Author: Troy Jackson

Friday Flashback – October 17, 2006

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As the 2006 fishing season was nearing the end, I was in search of what I called “Bass #2000”. This quest began at the outset of the 1997 season, shortly after I obtained my first personal computer. With the computer available for data entry, I decided a return to meticulous record keeping for my fishing was in order. So, from March 21, 1997, up until this October 17, 2006 trip, I had landed 1,971 bass. Therefore, going into this Lake Bracken outing, I needed 29 bass to reach the 2,000 bass mark. On the heels of that somewhat rambling intro, let’s flash back.

3:03pm – 15″ and 1-10 on a Rapala DT6 crankbait

Originally posted 11-4-06 as part of “Quest for 2000”

October 17 – Though the weather wasn’t exactly stellar, I had an opportunity to get on the water for an afternoon and chose Lake Bracken for my destination. As luck would have it, 29 bass were landed in just over four hours on the water. However, my celebration would have to wait as Dad landed seventeen of the bass. My twelve bass put me within seventeen of the goal but the likelihood of more fishing trips with favorable conditions seemed slim at best for the remainder of the year. I did manage to land Top Bass of the day with a 2-13 on a Senko (watermelon) as well as a 1-10 on a Rapala DT 6 crankbait (parrot). Dad also posted a pair of record book entries with a 1-12 and a 1-11 on a Senko (black). Senkos caught most of our fish though we did have some success with crankbaits and a Mepps.

1-11 on a Senko wacky rig

1-12 on a Senko wacky rig

Stats

Date: October 17, 2006
Location: Lake Bracken – Knox County, IL
Time: 1:10pm-5:25pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 54F
Water Temp: 56F
Totals: 29 bass (Dad – 17, Troy – 12)
Lures: Senko wacky rig (watermelon or black) – 20 bass, Mepps – 4 bass, 4- crankbait (firetiger) – 2 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait – 1 bass, Rapala DT6 crankbait (parrot) – 1 bass, Blue Glimmer spinnerbait – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-13 (Troy – Senko)
Top 5 Weight: 8-15 (2-13,1-12,1-11,1-10,1-1)

3:57pm Top Bass at 19″ and 2-13 on a Senko wacky rig

A good day on the water even though I fell short in my search for the 29 bass needed to reach 2000. However, Friday Flashback isn’t quite done for the year. Just saying. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – September

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Still trying to play catch up with the fishing reports due to a combination of being busy with work and striving to get in my final fishing trips of the year. Today, we take another look at The Canal via the combined reports from September.

Jayce joined up on 9/6 but even two lures in the water only resulted in one total bass

Stats
Date: September 6, 18 & 25, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 5.50 hours total (2 mornings, one evening)
Weather: Sunny/breezy each day
Totals: 7 bass (9/6 – 1 bass, 9/18 – 3 bass, 9/25 – 3 bass)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (green pumpkin/white crème laminate) – 4 bass, Rebel Pop’R Zell Rowland Model – 2 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-1 (Pop’R)
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 8-14 (3-1,2-11,2-3,0-15)

Had to get new boots for my son, Jayce, same size as mine.

Notes and Nonsense

September 6 – For a change, I was able to convince some company to join me on a prowl as my oldest boy, Jayce, came along for a scenic bike ride. Unfortunately, a bit of exercise was what this trip was all about as we only got one bite. It was also too bad that it was my bite instead of Jayce’s but a quality fish at 2-3 on a Senko wacky rig.

A disappointing small bass day on 9/18

September 18 – A cool, pleasant mid-September morning would rank as one of my favorite times to fish. However, this morning was not one of the favorite times for the fish to bite. Two stops resulted in a disappointing haul of three small bass between eight and nine inches. Just one of those days that make no sense when you can’t figure out those fish.

September 25 at 6:30am, first cast bass at 2-11

September 25 at 6:34am, second cast bass at 3-1

September 25 – The bass redeemed themselves from the previous week as I had a couple early morning hours to get away. My first two casts resulted in two quality bass that totaled nearly six pounds (2-11 and 3-1). The cool thing was that the bass bit on an old topwater popper known as the Pop’R. It’s always rewarding when a plan comes together as in this case, I chose the lure as I wanted something that caused a commotion and stayed right in the bass’ face. The right lure at the right time got the job done.

Rebel Pop’R Zell Rowland Model, fun to put an old lure to work and land a couple good ones 

Some ups and downs on The Canal for the month but a few more quality catches added to the 2021 Hennepin haul. It’s been a fun few months of exploring and I hope to make a few more casts on the waterway before the fishing year ends. However, it is my understanding that the leaves on the water become a hindrance as they begin to fall. Only one way to find out. Talk to you later. Troy

Homer Lake Report – October 8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Work took me to North Carolina last week and required driving due to hauling a batch of equipment. I packed along a few fishing poles with the intent of hitting some eastern Illinois water on the way home. My choice was Homer Lake in Champaign County as it offered proximity to I-74 and a couple of hours of daylight.

Stats

Date: October 8, 2021
Location: Homer Lake – Champaign County, IL
Time: 5:15pm-6:45pm
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: 70sF
Water Temp: Not available
Totals: 2 bass
Lures: Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (red craw) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 10.5”
Top 5 Weight: none at 12” or better

6:16pm First bass, mission accomplished

Trip Tune
“Way Less Sad” – AJR (2021)
My “fishing trip” consisted of over 30 hours of driving, and I was in search of this song as I had no idea who sang it or what it was called. Just that I liked it and it gave me a sort of 70s vibe. Turns out that I wound up hearing it right before I got home, courtesy of a detour of several minutes due to road construction on my normal route through Colona. What are the odds? And speaking of odd, I had just queued up Supertramp’s “Take the Long Way Home” prior to encountering the construction and having to do just that. Even better was correctly identifying the 70s vibe as a sample from Simon and Garfunkel’s “My Little Town.” Overall, a cool ending to my weeklong journey.

 

Notes and Nonsense

Helpful Angler – I chatted with a young fisherman onsite who gave the fishery a thumbs up. When I told him that I was torn between a stop at Homer Lake versus a stop at Lake of the Woods near Mahomet, Illinois, he said that I made the right choice. He added that he’d been fishing Homer Lake for 19 years, so I figured that his recommendation carried some weight. However, I refrained from asking if he’d first fished it from a stroller as he looked to be about 20 years old.

Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait, a good shallow, warm water, riprap option

First Impression – I only explored a few hundred yards of bank in three spots but I must say that Homer Lake was rather appealing. To varying degrees, riprap lined the shoreline at and below the waterline. For my money, when only having a short time to try my luck on a new lake, I look for riprap. When pondering some casts on new water I always look to start on the dam as it likely contains some rock and will have some deep water along with a transition to shallower water along its ends. In addition to the rock, there were also several laydowns and stumps within casting distance along the areas that I fished. I like targets and they are even more appealing when I have a narrow window to fool a fish or two. No matter if everyone and their brother fishes such visible structure as I’ve never minded fishing “used” water.

Mission accomplished as I was able to land a pair of bass from the bank on some water I’d never previously seen. For me, that is a victory even if the quality weren’t much to brag about. However, I do have a couple more fishing reports on the way that do contain some quality catches. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

So, I hit Snakeden Hollow yesterday sitting at 19-1 for my Top 5 weight. Thus, I needed a boost of fifteen ounces to reach the 20-pound mark. That meant I would need a 4-4 bass to knock out the 3-5 that was the lightest in my creel. Well, believe it or not…

Weight: 4-4
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: October 10
Weather: Overcast/rainy/breezy
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Booyah Buzzbait (black)
Structure: Open water
Angler Comments: Several things fell into place to get this one in the boat. Brent and I waited out a storm and wound up at a different lake than I intended for my first casts. I was delayed after losing a boat cushion and had to walk back to retrieve, thus delaying my launch. I had just ditched my spinnerbait in favor of the buzzbait. I simply cast into the middle of a shallow bay not having any specific target. And what are the odds that the bass would weigh exactly 4-4? (See scale pick below, not pulling your leg or telling a fish story). Seems like it was just meant to be.
Top 5 Weight: 20-0 (4-10,4-4,4-3,3-9,3-6) culls a 3-5

Closing time nears for Snakeden Hollow so this trip will likely be my final visit of 2021. What better way to call it a year on the site? Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 9, 2016

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Well, here we go again, headed into the home stretch of fishing. Read on for the report from exactly five years ago today.

7:52am First bass and Top Bass at 2-6 on a crankbait

Originally posted 10-13-16

The arrival of Fall always brings a mix of fishing emotions. I suppose the romantic term for it is “bittersweet.” While hope surges with the remembrance of past successes no doubt aided by the bass strapping on the fall feedbag there is also the realization that my last casts of the year loom on the horizon. The kickoff to the 2016 home stretch as related in today’s report got off to a strong start but just never hit its stride. Respectable quantity but not the quality I foresaw after a solid first bite.

Stats
Date: October 9, 2016
Location: Knox County strip mines (4 public, 1 private)
Time: 7:50am-5:00pm (6.50 hours fishing, the rest walking/driving)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 51F-68F
Water Temp: 63F
Totals: 17 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw or sexy shad) – 13 bass, Strike King KVD 1.5 squarebill crankbait (pumpkinseed) – 2 bass, Terminator Spinnerbait (firetiger) with twin tail trailer (salt and pepper) – 1 bass, Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-6 (KVD squarebill crankbait)
Top 5 Weight: 7-9 (2-6,1-13,1-3,1-3,1-0)

Notes & Nonsense

High Hopes – So, after a 65-minute drive, I haul my boat several hundred yards to my first stop, get my gear in order, set up the tripod, shove off and commence to casting at 7:50am. Running my squarebill crankbait past a meager collection of brush just off the bank about forty feet from the “ramp” it gets nailed and the hookset lets me know it is a solid fish. It’s 7:52am and on what is probably cast number five of the morning, I bring aboard my first bass that registers at 2-6. A great start but little did I know that it would turn out to be Top Bass for the day. About an hour later I briefly had a comparable fish hooked on the Red Eye Shad but if it would have bested the first fish it would have been only by an ounce or two at best. However, I still had the entire day ahead of me so at that point I was not particularly concerned as visions of a lunker or two still danced in my head.

Half Hearted Hits – The vast majority of my bass came on the Red Eye Shad which I’m typically reeling at a rapid pace. Nearly every hit was coming at me meaning the fish would just knock some slack in the line as opposed to anything resembling a rod rattling strike. Several of the fish were also hooked on the outside of the mouth as if simply slashing at the bait instead of really going for the kill. Kind of unusual in my experience at this time of the year as fall feeding bass typically mean business. Glad I caught them regardless of the subtle strikes and would like to think that more than a few years of doing this thing added several bass to the ledger that I may not have hooked back in the day. (Note: I do count my catches that are hooked on the outside of the mouth although such catches would not count in some tournament situations, luckily, I’m not good enough to fish competitively.)

1:55pm Top Bass Runner-up 1-13 on a crankbait

Different Day – Stop number three was a lake that treated me quite well back on September 18 to the tune of twenty-three bass in just under three hours of casting (seven at 12 “or better and Top Bass 2-5). On this day it looked like The Dead Sea, and I moved on after 2 bass in 75 minutes with a 1-13 and a 1-3. Crazy thing is that it is not a particularly large lake with well over 75% being essentially unfishable this time of the year with extremely shallow, dense vegetation while a targeted bowl-shaped area makes up the rest of the lake. This bowl and some deeper pockets in a couple fingers produced all my fish on the previous trip but this time around I just couldn’t find them. Such is the game, and I am not ashamed to concede the victory to my quarry. Get ‘em next time, right?

Sounds like closing date is October 18 for 2021

Speaking of Next Time – Like many “Waterfowl/Goose Refuges,” a great deal of my water has now been rendered “off limits” for us anglers until the central goose season ends next February. Granted, I’ve got some other good water to fish and these days I can’t swing too many more fishing trips, but…Okay, so no crusade on my part despite losing out on some quality fishing days. After all, these refuges could use a few less geese anyhow, best of luck in putting a dent on the population.

And, so it goes, time is running short for another year on the water. Time flies when you are catching fish. And even when you aren’t these days. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Time is running out on access to the collection of lakes at Snakeden Hollow and my brother has made the most of his time to get away and take his shot.

Weight: 2-4
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 30
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 2-8
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 30
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 3-8
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 30
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 2-4
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: October 2
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 18-11 (4-7,4-0,4-0,3-8,2-12) culls 2-6

Don’t quote me on it as it seems that there is always some confusion on the final day of Snakeden access, but I am guessing October 18. If you try your luck before closing time, send those catches my way. And here’s hoping Brent gets back out and finds the needed ounces to push him to the 20-pound mark. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 27

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For quite a few years, I used to do a series similar to Bassmaster’s “Day on the Lake” where I would log the details of every fish caught by me and my fishing partner that day. I then shifted gears to a similar project that I called “Lake Lowdown”, and last year I missed compiling such a post altogether. Well, the concept returned on this trip to Lake Storey minus any sort of fancy name.

Stats

Date: September 27, 2021
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 6:35am-1:50pm
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 65-86F
Water Temp: 70F
Totals: 18 bass (Troy = 10 bass, Brent = 8 bass)
Lures: Emiquon Special Spinnerbait – 5 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 5 bass, Strike King Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 3 bass, Bomber Flat A crankbait – 3 bass, Berkley Havoc Pit Boss (green pumpkin) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-14 Pit Boss
Top 5 Weight: 8-13 (2-14,2-7,1-4,1-2,1-2)

The Starting Lineup for the morning

Chronology of the Catch – a slideshow below of every bass from #1 through #18

 

Notes and Nonsense

Picnic Fishing – While I do not condone vandalism, submerged picnic tables have been a winner on Lake Storey. Quite a few years ago, Dad reeled in several bass from one that has since been removed. However, there is one that remains hidden until the full extent of a drawdown is in effect. On this day, about six inches of the beams of the legs was visible and right on time, a bass that called it home took a liking to my spinnerbait.

Close Call – It has been quite a few years since we have hooked an “accident” with teeth. Lake Storey contains some quality walleye and a few muskies that are downright scary and occasionally, one takes a liking to our bass lures (truly, if it is in the water, they are kind of every species lures). Brent had a muskie strike near boatside and had it briefly hooked before it came undone. His estimate was upper 20s to low 30s in length and unfortunate that it let go as it is always a treat to get one in the boat.

Last trip a rock, this trip a sock

For My Next Trick – On the previous trip to Lake Storey in September, I somehow managed to “catch” a rock. It had me scratching my head as I reeled it in and we had a laugh once it was “landed.” This time around, I wound up reeling in a sock. Not quite as exciting as the fight was more like a leaf and not particularly heavy. Once again, we had a laugh and I mentioned to Brent that at least it didn’t have a foot in it. He agreed saying that it would cause undue hassle as there would likely be some paperwork involved with the authorities. Jokingly (sort of), I said perhaps I would be better off in such a case to just throw it back. We also landed some decent logs.

Best logs of the day, at least they didn’t claim any lures

Another enjoyable day fishing the fall drawdown and a decent haul in fooling a good batch of those wary Lake Storey bass. I am hoping to get one more shot at them before the year is done but time will tell. And time is also a factor in my efforts to post another “Prowl the Canal” update along with the latest Top 5 Update courtesy of Brent chasing Snakeden bass before the gates are locked in mid-October. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 1986

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Ah, yes, the good old Lake Bracken spillway back in the early days of access and carp chasing. We’ve been here before in Friday Flashback but there’s always plenty to write about when reminiscing.

For starters, these shots are from back in the thermal and flannel days. Not a bad fall look even today as far as my limited fashion sense goes. Practical for the cool fall days and a rustic, somewhat rugged look perfectly suited for outdoor adventure.

Throw in a Galesburg Silver Streak baseball cap and a wad of Red Man or Levi Garrett in the cheek for good measure (can you still say “Red Man” these days?). Yes, I guess once upon a time I thought I was a baseball player. Don’t know the last time I tried to hit or throw a baseball and grateful that I eventually kicked the chew habit sometime in the mid-90s.

As far as the catch, those carp were a blast in The Spillway although they could be kind of strange at times. Some days they were on fire, others it seemed like there was nobody home. Some days only one person caught them and other days several anglers got a piece of the action. I also don’t know how they replenished in that small pool as it did not appear that we were repeatedly catching the same fish. In fact, the specimens here are unique and look like what are called “mirror carp” as the scales are not uniform but rather irregular.

Fun pics for me to pull out of the album for a flashback but I wish I could recall who had tagged along to serve as the photographer. Likely, it was either my brother, Brent, or one of the Junk brothers (John or Mark) as we spent more than a few days down there trying to tempt those bugle mouths. But since the only pics from the outing are me, I would guess it wasn’t Brent as he generally outfishes me. The Junk brothers on the other hand…just kidding (sort of).

Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Closing time is nearing on the Knox County public strip mines so choosing a destination for last Sunday’s outing was not too hard. The tough part comes down to which spots to fish. Read on to see if I made the right decision.

Stats
Date: September 26, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits (6 lakes)
Time: 8:05am-12:30pm (3.25 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 53-80F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 14 bass, 1 green sunfish
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 10 bass, Strike King 2.5 Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 3-5 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 9-13 (3-5,2-8,1-8,1-5,1-3)

Trip Tune
“I Ain’t As Good As I Once Was” – Toby Keith (2005)
I heard this one on the radio on my way to the fishing holes. It hit the spot as I knew I had a workout waiting in my pursuit of some bites. Every year I ponder if it is still worth the effort and so far, the answer remains “Yes.”

Notes and Nonsense

A Nice Problem – Public access to the strip pits in Knox County offers up dozens of bodies of water to explore. Beginning close to 35 years ago, I made my first casts on what is now Snakeden Hollow’s Lake McMaster, which at the time was not open to the public. In the intervening years, I have covered a lot of ground and fished a lot of water. As such, it is tough to choose which batch of fishing holes to target for each trip as there are way too many to cover in one day.

 

The Selection – I chose an access where I could fish a half dozen spots. While it takes roughly ten minutes to reach my first destination, the others are then relatively close. However, it is some tough walking this time of the year as the terrestrial vegetation is some places is armpit deep and rather dense. I wound up fishing six bodies of water and landed a bass in all but the final stop. Three different lakes posted a bass in my Top 5 including one that I can’t recall fishing before. Even after many years of prowling, there’s always more to learn.

Once I finished my day on the water, I stopped by my folks’ house to visit and do a bit of prep work on Dad’s boat in advance of a Lake Storey trip. But that’s another story. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Three three-pounders this week including one from a new angler to the Top 5. The other pair from a not so new guy.

Weight: 3-13
Angler: Emerson Hannam
Date: September 26
Location: Private pond
Lure: Wacky rigged Senko
Top 5 Weight: 3-13 (3-13)

Weight: 3-1
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: September 25
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: Rebel Pop’R Zell Rowland Model
Structure: Open water
Angler Comments: This fish was the second quality fish in the first two casts I made at sunrise on the canal. It missed on the first strike but came back for a second chance as I resumed the retrieve after a brief pause.

Weight: 3-5
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: September 26
Weather: Sunny/windy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: War Eagle Spinnerbait (white chartreuse)
Structure: Weed edge
Angler Comments: It took some hiking through some high weeds but a fish like this one makes if worth the work.
Top 5 Weight:19-1 (4-10,4-3,3-9,3-6,3-5) culls a 3-4

Way to go, Emerson, and welcome aboard with a very impressive catch. It sure is tough to beat the Senko wacky rig.

Up next, I have a backlog of reports following a three-day weekend of fishing so stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy