Been a while since a fishing report and likely going to be a whole lot longer until another new one as this November 4 outing is probably the 2017 finale. But what a year it was and perhaps will have to revisit it with a few recap postings as the 2018 kickoff nears. First things first though, as I set out last Saturday afternoon to meet my annual goal, a November bass before putting away the gear.

Last trip of 2017, over 30 years of rowing, many miles, many bass, many tales with this old companion

Stats
Date: November 4, 2017
Locations: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 2:40pm-5:55pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 48-51F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 3 bass
Lures:
1/4 oz. Rattling Jig (black/blue) with #11 pork frog (black) – 1 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-12 KVD 2.5 crankbait
Weight (2 bass at 12” or >): 2-10 (1-12,0-14)

3:52pm First Bass 12″ 0-14 Jig & Pig

Notes & Nonsense

Uplifted – A rainy day, a frustrating week of work, the general weight of getting by and the end of my fishing year in sight kind of had me in a surly mood as I readied my gear for an early afternoon departure. In fact, one my boys, Jayce, was really itching to go but conditions were just not favorable prompting me to comment to Julie that he was more enthused than I was. Not entirely true but just the mindset I was in. But as I cranked the truck and turned on my radio, an old 80s cut had me headed towards a better mood. Thanks, Larry Blackmon and Cameo, as “Word Up” kicked off a better mood as did a string of other tunes, a Top 10 list for another day.

So Close – It took me about 45 minutes to get the bite I was seeking. It came on a jig and pig worked around some overhanging bushes and it sure seemed like I had the monkey off my back as I swung the bass into the boat. However, it came unhitched en route and ended up back in the drink before I ever got a hold of it. Not a lunker by any stretch, maybe a pound, but I was sure disappointed and left wondering if I might have just missed my lone shot at the sought after November catch.

4:30pm Last Bass and Top Bass 15″ 1-12 KVD 2.5 Squarebill crankbait

Second Chance – Fortunately, I only had to cast for about twenty more minutes before another bass took a liking to my jig. Once again, no trophy but didn’t matter a bit to me as I had achieved my goal and the rest of the day would be icing on the cake. Two more bass joined the log over the next forty minutes before the day ended with an hour shutout on a second lake where I normally find some late season lipless crankbait success.

Had to shoot a final 2017 fishing farewell pic in the fading daylight

As I noted in the intro, I suspected that this trip would be the 2017 finale and a combination of responsibilities, work and less than ideal weather on the horizon pretty much seal the deal. But what a year it’s been for me with a personal best Top 5 haul that started off back on March 4 with a 6-2 for my very first bass of the year. Not surprisingly, I never found another to exceed that mark but did fool a couple within shouting distance. No complaints here, never are, as it’s always a treat to get on the water and try and figure them out. Hope to have some more fishing stuff and various other postings throughout the “off season” so stop by to fend off some Cabin Fever. Talk to you later. Troy

Public strip mine fishing access is fading fast at my stomping grounds in favor of the waterfowl so had to get some casting in before me and my fellow anglers get cast aside.

7:39am First bass 14″ 1-7 Chatterbait

Stats
Date: October 8, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 public, 1 private lake)
Time: 7:35am-2:20pm (4.25 hours fishing, the rest walking or driving)
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 50-76F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 16 bass
Lures:
Swim Jig with hammertail trailer – 4 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (rainbow) – 3 bass
Stanley Vibra Shaft spinnerbait (blue glimmer) – 3 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait (salt & pepper) – 1 bass
Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke) – 1 bass
Rapala Shadow Rap (blue back herring) – 1 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-2 Blue Glimmer spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-2 (2-2,1-12,1-9,1-7,1-4)

A real Smorgasbord with my 16 bass coming on these 8 different baits, lots of one and done, a rather odd performance from the bass

Notes & Nonsense

Good Start – It took only four minutes on my first lake to get on the board with a 1-7 which was followed up twelve minutes later with a solid 2-2. An encouraging start on a lake that had produced three keepers including a 3-8 a month earlier in only 30 minutes of casting. My aim was to invest a little more time and have a closer look so it was cool that my first two bass were quality and the second was bigger than the first. I was hoping that sort of trend would continue but it did not pan out in terms of size although eleven bass in two hours was a darn good success rate.

