Month: April 2020

Five Fine Prine Fishing Lines

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Dedicated to Fred and Mike for all of the hours of Prine CDs in the QC Lab.

One week ago, the world lost a legendary singer/songwriter with the passing of John Prine, the former mailman from Maywood, Illinois. I was introduced to his music once upon a time in the National Seal Company Quality Control Lab probably about 1991. Sadly, the pair of co-workers responsible for my fandom are no longer with us either.

Prine left a mark that leaves this fan looking for a way to say “Thank you”. But just how does an outdoor blogger work in a tribute to such a man?

Well, if anybody can work in an outdoor related tangent…

I give you my Top 5 John Prine fishing lines.

“On the dock the fish were stinkin’, I simply didn’t have a care.” – He Forgot That It Was Sunday (1995)

“We’ll whistle and go fishing in the heavens.” – Fish and Whistle (1978)

“Trying to save our marriage and perhaps catch a few fish.” – Lake Marie (1995)

“You oughta see his wife, she’s a cute little dish. She smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish.” – It’s A Big Old Goofy World (1991)

“I eat fish to pass the time away, ‘neath this blue Canadian moon, this old world has made me crazy, crazy as a loon.” – Crazy As A Loon (2005) (Note: above strip pit is a spot I named Loon Lake, story for another day)

If you don’t know these songs, I’d encourage you to look them up and give them a listen for a Prine primer. If you already know the tunes, I encourage you to listen again. Only a minute sample of his craft but it gives you a feel for the diversity of his catalog and the creativity in his storytelling.

Our lives are made up of a collection of stories and Prine’s lines covered all kinds. The ones we are fond of telling as well as the ones we’re better off keeping to ourselves. His songs make us grin or grimace, bring a laugh or a tear, put you on the edge of your seat or make you squirm in it a bit. And sometimes he covered all of those bases in the span of less than four minutes. One of a kind, whose tunes and tales regarding the human condition will live on and on. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Easter Weekend saw some decent weather giving folks an opportunity to do some social distancing in the outdoors. As a result, the total submissions for 2020 more than doubled with the catches below.

Weight: 2-1 (17”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy
Water Temp: no reading
Location: Knox County strip mine
Lure: Stanley Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait (blue glimmer)
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: Old school Lure Lunacy runner-up comes through proving that its appearance in the final was not a fluke.

Weight: 1-11 (15.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy
Water Temp: no reading
Location: Knox County strip mine
Lure: Stanley Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait (blue glimmer)
Structure: Saddle
Angler Comments: Perfect setup as this bass was hanging around a windblown ridge separating two deeper sections on this body of water. I suspected that there would be a bass in the neighborhood and always a treat when it works.

Weight: 1-11 (15”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy
Water Temp: no reading
Location: Knox County strip mine
Lure: Stanley Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke)
Structure: Ledge/drop
Angler Comments: Never have had much luck getting a chatterbait going but found an area that set up well for a bank bound angler. Wading out a few feet on a shallow ledge allowed for a parallel retrieve along the ledge’s steep drop into the depths. As the lure hit the transition, success!

Weight: 1-14 (15”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy
Water Temp: no reading
Location: Knox County strip mine
Lure: Stanley Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke)
Structure: Point/drop
Angler Comments: A broad, shallow point allowed for a cast into deeper water and a retrieve covering the transition from deep to shallow. Not a lot of coverage of a strike zone for a bank angler but got the cast in the vicinity of this interested bass.

