Author: Troy Jackson

Lost Grove Lake Report 7/18

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My weekly Tuesday evening fishing trip took me across the river again for the first time in several weeks. Conditions were looking ideal for the buzzbait feast I’d been looking for but Mother Nature intervened just as me and the bass were getting dialed in.

Stats
Date: July 18, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 6:00pm-7:00pm
Weather: Sunny to stormy/breezy to very windy
Air Temp: 91F-74F (not a typo folks, that’s for real)
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 3 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (white chartreuse shad) – 2 bass
Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill 1.5 Crankbait (pumpkinseed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Buzzbait (only fish at 12” or better)


6:19pm First bass, found a stretch where I could actually fish a crankbait without constant fouling in the vegetation, gotta like that.


And here’s the crankbait, my favorite squarebill model and color.

Notes & Nonsense

Forecast – I launched to sunny skies and a bit of a ripple on the surface with a storm forecast for between 7:30 and 8:00pm. Looked about right as some darker skies were looming to the south and west but the whole system just seemed stalled and had me looking at possibly being able to fish until sunset as originally planned. Didn’t quite work out that way, tell you about that shortly.

Frontal Bite – Intermittent clouds passing between me and the sun had me pretty fired up for a buzzbait bite with a larger cloud bank slowly headed my way. It was exactly what I’d been looking for to get the buzz on and with a pair of bass just past 6:30pm on the buzzer it looked like it was gonna be my day. The front was still stalled and I had two of my best topwater sections laid out before me ready for the home stretch. Did I mention it didn’t quite work out that way?

Change in the Weather – About 7:00pm, the stalled storm got unstalled in a real hurry just as I neared my much anticipated topwater spots.  In a matter of seconds the dark clouds hustled in overhead, the lake surface was churning with whitecaps and the temp plummeted (91F to 74F).  I was now in a hurry to get off the water and fortunately the gale force wind was pushing me in the general direction of the ramp, all I had to do was steer.  Had the wind been in the opposite direction I truly don’t think I could have made any headway rowing and the waves would have definitely been spraying over the front of my little johnboat.  Game over, and a little scary…then the rain started in.


6:43pm Top Bass 15.5″ 1-11 Buzzbait This one really exploded on the bait and I sure thought I had a new lake record from the strike but fell several ounces shy of the 2-4 needed though still a good fish.  Looks like a nice day behind me, huh?  Well, at that point it was, a mere twenty minutes later, not so much.  No pics of the storm as I was real content to stay in the truck.

Aftermath – Luckily there was no lightning to push my concern beyond simply getting wet. I did wind up a bit soaked by the time I had everything back in the truck but that could have been worse as well. I sat in the lot for several minutes as a heavy, sideways rain drenched the area. I was happy to be back in the truck as the storm raged away but also pretty bummed out that the conditions I’d been looking for during the last several outings lasted about twenty five minutes before the rainout sent me packing.  On a positive note, the gravel roads sure weren’t dusty on the way home.

The Catch – So headed home an hour and a half early I decided to stop by the grocery store for a 12-pack of Miller Lite, a replacement buzz of sorts. Julie and the girls had been out for dinner with a friend, Deb, and the storm chased them home early too as our daughter, Carly, is not a fan of the inclement weather. Deb asked how many I’d caught and seemed impressed when I replied, “Twelve.” Of course, I was referring to my grocery store purchase, not the bass.

Still have one more fishing report to catch up on as I went back after them the following evening. But first, got one more outdoorsman celebrating a birthday tomorrow, hope you’ll stop back by for a posting that I guess you would say has been a long time in the making. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report 7/17

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Took last Monday off work along with the previous Friday for an extended weekend of family camping, some swimming, visiting with more family around the campfire and, yes, some fishing.  On the heels of a Saturday outing with my brother, Brent, here’s the Monday report when flying solo.

