Category: Fishing Holes

Burn Baby Burn

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, for starters, today’s title borrows a snip of lyrics from The Trammps hit “Disco Inferno” which reached #11 back in 1978. And, believe it or not, there will be another reference to this cut later this week. Seriously folks, you can’t get this sort of content anywhere else on the web, so stay tuned.

But first…

My initial 2018 visit to some public, walk-in Knox County, IL strip mines was a real eye opener and a sight for sore eyes that went a long way towards easing some sore legs. I’ve racked up a lot of miles (and a lot of bass) since 2013 when I began fishing this area and up until this year the terrain was dominated by a tangle of vegetation. In the Spring it consisted of the dead webbed over grass and thistles that hid the ruts and gullies and required a great deal of high stepping to avoid a tumble. Later in the year, it was grass taller than your head making for an exhausting wade from fishing hole to fishing hole.


So cool to see a landscape devoid of vegetation, a winning trip before I ever got a bite.

So, I can’t truly express how grateful I was to see a completely charred landscape spread out before me as I pulled into one of the parking lots a couple weeks ago. The best I can do to convey my gratitude is today’s collection of pics and a video regarding the first burn I have encountered at this particular stomping ground.

Trudged along this route in 2017 and swore I’d not do it again.  Also swore, like bad words and all, along with breaking a pole.  What a mess back then but a piece of cake now.

This was kind of fun as I could see my footprints in the soot after I descended this substantial spoilbank.  Would never have dreamed of taking this route in the past but likely saves over a mile of roundabout walking in navigating a cut that bisects the area.

This turtle was a casualty of the burn as were several young bunnies (skipped the pic on that one), couldn’t help but think of that old tortoise and hare tale, didn’t work out for either species.

Saw four of these residents as that old black soot had to heat things up a bit and get these critters moving.

A windy day on the burnt terrain sure made a mess of my tackleboxes.  And my eyes, and my sinuses, and my hands…

And my 50 year old legs that were sooty clear up above the knee.  Not near as sore as normal though so it’s all good.

Before I sign off, here’s one last bit of media from the GoPro that I found kind of fun to put together.

 

Many thanks to those who participated in the burn as I am ever so grateful for the ease of access it has afforded in 2018. Two trips encompassing 8.9 miles, 25,148 steps and 38 floors according to my Health App have produced 92 bass, and better yet, limited sore muscles. Talk to you later. Troy

So You Wanna Fish The Strip Mines? – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The follow-up to a similar themed posting from last week takes a further look at walk-in fishing as one of my public access stomping grounds. This time around I lean a little more heavily on visuals over words.

Below is where you start and out there off the road somewhere is where you fish.

These are another anglers footprints which means you are not off the beaten path far enough.

These are the type of prints I like to see in the undisturbed muck, another fish pursuer known as the great blue heron.

This is my print about six inches deep in the nasty strip pit mud, if you see it, I would say work this water hole over pretty good.

The cattail “path” is not a good option although less worse than the higher ground routes.

As this video demonstrates, there is no good path, everywhere looks about like this.

 

This is where you return at the IRAP strip mines east of Victoria, IL

Permit required, obtain online if you dare… http://dnr.illinois.gov/IRAP/ParticipantLogin.aspx

Why in the world would you actually want to try this?

Enough said. Talk to you later. Troy

So You Wanna Fish The Strip Mines?

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Tackling the public, walk/bike-in strip mines that I have long called my stomping grounds is an undertaking that will get you weighing the pros and cons of such a stunt. Well, I did it again last Saturday and not much has changed.

Nemesis – On a tip, my first stop was a spot where access had been made a bit more angler friendly via some bulldozing. The landscaping had indeed opened up some bank access but had also allowed an old enemy, poison ivy, to take over. Tough call, but the bass beckoned so I made sure to take a leak before entering the area and then tried not to drink too much the rest of the day and kept Nature’s call at bay. Yep, been there before and don’t want to go back again. So far, so good…

Topography – Very little about post-mining terrain left to Mother Nature is conducive to a leisurely walk in the park. I’ve often said that you need to be part mountain goat to scale some of the inclines or find suitable purchase for footing around the banks. In addition, the dense, scrubby vegetation does a really good job of concealing the multitude of ruts and gullies created by erosion on the damaged ground.

  

A couple eye level shots of the path ahead don’t really do justice to how dumb these stunts are.  But that glimpse of water has produced three bass over three pounds in a couple hours this year, so I dare to be stupid, yet again.

Terrestrial Vegetation – Dense vegetation as high as your head can make for some tough walking. In fact, at one location I had to actually turn around and backtrack as I was physically unable to wade through the tangle, pretty frustrating.

Shoreline Vegetation – On most lakes, the terrestrial vegetation grows right up to the edge of the water making for both tough footing and tough casting. Spinning rod and reel combos are quite beneficial in such spots as getting much of a backcast can be downright impossible. Creative casting techniques can be required and the spinning setup certainly offers more flexibility.

