Author: Troy Jackson

Top 5 Trip Tunes 9/23

Posted on by Troy Jackson

How about another scan of the radio dial? An abbreviated version this time around with a “Top 5 Trip Tunes” as the round trip to my Iowa fishing hole is about half the time of my regular Illinois trips.

5. Didn’t We Almost Have It All – Whitney Houston (1987) – Honesty is the best policy but this one feels a little like admitting that I also dig some MeatLoaf or Air Supply. Over the top sort of Broadway number here, but the lady could flat out sing without the vocal histrionics looming on the horizon from the likes of Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men, my departure point from contemporary radio.

4. Shine A Little Love – ELO (1979) – Not being made of money growing up, my vinyl collection was rather limited but the Discovery album containing this cut was worth the investment of some yard mowing money. Just learned an interesting fact about it recently too, as the menacing figure on the back cover is Brad Garrett, later of Everybody Loves Raymond fame, kinda cool.

3. Let’s Go – The Cars (1979) – Ah yes, a junior high summer with this tune playing on cassette over and over, rewind required. And a real high quality version that I recorded by placing my cassette tape player in front of my clock radio and hoping my younger siblings would be quiet or elsewhere for three and a half minutes, right.  (Note: this is the back cover of the Candy O album containing “Let’s Go”, front cover is a classic and more risqué).

2. Brilliant Disguise – Bruce Springsteen (1987) – A pretty dark look at relationships from “The Boss”, a real grownup song. However, my love of lyrics combined with an inability to resist some sophomoric humor finds me forever chuckling as “The Boss” uses “wee wee” in the tune. Of course, his line “But come the wee wee hours, well maybe baby the gypsy lied” refers to late night/early morning. But as a lyrical nut, I can’t resist, just adds a little something extra to what is already a favorite cut.

1. Who Are You – The Who (1978) – Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you can catch the uncensored version of this one on the radio which I suspect has prompted many a listener who is unfamiliar with the tune to raise an eyebrow and utter, “What did he just say?” Yep, Roger Daltrey just dropped that “bomb” and in another nod towards never growing up, I still get a kick out of the old school songs with bad words that have long been “snuck by” on the airwaves. This one rocks anyway, just an added bonus that keeps me on the edge of my seat every time it comes on the radio.

Dig my tunes and always fun to head off on a tangent that may be a bit of a stretch for an outdoor blog. But the drive has always been an integral part of any outing, whether fishing, trapping, camping or a family day trip. As I frequently fly solo these days, the radio serves as a welcome outdoor traveling companion. And I’m back on the road to the fishing hole this morning, so…Talk to you later. Troy

The Blue Glimmer Returns

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Yesterday’s Lake Storey report featured a note on the reappearance of an old lure, a 3/8 oz. Stanley “Rainbow” Glimmer Vibra Shaft spinnerbait. Once upon a time a mainstay in my presentations, it was so successful that it came to be known simply by the nickname of “The Blue Glimmer.” In fact, the productivity of the lure garnered it a spot in a batch of 2012 postings detailing what I referred to as “Legendary Lures.” Fooling a few earlier this week got me to reminiscing which typically results in writing as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “The Blue Glimmer.”

I first cast this lure over 20 years ago, but I must say that the heyday of the Blue Glimmer started in 1998 and ran through 2003. It was my number one spinnerbait so, of course, with more time in the water it certainly had ample chance to fool some fish. The good thing is that when called upon for duty, it came through like a champ.

And it wasn’t just successful in terms of quantity as a number of quality fish joined the log book along the way. Here are some of the stats from the log and record book.

It has registered seven of my top ten spinnerbait bass catches of all-time.

At one time, it was responsible for my largest May and October bass of all-time (May record stood from 2000 to 2003 while October record lasted from 1998 to 2015).

It still holds my Top Bass mark for Banner Marsh (3-15 on 5/3/2000, pictured above) and Gladstone Lake (2-4 on 10/2/2001).

