Author: Troy Jackson

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A quartet of bass this week that total just over ten pounds including one that comes with another bit of verse. However, the verse applies not to the catch, but to “one that got away”. Read on for the latest batch of public bass.

Weight: 2-5
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: August 18
Weather: Bright morning sun, clear skies
Water Temp: Not available
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Wacky worm
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)
Angler Comments about the “One That Got Away”:

I fished the Hennepin six days ago
Along I80 toward Chicago

Things were slow, not many hits
I was about to call it quits

But suddenly came a solid strike
Against the edge where people hike

But in an instant the fish was gone
My line was weak, and he was strong

My line had busted
Because of a knot I should not have trusted

If my line had been fresh and knot stronger
I might have landed a solid five pounder

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: August 21
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: August 21
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 17-13 (5-4,3-9,3-3,3-1,2-12) culls a 2-11

Weight: 3-5 (19.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: August 21
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Booyah Buzzbait (black)
Structure: Weed edge
Angler Comments: You just never know on a buzzbait strike as this fish made the lure disappear with barely a ripple. Always fun when there is a heavy response after the hookset. The catch came up one ounce shy of tying my all-time Top Canal Bass.
Top 5 Weight: 15-15 (3-5,3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15) culls 2-12

You know, I often give August a hard time and have referred to it as my least favorite open water month. My apologies to August this year, it hasn’t been bad at all. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – August 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Still playing catch up with reports from The Canal as I have shifted gears to individual trip reports as opposed to monthly wrap-ups. Today’s post draws on a musical theme as my drives to the fishing holes are much shorter and don’t lend themselves to my Top 10 Trip Tunes project.

Stats

Date: August 13
Time: 6:05am-9:20am, 9:45am-10:00am (two locations)
Totals: 13 bass (3.71 bass/hour)
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy 64-75F
Lures: Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad or black) – 5 bass, Special K Spinnerbait (bleeding shiner) – 3 bass, Zara Spook (natural frog) – 2 bass, 5” Yamamoto wacky rig (natural shad) – 2 bass, Bomber Long A Jerkbait (red/yellow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-4 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 10-6 (3-4,2-10,2-3,1-3,1-2)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

 

Jump (Van Halen – 1984) – The strike on my Booyah Buzzbait in the above clip was vicious and up close. Obviously, the fish also came up short on getting hooked. Lucky for the fish, I guess, but a bummer for the fisherman. Such a strike does get the heart racing and can make you jump, especially if your mind is wandering as happens to me on the water from time to time.

What Might Have Been (Little Texas – 1993) – My current Top Canal Bass is a 3-6 from July 2021. Would the bass in the video clip have eclipsed that record? I guess I will never know but I am going with “Yes.” If nothing else, it makes for a better fish story and it certainly displaced enough water to indicate a good fish.

6:15am First Bass at 18.5″ and 3-4 on a spinnerbait

How Long (Ace – 1974) – While the fish in the video clip above was “one that got away”, I did get a few other quality bites. Included among those bites, were a pair of bass that set a new mark for the longest bass I’ve landed on The Canal in 2022. Both fish came in at 18.5” with weights being 3-4 and 2-10. These fish topped the half dozen 2022 bass landed that have measured 18”. As far as my all-time longest Canal bass it remains a 20-incher from July 2021.

7:11am another 18.5″ bass at 2-10 on a buzzbait

You Make Me Feel Brand New (The Stylistics – 1974) – Well, the big bass strike on the buzzbait damaged the skirt to the point that it needed replaced. While I did not have a new skirt on hand, I did have a backup bait with a black skirt. Similarly, the skirt on my favorite spinnerbait had taken a beating in 2022 prompting a change from bold bluegill to bleeding shiner. Both changes were winners with the black buzzbait landing a 2-10 and a 2-3, while the spinnerbait posted a 3-4 as my first catch of the morning. Gotta love some immediate, positive feedback.

 

I Missed Again (Phil Collins – 1981) – After my latest YouTube post bragging up the effectiveness of following up with a Senko after a missed topwater strike, the technique has let me down. The last four fish that have missed on buzzbait strikes have not been fooled by the Senko approach. Perhaps the bass have caught wind of the trick via my YouTube post which has a whopping eighty-six views.

Well, “That Just About Does It,” don’t it (Vern Gosdin – 1989), for another productive day on The Canal. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 20-21, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s flashback looks back at an overnight outing coinciding with a solar eclipse that the media billed as the “Great American Eclipse.” I figured that it would be fun to fish during the phenomenon. However, Mother Nature had other plans as detailed in the original blog entry below from August 22, 2017.