7:51am Top Bass 16″ 2-2 Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

8:54am 13″ 1-4 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Top 5 – Of those first eleven bass, seven came in at 12” or better and five of those would make up my Top 5 for the day. Sure thought I would be on my way to double digits and beyond with two bass at 3-9 in less than 15 minutes of casting. As it turned out, my first two hours on the water resulted in my Top 5 and I spent the next two hours failing to catch a fish meeting the 12” mark.

Wasted Walk – I fished a spot in September that I hadn’t visited for many years and caught a couple bass while prowling a limited stretch of accessible bank. On this trip I took a second shot at the lake while fishing from my little johnboat and never had a single bite. Very disappointing to say the least as I really had high hopes on this lake as I cannot see it receiving much pressure due to a somewhat remote locale and only a few spots offering decent bank access. Turned out to be a lot of work for nothing, literally.

8:58am 15″ 1-12 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

9:22am 14″ 1-9 Swim Jig

Smorgasbord – It was really a kind of strange day as I could never truly get anything going in terms of getting a lure or two dialed in as my sixteen bass came on eight different lures. In fact, my first four bass all came on different baits over the course of 45 minutes on the water. The first on a chatterbait, then nothing further. Switched up to the Blue Glimmer and hooked up right away, then nothing. Same scenario with a KVD Rattling Squarebill followed by a Shadow Rap and then another lull. I then found three on the 1- and was about to relocate when I happened upon a swim jig bite for four more before the lake shut down altogether. The variety was fun but also a little frustrating as I just couldn’t find a consistent and lasting winner.

First Swim Jig bass of 2017, one of my earlier resolutions accomplished

Are you kidding me? The old Blue Glimmer spinnerbait I’d just brought back into the starting lineup bites the dust.

Lure Highs and Lows – I would say that the highpoint of my outing was fooling several on the swim jig. This neglected lure was on the list to throw in 2017 but I had never gotten around to it and really kind of tied it on as a whim to simply try and fool at least one. Wound up with four in about twenty minutes including one of my Top 5. The lowlight would be busting off the top blade on the recently resurrected Blue Glimmer spinnerbait while reeling in a short bass near the end of my day. Crazy, as I had just posted a bit about the return of this bait, opening it from a package I’d had sitting around for better than fifteen years. I’d never busted a blade off in all the years I fished these things but here in 2017, after less than a dozen catches, it was broke.

So, it’s getting to be that time where thoughts of that “last bass” begin to enter my mind. My goal every year is to start with a March bass and end with a November bass. Well, the shot at that latter bookend is only three weeks away. I am not sure what lies in store for the next month or better as much depends on weather and responsibilities but I hope to get in at least a couple more days on the water before I call it quits for 2017. As always, I’ll keep you posted. Talk to you later. Troy

In an effort to get a fishing fix, I like to do the weekend pre-dawn lake arrival at Lost Grove Lake. Only about a 25 minute drive from home it sets up nicely for a few hours on the water while the kids hopefully sleep in a bit and give Julie a little peace. Not so much this time around as she texted me on my drive to inform that our youngest, Zac, was already up and rearing to go. Best laid plans foiled but too late to turn back.

Stats
Date: September 30, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake – Scott County, IA
Time: 6:25am-9:25am
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 45-58F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 9 bass
Lures:
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (bleeding shad) – 3 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (crystal grey ghost) – 2 bass
Top 5 Weight: 2-14 (1-15,0-15)

Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (crystal grey ghost) lead off with the first bass of the day (see below)

6:43am Short fish but shutout averted and definite room for improvement

Notes & Nonsense

Bad Aim – My first bass came on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait and was on the small side so I swung it into the boat, sat my pole aside and began my regular routine of unhooking, measuring and releasing. As I turned to place the fish back into the lake, I spied the last eye of my pole sticking above the surface of the water. Apparently, I missed the boat when sitting my pole aside and dropped it overboard instead. Fortunately, the area was very shallow and time will tell if there are any lasting effects in the waterlogged reel. One positive side note was that the water was much warmer than the 45 degree air temperature so it was actually kind of pleasant holding a warm handle and reel with my rather numb fingers.