4/14/1999 saw two four-pounders in one day on Lake Bracken (4-10 and 4-0, pictured above)

10/29/1998 it produced a pair of three-pounders on Lake Storey (3-10 and 3-1)

It also fooled a couple Lake Storey muskies back in October of 1998 (pictured above).

I really can’t recall exactly how or why The Blue Glimmer faded from use but I suspect that it had to do with the fact that this particular bait and color scheme went out of production sometime back in the 2000’s. Got a couple stories on finding a few of these post-production but those will have to wait for another day, perhaps as a revisit of the Legendary Lures series. I will say, however, that having a pair of these baits in unopened packages stashed away likely led to throwing something else considering I only had a limited supply.

Whatever the reasons for leaving this bait behind, all these years later I finally decided to pack those two “brand new” lures along with me during my visit to Lake Storey earlier this week. Just for old times’ sake, and just in case.


A busted blade on this bait brings back The Blue Glimmer

Well, as fate would have it, hauling an 11.5” bass onboard at 7:58am wound up forcing my hand. The second bass on my Terminator spinnerbait in the firetiger pattern managed to flick the upper blade of the tandem spin off and into the drink. Thus, it was time to bring back the old fishing companion. At 8:29am, The Blue Glimmer came through in its return with a 13” (1-1) bass off some sticks in a typically reliable area. The rest of the day would see the lure be the top producer with a total of seven bass and even a bonus crappie.

Still a winner in 2017, multispecies success to boot, Comeback Lure of the Year?

The notes on the Blue Glimmer package I opened are a tale for some other time. 

All in all, a triumphant return to the lineup and likely a starting role the rest of the way in 2017 as it was a very productive fall bait back in the day. It was also fun to discover some notes jotted down on the package of the lure I used .  But that is a story for another day. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report 10/2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Did I ever tell you that I like the challenge that is fishing Lake Storey? Well, I do, and this outing was a hit before I ever made a cast. A cool Fall morning, a dark and empty lot, a longer backup to reach the water at the ramp courtesy of the annual drawdown, a lifetime of memories and the anticipation of new ones all meant that I was in my outdoor element.


6:50am Cool sunrise pic of first catch, could use a larger bass and some sort of outdoor catalog model but the truth is what it is.

Stats
Date: October 2, 2017
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 6:35am-1:50pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 64-78F
Water Temp: 68-69F
Totals: 16 bass, 1 crappie
Lures:
Stanley Vibra Shaft spinnerbait (blue glimmer) – 7 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (chrome/blue back or Tennessee shad) – 6 bass
Terminator Spinnerbait (firetiger) – 2 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (black) – 1 bass
Top 5 Weight: 6-2 (1-11,1-3,1-2,1-1,1-1)


7:13am 12.5″ 1-1 Buzzbait


8:29am 13″ 1-1 “Blue Glimmer” spinnerbait (more on this bait below)

Notes & Nonsense

Lake of Luxury – Prior to this trip and a mid-September outing with my brother, Brent, at “the lake”, I had spent nearly my entire fishing year chasing the bass via Northerner boots or oars. It would be interesting to know how many miles I’ve racked up walking or rowing in my pursuit and maybe I don’t really want to know. But for Lake Storey outings I’m rocking it bass pro style, foot controlled trolling motor, depthfinder and pedestal seat in Dad’s 30-year old Bass Tracker. Still getting the job done and truly wouldn’t trade it for one of those fancy rigs that my fishing mags seem to automatically open to reveal each month and carry a price tag exceeding my annual salary. Nope, for my style and destinations I’m good feeding the kids and stuff like that instead.


What we call “The Big Boat” (pic circa 1987) 

Lucky Break – A Terminator spinnerbait in the firetiger pattern was in my starting lineup and landed two of my first three bass. As I lifted the second one into the boat a metallic sort of flash caught my eye but I didn’t give it much thought as I focused on getting a grip on a short but feisty fish. However, once I gripped a lip it became apparent that the flash was the top blade of the tandem spinnerbait busting loose and landing in the drink. Unfortunate, perhaps, but forced my hand on an idea I had in the works and a lure I had in the tacklebag.