Stats

Date: July 17, 2017
Locations: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 5:25am-10:45pm (5.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 64-82F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 12 bass
Lures:
Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 6 bass
Whopper Plopper 90 (I Know It) – 6 bass
Top Bass: 4-7 Whopper Plopper
Top 5 Weight: 9-4 (4-7,1-7,1-3,1-2,1-1)

5:35am Top Bass 20.5″ 4-7 Whopper Plopper                                                                            5:51am 14″ 1-1 Whopper Plopper

Notes & Nonsense

Firsts – Ten minutes in I had my first catch of the day which was also my first Whopper Plopper catch ever.  And like the first name of the lure, it definitely qualified as a “Whopper” in my book. Pretty cool when you’ve got a 4-7 in the log at 5:35am.  While that first bass would also wind up being the Top Bass, I can’t say I was particularly disappointed with the rest of the morning as five more fell to the Whopper Plopper along with several more strikes from bass that had some poor aim.  Looks like this lure could be a winner, actually catching fish instead of fishermen.

What About Me – Despite the smashing success of the new topwater weapon in my arsenal, I still had the good, old Senko rigged up.  Although it does not weed out the small fish to the extent of my trusty buzzbait or the early Whopper Plopper catches, the Senko wacky rig flat out catches bass on the waters I was fishing.  You’d be a fool not to have one rigged up.  No doubt I’ve got some bad habits but I ain’t no dummy when it comes to getting wacky with it.  Dead even score between the only two baits that caught bass on this day.

7:07am 14″ 1-3 Whopper Plopper                                                                                          8:27am 15″ 1-7 Senko

2017 Top 5 – The 4-7 Whopper Plopper fish knocked a 3-5 out of my Top 5 limit boosting my weight by over a pound which ain’t easy for me to do at this point.  You see, I was already in uncharted waters at 23-6, my top weight in the four years of this project, as I launched the boat on this outing.  With the latest cull I now sit at 24-8 and find myself wavering between satisfied and greedy.  But I figure it’s kind of like one of those days back in the 70’s and 80’s; 3 for 3 and walking out of the on deck circle, time to just let ‘er rip as you never know when you’ll enter “the zone” again.

9:11am 13.5″ 1-2 Senko                                                                                           10:45am Last Cast Bass

Last Bass – Now the picture above may not hold a candle to the glossy magazines, YouTube videos or websites that actually earn some bucks but I’d have to say it ranks as my second favorite bass of the day.  The regular responsibilities of husband and father don’t take a break even on a “vacation day” and I’m good with a timeframe when I need to get back home.  On this day, that meant a decision to fish until 10:45am and then load up and head home.  Within casting distance of the ramp I was fortunate to get another “last cast bass” right at 10:45am.  Always dig it when that happens and totally satisfied with hooking my lure back to an eye on the pole, calling it “well done” and rowing back to the ramp.  Doesn’t get much better than a successful final cast.

Very fortunate to have some recent circumstances that have allowed me to hit the water much more than I would have anticipated this summer (thanks Julie, Mom and Dad).  Two more trips in the books in the meantime, just can’t catch up with the blogging portion of the program.  Try to work them in when I can although Sunday is out as I’ve already got some blogging plans lined up.  Hope you’ll stop back by for a milestone of sorts and check out the Facebook page if you need a friend.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Happy Birthday, Zac

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today our youngest hits 6 years old so a big “Happy Birthday” to Zac.  All boy, with a penchant for dirt, sand, water, fish slime, mud, ashes, basically anything that will eventually necessitate a bath or change of clothes.  Although, rather frequently he still doesn’t wear clothes…

Anyhow, the boy digs the outdoors and typically provides plenty of entertainment for the rest of us with more than a few head shaking moments mixed in.  Particularly “entertaining” was last weekend’s camping trip bathroom break as I told him to just go behind the tent.  I later discovered that he apparently found it “entertaining” to actually water the tent instead of the trees.  The shirt in one of the pics above mentions good, old “Mr. Potato Head.”  More apt would be an arrow pointing up to little “Mr. Knucklehead.”

