposite direction of the projectile. I believe he also explained why The Roadrunner cannot really avoid physical harm by simply stepping off of a plummeting rock platform just before it smashes into the ground at the bottom of a cliff. Interesting stuff for sure but I’m pretty certain he left us baffled as he approached infinity.

As far as table fare and accommodations, I really don’t have a clue although we apparently had a plan as we all returned safe and sound. I would have to guess that the meals were not too involved (read hot dogs, sandwiches and donuts) and shelter was probably somebody’s tent. Whatever the case, I’m sure we felt pretty rough. For me there was certainly a feeling of independence and investment as it was “our” fishing trip with the nearest parent some forty miles away. That meant something as a teenager.

Many years later I discovered a second pic but still favor the original “tree branch” version

Beyond the adventures, the simple image of the four skinny guys always brings a smile. Obviously, we’re no longer teenagers and if you’ve seen us, we’re also no longer quite as skinny. The four men have probably “matured” enough that our additional weight could account for another skinny kid joining the photograph. I am proud to say that through some hard work in the last year, I’m only about twenty pounds (as opposed to formerly about fifty pounds) heavier than that eighteen year old in the camo pants.

Looking back at this photo I can’t help but be reminded that nowadays I’ve got four kids of my own. Sometimes I’d sure like to send them out to the woods for a few days. Talk to you later. Troy

This photo is easily the most ancient of this series. It was taken in November of 1976 during part of a two day trapping/coon hunting outdoor adventure. The location in the picture is Henderson Creek in Warren County somewhere near Angling Road, southeast of Alexis.

The sheer number of outdoorsmen (and boys) that took part goes a long way towards making this a classic. My uncle, Richard Jackson, was the photographer and those in the picture are as follows: front row from left to right – Brad Burt, Troy Jackson, Ronnie Van Fleet and Greg Smith. Back row from left to right – Bill Burt, Terry Jackson and Jody Jackson. The dogs are Buck and Susie from left to right. Also included on the adventure was a friend of Dad’s named Bob Coe who joined for the coon hunting portion.

Having been rather young at the time, I have only vague memories and had to recruit Dad for some help on this one. It seems that the agenda began with the crew setting traps in some Henderson County creeks. We then returned to a spot we called The Big Timber which would serve as our home base for some supper, apparently chili or stew that required only a fire for final preparation. The evening culminated in a group coon hunting excursion with a couple adults herding us kids back to camp before the rest of the coonhunters called it a night.

Accommodations were an old machine shed with evergreen boughs covered with canvas tarps to serve as makeshift mattresses. Blankets and sleeping bags rounded out the setup as a final barrier between the adventurers and the elements. The following morning, breakfast was donuts or rolls before heading out to run traps culminating with the picture of our load of fur.

Our deluxe accommodations at The Big Timber “Lodge”

Were that all that this photograph means to me, I would fall well short of my “1,000 Words.” Although my memories of this specific moment in time are mostly lost, the photograph represents other memories that were a substantial slice of growing up. Tastes and interests influenced by several of my fellow adventurers remain with me to this day and are being passed down again whether intentionally or inadvertently.

Dad and Uncle Dick are no doubt at the top of the list and their influence runs through all of my past articles and will continue to surface as long as I keep writing. So, for this posting, I’ll focus on two of my fellow “youngsters” in the photograph (although it’s funny to think that I’m now older than any of the grownups were at the time).

My cousin, Ronnie, is decked out in his Oakland A’s jacket that I thought was just about the coolest coat around. However, the heyday of some outstanding Oakland clubs had reached its end by 1976. Brash and sometimes bizarre owner, Charlie Finley, had already traded away Reggie Jackson, and “Catfish” Hunter. Sal Bando, Gene Tenace, Bert Campaneris, Vida Blue, Joe Rudi, Billy North, “Blue Moon” Odom, and Rollie Fingers (with his unforgettable trademark handlebar mustache) would soon follow. Such a talented bunch of players, the stuff of legend even to a youngster who was genetically predisposed to be a Cubs fan.

Ronnie was like another brother in our family in those days and we spent weekends and summers getting up to various hijinks. Both of our homes were located near Cedar Fork, a creek (rhymes with stick) that snaked its way through Galesburg and provided ample opportunity to explore and make a mess. We were also frequent visitors to the neighborhood Park Drive dairies for sports cards of all seasons and Saturday morning donuts when finances permitted.