9:32am Top Bass 15″ 1-11 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait


9:46am 13″ 1-2 Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

Old School – The substitute bait for the busted member of my starting lineup was a lure that I simply refer to as “The Blue Glimmer.” Me and this model of spinnerbait, technically named a 3/8 oz. Stanley “Rainbow” Glitter Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait, go back well over 20 years. But even this creature of habit strays from favorite baits as the years pass and others enter the fray. Indeed, the last bass caught on one of these spinnerbaits came back on 11/1/2008, from good old Lake Storey. I could write a book on the adventures with this bait, but I won’t today, perhaps some other time when revisiting what I call my “Legendary Lures.” Part of the fun of the day’s success with the Blue Glimmer also resides in the fact that it is no longer in production and I’ve had two of these stashed unopen in my tackle, just for a day like this one I guess.


Legendary Lure “The Blue Glimmer”

Healthy Bass – Although I failed to catch anything particularly large, I was again impressed with the look of the Lake Storey bass. All were in great shape, solid balance in body plan between length and girth, just an appealing bunch. Even a few that bore the marks of some rough days in a lake shared with other, larger top of the line predators (muskie and walleye) seemed no worse for wear and obviously still showed an interest in putting the hurt on my lures. With all of those predators, I suspect that Lake Storey can be one nasty neighborhood. Kudos to those who have managed the resource through the years and thanks for the annual drawdown to get things moving as there’s nowhere to hide.


10:49am 13″ 1-3 Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

No trophies and no toothy beasts this time around but had a blast hitting spots that are old friends. Even call them by name when recalling fish stories with my dad and my brother: Chilly Willy Point, Cannon Hill, Freak’s Point, The Dump, Most Fished Tree…

Can I catch more bass elsewhere? Sure.

Can I catch bigger bass elsewhere? Probably.

If I had a do over for this day, would I change my destination? Absolutely not.

Lake Storey may not be some folks’ cup of tea but for me it’s more about comfort, challenge and home than what ends up in the log and blog. Talk to you later. Troy

Lost Grove Lake Report 9/30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

In an effort to get a fishing fix, I like to do the weekend pre-dawn lake arrival at Lost Grove Lake. Only about a 25 minute drive from home it sets up nicely for a few hours on the water while the kids hopefully sleep in a bit and give Julie a little peace. Not so much this time around as she texted me on my drive to inform that our youngest, Zac, was already up and rearing to go. Best laid plans foiled but too late to turn back.

Stats
Date: September 30, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake – Scott County, IA
Time: 6:25am-9:25am
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 45-58F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 9 bass
Lures:
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (bleeding shad) – 3 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (crystal grey ghost) – 2 bass
Top 5 Weight: 2-14 (1-15,0-15)


Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (crystal grey ghost) lead off with the first bass of the day (see below)


6:43am Short fish but shutout averted and definite room for improvement

Notes & Nonsense

Bad Aim – My first bass came on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait and was on the small side so I swung it into the boat, sat my pole aside and began my regular routine of unhooking, measuring and releasing. As I turned to place the fish back into the lake, I spied the last eye of my pole sticking above the surface of the water. Apparently, I missed the boat when sitting my pole aside and dropped it overboard instead. Fortunately, the area was very shallow and time will tell if there are any lasting effects in the waterlogged reel. One positive side note was that the water was much warmer than the 45 degree air temperature so it was actually kind of pleasant holding a warm handle and reel with my rather numb fingers.