I’ll finish with a snippet from the original posting entitled “An 8-12 Keeper” that I submitted as a blogger on the Prairie State Outdoors website announcing our new arrival.

“Zac has already got his first fishing pole courtesy of Papa.  In fact, he got a fishing pole before he ever got a name as we drug our feet on the latter task for about sixteen hours.  Going in, we didn’t know boy or girl and I never liked naming a kid until you’ve actually seen ‘em.  It just took a while to figure out what name he looked like.”

 

Love you, Z, and talk to you later.  Dad

Strip Mine Report 7/15

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Got the first opportunity of the year to team up with my brother, Brent.  We chose to hit some Knox County strip mines in hopes of fooling something big as they have produced several nice catches including a pair totaling 8-5 for me and Dad a week earlier.  I was also looking forward to Brent filling out a Top 5 limit with four fish joining a 3-2 caught back in February on his only bass outing of the year.


5:59am 1-5 Buzzbait                                                                                                7:01am 1-6 Senko

Stats
Date: July 15, 2017
Locations: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 5:55am-12:15pm (5.50 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 56F-82F
Water Temp: 80F
Totals: 15 bass (Brent – 10, Troy – 5)
Lures:
Senko weighted wacky rig (several colors) – 13 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad or chartreuse) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 (tie one apiece) Senko for both
Top 5 Weight: 7-3 (1-6,1-6,1-5,1-5,1-2)

Notes & Nonsense

Addictive Start – Four minutes into casting and Brent had our first bass courtesy of a buzzbait from a shallow pocket, definitely a good sign in terms of some topwater success. It took 25 more minutes for our next catch but my buzzbait bass continued to foster some high hopes despite those doggone sunny conditions.  I really knew better and even told Brent that I was potentially wasting my time sticking with a topwater bite (was also tossing a Whopper Plopper) but you know, that whole “only takes one bite” thing.  Well, I never got it this time around.  In fact, we never caught another buzzbait bass the rest of the day though I foolishly kept trying.

Old Faithful – Unlike his older brother, Brent effectively shifted gears and left the buzzbait rod on the deck in favor of a tried and true strip pit wonder, the Senko wacky rig.  Outfishing me 9 to 4 after our early buzzbait catches, he certainly made the right choice.  While his Senko did not produce any lunkers, at least he was reeling in six more fish during my three hour drought (7:09am-10:11am).

7:59am 1-5 Senko                                                                                    8:13am 1-2 Senko

Clarity – The Senko was clearly the bait of the day even in some less than ideal conditions.  My somewhat unfounded concern dealt with a decrease in water clarity.  I view the Senko as being more effective in clearer water situations, which are the norm on most of the Little John bodies of water.  However, the last two years, water clarity has been quite odd on several of the typically clear locations I fish.  I was rather confused on the cause as my 2016 season drew to a close but it sure seemed to throw the bass and yours truly out of whack.  Same thing this year, which I attribute to some pretty significant amounts of rainfall in recent weeks.  Commotion has been key to enticing some big bites but as noted in an earlier report, sunny conditions have really hurt the topwater bite.  Granted, you rarely have what one would call a “perfect” day, but conditions have been extra odd for 2017 (still somehow have managed my best Top 5 since kicking off the project, fishing is just plain weird sometimes).

11:22am 15″ 1-6 Senko                                                                                Winning Lure – Senko wacky rig

Limit – As the guy who keeps tabs on this whole Top 5 thing, I was very excited to see Brent post four more bass to his creel and fill out a limit.  Plenty of room for upgrades and for me that is so much a part of the fun.  Get those first five on the board and then start picking them off as you reel in bigger catches along the way.  Summertime can be tough but looking forward to getting back on the water at some point with Brent.  I’ve fished enough with the guy to know that it’s just a matter of time on the water to put together an impressive creel.  Could be Summer, could be Fall, but I’ve got some ideas to put us on some fish for a strong finish.