Music and baseball ruled our summers. We consumed a steady diet of pop and rock, enamored by hits such as “Rubberband Man”, “Why Can’t We Be Friends”, “The Things We Do For Love”, “Lyin’ Eyes”, “Rhinestone Cowboy”, “Convoy” and “S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night.” We tagged along with Dad to softball games, celebrated my birthday in the July heat and played baseball all day with my younger brother, Brent, as designated hitter. Summer also meant the eagerly awaited arrival of the MLB All Star game where all of our heroes gathered. Willie Stargell, Johnny Bench, Lou Brock, Mike Schmidt, Pete Rose, Tom Seaver, Jim Rice, Robin Yount, George Brett, Carl Yastrzemski, Rod Carew; maybe I’m just getting old but today’s players don’t hold a candle to the legends of my childhood.

My cousin, Jody, was eight years older and at times seemed like more of an older brother. He introduced me to a lasting 70s and 80s sampling of the arts. Literature included Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars series, which was originally published in 1917 (Burroughs is perhaps better known for creating the enduring character, Tarzan). I also became acquainted with a myriad of characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien and while Jody’s comic book collection would rival my baseball card collection, I was never bitten by that bug.

There were also films such as “Blade Runner” (1982) and “Escape From New York” (1981). Three others remain among my all-time favorites to this day; “An American Werewolf in London” (1981), “The Thing” (1982) and “Excalibur” (1981).

Music was also a shared passion with “Billy Don’t Be a Hero” and “Band on the Run” standing out in my mind along with the risqué (for a kid in 1974) novelty hit “The Streak.” AM radio dominated the airwaves with Chicago’s WLS 890AM leading the way in our neck of the woods. The WLS roster featured Larry “Uncle Lar” Lujack, John Records Landecker and Tommy “Little Tommy” Edwards along with spots such as “Boogie Check” and “Animal Stories” where I’m sure much of the humor went right over my head. Of course, New Year’s Eve was spent with the radio for the highlight of the year, “The WLS Big 89 Countdown.”

Jody also informed me that the strange song that sounded like nothing I’d ever heard before was called “Bohemian Rhapsody,” whatever that meant. Later I remember listening to his recently purchased copy of “Double Fantasy,” John Lennon’s 1980 return to the music industry, released a mere three weeks before he was assassinated outside of his New York City apartment building. “Watching The Wheels” remains one of my all-time favorite songs to this day.

Well, for today’s post, my “1,000 Words” (and then some) certainly wander from the outdoors. Although I have only fleeting memories of the adventure associated with today’s picture, it conjures up other memories that explain some of my philosophies, tastes and pursuits.

Such as…

It’s important to take time to include the next generation (now it’s my turn to set an example).

I much prefer outdoor activities to being cooped up inside (writing helps me pretend nowadays).

Baseball is still “America’s pastime” (despite not taking very good care of itself).

There’s nothing like getting lost in a good book (they’re always better than the movie).

A good movie never gets old (but read the book if time permits).

I’d take tunes over television any day (hence a home with rabbit ears, one TV and half a dozen radios).

I’ll leave you with a few lines from the 1975 Top 5 hit, “Old Days”, another of my all-time favorites, courtesy of a band that was formed in The Windy City and eventually named itself after the hometown of WLS; Chicago.

“Old days, good times I remember,
Fun days, filled with simple pleasures,
Drive in movies, comic books and blue jeans,
Howdy Doody, baseball cards and birthdays,
Take me back to a world gone away,
Boyhood memories seem like yesterday.”

A few simple lines say it just as well as 1,294 words. Oh, to be a songwriter. Talk to you later. Troy

This photograph depicts the first big fish that I ever landed in a “normal” fashion. Prior to this channel cat, the trophies that me, Brent and our buddies had brought home were a handful of carp from the Lake Bracken spillway during a wave of snagging and bowfishing. Other than those, the fish that I’d been catching legitimately usually consisted of a multitude of bluegill, crappie, green sunfish (mistakenly referred to as rock bass for many years) and small largemouth bass that were normally quite receptive to a smorgasbord of ultralight offerings. While ultralight fishing was the way of our world back in those days, the results from April 14, 1985 turned out to be anything but “normal.”

I still have the original story in an old green spiral notebook that served as my fishing log from January 19, 1985 through August 25, 1985. Back then I would record the date, location, time and results along with a brief overview of the day including who I was fishing with and what we were throwing. However, this occasion demanded an extra entry, kind of like one of those “Special Reports” that we are presently bombarded with in our world of twenty four hour news channels. Unlike some of the ridiculous stories that are nowadays passed along as “important breaking news” (fill in your choice of Hollywood knucklehead) this tale was actually worthy. Here are the original submission and the “Special Entry” just as they were documented close to 35 years ago.