7:30am Top Bass 16″ 1-15 Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad), my second largest at the site, trailing a 2-3

First Cast Bass – One item in a Bass Pro Shops order received a few days prior was a Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait in the sexy shad color. On this day I substituted it for the natural pumpkinseed pattern that normally resides in my starting lineup for Lost Grove. About 30 minutes into the trip, I reached an area where the squarebill has been effective so it was time for the sexy shad debut. My first cast with the lure was a bit errant and a little closer to some shallow weeds than I’d intended prompting me to say aloud, “Dang, too close.” Luckily, it did not hang in the weeds and about three cranks of the reel handle later my Top Bass of the trip proved me wrong. Always cool when a lure change produces immediate positive results; makes for a good fish story and makes you feel like you know what you’re doing (even with a less than pinpoint cast).


7:52am the other “keeper” 13″ 0-15 Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad)

Continued Success – The initial success of the sexy shad squarebill was not it’s only highlight of the day. I also employed it while working over the dropoff adjacent to an appealing piece of shallow structure. From a topo map I have, I was aware of some manmade structure placed in the general area but running without a depthfinder can make for some trial and error in locating such fish attractors. Back to back casts in the suspected area each produced a bass and a third one came onboard about five minutes later. Not sure if I found the structures or not and really kind of hope I didn’t as this would be a bonus spot instead. Perhaps at a later date I can determine the answer if/when I get another portable depthfinder (last one fell in a puddle in the bottom of the boat and was ruined last year).


Topwater bite still hanging in there with Booyah Buzz Buzzbait with new bleeding shad pattern skirt

Buzzbait Bite – As the weather cools, my buzzbait bite will inevitably fade to the point where I will put it away in favor of other presentations. But not quite ready to call it a year on the buzzer quite yet as it was still going strong with three more bass to round out my day. Nothing big but there’s always that potential and that’s what will keep me casting these baits for as long as the bass will provide some positive feedback.

Another solid day for me on Lost Grove and will say that it has been a fun second year of exploring the spot. I have learned a fair amount about the area along with landing some better quality fish who seem to be growing up on the young lake in good fashion. Time will tell if I get back out there again this year as the days are getting shorter thus eliminating the post workday window. In addition, the available days to get on the water are also diminishing and as a result I may take the shots I have remaining on bodies of water with better “trophy” potential.

Lake Storey report to come and hopefully some other fishing stuff as time permits. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Still plugging away with a handful of September fish as well as a couple belated entries from earlier this year. All good, and hoping the well hasn’t quite run dry on 2017…

2017 Totals (* = new record)
*January = 1 bass (no previous entries)
*February = 13 bass (old record 7 in 2016)
March = 10 bass (record 13 in 2014)
April = 11 bass
May = 13 bass
June = 1 bass
July = 11 bass
August = 3 bass
September = 4 bass


Brent Jackson 1-11 September 17

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
*January = 2-11 (2-11) no previous record
February = 21-5 (5-2,4-14,4-2,3-15,3-4) record 22-9 in 2016
March = 22-15 (6-2,4-11,4-9,4-3,3-6) record 28-0 in 2016
April = 25-0 (6-0,5-15,5-9,3-14,3-10)
May = 26-14 (6-15,5-8,5-4,5-2,4-1)
June = 6-3 (only submission)
July = 21-0 (5-0,4-12,4-7,3-8,3-5)
August = 14-6 (6-6,5-11,2-5) (only three submissions)
September = 7-14 (2-9,2-4,1-11,1-6)


Paul Kessler 2-4 September 17

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 57 bass
Bank = 10 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 31-10 (6-15,6-6,6-3,6-2,6-0)
Bank = 20-2 (5-2,4-1,3-14,3-10,3-7)

Public vs. Private
Public = 34 bass
Private = 33 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 27-3 (6-0,5-15,5-4,5-2,4-14)
Private = 31-5 (6-15,6-6,6-3,6-2,5-11)