While the results did not live up to my expectations, fifteen bass was still a reasonable haul but just not many for the highlight reel, I guess.  No matter, it is always good to hang out on the water with Brent although we don’t get to do it as much as we did back in the day.  We did get to hang out around a campfire later for a while as his bunch came out to hang out with my bunch as my family was enjoying a weekend camping trip at Lake Storey near Galesburg.  Overall, a good family weekend as Mom and Dad also hung out as well.  A couple more fishing reports in the works and perhaps some camping stuff later this month as writing time permits.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Strip Mine Report 7/11

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Tuesday’s are overnight days for our boys at my folks in Galesburg so that means Girls’ Night for the ladies and fishing night for me.

Stats
Date: July 11, 2017
Locations: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 5:50pm-8:25pm (2.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: mid 80’s but crazy humid
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 10 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 9 bass
Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-11 (1-6,1-4,1-2,1-0,0-15)


5:54pm 14″ 1-2 Buzzbait, so humid I ditched my hat at risk of exposing my balding head to the sun, now that’s hot.


6:13pm 14.5″ 1-6 Buzzbait, though only in the mid 80’s the humidity was ugly as seen in the color progression of my shirt.


6:28pm 12″ 0-15 Buzzbait, put the hat back on as I have no hair to stop the sweat, need me a headband like good, old Slick Watts (anybody remember that guy).

Notes & Nonsense

Attempted Plan – I intended to head out from work early at 3:00pm instead of 5:00pm to offset travel time to Victoria (about 70 minutes) versus my usual Lost Grove Lake, IA Tuesday destination (about 25 minutes). Well, got tied up on an issue so didn’t leave the office until about 3:50pm. Part two of a time saver was a shortcut off Route 34. About a half mile into the dirt road portion of said shortcut I found it way too muddy and had to put her in reverse all the way back to some gravel. All told, going back to the normal route cost me another twenty minutes (by the way anybody out there know if the road is open at the tracks in Altona yet). So, my intended 4:30pm first cast wound up being 5:50pm instead.

Calling All Clouds – In order for my buzzbait pattern to really kick into high gear on these lakes, I need some cloud cover, whether complete or intermittent. But every time I have had a chance to go of late there has not been a cloud in the sky. I can still manage to eke out a few bites but the big ones aren’t interested and I really feel like I’m force feeding the bass. Even so, it’s a sacrifice that I am willing to make during these abbreviated outings. As my previous trip demonstrated, it only takes one bite to make your day and I’m content to take my chances. On this day, that big bite didn’t come until the end of the day but that’s another story (see below).

Bad Decision, Bad Outcome – I stopped short of a solid piece of structure consisting of several laydowns bordering a pocket off the main lake. This put the wood between me and any fish taking a liking to my buzzbait, kind of a dumb move in hindsight.  I clearly saw about a four pounder smash the bait roughly ten feet from the boat, right in the middle of the tress and proceed to head into the tangle before I could turn it in the right direction. The bass hit moving from my left to right which proved my doom. Had it been moving the opposite direction I would have stood a good chance of steering it clear of the snag. I could briefly feel the fish pulling amidst the logs but it soon wrapped me beyond hope and my line busted as I tried to free it.


7:24pm 14″ 1-4 Buzzbait, the heat just kept getting nastier as the evening wore on.


8:02pm 12.5″ 1-0 Buzzbait

Premonition – Odd thing is, I had been reminiscing a few days earlier when talking to myself about fishing (which I do nearly daily) and said aloud in my head that I could not recall the last time I lost a good fish. It wasn’t like I was patting myself on the back or anything just pondering some good fortune. Call it karma, the law of averages or just fishing but I will also admit to occasional flashes of superstition crossing my mind. Whatever the case, I guess I’ll do my best to avoid that conversation with myself going forward.