7:30am Top Bass 16″ 1-15 Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad), my second largest at the site, trailing a 2-3

First Cast Bass – One item in a Bass Pro Shops order received a few days prior was a Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait in the sexy shad color. On this day I substituted it for the natural pumpkinseed pattern that normally resides in my starting lineup for Lost Grove. About 30 minutes into the trip, I reached an area where the squarebill has been effective so it was time for the sexy shad debut. My first cast with the lure was a bit errant and a little closer to some shallow weeds than I’d intended prompting me to say aloud, “Dang, too close.” Luckily, it did not hang in the weeds and about three cranks of the reel handle later my Top Bass of the trip proved me wrong. Always cool when a lure change produces immediate positive results; makes for a good fish story and makes you feel like you know what you’re doing (even with a less than pinpoint cast).

7:52am the other “keeper” 13″ 0-15 Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad)

Continued Success – The initial success of the sexy shad squarebill was not it’s only highlight of the day. I also employed it while working over the dropoff adjacent to an appealing piece of shallow structure. From a topo map I have, I was aware of some manmade structure placed in the general area but running without a depthfinder can make for some trial and error in locating such fish attractors. Back to back casts in the suspected area each produced a bass and a third one came onboard about five minutes later. Not sure if I found the structures or not and really kind of hope I didn’t as this would be a bonus spot instead. Perhaps at a later date I can determine the answer if/when I get another portable depthfinder (last one fell in a puddle in the bottom of the boat and was ruined last year).

Topwater bite still hanging in there with Booyah Buzz Buzzbait with new bleeding shad pattern skirt

Buzzbait Bite – As the weather cools, my buzzbait bite will inevitably fade to the point where I will put it away in favor of other presentations. But not quite ready to call it a year on the buzzer quite yet as it was still going strong with three more bass to round out my day. Nothing big but there’s always that potential and that’s what will keep me casting these baits for as long as the bass will provide some positive feedback.

Another solid day for me on Lost Grove and will say that it has been a fun second year of exploring the spot. I have learned a fair amount about the area along with landing some better quality fish who seem to be growing up on the young lake in good fashion. Time will tell if I get back out there again this year as the days are getting shorter thus eliminating the post workday window. In addition, the available days to get on the water are also diminishing and as a result I may take the shots I have remaining on bodies of water with better “trophy” potential.

Lake Storey report to come and hopefully some other fishing stuff as time permits. Talk to you later. Troy

The Fall drawdown on my lifelong “home” lake and fishing with my brother, Brent, meant it was gonna be a good day whether the fish were biting or not. And after a bit of a slow start, they sure were.

Stats
Date: September 17, 2017
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 6:45am-1:30pm
Weather: Overcast to sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 72-76F
Water Temp: 75-76F
Totals: 27 bass, 1 muskie (Troy – 18 bass, 1 muskie Brent – 9 bass)
Lures (Troy)
Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (Tennessee Shad) – 15 bass, 1 muskie
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (chartreuse shad) – 2 bass
Terminator Spinnerbait (firetiger) – 1 bass
Lures (Brent)
Mann’s Baby 1- (red/yellow) – 5 bass
Spinnerbait (white or brown/orange) – 4 bass
Top 5 Weight (combined): 8-3 (2-9,1-11,1-6,1-5,1-4)

10:02am 12.5″ 1-4 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Notes & Nonsense

Slow Start, Strong Finish
6:45am-9:19am = 4 bass
9:20am-10:55am = 13 bass, 1 muskie
10:56am-11:56am = 2 bass (back to back casts)
11:57am-1:30pm = 8 bass

10:11am 14″ 1-6 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

The Spots – Several reliable spots proved tough over the course of the day with only 4 bass coming on about eight targets ranging from specific pieces of structure to lengthy stretches of bank. However, one other stretch that can waver in terms of consistency turned out to be the big winner. A couple scattered bites got our attention followed up by a lure change after a lull and we were onto the bite we were after. We worked the area over thoroughly and the reward was 13 bass and a muskie in an hour and a half, all of them on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait.

