Did I ever mention that Emiquon is a unique fishing hole?

Sure I did, nearly every time I wrote about it I referenced that fact. But it wasn’t only unique in regards to the phenomenal bass fishing. If you read the rules and regulations prior to hitting the water (as you always should), you found that it was also unique in different respects. Today’s pitfall explores one of those aspects.

Originally posted 8-19-10

As I worked my way through the list it made sense in my mind to have juice follow slime. But in this case, juice refers to the electricity needed to power a trolling motor. Most places I’ve fished over the years prior to encountering Emiquon rarely made me think twice about using up a battery. On farm ponds and strip pits I usually relied on a pair of oars anyway as it was often unnecessary and inconvenient to have to haul the extra gear. And when using Dad’s Bass Tracker on larger trolling motor only waters we typically have an extra battery, a spare trolling motor and the gas outboard in case of emergency.

Of course, the gas motor plan is out the window at Emiquon as they are not even allowed on your boat. On one outing last year we also discovered that our trolling motor was broken prior to launching which was frustrating at the time but really good timing in the big picture. That situation led us to routinely taking the repaired motor as a backup to the new motor that Dad purchased after a wild goose chase that day. In addition, we also take a spare battery.

The vast expanse of water can tempt you to wander a long way from the lone ramp. Throw in some wind and weeds and your setup can get a real workout. Thus it is important to make sure you have plenty of juice before setting out. I’ve seen several boats limping back to the ramp or even being towed and have worried at times that I was going to wind up in the same boat, so to speak. If all else fails, make sure to invest in a good set of oars in case you need to resort to manpower. However, by the end of a long day on the water I’ve often found that to be in short supply as well.

The next Pitfall is one of the major reasons you need a lot of juice. But before we get to that item we’ll take a break for another Top 5 Update so stop on by tomorrow for your fishing fix. Talk to you later. Troy

This pitfall isn’t necessarily exclusive to Emiquon and if you’ve put in enough time on the water, well, you’ll know exactly the guy I’m talking about.

Originally Posted 8-17-10

No, that’s not him in the picture above.

Actually it’s me.

The picture was just the best I had available to represent this nefarious character.

In reality there is no specific individual named Mr. Emiquon. He’s really a collective identity for the unsavory types who ruin things for the vast majority who play by the rules. I’ve used this sort of term for years and simply substitute the appropriate body of water so there’s also been a Mr. Storey, a Mr. Bracken or a Mr. Mississippi.

Sites have limits and regulations set by those with the background and knowledge required to effectively manage and protect the resource. Emiquon is no exception other than having more stringent rules and regulations than most other bodies of water. I’ve never had a problem with any such stipulations. In my opinion, if you are responsible and do your homework, the rules should come as no surprise so grin and bear it or go somewhere else. But I’m not a meat fisherman, rarely use livebait and grew up accustomed to on the water propulsion via a pair of oars. Thus the old school and arguably over protective approach at Emiquon doesn’t really bother me.

Mr. Emiquon, however, usually sees things differently while failing to recognize that he’s part of the problem in the first place. Perhaps you’ve run into him somewhere in your angling adventures. He’s the guy who thinks he owns the lake (hence the name) and that the rules don’t apply to him. At worst he can be a recipe for disaster (exotic species, overharvest or accidents) or at the very least a nuisance to others who respect their fellow anglers and the shared resource.

Dad and I crossed paths with a pair of the latter persuasion last fall as they cut right in front of us in order to fish the end of a ditch. Sure it’s open water to all but we’d been sitting on the spot for well over an hour and there’s plenty of other good water to fish down there. In fact, reports cite as much as 16 miles of drainage ditches running throughout the lakebed. Numerous areas on the lake were hotspots last year so the intrusion within 30 feet of our boat seemed totally unnecessary. We made several casts within splashing distance of their boat which was sitting right where we had been fishing but Mr. Emiquon and his buddy never batted an eye or even acknowledged our presence. Finally, Dad and I took the high road and found another spot; completely ridiculous.

Technically, I guess it doesn’t have to be male anglers as there certainly could also be a Mrs. Emiquon. On that general subject, I did encounter a pair of young ladies this June who could have been in the running for the Miss Emiquon title. I spotted this fit, bikini clad duo a couple hundred yards away as they enjoyed an afternoon of sunbathing and fishing. Unlike Mr. Emiquon they apparently had no desire to fish near the guy with the funny hat although I kept an eye out just in case. As such, I don’t have any photos to accompany this posting. I suppose that’s probably for the best as it saved me having to explain to Julie how exactly these images would enhance my Emiquon Top 10 list.

Absolute proof that you just never know who or what you’ll see during a fishing trip. Some you hope you don’t see again and a couple others, well…

Talk to you later. Troy

(Note: please bear in mind that the following series of posts were originally composed in 2010 thus some of the specifics may have evolved, either for better or for worse.)

Kicking off the Emiquon at 10 celebration is the following introductory post to a series that I wrote during the second summer of Emiquon’s public access.

Originally posted 8-13-10

While The Emiquon Preserve has only been open to the angling public since April 20, 2009 and I’ve paid a grand total of eight visits, the spot has left quite an impression. As a result, I’ve decided to resort to the oft employed writing staple known as a “Top 10 List.” Following this Friday the 13th introductory post I intend to run down a list of “Emiquon’s Potential Pitfalls” over the course of the next couple weeks while working around some of my recurring items. Unlike many Top 10 lists, however, there is no particular order beyond what made sense in my head (thus there will be no accompanying drum roll sound effect as we near number one).