8:29pm Last bass, nothing to boost my total weight but shot the pic to show complete saturation by the end of the evening, crazy heat,
had sweat running off my nose when reaching for tackle in bottom of the boat.

In assessing my decision to make a longer drive for Illinois bass versus some Iowa bass closer to home, I vote that I made the right choice. Definitely bigger bass potential from this side of the river compared to my Lost Grove Lake results and I got my shot, just didn’t work out this time. Maybe next time or the time after that. Two more trips already in the log so stop back later this week for those reports or hit the Facebook page for some previews/spoilers.

Hey, just dawned on me, its Tuesday again, think I’ll go for the shorter drive to Iowa this time around.  Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hey, five more fish that fill one limit and give another a boost.  A very slow summer just got better, hopefully a sign of things to come…


Weight: 1-5
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: July 15
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: Buzzbait (chartreuse)
Angler Comments (actually my two cents): Had a good time when afforded an opportunity to fish with my brother.  I believe he had only been on one other outing this year, back in February when he nabbed a 3-2.  We couldn’t fool any “trophies” despite a darn good effort.  Oh well, filled out his Top 5 so I guess that gives us a reason to take another shot to boost the total.


Weight: 1-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: July 15
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (black with blue flake)


Weight: 1-5
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: July 15
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (black with blue flake)


Weight: 1-2
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: July 15
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (black with blue flake)
Top 5 Weight: 8-4 (3-2,1-6,1-5,1-5,1-2)


Angler: Randy Sampson, Sr.
Date: July 16
Location: West Central IL public water
Lure: Fluke (red and white flake)
Weather: partly cloudy
Top 5 Weight: 23-11 (6-0,4-14,4-12,4-11,3-6) culls 3-4

Good to see these guys get a boost, “been awhile” as Randy mentioned in the email he sent my way.  Here’s hoping for some more summer success.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Kids’ Fishing Report 7/8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After three and a half hours of “high impact” bass fishing last Saturday, Dad and I relocated, regrouped and reloaded our tackle in preparation of playing fishing guide to the pair of wild anglers in the shots that follow. Gramaw brought my boys, Jayce and Zac, out to Little John Conservation Club for a ride in Papa’s “big boat” looking for a few panfish. Of course, the fish they reel in are only part of the big adventure when these two guys show up.

It takes a little time and a little distance on the lake before both boys get on the board with a couple decent bluegill on good old waxworms hung from a bobber.

Okay, with the formality of landing a few fish out of the way, it was time to get a little closer to the world that those fish call home. The back of Dad’s bass boat rides much closer to the surface than our little johnboat and, well, the proximity of the water quickly proved to be too much to resist.

After a bit over an hour of trolling, splashing around and roughly double digits for the bluegill haul, we proceeded to spend nearly as much time out of the boat while fooling around at the boat launch. I’ve always shook my head and chuckled as it seems to never fail that when you are ready to trailer your boat, somebody or several somebodies show up to make things more interesting. I’m a bank angler too, so I get it, but sometimes it gets a little dicey dodging bodies and attempting to show some courtesy while sharing space on those specific spots on the water. On this day, we were those folks and luckily no one else showed up to launch a boat.

 

A few final pics after removing our catch from the livewell in the parking area with lots of excited fish splashing and three generations of Jackson boys laughing and admiring the results of an enjoyable couple hours at the lake.

And finally, do you think fifteen poles are suitable for a morning on the water? It’s how this bunch rolls and from the fishing reports detailing this day, looks like it works just fine.

A trip from July 11 is already in the log and looking to hit the water again this weekend at some point. Tune in next week for the reports and don’t forget to have a look at the regular Facebook postings for plenty of outdoor notes and pics. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Lowdown – Little John CC 7/8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here we go with the first “Retro” fishing report since 2009 as introduced yesterday and included among my 2017 Resolutions detailed earlier this year.