9:47am Muskie “accident” 29″ Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Close Quarters – Just prior to the Baby 1- bass flurry I landed a muskie that hit the same lure right next to the boat. It suddenly appeared in the stained water as I was ending my retrieve with maybe ten feet of line beyond my rod tip. As quick as the strike occurred it is still interesting how things kind of happen in slow motion for that split second. In this case, I was able to recognize what was going down, set the hook, get my thumb in gear to put my baitcaster in free spool while also maintaining enough pressure to avoid a backlash and let the fish run long enough to give me some more room to have some control. A solid job on the net from Brent and we had a bonus species in the boat. At 29”, not a trophy by any stretch, but always cool and really kind of lucky as if it were much bigger it may have jerked the rod right out of my hand or likely broke me off on the strike.

11:21am 17″ 2-9 Emiquon Special spinnerbait (note the back injury on this fish)

11:23am 14″ 1-11 Emiquon Special spinnerbait

Emiquon Special – Brent’s legendary spinnerbait (another story) added yet another tale to its exploits. Originally casting a white spinnerbait, Brent got snagged on some brush and I employed my lure retriever to rescue the lure. I told him I was not responsible for any abrasions on his line after the save and unbeknownst to me he elected to retie but switched to the legend. Next thing I know, he’s reeling in our Top Bass (2-9) from a log on the very first cast. We were still laughing at the good fortune when his second cast with the bait produced our Top 5 runner-up at 1-11 from the same spot. While he would only land one more bass on the lure the rest of the day, the back to back bass made for a story that will certainly be told each time we cast to that log in the future.

Winning Lures – Emiquon Special and Mann’s Baby 1- 

Prediction vs. Results – During a visit the previous day with my brother-in-law, I mentioned the upcoming Lake Storey outing noting that a six or eight bass day would be a reasonable outcome as those bass can be a bit hard to fool at times. Our haul of 27 definitely shattered that prediction but every once in a while you get it right. The mid-morning flurry certainly beefed up our totals but the back to back bass and three others in four minutes off of a solid piece of structure were also quite rewarding.

12:15pm 13″ 1-5 Emiquon Special spinnerbait

Nothing trophy size given up by our old friend this time around but wouldn’t change a thing about our visit. Plain and simple, the bass here aren’t real easy to fool. Even after close to 35 years on the chase, I still get a charge out of fooling any of them regardless of size. For my money, there is more of a sense of accomplishment when landing these fish than anywhere else I make my casts. Talk to you later. Troy

Five years ago today on the water produced the following fish story, selfishly one of my favorites. As such I can’t resist going back in time today with a revisit of the original blog posting from 2012.

It was the worst of times; it was the best of times.

First things first before any lit teachers, scholars or aficionados elect to point out any perceived potential incongruity between my title and tease. I do indeed know that my title borrows from Dickens (A Tale of Two Cities) while my tease reworks some Tolstoy (War and Peace). I just thought that they were both well suited for what’s headed your way today. And while I know enough to be dangerous about each book, I will fully admit that I have read neither novel, nor do I have any desire to read them in the future. Okay, enough education/trivia/nonsense, on to my own classic tale, a literal, not figurative, fish story.

The One That Got Away – If you happened to catch my Lake Storey Report entry last Thursday, you are aware that I lost the biggest muskie me and my brother, Brent, had ever battled. Right around lunchtime the fish hit a Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill crankbait about three cranks into a retrieve in maybe three feet of water. The first thing my brain processed was that I’d snagged a big old carp until the fish surfaced and more than got our attention. I fought the biggest muskie we’d ever seen for several minutes with Brent having to duck my line and me walking from front to back to front to middle of the boat as the beast made line striping runs and one spectacular water clearing leap while giving my six foot rod spooled with twelve pound monofilament all it could handle. Following the leap the fish was actually headed away from us with the line wrapped around its body and coming out from beneath a thrashing tail. Somehow it rolled or turned and everything got back to some semblance of normal and the still excitable fish came boatside. I mistakenly advised my net man to hold off on attempting a dip as the fish certainly exceeded the normal size of catch for our tool. Bad, bad move on my part as a subsequent headshake must have been just enough to cut the line and our fish was gone. I was pretty bummed but occasionally able to still cling to the hope that something good was still to come.