Since a couple vacation days in early August wound up returned in favor of work, I thought I’d try it again this week to coincide with the Eclipse. In addition, Julie was still a couple of days away from having any kids at the aftercare program and all of ours were starting their first full week of school, so the stars were aligned. Always a roller coaster ride, however, when it comes to having a “plan.”

Stats
Date: August 20-21, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 lakes)
Time: 7:00-8:00pm (8/20) and 6:25-7:25am (8/21)
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy (8/20) and overcast to mostly ugly (8/21)
Air Temp: 80F (8/20) and 66F (8/21)
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 9 bass (7 on 8/20 and 2 on 8/21)
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (Snow White shad) – 8 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-11 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (5-11,1-1,1-1,1-0,0-12)

Notes & Nonsense

The Plan – Three days, two nights flying solo camping and fishing. Leave Sunday afternoon (left home at 5:00pm), camp overnight, fish Monday through Eclipse and return home to meet the kids at 3:00pm after school. Return to campsite that evening after Julie finishes a back-to-school activity at 6:00pm. Overnight again and fish all day Tuesday with an evening return home.

Reality – I got in the anticipated one hour of fishing Sunday as planned after setting up camp. Next, was a peaceful and uneventful overnight with a nice campfire and a few Miller Lites. Then, I managed only one more hour of fishing on Eclipse Day morning before wicked skies sent me packing. I tried to wait out the storm but waved the white flag at 10:30am amidst thunder, lightning, and heavy rains. I scrambled to tear down and pack in a shower and was home by noon. Monday night camping was also called off with more thunderstorms forecast for the bulk of overnight.

An Eclipse Eve bass on a buzzbait

Eclipse Eve Fishing – I was able to cast from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on a lake I haven’t visited for a while with an all-out buzzbait blitz due to limited window until sunset. Conditions were favorable with partly cloudy skies, a little color to the water and light chop. Seven bass came aboard but lacked a lunker with Top Bass at 1-1. It was a solid start; I was happy with the results and looked forward to the next launch in about ten hours.

Eclipse Day Fishing – I thought it would be fun to fish through the partial eclipse just to say I did, if nothing else. The fun started right off the bat with a 5-11 on a Senko wacky rig but it was short lived with only one more fish (11.5” on a buzzbait) before the skies got scary, opened up, and sent me home.

Eclipse Day first of only two bass was a whopping 5-11 on a Senko

Top Bass – I caught my 5-11 less than ten minutes into my outing after my first two proven buzzbait spots failed to produce a strike. Stop number three was a solid Senko wacky rig area amidst a stretch of overhanging bushes so I changed it up from the buzzbait. The Senko came through yet again on the first cast to the tune of my largest Senko bass and my fifth biggest bass ever. Pretty wild as I never felt the hit, just saw the line moving to the right, reeled down and set the hook anticipating the usual pound and a half fish from the spot. A few tense moments with the 10-pound Trilene on my spinning rig before I got a look and knew I had something special. The bass went airborne at one point, and I missed my first attempt with my Boga Grip. The battle had me nervous, but it was meant to be and saved what would be a short day on the water.

Eclipse Day morning got ugly and when it looks like this it is time to get off the water

Casualties – Unfortunately, there was no GoPro footage on the Top Bass as it bit the dust somehow while editing footage around the campfire the previous night. Julie mentioned that the salesperson dropped it at purchase and said to bring it back if any issues so got that on my to-do list. In addition, I thought I knocked my Fuji camera overboard after taking a spill on my tripod and crushing it when I lost my balance as my boat coasted into the bank. It seems that while I had replaced the batteries after shooting pics of the big fish, I fortunately did not re-attach the camera to the tripod. I was kicking myself for the last half hour about losing the camera and all the pics on it before finding it safe and sound in one of my utility boxes. Thank goodness, a strange turn of events. Some days the mind and body let you know that they’ve seen better days.

View during the eclipse from our makeshift viewing box

A series of highs and lows all in the span of about sixteen hours. Better than being at work but several weird and nervous outdoor moments had me wondering if I was better off inside.

Amateur astronomers getting a glimpse of the solar eclipse

So, in the end, I wound up observing the eclipse in our driveway with Julie and Carly. All good, as they both recall the event. That’s even better than landing a big bass in the shadows, right? Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – August 8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For August, I am going to go back to individual fishing reports for my trips to The Canal as the wrap-up for July was so lengthy it spilled over into two parts. Both of those were each lengthy as well. In addition, I will continue providing a month end look at overall results. More content is always the goal as time permits.