Date: July 8, 2017
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Time: 6:00am-9:30am
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 71F-81F
Water Temp: forgot to check (not used to electronics)

Catch by Catch


Bass #1 – 6:08am 16” (1-8) Senko wacky rig (electric shad)
On the board eight minutes in with our first “keeper” after two regular spots let us down, spot number three is once again a winner.

 


Bass#2 – 6:27am 11.5” Senko wacky rig (smoke)
No shutout for Dad as bass number one comes on board working his Senko along the dropoff of an extended point.

 


Bass#3 – 6:29am 7” Senko
Wasting no time, Dad grabs the lead, but who’s counting?  And yes, for this project they all count and get their picture taken, even if they aren’t much bigger than the lure (5” Senko).

 


Bass#4 – 6:45am 9” Senko
Another short fish comes off a point featuring a reed patch bordering the dropoff.

 


Bass#5 – 6:55am 9.5” Senko
Bigger than the last one or more accurately, “less small.”

 


Bass#6 & #7 – 7:02am Dad 12” (0-14) and Troy 11” both on Senkos
Dad gets the first of our only double as I hook mine only seconds after he has set the hook.  He gets me by an inch with our second “keeper” boosting our weight to a whopping 2-6 and looking for three more to round out a Top 5.

 


Bass#8 – 7:10am 14” (1-4) Senko
A well placed cast to a spot that Dad said should hold one does indeed produce a bass and takes our weight up to 3-10.  Dad had hit the area seconds earlier from a different angle so this catch demonstrates that if a spot looks good or has produced in the past it is worth working over from a couple directions.


Bass#9 – 7:16am 8” Senko
I dig the take a pic of every bass aspect of this project as it shows that you typically have to wade through a bunch of “dinks” in search of the “keepers” and occasional “lunkers.”  The thing is though, you don’t really want to bother the other guy with one of these so you do the photo honors yourself.  Holding this one close to the camera still doesn’t make it look bigger, however.

 


Bass#10 – 7:19am 14” (1-3)
Now this one was cool as it came from an area that has produced in the past but I was going to skip due to cramped quarters in Dad’s Bass Tracker versus the old eight foot johnboat.  However, Dad got snagged on an underwater limb prompting a rescue mission into the area.  First cast to an overhanging bush after freeing his Senko and we had “keeper” number four, bumping our weight to 4-13.

 


Bass#11 – 7:28am 10.5” Senko
Flicking my Senko out to a submerged tree in about 12’ of water is a winner as this one nabs it after sinking near the wood for only a couple seconds.  A proven spot comes through again but not quite as big as a five-pounder the tree gave up several years ago.

 


Bass#12 – 7:31am 11” Senko
Had to get the dipnet for this one but more so due to weight of the accompanying grass and not the bass.  As Dad reeled in this bunch of salad he actually said, “I don’t know if the bass is still on there.” Took a little digging but there it was.

 


Bass#13 – 7:39am 10.5” Senko
I honestly don’t remember any details about this fish other than the logged time, length and lure.

 


Bass#14 – 8:11am 21.5” (5-0) Buzzbait
I do remember this one though as it ended our longest drought of the day at 32 minutes without a bass.  The buzzbait shutout also ends in a big way after intermittent casting for the first two hours failed to produce.  I had told Dad that it only takes one bite and this was it.  Throw in the fact that it came on the second visit to a spot that is historically productive including a couple other big ones and it really makes you feel like you know what you are doing.  Top 5 complete with a big jump in weight total to 9-13.

 


Bass#15 – 8:39am 20” (3-5) Senko
Dad joins the big fish parade with what he speculated was his “biggest Senko bass ever.”  A great fight featured a dive at the boat that had me poised and ready with the dipnet when the fish surfaced.  Crazy thing was, it surfaced about eighteen feet behind us having swam completely under the boat.  Dad deftly guided the fish back around to our side, dodging our rear trolling motor with his rod tip under water and we had another big boost to our Top 5.  This fish knocked out the earlier 0-14 and brought out total weight to 12-4.