Weight: 1-14 (15”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 11
Weather: Overcast/windy
Water Temp: no reading
Location: Knox County strip mine
Lure: Stanley Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke)
Structure: Point/drop
Angler Comments: Similar to the previous catch only a shorter, stubbier point produced this identical result.
Top 5 Weight: 9-4 (2-1,1-14,1-14,1-11,1-11) culls 1-8,1-5 and 1-4

Weight: 3-0
Angler: Teagan Mills
Date: April 12
Location: Private pond
Lure: Worm
Top 5 Weight: 3-0

Weight: 1-5
Angler: Brady Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 1-2
Angler: Brady Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 1-0
Angler: Brady Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 3-7 (1-5,1-2,1-0)

Weight: 1-5
Angler: Kennedy Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Fishing Guide Comments: The kids both got fishing poles for Easter so I thought we would try them out. We fished for bluegills for about a half an hour with no bites and the kids were both ready to go. I convinced Kennedy to try another lake not too far away. She got a bite after a few minutes but did not hook it. Brady was just sitting on a bucket up the hill. He was ready to leave. I made two casts with a jig and caught two bass around a pound. They were both a little more interested at that point. I tied Senkos on their poles and Brady caught one before I could even get Kennedy’s tied on. Brady ended up with 5 bass – biggest was 1-5. Kennedy ended up with 2 bass – she tied for the big bass of the day at 1-5. They actually casted, hooked, and landed (or beached) them all by themselves. I told them the Senko was Uncle Troy’s favorite lure. I think it is probably their favorite now too.
Top 5 Weight: 1-5

Nothing like a little fresh air amidst the ongoing disruption of our regular routines. Cool to see some youngsters getting out there too for a bit of distancing from electronic devices. Well done parents and a fine example that I hope to emulate soon. Of course, don’t put those devices away until after you visit this website and the Troy Jackson Outdoors YouTube channel for an essential distraction. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 4 & 5

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My aim is to get a fishing report out shortly after the actual outing but often easier said than done. For one thing, I have to help pay the bills and this whole entertaining blog thing ain’t what does it. For another, after that bright idea known as “Lure Lunacy”, well, I’m a little wore out. So, a bit belated, here is the latest report covering a couple hikes around the strip mines.

Stats
Date: April 4, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (5 lakes)
Time: 2:30pm-6:35pm (3 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 50-52F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 16 bass, 1 crappie
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw) – 8 bass, Jig & Pig (black/blue) – 4 bass, Bomber Flat A (baby bass) – 2 bass, Blue Glimmer Spinnerbait – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-12 (Jig & pig)
Top 5 Weight (3 at 12” or better): 4-8

2:30pm – First bass on about my third Red Eye Shad cast, small but a good sign 

NEW FEATURE: TRIP LYRIC
As I have noted before, when my mind gets to wandering I typically find a few lyrics bouncing around upstairs. Some are remnants of a tune heard earlier in the day, some just kind of show up and some pertain to the present circumstances. Often, when fishing, the lyric is of the latter persuasion. And such is the case with the lyric that kicks off a new feature that I intend to include with each fishing report going forward.

TRIP LYRIC (4/4)

“And there’s not another living soul around.” – Say You Love Me, Fleetwood Mac (1975)
I’m standing in the middle of nowhere, gazing across a deep strip mine cut to the vast expanse before me and I see absolutely no humans or any vehicles on the distant roadways. Not entirely uncommon but it seemed to have a bit more impact in light of the current state of our nation.

4:46pm – Top Bass 1-12 on a jig & pig

4:55pm Top Bass Runner-Up 1-8 Red Eye Shad

Notes and Nonsense

Smart, Dumb or Dinner? – During three visits to this area dated September 29 and 30, 2013 and April 12, 2014 I caught and released four bass at four pounds or better (two on 9/29/13 and two on 4/12/14). I haven’t caught another four pounder from this area since, over the course of 23 more visits. And we’re talking over 500 bass I’ve logged while wandering around out there in the meantime as well as a couple hundred more by my occasional fishing partners. Are the big ones getting smarter, am I only able to catch the dumb smaller ones or did somebody eat my “trophies”?

3 of the Final Four lures landed a bass, only the eventual champ missed out (too early for a good Senko bite)

Stats – Part II
Date: April 5, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (5 lakes)
Time: 12:30pm-4:30pm (2 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 52-60F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 1 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw): 1 bass
Top Bass: none 12” or better
Top 5 Weight (none 12” or better): Zero Point Zero

TRIP LYRIC (4/5)
“Maybe we could walk around all day long, walk around all day long.” – Hurts So Good, John Cougar Mellencamp (1982)
And that’s pretty much what I did and how I felt later that evening and only one small bass for the log. The truth also hurts in not so good of a way.