Brent Jackson 2-9 September 17

The Baits (* = new record)
Crankbaits = 16 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Jigs = 9 bass (Top Bass 6-2 Troy Jackson)
Plastic Worm = 8 bass (Top Bass 5-11 Troy Jackson)
*Buzzbaits = 6 bass (Top Bass 5-9 Troy Jackson)
Old record 5-8 Terry Isbell 9/14/14
Jerkbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-4 Jake Bresson)
Spinnerbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Paul Kessler)
Swim Jigs = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jake Bresson)
*Creature Bait = 3 bass (Top Bass 6-15 Mark Balbinot)
Old record 6-1 Jeff Marshall 5/23/14
Lipless Crankbaits = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Bruce Zilkowski)
Underspins = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Mark Balbinot)
*Propbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-7 Troy Jackson)
No previous record
*Stickbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 6-6 Mark Balbinot)
Old Record 5-8 Randy Sampson Sr. 5/7/16
Swimbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-12 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 6-3 Mark Balbinot)
Tube = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Jake Bresson)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
*2-11 Mark Balbinot (no previous record)
February
5-2 Mark Balbinot
March
6-2 Troy Jackson
April
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.
May
6-15 Mark Balbinot
June
6-3 Mark Balbinot
July
5-0 Troy Jackson
August
6-6 Mark Balbinot
September
2-9 Brent Jackson


Mark Balbinot 6-6 June 18

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
*6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13 (#7 all-time)
6-6 Mark Balbinot 8/27
6-3 Mark Balbinot 6/18
6-2 Troy Jackson 3/4
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 4/15
5-15 Mark Balbinot 4/14
5-11 Troy Jackson 8/21
5-9 Troy Jackson 4/25
5-8 Mark Balbinot 5/13
5-4 Jake Bresson Late May


Mark Balbinot 6-3 August 27

Angler Weights
30-15 Mark Balbinot (6-15, 6-6, 6-3, 5-15, 5-8)
26-13 Troy Jackson (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
23-11 Randy Sampson Sr. (6-0,4-14,4-12,4-11,3-6)
22-1 Jake Bresson (5-4,5-2,4-1,4-0,3-10)
18-0 Bruce Zilkowski (4-9,4-3,3-15,3-0,2-5)
13-3 Paul Kessler (3-4,2-12,2-10,2-5,2-4)
10-2 Brent Jackson (3-2,2-9,1-11,1-6,1-6)
5-6 Terry Jackson (3-5,1-3,0-14)

Bonus Species – Northern Pike
Total = 54.5” Jake Bresson (33.5”,21.0”) both on Tubes

Bonus Species – Green Sunfish
0-13 Jayce Jackson


Troy Jackson 29″ September 17

Bonus Species – Muskie
Total = 131” Jake Bresson (47”,31”,29”24”) on Rapala X-Rap
Total = 29” Troy Jackson on Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Bonus Species – Walleye
Total = 118” Jake Bresson (26.5”,26.0”,25.5”,20”,20”) on Rapala X-Rap or jig & minnow

Don’t know about anyone else but my days on the water for 2017 are dwindling. My goal, as always, is to put a November bass in the boat before putting the poles away until next year. That typically puts me at six weeks or so let to cast depending on family commitments and weather. Hope some others can get out there as well amidst other fall outdoor pursuits. Talk to you later. Troy

Lost Grove Lake Report 9/23

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A decent, abbreviated morning on the water across The River in terms of quantity and I also managed to discover a bit about the quality of the fishing hole along the way, kinda the hard way.

Stats
Date: September 23, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 6:40am-10:10am
Weather: Sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 70-81F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 13 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (pearl white chartreuse shad) – 6 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin black flake) – 3 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 3 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 1 bass
Top 5 Weight: 4-10 (1-3,1-2,0-13,0-12,0-12)


8:03am 13″ 1-2 Buzzbait

Notes & Nonsense

Rough Start – Getting a jump on official sunrise (6:50am), I was on the water at 6:40am, not a soul in sight and re-tying my lures all set to hit a spot where I’d heard a large surface explosion several minutes prior while dragging my boat to the launch. In fact, it was the exact area where I’d landed my personal lake record of 2-3 back on June 20. As I re-tied my buzzbait in preparation for its lead-off role in the lineup, a fellow pulls up in the lot, hops out of his truck and launches his first cast directly at “my spot” about 25’ from where I’m sitting. Seconds later the surface erupts and he begins hollering that he’s got a good one, which I already know, because I nearly got splashed by the spray (okay maybe a bit of an exaggeration). So, there goes my shot at the fish that I’d heard earlier, had in my sights and was mere seconds and cast away from possibly fooling.