Stats

Date: August 8
Time: 5:20pm-8:05pm
Totals: 15 bass (5.45 bass/hour)
Weather: Overcast/breezy 75F
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 9 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 3 bass, 5” Yamamoto wacky rig (natural shad) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-4 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 7-6 (2-4,1-13,1-4,1-1,1-0)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Shared Space – As I approached my first-choice spot, a pair of kayaks were launching so I drove to an alternate area. However, the aquatic vegetation was not to my liking, so it was back to my first stop. The Canal is unique in that you just can’t go to the opposite side of “the lake” on a ninety-foot-wide fishing hole. I asked the duo if I could pass and let them know I would get well out of their way. As such, I rowed over half a mile away before I even made my first cast. A third kayak later joined, and I passed all on my eventual way back to the ramp. All’s well that ends well, as everyone reported landing some bass during our passing chats.

5:55am Red Eye Shad 1-13

Something New – I fly blind when I fish in terms of a depthfinder although I do not know how much of a benefit such technology would be on the shallow waters of The Canal anyway. Instead, it is visual observation dependent on water clarity or using lures to get a feel for depth changes. On this trip clarity was such that I could discern where there was a clean break to the channel between the weed lines on each side of The Canal. In this case, I ran a Strike King Red Eye Shad along the break and was rewarded with my runner-up Top Bass of 1-13. I successfully hit the same stretch with a different lure on a later trip but that catch is for another report. The takeaway is that I was proud of myself for trying something new and pleased that it worked. Perhaps I should expand my offerings more often.

8:05pm Top Bass at 2-4 on last cast

Best for Last – My Top Bass came on my final cast of the evening proving that you need to hang in there until the very end as you never know when a good one will show up. I even mentioned on my GoPro video at 8:05pm that I was making my last cast. Makes for a good story at least, and you’ll have to trust me on this one as the video is a bit revealing so not sure if it will see public release.

 

Another solid few hours on The Canal as the hits keep coming. Having reached the 200 bass mark from the waterway to end July, I am looking forward to just how many cooperative bass I can find before the year is over. Two more trips are already in the books so stop back by for those reports. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

August can be a tough month for various reasons, so it is encouraging to see a batch of quality catches for this week’s update.

Weight: 1-13
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: August 9
Weather: Partly cloudy, temperature in the 80s
Water Temperature: Unknown
Location: Knox County public strip mine lake
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: The fish was hooked on the first cast from shore.

Weight: 1-14
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: August 12
Weather: Early morning sun, temperature in the high 60s
Location: Knox County public strip mine lake
Lure: Four-inch black and silver floating Rapala
Angler Comments: Bright morning sun made for slow fishing, but the bite improved when the clouds moved in.

Weight: 1-11
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: August 12
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Knox County public strip mine lake
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: A fish took a swipe at a four-inch black and silver floating Rapala but missed. Remembering a very recent video on the Troy Jackson Outdoors YouTube Channel, I picked up my rod with the wacky worm and cast to the same area and hooked this fish on the retrieve!! Was this the same fish that missed the Rapala? Hard to know.

Weight: 1-8
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: August 12
Weather: Cloudy
Location: Knox County public strip mine lake
Lure: Four-inch black and silver floating Rapala
Angler Comments: The fish and the two described above were caught from a boat.
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-2,3-5,2-14,2-11,2-11)

Weight: 3-4
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: August 13
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy 64F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Special K Spinnerbait (bleeding shad) with Zoom Creepy Crawler trailer (root beer pepper green)
Structure: Weed edge
Angler Comments: Its cool when your first bite of the day is a good one. As it turned out, it was the best of the day, but I did catch a couple other solid fish. But that’s a tale for the fishing report later this month.
Top 5 Weight: 15-6 (3-5,3-4,3-2,2-15,2-12) culls 2-12

Hard to believe that we are halfway through August already. While not in any rush to put this month behind us, I always look forward to September and the potential uptick for a fall bite. It will be here before you know it. Talk to you later. Troy

Grandkids/Cousins Fishing Report

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This summer, my folks have played fishing guides for their grandkids on several occasions. While the kids have fished to varying degrees over the years, the crew has really seemed to catch the bug this year. There’s no better evidence than the request, “Papa, when are we going fishing again?”

13 poles geared up for the crew and Dad reported not a single lure lost in a tree or to a snag, quite impressive

Well, Mom sent me a handful of pics from the latest outing and reported that all who took part landed some fish. Check out the slideshow as pictures speak louder than words.