Notes and Nonsense – Part II

Photo Free – Normally, I’m pretty good at snapping a batch of pics of the bass, big, small and smaller to help tell the tale, good or bad. Well, as far as fishing success, this one turned out on the bad side. So bad, in fact, that by opting to not take a photo of my first small catch, I missed any opportunity for a fish picture. Lesson learned, alhough not missing much.

Observations – Now I know several lakes not to fish anymore. Some didn’t have enough water, some may not have any fish and one may just be too far of a walk. The latter looks good. Plenty of water, some nice points, a couple rocky areas and at least one sunken tree but during a handful of visits I have never seen nor caught a bass. While completing my long, fishless, pothole peeking walk back to my truck I did startle a big coon, spooked a very large snapping turtle and discovered most of a deer skeleton. That’s about as exciting as it got.

Oh yeah, I also saw my brother, Brent, from a very safe social distance. Didn’t know he was going to be there and our contact would amount to a wave, a few texts and a phone call across a broad strip mine cut. (He fooled about a half dozen with Top Bass 1-10)

A tale of two fishing trips kind of sums up early season angling and sometimes just fishing in general. Although bummed after the second day, time (and writing) have a way of recharging the batteries. We’ll see what lies in store as our odd April moves on. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – April 6, 2010

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

This week marks ten years of being a “public” blogger and it all started with the introductory post below on a now defunct website called Prairie State Outdoors. The ten years also included a stint at Heartland Outdoors before kicking off my own thing in May 2017.

Originally Posted 4-6-10 as “The First Step”

My name is Troy and I have a writing problem.

In fact, my selection of a name for this blog, “Meandering”, is partially meant to poke fun at my customary writing style since I sometimes find myself “wandering aimlessly or casually without destination.” In addition, a “meander” can be defined as “a winding path or course” as well as “a turn or winding of a stream;” been there and done that too. My wife actually went as far as suggesting the name, “To Make a Short Story Long” (she thinks she’s funny like that).

But it’s tough to dispute her point as originally I had composed a series of six introductory postings that totaled nearly nine printed pages and approached 5,000 words. However, upon consulting my free blog advisor (yes, my wife), it was decided that such an approach was perhaps a bit much. Therefore, I will tone things down, spread things out and take my time. Here is the abridged version of the six original postings to get things started.

Who? Generally me, my family, my friends, some fish, some fur, some fungus

What? Fishing, trapping, camping, mushrooming and occasional strange inspiration

When? Somewhere between frequently and sparsely as time allows

Where? Mostly our neck of the woods

How? Rather cheap, often behind the times and not too seriously

Why? Good question, stay tuned

Okay, well, it was nice to meet everyone, thank you for your time and please check back for the remaining 4,700 words because sooner or later they gotta come out.

And just a few more than 4,700 words later, here we are and still going strong. Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy Final

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

And the winner is…

Blue Glimmer (Storey Region #3) vs. Senko Wacky Rig (Snakeden Region #1)
Matchup: The final pits a couple lures that qualified for a Legendary Lures series that I wrote back in 2012. Ten lures were selected and these two made the list for not only their productivity but also their impact.

Blue Glimmer: The actual name for this bait is the Stanley 3/8 ounce Vibra Shaft Rainbow Glitter Series Spinnerbait in the Blue Glimmer pattern. Like I’m really going to write that in the log book or offer it up as a boat ramp tip in its entirety. Of course, if it didn’t produce it wouldn’t matter as the lure would have simply faded from use without much fanfare. Or without a nickname. And that’s also part of what makes this lure special and worthy of inclusion in the championship match. Beyond practicality, the “Blue Glimmer” nickname also represents a term of affection combined with a thumbs up for a job well done. Oh yeah, it just sounds cool, too, which is, well, cool.