Date: April 14, 1985 Time: 7:00-9:00am Temp: 50F Fish Caught: 16
Location: Lake Bracken, followed north shore from Al’s dock down to the levee by holes #11 and 12. Also went along south shore from levee to directly across from West Point.
Summary: Dad, Brent and I got out early to fish for bass, bluegill and crappie. We had a decent day just combing the bank. Around 9:00 I hooked a big catfish just north of Ron Patterson’s dock and fought him for 15 minutes. We finally dipped him in a bucket; he weighed in at 7 pounds 14 ounces.
Bait: Used white crappie jig with a black head and Dad and Brent also tried a Mepps.
Type of Fish Caught: Bass-8 Bluegill-3 Catfish-1 Crappie-2 Rock Bass-2

Special Entry: Catching My Record Catfish (7 lbs. 14 oz.)
April 14, 1985 9:00-9:15am 50F at Lake Bracken
Dad, Brent and I were fishing at Bracken and were going to hit the cove just west of Al’s dock. I threw my white body crappie jig with a black head in just north of Ron Patterson’s dock and got a hit. I set the hook and saw a big catfish come up and then head back under. It tried to go under a dock but we passed my pole around the boat and got him out. He dove under the boat and we could hear the line scraping on the boat. I let him play for about 10 minutes until he got tired and Dad dipped him up in a five gallon bucket. When we weighed him, he came out at 7 lbs. 14 oz.

We called it a day after landing the fish. As I recall, it was then time to brag. We took the fish up to the golf course and showed it off to a co-worker/golfing buddy/friend of Dad’s, Al Dickson. Al lived at Lake Bracken at the time and his dock served as home port for Dad’s rowboat for a number of years. From the golf course we headed into town, hitting both the baitshops that were in business in those days.

First up was Al’s Sporting Goods located on the corner of Henderson Street and Monmouth Boulevard for over thirty years before closing up shop in 2011. Then it was on to Steve’s Bait Shop on the banks of Cedar Fork on Seminary Street. The building is now gone following construction of an overpass but once housed a baitshop and army surplus store into the 90’s if my memory serves me correctly. At each location I got my photo taken, joining the stacks of pictures that rested on the counter and displayed other fortunate anglers (or downright lucky in my case). I remember stopping in each place later just to check them out even when having no money to purchase anything. It just felt cool to be kind of famous. I even got a mention in the Lake Bracken newsletter, all for an unintended catch.

As far as the bucket that was turned into a makeshift dipnet, it was likely taken along to serve as a livewell. In those days, our arsenal mainly consisted of a wide array of grubs, twister tails, puddle jumpers, Gapen Fishies and the like that were quite effective on the multitude of bluegill, crappie and green sunfish that called Lake Bracken home. As such there was no real need to bring along a dipnet and we never did. For one thing, there wasn’t a whole lot of room in an eight foot johnboat carrying three anglers and even our limited tackle. Besides, back in this primitive era, we often succumbed to the superstition that bringing a dipnet was bad luck: something akin to counting your chickens before they hatch. We’ve since evolved and I would have to say that bringing the dipnet has only a positive effect on success. It has come in quite handy on many occasions, surely saving us from losing some nice fish.

Beyond the fish there are also a number of other nostalgic details for me in this photograph. The camper behind me is long gone but served us well over a number of years. The deck to my left is also gone, replaced by a cement patio now decorated with the artwork of grandkids. The blue house has been covered with white siding and now sports central air rather than the single window unit. The large willow tree in the neighbors’ yard has been removed and the tree peeking over the roof has disappeared as well. I still remember when my grandpa planted it in the mid-70s, right in the middle of our baseball field. Speaking of baseball, the spot where I’m standing was a stickball home plate for me and my brothers for a few years. We’d tape up a plastic golf ball and use a broom handle for a bat (in fact it is lying on the ground to my right). It was excellent practice for hand-eye coordination that I can’t even imagine coming close to duplicating these days. Besides, it’s now a gravel driveway.

While much has changed, one thing hasn’t. The fish in the photograph still represents the largest catfish that I’ve ever caught as I’ve been more about scales than whiskers for various reasons. These days I definitely would be satisfied with a simple photograph before releasing the trophy to fight again which makes the accidental catch even more unlucky for the catfish.

Regardless, this particular accident and photo will always remind me of an important part of what fishing means to me: fish stories. In this case, the big one didn’t get away, thanks to a five gallon dipnet. Talk to you later. Troy