 

 

Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 1987

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Twenty years old, a summer job with the Galesburg Park Department and not really a care in the world. Hit the shop at Lincoln Park just before 7:00am, get our marching orders for the day to mow, pick trash, paint, weed trim and refrain from doing anything dumb in front of the public and then head home at 3:00pm. After that, it was often off to the fishing hole. And what a trio of waters that make up today’s “Friday Flashback.”

August 5, 1987 – Steck’s Pond
Located a few miles northwest of Lake Storey, me and Brent fished this farm pond a few times with Bret Bruington who had access to the fishing hole. Bret (or Little Bru) is the son of Gary Bruington (Big Bru), longtime Galesburg High School baseball coach. Big Bru was not only my coach but also took several ball players on fishing trips while in high school, stoking my passion for the pursuit as he was a knowledgeable bass angler. Anyway, my catches for this day are noted in the original and database log entries pictured in this post. However, I must say that my fondest memory from Steck’s Pond was Little Bru, Brent and I landing a few fish on a February day when the line was freezing in the eyes of our poles. Or there was also the time a near four-pound bass spooked out of a weedbed and almost jumped right in the boat. Yep, don’t get me started…

August 8, 1987 – Green Oaks
Weekends were also spent at the fishing hole and weekends were the only days that the Knox College field station was open for casting. Too many stories for a flashback post but a 1988 Green Oaks bass at five pounds eight ounces was my personal best for many years afterwards. I’ve longed to get back to the fishing hole which is right across the highway from my Little John stomping grounds, but access is restricted to current students, faculty, and staff. However, I recently learned from a reliable source that a fish kill had decimated the bass population and rendered the spot a “crappie hole” per the report. Sad news as it once was a premier destination.

August 13, 1987 – Roehlk’s Pond
Like Steck’s Pond, Little Bru was our “in” on this fishing hole on the south edge of Knoxville, IL around Eiker Acres. If I were to rank ponds, this one would likely be number one on my list. It had an incredible variety of structure including a pronounced channel, flats, weedbeds, a duck blind, flooded timber, points, a stump bed and an island. And that was just the stuff we could plainly see. Who knows what else was hidden in the depths. My favorite memory from Roehlk’s was watching Little Bru pull out ten pounds of bass on back-to-back casts, a six-pounder followed by a four-pounder. I don’t know about Brent, but I’m still a bit jealous thirty-five years later.

Original log entries from these outings

It’s hard to say how many bass those of us who fished these spots and more all those years ago have landed in the interim. Guesstimation from my totals combined with the fishing habits of just the three of us mentioned in today’s flashback, I’d say it would easily exceed 20,000 bass. That’s a lot of fish but what is crazy is that to this very day I could walk or row you to the exact spot of all the catches referenced in today’s post. Whether that is passion, obsession, or just plain nuts, that’s fishing. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – July Notes

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here are a few more items to wrap up the July outings on The Canal.

Lost and Found  (see pic above) – No matter how good of a caster you are, if you are fishing from the bank, you are going to lose a few lures. Along The Canal, baits and bobbers decorate the trees from time to time and are often easy pickings from a boat. No return address on the lures, so I guess that makes it “finders, keepers”.

Winning July Lures on The Canal

Backup Bait – The YouTube clip below is a fun trick when fishing a topwater and encountering a strike where the bass has bad aim. Step one is to always have a Senko wacky rig tied onto another pole when you are casting a topwater lure. Step two, after the missed strike, is to cast the Senko into the boil that was created and many times you can get that fish.

Gar Log – Dad used to pull our legs with tales of hippos formerly calling West Central Illinois home or by pointing out the backs of “alligators” protruding from the water in local creeks and ponds. Thus, I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of this large “alligator gar” that I spotted on The Canal.

“It was just my imagination, runnin’ away with me…”

I have one successful trip to The Canal in August so stay tuned for a report when time permits. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal-July Stats Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

July Stats Part II covers the final four outings of the month along with some cumulative July numbers.

Date: July 17
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Totals: 5 bass (2.50 bass/hour)
Weather: Sunny/calm 77F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 2 bass, Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 2 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 1 bass, Zara Spook (natural frog) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-6 Zara Spook (natural frog)
Top 5 Weight: 4-10 (2-6,2-4)
Comments: I set out on this evening with a mission to land a bass while using a near thirty-year-old reel recently acquired from a longtime friend. And I was going to use a Zara Spook in the natural frog pattern to do it. A bass cooperated as the lure affectionately known as “The Pickle” remains a winner.