Senko Wacky Rig: Do you know where you were at 7:48am on May 22, 2005? I sure do. South end of Lake Bracken’s Snake Island, spinning rod in one hand, first ever Senko Wacky Rig bass in the other (16.5” and 2-5 weight). Fishing with Dad that morning I had a total of four bass on other baits between 5:30am-7:45am when I opted for the Senko out of desperation. When we called it quits at 10:30am, I had sixteen more bass in the log all courtesy of the Senko as I never put it back down. Fifteen years later, I’ve got it on a rod most every time out once the water warms in the spring.

 

Result: This one is quite a matchup as these two baits obviously have a lot of history and have made for just a few fish stories. The champ represents a lure that has come to dominate not only my lure selection but also a few others that I know. It’s both new angler and kid friendly as my boy, Jayce, has taken a liking to this thing. As a result, it’s put a big smile on that boy’s face a few times. Of course, those smiles are contagious to this proud dad. Finally, when a lure becomes your generic term for any similar lure or presentation, you know that it has left a lasting impression. Like Kleenex or Scotch Tape, the winning “Senko” refers to the wacky worm approach no matter the imitation. Congratulations to the Senko Wacky Rig for the victory and well done by a quality runner-up in the Blue Glimmer.

First Senko Wacky Rig bass  7:48am on 5/22/05  – It’s not always the biggest bass that makes the biggest splash

It’s been quite a ride for what turned out to be a more ambitious undertaking than I initially thought. The original intent was to provide a little distraction from our odd times through an outdoor related substitute for the “real” tourney. And I guess I did just that while getting to tell more than a few fish stories along the way. Even threw in a little basketball lore and some song lyrics to enhance the tourney journey. Sure, it got me distracted from some of the other things that could have been attended to while the world is out of whack. But you only get one shot at such a project without the real March Madness trying to steal your blogging thunder. Well, let’s hope so, at least.

Whew!

And talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Decent weather and some open access puts a few more bass in the Top 5 log for a pair of fishing brothers. And yes, we were there at the same time on one day without planning it but maintained social distance as our closest encounter was across a deep cut wall. In fact, it required a cell call as we were literally not within “shouting distance.”

Weight: 1-12
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 4
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines
Lure: 3/8 oz. jig (black/blue) with #11A pork frog (black/blue)
Structure: Overhanging tree/drop
Angler Comments: This one worked out just like it was supposed to as this bass was hanging around one of the prime structural elements on this small pothole of a pit.

Weight: 1-8
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 4
Lure: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw)
Structure: Ridge
Angler Comments: A nice setup for a lipless crank produced along the deep side of a slight ridge separating the main bowl of this pothole from an adjacent shallow bay.

Weight: 1-4
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 4
Lure: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw)
Structure: Drop
Angler Comments: When possible on a steep walled stretch on a strip pit I like to parallel a straight bank to keep my bait in the potential strike zone throughout the retrieve. This time it worked.
Top 5 Weight: 5-13 (1-12,1-8,1-5,1-4)

Weight: 1-10
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 5
Location: Knox County, IL strip mine
Lure: Mann’s 4- crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 1-10

Nice to get some fresh air and nab a few bass along the way. Full report on the weekend to come, hopefully later this week. Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy Semi-Finals

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, the results are in a bit later than anticipated but I spent yesterday afternoon and most of the evening actually putting some lures to use during a much needed fishing trip. In fact, all of the lures below got in on the act. But that’s another story or two for next week.

For today, it’s a look at how the semi-final contests went down as I throw in yet a couple more new wrinkles. Results were recorded lakeside during my fishing trip and the videos feature the Top 4 bass for each lure since we have reached the Final Four.
(Disclaimer: a pair of jig bass were not included due to no existing photo for one catch and I failed to confirm permission to use another photo with the angler).