Backlash is what happens when you lose sight of limited area for your backcast in these confined shoreline spaces.

Aquatic Vegetation – Another source of frustration can be lakes that are rimmed with several feet of matted surface weeds which make it tough to work your baits through much open water. Paired with the terrain providing little visual access of your targeted body of water until you stumble upon it, this can provide for a wasted walk should you find your fishing hole too choked with weeds. Of course, there are topwater options to combat this scenario but tough casting, limited hookup percentage and losing bass in the salad are also drawbacks to consider.

Muck – It is nice when low water conditions do allow for a bit of bankside footholds. However, these footholds typically hold your feet with an odd mixture of sticky and foul smelling muck that is saturated strip mine ground. On this trip, there were several instances where I had to maneuver my feet around for a few seconds just to get loose from the sticky grip. I wish I had taken a couple pics but didn’t think of it at the time. The good thing is, that should I return I can probably get a photo of my original footprints or create some new ones. And it is unlikely that I should wonder if they are mine as I saw no other footprints in a pair of off the beaten path locations.

Being a stat guy, this is kinda neat but I try not to monitor it too much until I’m done, don’t really want to know how far I am from the truck.

Mileage – There are more than a few lakes or potholes that lie just off an interior road or adjacent to an area mowed down by site personnel. Those are nice and do have some bass but they just aren’t the ideal spots that I’m looking for when I set off on one of these adventures. Nope, too easy. Instead, I’m in search of areas with no footprints and no trash, a clear sign that nobody else is dumb enough to try it and the bass are dumb enough for even me to fool. Several of those spots on my latest outing helped to rack up over four miles of walking.

Don’t want to forget this injury known as “bass thumb”, a welcome malady for any bass chaser.

Injury – Every time I do this, several body parts come out a little worse for wear. This time around, both knees complained for a couple days when going down stairs (think it’s part of that mountain goat thing). Also jammed my back a little when the ground was a few inches lower than anticipated upon stepping into a concealed rut. The back was also a bit sore from lugging too much tackle but only myself to blame for that one and I can live with that. And it’s pretty much a given that there will be a spill along the way. A lone fall this time around but it was one of those prolonged tumbles that took several seconds as I foolishly fought gravity instead of just going with the flow. Fortunately, no lasting effects and I always laugh after making sure that I’m still in one piece, imaging an observer watching the spill as it progresses. Luckily, no one in their right mind would be anywhere near. Would be interesting though once I get the GoPro back in order. May have to turn off the sound though if I pass along a “highlight” clip to keep things family friendly.

The Reward – By the way, my right hand is gripping weeds and my right knee is planted in a pocket of the slope in order to keep from sliding down the incline to the water and my sticky footprints about ten feet below.

Conclusion – Little has changed with these landscapes, still a challenge and perhaps a little trickier the older I get. But I am pleased to say that one thing that has not changed is my mind as I plan on being back again before they close the gates. The allure of multiple fishing holes, solitude and unpressured bass still trump the challenges and sore body parts. Talk to you later. Troy

Lost Grove Lake – Info and Impressions

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here’s a further look at the young Iowa fishing hole that was featured in my fishing report earlier this week.

Location: Scott County, IA out in the middle of nowhere kinda between Eldridge and Princeton.

Details: 400 acres, maximum depth 62 feet, mean depth 14 feet

Background: Tough to decipher from the internet info but several news organizations marked the “public grand opening” as August 2014.  However, there are a number of fishing reports that predate the opening, occurring prior to the lake reaching full pool.

Maps: There are a number of links on the internet but I honestly don’t recall where I got my map and I haven’t been able to find it again during some brief searches.  In 2015 and 2016 when I attended the QCCA Outdoor Show at the QCCA Expo Center in Rock Island, IL there was a booth for Lost Grove with some good info and neat photos.  The event runs each February and is definitely worth a visit.

Access: Three boat ramps and several walk-in areas featuring bank fishing, carry in access, fishing piers and jetties.

Crowd: Plenty, as a cruise around the lots before heading home after my first two visits in 2016 showed the following tallies: 6/19 (Sunday morning) – 41 trailers and 49 other vehicles (bank anglers, kayaks, canoes) and 6/28 (Tuesday morning) – 32 trailers and 19 other vehicles. On my outing last week I saw at least a dozen boats in the section of lake where I tried my luck, no surprise on a very nice (although windy) weekend day.

Stocking: Iowa DNR page (http://www.iowadnr.gov/Fishing/Where-to-Fish/Lakes-Ponds-Reservoirs/LakeDetails/lakeCode/LGR82) has all the info dating back to 2006.