 


Bass#16 – 9:00am 8.5” Senko
Dad’s seventh and final fish of the day doesn’t measure up to his previous catch but our day is already made with a couple good ones.  Time is winding down as we head towards the boat launch in preparation to relocate and meet up with my boys, Jayce and Zac, to chase some bluegills in Papa’s “big boat.”

 


Bass#17 – 9:30am 11.5” Senko
Not a keeper but a nice exclamation point on a solid outing and caught within casting distance of the boat launch so I call it a day with a bass on my last cast.

Totals: 17 bass (Troy – 10, Dad – 7)
Lures:
Senko wacky rig (electric shad) – 9 bass
Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 7 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-4 (5-0,3-5,1-8,1-4,1-3)

Running Totals for this project (8 trips since 2002)
45.25 hours
208 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 this trip tops Dad’s 3-7 from 6/16/08
Daily Top 5 Weight Record: 14-2 Lake Bracken 6/16/08
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 18-4 (5-0,3-7,3-5,3-5,3-3) culls 2-13 and 2-10

Well, there you have it, the reintroduction of old idea, Resolution accomplished and great to get it done with Dad.  Kind of a work in progress from here as not sure whether to keep this feature as a one-time deal each year or toss it out there again as I’ve got a couple ideas floating around upstairs.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Introducing “Lake Lowdown”

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Back in May, I ran down a list of “Outdoor Resolutions” targeted for completion in 2017. I have knocked a few out since then and last Saturday’s fishing trip with Dad provided an opportunity to take care of another one.

This Resolution was referred to as “Retro Fishing Report” and the May 31 posting described my stab at fishing reports aimed at mirroring a monthly Bassmaster magazine feature entitled “Day on the Lake.” That monthly article places a pro on an unfamiliar lake and documents the high and lows in chronological fashion as they spend seven hours on the water trying to figure things out.

From 2002 thorough 2009 I posted seven such reports featuring either Dad or my brother, Brent, as my fishing partner. Our version of these reports differ from the pros as we have fished known locations (with one exception in 2007) and I also photograph and document the details of every bass we land for usage in the final product. While I sure dig the Bassmaster version, I much prefer our reports. Not only because it’s firsthand experience but also because it’s the real deal with a couple guys in 30 or 40 year old boats using whatever fishing gear they’ve amassed since the 80’s and showing you every fish, not just the big ones thrust out at arm’s length as close to the photographer as possible (yes, I have been guilty in the past but these days I make sure to bend them elbows).  I’d like to think these are things to which more than a few fellow bass anglers can relate.

(Note: in the interest of further promoting “regular guy” fishing we do probably need to pull this stunt on public water more often although the bass just don’t jump in the boat at any of our stomping grounds, still takes some work.)

Below is a brief rundown of some of the numbers from each of our previous stabs at this project.

July 9, 2002 with Brent at Lake Bracken (private)
7.50 hours and 37 bass (Troy = 20 Brent = 17)
Top Bass: 1-9 Troy Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-12 (1-9,1-3,1-1,1-0,0-15)

June 13, 2003 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
5.25 hours and 35 bass (Troy = 19 Dad = 16)
Top Bass: 3-3 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-0 (3-3,2-2,1-1,0-14,0-12)

July 23, 2004 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
7.00 hours and 25 bass (Dad = 14 Troy = 11)
Top Bass: 1-14 Troy Buzzbait
Top 4 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-5 (1-14,1-8,1-0,0-15)

July 13, 2005 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
7.50 hours with 20 bass (Dad = 11 Troy = 9)
Top Bass: 2-7 Troy Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 6-8 (2-7,1-5,1-1,0-14,0-13)