Moral Victory – I tried not to beat myself up too bad but told Brent that it was difficult to quell the sick feeling that kept cropping up in my stomach for the next couple hours (the scenario still plays out in my mind). I was proud though upon asking him if I swore after losing the fish and he said he didn’t think so; I didn’t think so either but it was all kind of a blur. I’m not really a profanity fan but would certainly excuse a spate of colorful language from a fellow (or even a lady) under the circumstances and would not pass judgment. I was also proud that I kept my composure in light of the fact that we had an audience of five within earshot including a little guy who had come down near water’s edge from a nearby walking path with his parents. And not that there’s anything wrong with tears, but I also didn’t cry; wanted to, but toughed it out.

Karma –At one point I pondered aloud to Brent about karma and what the fishing gods might have in store for the rest of our day. As we kept moving and casting, I offered that I would take a six pound bass to soothe the punch in the gut of the lost fish. Brent responded, “That’s right, you’ve never caught a six pounder” in recalling that my personal best jumps from a 5-15 runner up to a 7-3 Top Bass. I also reminded him that he’d only barely joined the six pound club (in a good way) with his Top Bass of 6-15.

Ah yes, the old fish stories, a little good natured ribbing and the next cast all help to facilitate the healing process. I was far from over it, but could feel tinges of the way that time does its thing. Sure there’s a whole list of things in my life that are a lot more important than some feisty, powerful, toothy, four foot fish but it sure would’ve made a sweet picture before it was released to maybe get fooled again someday (when it grew up a little bit).

Now, I don’t know what I deserve or what I don’t, if anything at all. But I play by the rules, respect the hobby and the quarry and relish the time on the water when flying solo or joining forces with fishing partners young and not so young. It’s hard not to sound overly dramatic but I’ve been around for forty five years and that fish literally represented the fish of a lifetime. I’m pretty sure that more than a few fellow anglers can relate; a tough pill to swallow that could really ruin your day, you’ve got to just keep casting and that’s what we did.

Second Chance – Not more than a couple casts after lamenting to Brent that the big old muskie sure would’ve made a nice blog picture, my Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait stopped dead in a spot featuring a small stump and a couple fallen trees in about four foot of water. I hollered to Brent, “Got a second chance!” while also adding, “If he gets anywhere near the boat take a shot and if we get him, we get it, if we don’t, we don’t.” Well, the muskie wasn’t listening initially as he made a run under the boat prompting me to dunk my rod in the water to keep the line from hitting the underside. I could actually hear the fish splashing on the surface on the opposite side of the boat, behind me, but didn’t dare look as I was concentrating on the rod, waiting for the fish to move and hoping it was towards my end of the boat and deep enough to stay out of the trolling motor. The muskie cooperated on both accounts, came within reach and Brent did an excellent job of putting him in the net. I’m far from Mr. Excitement but let out an involuntary, excited and relieved, “Yes!!!” and did some kind of double fist pump that would have perhaps even impressed some of today’s exceedingly celebratory athletes. As Brent shot a few quick photos prior to the release I commented that I hoped they worked out alright as I was shaking. Looks like me, the photographer and the fish all did just fine with the latter leaving my release, swimming back into the stained water and fading from sight.

Date: September 16, 2012
Location: Lake Storey (no further specifics on either fish, sorry)
Time: 2:31pm
Lure: Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait (snow white)
Length: 43” (originally thought 44.5” until reviewing photos, hey I was excited)
Weight: 19 pounds 8 ounces
Perhaps my most important detail: Released (voluntarily, unlike his counterpart)

Well, there you have it, maybe a bit longwinded but nowhere near the Dickens novel or Tolstoy tome referenced above. Try as we may, “the one that got away” is a recurring fishing staple for those of us who have invested our time and effort in pursuing this wonderful hobby. I’m sure we’ve all been there; you get over it, move on, find another one that doesn’t “get away”, life gets better and the old fish story is retold with a little less heartbreak as time and tales go by. I’m a very pleased to have the photos and memories of a new personal best muskie yet can’t help but wonder…For in true “one that got away” fashion, Brent mentioned, “I think the other one was bigger.” Of course, I think so too.”

As dedicated anglers know, a full day of fishing may only be punctuated by a few scattered batches of catching (and nearly catching). But within those few minutes can lie a tale to last a lifetime. Talk to you later. Troy