Original log entry 9-17-12
Upon hearing of a fall drawdown of Argyle Lake, near Colchester, IL, Dad and I couldn’t resist a look. Read on for the results and notes from our 2012 outing.
Originally Posted 9-25-12
After hearing word of a rare fall drawdown being implemented on McDonough County’s Argyle Lake, I decided that a road trip was in order, and I was happy to have Dad along as a fishing partner. Julie and I had taken the kids down to Argyle for a day trip chasing bluegills from the bank in 2011 but it had been close to twenty years since I’d fished on the lake. That long ago trip was a hot July day chasing bluegill from the very same boat we’re still using all these years later. This time around we were targeting bass and scouting what structure the drawdown would reveal.
Stats
Date: September 17, 2012
Location: Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park
Time: 10:15am-4:00pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 65F-72F
Water Temp: 73F
Totals: 9 bass, 2 muskies (Troy – 7 bass & 1 muskie, Dad – 2 bass & 1 muskie)
Lures: Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait – 4 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass & 2 muskie, Rapala DT10 (silver) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-0 (Troy – Rapala DT10)
Top Five Bass Weight: 9-9 (3-0,1-14,1-14,1-8,1-5)
3:00pm – Top Bass at 3-0 (18″) on a crankbait
Notes and Nonsense
Ramp Chatter – Arriving at the ramp we spotted a boat rigged up for electrofishing attached to an “official” looking vehicle and I gave a wave as we passed. As we readied our boat, a fellow from the survey crew came over and asked, “Are you Troy?” His attire seemed to rule out someone from a collection agency and I didn’t recognize him as a disgruntled former detention home client, so I answered, “Yes.” With a handshake he introduced himself as Blake Bushman, a Western Illinois University graduate student whose Guest Blog on Heartland Outdoors last month detailed his research project on Argyle Lake saugeye. We had an enjoyable conversation about his study, the lake, and other general fishing stuff before he headed off to enter new data and we launched to try our luck. It was nice to meet the pleasant, well-spoken young man who answered all our questions and is pursuing a career that this blogger had in mind many years ago. Probably before Blake was even born (how is that possible?). Dad got a kick out of the encounter stating several times that he couldn’t believe somebody recognized me. I was also entertained as it was before “game time” so I hadn’t even put on my floppy hat yet. I also forgot to introduce Dad but if you’re out there Blake, my fishing partner was my dad, also known as the guy who owns the boat and truck and lets me use them instead of having to row all the time and worry about vehicular breakdown en route to the lake. If anybody happens to follow the blog, he also has a distinctive “#1 Papa” fishing hat.
3:08pm – Dad with our least small muskie
Multiple Muskies – For the second consecutive day a trio of muskies were hooked, and a pair came aboard. In contrast to the previous day’s outing on Lake Storey, however, a couple of the Argyle fish were as small as Storey’s were large. I’d asked Blake about muskies prior to launching and he indicated that his surveys had turned up a few in the thirty-inch range. Even a specimen that size would have looked like a giant compared to a couple of the toothy fish we had hooked. Oh well, a muskie is always a welcome accident and those ones with spots at least provide for a chuckle or good-natured ribbing.
12:54pm – I believe folks refer to these tiny muskies (and pike) as “hammer handles”
Obstacle Course – Argyle Lake’s launch area has always been interesting as you must briefly block the main drag while backing in your trailer. Major construction currently has the main road closed beyond the ramp, but that project now finds work vehicles and equipment scattered about the roadway and parking lot. Leaving the lake was even more interesting as it appeared that the Western Illinois Bass Club was having practice or a tourney resulting in a crowd of boats and trailers in various states of conversation, readying gear and waiting on the last-minute fishing partners to arrive. We waited for a bit to see if the handful of boats waiting at the ramp were going to launch and then went ahead and took our turn whether it was proper boat ramp etiquette or not. Those young guys didn’t even acknowledge our presence, busy checking their phones and talking about fishing and whatever else it is college guys talk about these days. I was a little impatient but did bear in mind that although I’m half my life away from my college days there’s no need to be a grumpy old man, yet. Besides, how cool is that to have a college bass fishing team? Just another instance of, “You know back when I went to college…”
3:47pm – Dad with Top Bass runner-up at 1-14 (15″) on a lipless crankbait
Secrets Revealed – The lake is so loaded with wood structure that it is indeed a bit overwhelming. Countless stumps, laydowns and brush along with several beaver lodge remnants all made inviting targets. Unlike Lake Storey where the drawdown leaves most all the wood structure high and dry, Argyle still had a ton of completely or partially submerged ambush points. Vegetation was sparse as expected during a drawdown but there were a handful of patches close enough to some deeper water that were appealing. Much of the shoreline featured steep dropoffs to depths more than ten feet barely a decent cast from the bank. It also featured enough undulations that the 78-acre lake fished a bit larger and provided ample points, pockets, and coves to take our shot. We came armed with a basic topo map from the Sportsman’s Connection Northern Illinois Fishing Map Guide, a handy resource for info on numerous fishing holes. The map helped to streamline our approach a bit in finding our comfort zone among the rapidly falling shorelines that typically aren’t the best fit for our style.
Kind of a lengthy entry but I just couldn’t find anything that I felt I could eliminate for an abridged report. I have several fishing trips on the horizon with a few partners along for the fun. More anglers mean more casts and thus more chances to land some bass. It also means more chatter and more perspectives for the resulting blog posts. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy