“Words are weapons sharper than knives…”

Devil Inside – INXS (1988)

Texting our realtime results from the field – April 21, 2018

Ah yes, the wonderful world of technology and its effect on my hobby.

Plenty of things that we take for granted never even entered my mind back when I started chasing bass in the 1980s.

Blogging for instance, or even the internet for that matter. Heck, I had to wait for the October 1984 issue of Bassmaster to find out that Rick Clunn had captured his third Bassmaster Classic title in mid-August of that year . Nowadays, in a couple weeks I’ll be able to track near realtime catch and weight data, read up to the minute blogs and watch the live daily weigh-ins from the Bassmaster Classic on the computer in my living room.

Or better yet, on my phone, from anywhere.

Which brings me to today’s Blog Banner picture which is actually a screenshot.

So, my brother, Brent, and I are roaming around some Knox County strip mines last April doing a pretty good number on the bass. Well, as he lands a few good ones I fire away with the camera which is actually part of a phone these days. And it’s not good enough to simply store the pics on the phone which boasts a storage capacity that was unheard of on personal computers not too awfully long ago. Nope, you’ve also gotta boast a bit to the fans at home. Instant feedback via texting rather than having to take your film in for processing before it can find a home on the local baitshop counter or bragboard.

Instant feedback indeed in sending a note and picture from the middle of nowhere to Mom, Dad and Julie to keep them up to speed on our results. I’ve gotta say that while sometimes I have about all the tech I can take, the ability to send out on the spot fishing updates is still pretty cool.

For this outing, Brent’s 2-12 would stand as Top Bass, besting my best bass by exactly one pound. Looking back I have to laugh at Julie’s response of “Where’s yours?” as it confirmed that I was once again getting outfished by my younger brother. My reply of “Stay tuned” conveyed that I still had high hopes but in the end I couldn’t effectively provide her with a suitable text and pic reply.

Sometimes the whole instant feedback thing can be double edged sword. Talk to you later. Troy

“Life, so they say, is but a game and we let it slip away.”

We May Never Pass This Way Again – Seals & Crofts (1973)

End of the line with a gaunt bass from a dying Knox County, IL public strip pit – July 30, 2017

Back in 2006 I wandered well of the beaten path at some public strip mines and found a few bass in a secluded lake partially surrounded by a grove of locust trees. Since it didn’t have a name on a map, I christened it Locust Lake.

For the next several years I made a handful of visits and even managed to portage a boat into the spot on a couple occasions. It was a decent fishing hole in terms of numbers and worth the effort to reach. However, I could never find any heavy bass that I suspected called it home. Closest I got was a big bite that busted off my Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait one afternoon but I never got a look at the fish. But I’ve done this long enough to know that not only was it a good fish but also that it could be as big as the story I chose to tell.

Fast forward to the summer of 2017 and I finally got my look at what might have been on my line, actually several examples. All floating on the surface as I crested the rise that effectively hides the lake. The collection of dead fish, including several bass in the four pound range, was an unfortunate explanation for the foul stench that permeated the air during my approach.

Having put forth the effort to haul in my little boat, I decided to give it a go for old time’s sake to see if I could find any survivors. The picture above from the Blog Banner was one of three bass that came aboard in a couple hours of rowing around the rotting fishing hole. It measured 17.5” and tipped the scales at a sickly weight of only 1-13. I was surprised it even had enough left in the tank to bite and I remember at the time thinking that I didn’t really even want to lip it as it looked almost infectious.

Truly a sad end to the remote body of water and even more disheartening when observing those quality floating bass on its surface. I guess at least it confirmed my suspicions of some decent fish. Sure wish they would have been on the end of my line instead of at the end of the line. Talk to you later. Troy

“Not only good lookin’, the girl was so smart, can’t beat her cookin’…”

Use Ta Be My Girl – The O’Jays (1978)

(Note: Always dug this tune and those lines apply to my wife, Julie. Don’t be misled by the title though as she is still my girl.)

Camping fare fave, taco in a bag/bowl – July 14, 2017

What’s a guy look for in a wife?

I guess part of my checklist in terms of outdoor appeal went something like this:

Does she like to fish? Check

Can she set up a tent? Check

Is she okay sleeping in that tent? Check

Is she good with being the one to open gates on occasion? Check

Can she start a campfire? Check

Can she cook without a kitchen? Check

Yep, I got a good one in Julie, all icing on the cake after that stuff I suppose.

And beyond the goods for taco in a bowl/bag as shown above, she also sets us up with camping grub like breakfast in a bag, pizza pockets and omelet in a baggie. Sure beats my old school bachelor camping fare of hot dogs, sandwiches and little chocolate donuts.

We make a good team as her efforts allow me to take the lead on some of the other important camping stuff.

Fishing poles? Check

Tackleboxes? Check

Waxworms? Check

And so on…

Talk to you later. Troy

“When I step out I’m gonna do you in…”

Sharp Dressed Man – ZZ Top (1983)

Looking to battle some bass – July 22, 2017

Last weekend I went to the QCCA Outdoor Show up here in the Quad Cities. While attending, I took in a pair of seminars including one presented by a fellow named Jim Crowley of Hook & Hunt TV.com entitled “3 Rigs for More and Bigger Bass.” It was an entertaining and informative presentation with the three standard items that I typically take away from such talks.

1. Most importantly, I learned some new stuff. You can’t help but do so when listening to and observing folks who not only know their craft but also know how to convey it.

2. It’s always cool to get some reinforcement that I’m doing something right when I can nod my head along with what the presenter is laying down.

3. Inevitably there is advice or refinements passed along that ain’t gonna happen because I am either too old, too stubborn or too broke. Should I know better in many cases? Absolutely, but I’m in tune with most of what I do and how I do it.

Specifically, one of the comments that stuck with me from Jim Crowley’s seminar revolved around an angler also being a hunter. Technically, I do not hunt if we are talking traditional firearm or bow pursuits but as a fisherman I am sure employing many of the same strategies as I look to cross paths with my quarry. Good point, makes sense and never really thought of it that way before.

Good thing is though, as a fisherman you don’t have to invest in head to toe camo, face paint, hunting boots, a Ghillie suit, scent blockers and so on. Sure, there’s something to be said about a bit of stealth in bass fishing but me and some of the bass population that I chase have become well acquainted over the years.

They know me, I know them, we both do our thing and let the best species win.

So in terms of the attire in today’s pic, nothing too fancy, it’s just me. Floppy hat Version 2.0 dates back to 2009 and those tennis shoes and shorts will make another appearance later this year in a Friday Flashback post from 2009 as well. I am a creature of habit and as frugal as can be; if it ain’t darn near utterly destroyed don’t throw it out. The GoPro, however, is a recent addition but it was a much appreciated gift as detailed in an earlier Blog Banner post.

I will let you in on one secret though when it comes to appearance and bass fishing. A secret that I have been working on and experimenting with for probably close to 35 years.

You see that beard?

Well, I figure that a lot of those bass below the surface are looking up towards many of the presentations in my normal repertoire such as buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, lipless cranks and wacky rigs. So, by continuously enhancing the gray in the beard it blends in well with any sort of cloud cover thus boosting the odds that my presence will go undetected. I will also add that the floppy hat is a must on sunnier days as it eliminates any glare from a steadily evolving thinning hairline (guess that’s two secrets).

Folks, this is free stuff here but I am available for outdoor show seminars and can be reached at the email address or Facebook link at the top of the page. I’ll pretty much be here every night too as this Blog Banner series unfurls.

Talk to you later. Troy