Gut Reaction – This guy’s bass briefly hangs in some moss, then dislodges and as he drags it in towards his perch on the bank he continues to provide further details stating that it’s a five-pounder. I assure him that I can see it is a good one, adding “Yeah, you beat me to it” then instantly thinking that my comment wasn’t really necessary but just kind of involuntary. So, I mentally take a step back, remember that I do not own the lake and that I too know the limitations encountered as a bank angler; time to shift gears and appreciate a fellow angler’s success.

Do the Right Thing – I offer to help from the water as the fellow isn’t certain about getting the bass up the bank on what he describes as “light line.” However, he’s got it under control and gets the bass in hand but does request an assist with some pliers. I’ve got him covered and ask that he meet me a few yards away at the boat launch. As he arrives, he is very excited and can’t stop talking about his good fortune as I hand him my needle nose pliers to extract what I now see is a topwater popper. Not only am I impressed with the bass but I’m also starting to get caught up in the guy’s excitement over this “five-pounder.” As such, I offer to take a picture for him as a fish of this caliber deserves a better shot than a selfie with its angler. He obliges and I snap a pair of shots with his phone. And while I also have a scale on board, I elect to keep it in my tacklebox rather than offer it up for an accurate weight. Having seen more than a few bass over the last 35 years or so, I knew that it would not tip the scale at the five pound mark as seen through his eyes. Not my fish, and not my fish story. Even so, I kind of hope he’s telling it as a six-pounder by now.  Kudos to the fellow too for releasing the catch.


8:22am Top Bass 13″ 1-3 Buzzbait

I also caught a few bass, the Top 5 of which combined may have only barely exceeded the weight of the “one that got caught by somebody else.” I suppose I’ll spare you many more words and simply let the accompanying pics of my catch suffice for my contribution to another enjoyable and interesting day on the water.

You know, an old fishing standard states that you should “learn something new” each outing. No doubt that I did just that this time around. I gained some insight on the fishing hole, was able to view the pursuit through the eyes of a fellow angler and even discovered something about myself in the process. Oh yeah, I also need to stick with my regular routine of re-tying my lures the night before, won’t make that mistake again. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A welcome influx of fish as we head into fall as it’s been a pretty lean summer for the Top 5.

Weight: 2-4
Angler: Paul Kessler
Date: September 17
Location: Johnson Lake-Banner Marsh
Lure: Buzzbait (black) with Flappin’ Hog II trailer (June bug)
Angler Comments:
Top 5 Weight: 13-3 (3-4,2-12,2-10,2-5,2-4)

Weight: 2-9
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 17
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Emiquon Special spinnerbait
Structure: Log
Co-Angler Comments (actually mine): First cast after changing from a white spinnerbait resulted in the Top Bass for the day.

Weight: 1-11
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 17
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Emiquon Special spinnerbait
Structure: Log
Co-Angler Comments (actually mine): Second cast after changing from a white spinnerbait resulted in the runner-up Top Bass for the day, pretty cool immediate results.

Weight: 1-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 17
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (red/yellow)
Structure: Point
Co-Angler Comments (actually mine): Flurry of activity on this shallow crankbait along a historically productive stretch adds to the creel.
Top 5 Weight: 10-2 (3-2,2-9,1-11,1-6,1-6) culls 1-5,1-5,1-2

Bonus Species – Muskie

Length: 29”
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: September 17
Location: Lake Storey
Lure: Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait
Structure: Flat
Angler Comments: A bass fishing “accident” hits at the boat prompting me to hit the button on my baitcaster and free spool to let the fish run, pretty exciting stuff.

Don’t put those poles away quite yet, plenty of good fishing left as we head into some more fall like temperatures in the coming day. Send ‘em when you catch ‘em. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes 9/11 Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Finishing off yesterday’s post with the Top 5.

5. Stone In Love – Journey (1981) – “Those crazy nights, I do remember in my youth, I do recall, those were the best times, most of all.” Okay so maybe not so crazy and likely equaled or surpassed for best times over the years but still a sucker for those reminiscing tunes that get better as you get older and good tunes never get old.

4. Turn To Stone – ELO (1977) – Dig how this one fades in from nothingness and keeps driving for about four more minutes. A cool mix of voice and tune with traditional and unique instrumentation as only the Electric Light Orchestra (and Jeff Lynne) could do. The call and response mix of lead vocal with harmony and/or strings is a winner.

3. Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits (1978) – I have no musical ability nor do I know any technical details of guitar hijinks. Nope, I rely directly on how it feels I guess for lack of a better description, kind of hard to put into words, but you know what I mean.  At any rate, Mark Knopfler’s work on this one feels really good. And always found a rock band singing a song about a rock band to be fun (see also Shooting Star, Jukebox Hero, Rock & Roll Band…)

2. The Boys Are Back in Town – Thin Lizzy (1976) – Rock and roll at its finest. Ever remember the old “Name That Tune” show and the daring move of “I can name that tune in one note?” Got this one covered.  And you want lyrics? How about fighting, drinking, a jukebox, some crazy “cats” and one feisty “chick”? Folks, if I ever get around to narrowing down my Top 100 lifetime playlist, this one’s got a spot.

1. Killer Queen – Queen (1974) – First Queen cut I remember hearing on the radio, dug it ever since and can name that tune in one finger snap. Quirky, overblown, unique, distinctive in retrospect with so much more fun to come from this foursome. Still a winner over 40 years later as my six year old, Zac, makes requests for “dynamite with a laser beam.” Classic.

With that, another batch of trip tunes bites the dust. We’ll see what the next six weeks or so holds in store in terms of fishing trips to determine whether I wander off on this tangent again. Top 5 Update headed your way tomorrow and have another fishing report for next week detailing yesterday’s outing across The River. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes – 9/11 Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, I have fun with this so let’s do it one more time with the results from my drive to Johnson Sauk Trail Lake a couple weeks ago. Top 10 Trip Tunes headed your way, five today, five tomorrow.

10. “The Tide Is High” – Blondie (1980) – A 13 year old boy during the peak of Blondie chart success, occasional glimpses of Debbie Harry on The Midnight Special, American Bandstand or other random shows and MTV on the horizon, those were the days.

9. “Brother Louie” – Stories (1973) – The One Hit Wonder of this trip with a tune that went all the way to the top of the charts. Cool voice, edgy cut and sometime you should count how many times the name “Louie” appears in the lyrics. Let me know.

8. “No Time” – The Guess Who (1970) – A true treat as I never hear these guys on the radio so always fun to “rediscover” and wade back through the catalog of tunes I’ve collected over the years. You should take some time and revisit them too, worth your while.

7. “In The Dark” – Billy Squier (1981) – 8th grade about to wrap up, Don’t Say No album hits the record stores and this cut leads it off, don’t get much better than that. And the rest of the album does not disappoint. Squier was outstanding, at least until the strange and unfortunate “Rock Me Tonite” video seemed to coincide with fading popularity, just odd.

6. “More Than A Feeling” – Boston (1976) – The standard Boston offering for this version of the countdown and as a guy who has way more radios than televisions it’s a daily occurrence when I’ve “lost myself in a familiar song.”

Top 5 tomorrow. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report 9/17

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The Fall drawdown on my lifelong “home” lake and fishing with my brother, Brent, meant it was gonna be a good day whether the fish were biting or not. And after a bit of a slow start, they sure were.