May 9, 2007 with Dad Snakeden Hollow strip pit (public)
2.0 hours with 21 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 7-1 (1-11,1-10,1-8,1-3,1-1)

June 16, 2008 with Dad at Lake Bracken (private)
6.50 hours with 38 bass (Dad = 26 Troy = 12)
Top Bass: 3-7 Dad Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 14-2 (3-7,3-5,2-13,2-9,2-0)

September 21, 2009 with Dad at Lake Storey (public)
7.00 hours with 15 bass (Dad = 8 bass Troy = 7 bass)
Top Bass: 2-10 Troy Creature Bait
Top 5 Weight: 8-11 (2-10,1-10,1-10,1-9,1-4)

Totals
7 outings
42.75 hours
191 bass
Top Bass: 3-7 Dad 6/16/08 Spinnerbait
Daily Top 5 Weight Record: 14-2 Lake Bracken 6/16/08
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 17-6 (3-7,3-5,3-3,2-13,2-10)

So there you have the basis, background and up to date recap regarding the resumption of the annual retro fishing report, deemed “Lake Lowdown” from this point forward. Tune in tomorrow for the 2017 version and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

June turned out to be a downer in terms of our Top 5 project as no new submissions joined the ranks.  I gave it a few shots, had a good time, caught a decent amount of fish but just couldn’t fool anything to give to give our totals a boost.  Back at it a couple days ago with July underway and me and Dad found several bites that got it done.


Weight: 0-14 (12”)
Angler: Terry Jackson
Date: July 8
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Structure: Brush/drop
Angler Comments (actually mine for Dad): Part of our only double, Dad’s 12” bass outdid my 11” fish and got him on the board for the 2017 Top 5.


Weight: 1-3 (14”)
Angler: Terry Jackson
Date: July 8
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Structure: Brush/drop
Angler Comments (actually mine for Dad): This bass came from a productive spot that I was originally going to skip as it is rather confined for a real bass boat as opposed to my regular eight footer.  But fortune smiled as Dad got hung in an underwater limb prompting us to go in after the snag.  One cast later, as soon as his Senko hit the water near some overhanging bushes he had Top 5 bass number two in the boat.


Weight: 3-5 (20”)
Angler: Terry Jackson
Date: July 8
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Structure: Brush/drop
Angler Comments (actually mine for Dad): Dad noted that this was probably the largest Senko bass he’d nabbed.  It sure put a bend in his pole and stripped drag during a battle that included a pole submerging dive at the boat.  Dad and I were bent and ready at the side of the boat with pole and dipnet waiting for the fish to surface, and it did.  Only thing was, it was behind us about eighteen feet away, having swam completely under the boat. Somehow the 8-pound test held and we got both a good fish and a good fish story that we’ve already told a few times.
Top 5 Weight: 5-6 (3-5,1-3,0-14)


Weight: 5-0 (21.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: July 8
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Lure: Booyah Buzz Buzzbait
Structure: Point/drop
Angler Comments: Took a couple hours of intermittent casting amidst a decent Senko bite and was the only successful strike I had all morning on a buzzbait (two half-hearted swirls otherwise). Definitely worth the effort in the end as I had told Dad a couple times that “all it takes is one bite.” Got it on this morning. Full report and then some later this week.
Top 5 Weight: 23-6 (6-2,5-9,5-0,3-6,3-5) culls 2-5

Fun day with Dad and a few Top 5 bass provide some icing on the cake.  On a personal note, my current tally of 23-6 represents my best limit since kicking off this project back in 2014.  From 2014 to 2016 I managed to rack up totals of 20-14, 22-12 and 21-3, respectively.  So, I guess from here it’s a matter of seeing how high I can push my limit with at least four months of casting remaining.  Looks like 26-2 puts me in the Top 10 all-time limits so I suppose that is a good number to target, two pounds and twelve ounces to go.  Pretty fun stuff, these stats, if I do say so myself.  Feel free to join the fun…Talk to you later.  Troy