Date: July 23
Time: 8:00am-11:15am
Totals: 5 bass (1.54 bass/hour)
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy 71-89F
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 2 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 2 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 5-10 (1-6,1-3,1-2,1-0,0-15)
Comments: Thunderstorms at sunrise delayed my birthday outing on this incredibly muggy and hot morning. The bass seemed a bit sluggish in the heat as did I by quitting time. Only five bass but at least all of them were “keepers” for a Top 5 limit.

Date: July 24
Time: 4:50pm-7:50pm
Totals: 11 bass (3.67 bass/hour)
Weather: Sunny to breezy 86-80F
Lures: Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 6 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) –3 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 4-7 (1-5,1-4,0-15,0-15)
Comments: Numbers were good on this evening, but I couldn’t find any big bites. However, the highlight of the evening was a fellow angler hollering from his bike, “Who’s down there in that boat?” The resulting chat along the bank with a Canal fishing hero of mine was worth the trip no matter what I caught. While I made mental note of several general pointers gathered during our twenty-minute conversation, the Canal history and simply talking fishing were a treat. Eddie, if you are out there, just wanting to say thanks for the conversation.

Date: July 31
Time: 1:35pm-4:50pm
Totals: 9 bass (2.77 bass/hour)
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy/breezy 81-83F
Lures: Strike King Squarebill Crankbait (sexy shad) – 5 bass, Special K Spinnerbait (bold bluegill) – 2 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 1 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Strike King Squarebill Crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 4-11 (1-5,0-15,0-14,0-14,0-11)
Comments: My mission on this outing to end the month was to catch nine bass to reach the 200 bass mark on The Canal for 2022. It took some work, but I ended up right on the money in landing my ninth bass of the afternoon about thirty minutes before calling it quits.

2022 July Totals
Eight outings covering seven different pools
22.75 hours and 66 bass (2.90 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 2-11 July 2 Spinnerbait
Top 5 July Bass Weight: 11-6 (2-11,2-6,2-4,2-3,1-14)

 

2022 Overall Stats
200 bass in 67 hours (2.99 bass/hour)
Top Bass: 3-5 on 4/23/22 Spinnerbait
Best Top 5 Day
11-3 (2-15,2-10,2-3,2-1,1-6) on 6/24/22
2022 Top 5 Canal Weight: 14-14 (3-5,3-2,2-15,2-12,2-12)

Haven’t been able to get on The Canal yet in August. It is unlikely that I will get as much time on the water as I did for July but still have a couple blog items in the works to complete last month’s warp-up. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 5, 1997

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Twenty-five years ago, I got to share a boat on the Mississippi River down around Quincy with my girlfriend and her dad. Just over five years later, I would call those fishing partners my wife and father-in-law.

My late father-in-law, Junior Breuer

I don’t specifically recall what species we were targeting but I would suspect catfish. However, my log entry from the day consists of two white bass, a freshwater drum, and a largemouth bass. Apparently, our catches were not particularly impressive as I can only find one photo from the outing.

August 5, 1997 with my all-time Top Mississippi River bass

The bass pictured above still stands as my personal best Mississippi River bass in my limited visits to the mighty waterway. It was caught after we pulled the boat up onto an island to get out and stretch a bit. Part of the island featured a channel running through it with an old, downed tree lining one bank. I tossed my dew worm out along the piece of cover, and it barely hit the bottom before I had a fish on. I anticipated anything but a bass to be on the other end, so the catch was a pleasant surprise. It weighed in at 2-4, besting some of the pound and a half river bass I’d landed in the late 80s and early 90s.

The river has always been an untapped resource for me, but I will never forget a mid-80s visit with a baseball friend and his father, Ted and Fred Harvey. Mr. Harvey knew the river well, both as a fisherman and as an accomplished waterfowler. I remember being fascinated as he guided us to a handful of scrappy river bass. I had never considered such bass potential as my view of the muddy river centered around the usual suspects, catfish, carp, gar, and bowfin. It was a real eye opener, and I will forever be grateful to Mr. Harvey for inviting a nineteen-year-old wannabe bass fisherman along for the ride.

Same goes for my late father-in-law, Junior Breuer, for not only letting me tag along but also for allowing me to marry his daughter. Here we are twenty-five years later just over a month from celebrating twenty years of wedded bliss.

Summer 1997 with my girlfriend and fishing partner, still going strong

Sadly, Junior passed away in 2007 but his memory still goes fishing with me every time I hit the water. After his passing, we inherited his truck, and it has racked up many miles and many bass over the years.

Talk to you later. Troy