Stats
Date: September 17, 2017
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 6:45am-1:30pm
Weather: Overcast to sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 72-76F
Water Temp: 75-76F
Totals: 27 bass, 1 muskie (Troy – 18 bass, 1 muskie Brent – 9 bass)
Lures (Troy)
Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (Tennessee Shad) – 15 bass, 1 muskie
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (chartreuse shad) – 2 bass
Terminator Spinnerbait (firetiger) – 1 bass
Lures (Brent)
Mann’s Baby 1- (red/yellow) – 5 bass
Spinnerbait (white or brown/orange) – 4 bass
Top 5 Weight (combined): 8-3 (2-9,1-11,1-6,1-5,1-4)


10:02am 12.5″ 1-4 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Notes & Nonsense

Slow Start, Strong Finish
6:45am-9:19am = 4 bass
9:20am-10:55am = 13 bass, 1 muskie
10:56am-11:56am = 2 bass (back to back casts)
11:57am-1:30pm = 8 bass


10:11am 14″ 1-6 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

The Spots – Several reliable spots proved tough over the course of the day with only 4 bass coming on about eight targets ranging from specific pieces of structure to lengthy stretches of bank. However, one other stretch that can waver in terms of consistency turned out to be the big winner. A couple scattered bites got our attention followed up by a lure change after a lull and we were onto the bite we were after. We worked the area over thoroughly and the reward was 13 bass and a muskie in an hour and a half, all of them on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait.


9:47am Muskie “accident” 29″ Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Close Quarters – Just prior to the Baby 1- bass flurry I landed a muskie that hit the same lure right next to the boat. It suddenly appeared in the stained water as I was ending my retrieve with maybe ten feet of line beyond my rod tip. As quick as the strike occurred it is still interesting how things kind of happen in slow motion for that split second. In this case, I was able to recognize what was going down, set the hook, get my thumb in gear to put my baitcaster in free spool while also maintaining enough pressure to avoid a backlash and let the fish run long enough to give me some more room to have some control. A solid job on the net from Brent and we had a bonus species in the boat. At 29”, not a trophy by any stretch, but always cool and really kind of lucky as if it were much bigger it may have jerked the rod right out of my hand or likely broke me off on the strike.


11:21am 17″ 2-9 Emiquon Special spinnerbait (note the back injury on this fish)


11:23am 14″ 1-11 Emiquon Special spinnerbait

Emiquon Special – Brent’s legendary spinnerbait (another story) added yet another tale to its exploits. Originally casting a white spinnerbait, Brent got snagged on some brush and I employed my lure retriever to rescue the lure. I told him I was not responsible for any abrasions on his line after the save and unbeknownst to me he elected to retie but switched to the legend. Next thing I know, he’s reeling in our Top Bass (2-9) from a log on the very first cast. We were still laughing at the good fortune when his second cast with the bait produced our Top 5 runner-up at 1-11 from the same spot. While he would only land one more bass on the lure the rest of the day, the back to back bass made for a story that will certainly be told each time we cast to that log in the future.

Winning Lures – Emiquon Special and Mann’s Baby 1- 

Prediction vs. Results – During a visit the previous day with my brother-in-law, I mentioned the upcoming Lake Storey outing noting that a six or eight bass day would be a reasonable outcome as those bass can be a bit hard to fool at times. Our haul of 27 definitely shattered that prediction but every once in a while you get it right. The mid-morning flurry certainly beefed up our totals but the back to back bass and three others in four minutes off of a solid piece of structure were also quite rewarding.


12:15pm 13″ 1-5 Emiquon Special spinnerbait

Nothing trophy size given up by our old friend this time around but wouldn’t change a thing about our visit. Plain and simple, the bass here aren’t real easy to fool. Even after close to 35 years on the chase, I still get a charge out of fooling any of them regardless of size. For my money, there is more of a sense of accomplishment when landing these fish than anywhere else I make my casts. Talk to you later. Troy