Early aerial shot of the lake as it began to fill

Water: My three trips to date have focused on the mid to lower end of the lake with water clarity running from relatively clear midlake (6-8’visibility) to stained on the lower end (about 2’ visibility).  Being a young lake it is also what I call “real messy” with an extensive collection of weeds and flooded brush.  I suppose as the lake ages this will improve but as of now there are substantial areas that are essentially unfishable, even from an 8’ johnboat, and definitely inaccessible from a more sizable watercraft.

Bass: My haul of 35 bass in 13.75 hours to date has only featured two fish at 12” or better, for what it’s worth or represents.  An encouraging sign on trip number two was sighting a fish in the four pound range that I spooked while rowing through a narrow shallow stretch.  In addition, the Heartland Outdoors website featured a 22” bass from April 2016 indicating that some brood stock were included beyond the reported 1.5” to 5.3” bass stocked over the last decade.  However, the Iowa DNR lake survey from October 2015 is dominated by 8-10” fish with the largest sampled being a lone 12-14” bass.  Sure makes me feel a little better about my field data.  The vast majority of my fish have come on weightless wacky rigged Senkos or buzzbaits around shallow (under 8’) weed or wood cover.  I have also tossed a spinnerbait to no avail albeit on a cold front day but sure figure it is suited to the cover.  As far as stuff I like to throw sporting treble hooks such as the Red Eye Shad or various crankbaits it looks to get kinda touchy and would give the lure retriever a workout.  It would also be a constant battle cleaning moss form the lure after most every cast.

Other Species: Still early in the game for me and for the lake and the only other population info I have is conversations overheard on the water or at the ramp.  Seems there are tons of smaller bluegill, so sounds good for youngsters if you are looking to get bit.  As far as crappie, I overheard a pair of bank fisherman commenting that while the species was cooperative it required weeding through a dozen or more 5-6” fish to get one in double digits (not sure on baits/lures).  Muskie, walleye and catfish, no clue and will likely only be able to provide any feedback via eavesdropping or bass fishing “accidents.”

Conclusion: Interesting place, a big fishing hole compared to my normal stomping grounds but a bit frustrating so far with the water/structure being kind of a mess on a young lake.  However, several anticipated future outings look to access a few more spots on the lake as I have to break it into manageable pieces when rowing around in a small johnboat, so the jury is still out.  In addition, a 25 minute drive also adds some appeal when compared to my other haunts (Mautino = 55 minutes, IRAP/Buffalo Pasture = 65 minutes, Snakeden = 70 minutes, Little John = 75 minutes).

Well, there’s my two cents via a bit of a longwinded fishing report but that’s how I roll.  Don’t know if it pertains to anyone out there but if so, I hope it provides something to build upon.  But if you do visit the area and have a head start on my limited on the water knowledge, feel free to provide some feedback either in the comments section, email or social media as I always dig reading fishing stuff.  Talk to you later.  Troy

 

 

 

Where

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I was born and raised in Galesburg, IL and lived there until the summer of 2014 when our family relocated to the Quad City area (Illinois side). I’ve been a local outdoorsman of West Central Illinois pretty much exclusively and foresee more of the same as my outdoor days move forward.

Despite the state of Illinois being real fouled up for quite some time, I’m still pleased with the fisheries management of my stomping grounds, the vast majority of which are public access.

Regular Spots

Little John Conservation Club – Knox County (private)
Snakeden Hollow State Fish & Wildlife Area – Knox County
IRAP – Knox County

Occasional Visits
Lake Storey – Knox County
Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area – Bureau County
Lost Grove Lake – Scott County, IA

Possibilities
Lake Carlton – Whiteside County
Lake George – Rock Island County
Hennepin Canal – multiple IL counties
Buffalo Pasture (actually Buffalo Prairie but like my name better) – Knox County
Johnson-Sauk Trail – Henry County

Past Regular Haunts
Lake Bracken – Knox County (private, fished 1980s-2008)
Emiquon Preserve – Fulton County (fished 2009-2013)
Pat’s Creek – Henderson County (fish and trap 1970’s-2012)

And while I’ve only rarely taken the time to fish big moving water, in a matter of minutes I can be casting on either the Mississippi or Rock River (from the bank as I don’t have a boat that can safely hang on these bodies of water).

With all of the options that I already have and the limited time I can get away, I feel little urge to wander too far from home and waste valuable fishing time and gas money behind the wheel of my truck. That’s not to say that I haven’t given it a try many years ago with visits to “exotic” destinations like Lake of the Ozarks, Table Rock Lake and Mark Twain Reservoir. However, with coves that were way larger than my entire local lakes, I was left a bit baffled, admittedly overwhelmed and honestly, a little intimidated.

As such, it is unlikely that I will wander too far from the lists above. Of course, I am always up for some suggestions on public waters within an hour of the Quad Cities that a wannabe bass fisherman or his bluegill fishing brood might find appealing (particularly on the Iowa side as I am not too familiar).

Back tomorrow with the next to the last piece of introductory postings. Talk to you later. Troy