 

 

Blue Glimmer (Storey Region #3) vs. Red Eye Shad (Emiquon Region #2)
Matchup: Both of these baits were kind of next generation lures for their lure type. The Blue Glimmer (actually 3/8 oz. Stanley Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait in the Blue Glimmer pattern) took over spinnerbait duties in the 90s from the old Mann’s Hank Parker models. The Red Eye Shad assumed the lipless crankbait role back in 2011 taking over from the Rapala Rattlin’ Rap.
Result: While the Red Eye Shad moves towards ten years of consistent production, the Blue Glimmer has resurfaced with a bit of reconstruction via skirt replacement to do battle again. Therefore, the former disadvantage faced by the Blue Glimmer long being out of production is no longer a hindrance. As a result, the tried and true old school bait pulls off a mild upset as it’s slightly slower pace and potential structure hugging ability derail the fast moving lipless crankbait.

 

Jig & Pig (Little John Region #1) vs. Senko Wacky Rig (Snakeden Region #1)
Matchup: This pair of lures feature a hand-off of sorts that works out to cover the fishing calendar with some solid bass catching potential. The jig & pig shines in the early, cold water period before stepping aside as the water warms when April moves along. From there the Senko steps up as a bass fooling machine through the summer before handing over the reins to the jig and pig to finish off the year.
Result: Both of these lures received #1 seeds for a reason and their variations in seasonal effectiveness make for a tough matchup. There’s no doubt that I’ll have a jig & pig on to start and finish the year but the Senko flat out changed the way I fish. Particularly on the strip mines where I do a great deal of my casting. This is one presentation that lived up to the hype and that makes it the winner in this battle.

The Lure Lunacy Final is set with an old legend looking to take down a new legend. Lots of log entries with these two lures so it is certainly a match full of memories. One more walk down Memory Lane slated for Monday will determine which lure takes home the Lure Lunacy title. Hope you’ll tune in for the finale. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – April 8, 1995

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I certainly enjoy putting together these flashback posts but the ones that include a fishing partner mean a little something extra. A lot more going on upstairs than just a fish story when I get to composing a post like today’s edition.

While these photos go back 25 years, me and that guy go back even farther. That guy is a fellow known to many as “Geek” and our friendship dates back to the early 80s. I’ve got a couple years on him but was fortunate to share the court with him back in 1984-85 as a Galesburg Silver Streak. Geek (actually, Mark Junk) would go on to be one of the leading GHS scorers by the time he graduated in 1987 and then would take his game to the next level at Knox College. Yep, among the top scorers of all-time there, too, as well as being enshrined in the school’s athletic hall of fame.

Geek’s older, shorter, former teammate gets in on the act

On the other hand, the combo of a lack of height, talent and desire found me perched in the top row of the bleachers at Knox College’s Memorial Gym recording the stats of Geek and his teammates. Yep, I was known as “Stat Boy” among a few in the b-ball circle. Part term of endearment and part poking fun, never was quite sure on the breakdown percentage wise. Regardless, I earned some beer money, had a great view and the focus on the game required while documenting the numbers further reinforced an appreciation for my friend’s talent.

Jan. 13. 1990 – Official box score Knox vs. Monmouth rivalry 

Closer look at the “good guys” who came up short on this night (stat sheets courtesy of “Stat Boy”)

Anyhow, many stories over the college years and beyond, some of which we vividly remember and others that are a little foggy. Among those that fit into both categories were trips to the Lake Bracken Spillway, home to a batch of carp (and other species) that sometimes cooperated and sometimes had lockjaw. You know, fishing. But hey, if the fish weren’t in the mood to bite, we always had an ample supply of refreshments and rambles to keep us happy.

Note: important to stay hydrated in the rugged spillway environment. Oh yeah, nice catfish. too. Celtic cap, on the other hand…

Fortunately, on this particular April day, twenty five years ago, the bites and The Beast* were top notch (*Milwaukee’s Best Light). Here’s to good (?) beer, great fishing and best friends. Geek, if you’re out there reading this, knock a couple down for me.

Talk to you later. Troy