But, first things first if you happen to be unfamiliar with this relatively new and certainly unique Illinois fishing hole. The area was once a fertile and ecologically diverse Illinois River backwater until drained and converted to agricultural ground in the 1920’s. The Nature Conservancy began acquiring ground in the early 2000’s and eventually the now isolated lakebed was once again allowed to fill. The lake was stocked with a variety of fish species including largemouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, bluegill, walleye and even record class pumpkinseed sunfish (but those stories belong to someone else).

Well, the area opened to rave reviews for largemouth bass and I was fortunate enough to get a piece of the action on several occasions.

But “just like every cowboy sings his sad, sad song, every rose has its thorn.”

Okay, while that’s the gist of the list I apologize for the bad Poison lyrics but sometimes I can’t help myself. If I haven’t lost you already, please stay tuned.

There you have it, the tease on what is coming your way over the next couple weeks worked in around Top 5 Updates, Friday Flashbacks and perhaps a fishing report if I’m lucky. Like usual, if you need a fishing fix stop on by. Talk to you later. Troy

Original log entry detailing the September Ponder’s Pond bass featured in the photo shoot below.

A May posting in the Friday Flashback series took a look at a spot called Ponder’s Pond (aka “The Ponderosa”) and we’re back again for another batch of memories.

Couldn’t resist creating my own fishing card mimicking the classic “In Action” series included in the 1972 Topps baseball set

Today’s post comes courtesy of a decent bass landed back in September of 1988 at the fishing hole which was a favorite spot for a group of fishing buddies. One of those buddies is a fellow by the name of Matt Reynolds (aka “Hacksaw” or “Hack”). He and I spent a fair amount of time prowling the pond in the late 80s which resulted in some solid catches and more than a few fish stories.

Hack was on the camera end for this catch and I’ve long been grateful to him for taking the time to shoot this series of “In Action” photos. To me it’s just kind of a cool glimpse of yesteryear, four images frozen in time as the catch comes aboard. Not so easy to do for a photographer back in the day shooting with some sort of basic camera in the days of film with no do overs or previews of your pics.

Plenty of other fun in the shot as well. Still got me a jean jacket all these years later and about time to bust it our again with fall on the horizon. Been many years since the flannel period and many baseball caps since my Knox College Siwash model. And throw in some old, bleach stained jeans with more than a few holes, luckily there was no dress code at the East End or Green Diamond taverns on the way home, actually fit right in.

Also included is a nostalgic glimpse of my old Berkley Lighting Rod spinning rig that caught many a fish before getting the tip shut in the trunk of a vehicle. One of my first two true bass fishing rods courtesy of a Berkley buy one get one free offer back in the mid-80s. Even remember purchasing it at Al’s Sporting Goods, a classic Galesburg, Illinois shop that is now long gone as well.

Boy, can you say “those were the days”? Talk to you later

“Woody” (read on for more details) posing with our bass fishing arsenal near one of his grandma’s ponds back in the early 90s.

Back in the 90s I had the good fortune of getting an opportunity to fish a handful of ponds at “Woody’s Grandma’s” down off the beaten path somewhere around the border of Illinois’ Hancock and Adams counties. More specifically, I guess, in the middle of nowhere amidst locales like Augusta, Bowen, LaPrairie and Golden. A place where grass grew in the middle of the two gravel tire tracks that were the road (technically probably a lane) and if it rained too much you were out of luck as the once dry creekbeds filled and flowed over the rural “highways.”

Got several tales from this area that likely will show up another day in a flashback so for today we’ll just take a look at who this “Woody” character is and how I wound up on the banks of his grandma’s fishing holes 25 years ago.

Scott “Woody” Woods and I would have first met sometime in the early 70s I suppose when our dads (Mike Woods and Terry Jackson) played more than a little fastpitch softball together. Under their influence, we each also took a liking to baseball and although we grew up playing ball in neighboring communities, our paths would cross again thanks to the sport.

1983 Galesburg Legion Post 285 – Woody on left, me on right, flanking Woody’s future Monmouth College teammate and one of my oldest buddies, Arnie Gonzalez.

Woody would star on some very successful Knoxville High School baseball teams in the early 80s while I was enjoying time covering various parts of the infield at Galesburg High School. Our local Legion Post 285 drew players from both schools so in 1983 Woody and I would have a chance to be teammates on the squad.

A fun clipping from 1986 of Woody and me in action as rivals at our shared position on the diamond.

Fast forward a few years later and we would find ourselves as dueling third baseman in the local college rivalry. Woody manned the hot corner for the Monmouth College Fighting Scots while I did the same for the Knox College Siwash. Definitely some heated competition as the teams have never really liked each other. Perhaps even worse than a Cubs-Cards feud, just on a smaller stage. Maybe more like the Hatfields and McCoys (a little less redneck though as that is where another division opponent, Illinois College, came into play, just kidding, sort of).

After putting our college baseball days behind us, Woody and I would wind up as co-workers for about ten years at a Galesburg, Illinois manufacturing plant, National Seal Company. And there it was, that Woody mentioned word of the good bass fishing at his grandma’s farm.

Oh yeah, a fish would be good for this post. August 1993 – Quality bass from one of “Woody’s Grandma’s Ponds” 

Fortunately, those Knox-Monmouth days were far enough behind us and I got a few invites to battle those bass.  And the one pictured above comes from 25 years ago this week, hard to believe how time flies.

Several others also grace the photo albums but those will have to be stories for another day, giving me yet another opportunity to take a walk down Memory Lane (in this case, grassy, only room for one truck and off the beaten path). Talk to you later. Troy