Category: Fishing Reports

Mautino Report – July 3

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area re-opened last summer after many years of significantly limited access due to much needed interior road repairs. While I didn’t manage to get over there last fall, this past weekend presented a few open evening hours and I decided to give the site a look. I had not fished the area for five years and had high hopes that I would encounter some solid, uneducated bass.

Stats
Date: July 3
Location: Mautino State Fish & Wildlife Area – Bureau County
Time: 6:15pm-8:45pm
Weather: Sunny/breezy to calm
Air Temp: 81F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 9 bass (2 lakes)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors) – 4 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (salt and pepper) – 2 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 0-14 (Buzzbait)
Top 5 Weight (only 1 bass at 12” or better): 0-14

6:21pm – First bass, hoping they’d get bigger, didn’t really happen

Notes and Nonsense

Anticipation – On my last three visits prior to the closure of nearly the whole site back in 2016, I managed a decent Top 5 collection that pushed 13 pounds. Thus, my anticipation was riding high on the ride to the fishing holes. After all, a lot of the fish had not seen many lures over the last five years. Well, the larger fish weren’t quite as dumb as I’d hoped as my lone “keeper” was a 13.5” bass on a buzzbait.

Changes – Of the two lakes that I opted to fish, one was much murkier than the “old days” while the other remained just as murky as it always was. A few other waters were observed from the road and seemed to be the same as I recalled in terms of clarity and aquatic vegetation. I spotted several bank anglers, three trailers at three different lakes and a pair of kayakers on a spot with a rudimentary ramp. The latter approach is certainly a change as those personal watercrafts have really taken off in the last several years.

8:19pm – Last bass of the evening was Top Bass at 13.5″ and 0-14, a tough outing

Stocking – My hopes were that during the downtime in fishing access that fish stocking would continue or perhaps kick up a notch on the site. In checking the IDNR info, it looks like a modest stocking program occurred during the site closure but nothing that really seemed to give the site much of a boost, particularly in terms of my favorite pursuit, the largemouth bass.

So much for my triumphant return to a couple of Mautino’s fishing holes. I’ll chalk it up to the dog days of summer getting an early start as the weather conditions were quite balmy. In addition, a small sample of a few hours on the water may say more about the fisherman than the fish. Perhaps I’ll be back for a second chance in the fall to see if we get along better.

Time will tell. But, hey, the roads are nice. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – June 25 & July 2

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The past week found me on the Hennepin Canal on two occasions as my fishing exploration of the historic corridor continues. Both locales were spots I’d seen previously while on bike rides, but those trips had not seen me wet a line. On the latest trips it was time to bring along the fishing gear to see what would happen.

Stats
Date: June 25 and July 2, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 6/25 (7:35-8:50pm), 7/2 (7:40pm-8:55pm)
Weather: Sunny to partly cloudy/calm both days
Air Temp: Mid-80s
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 8 bass (3 bass on 6/25 and 5 bass on 7/2)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 3 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- (rainbow) – 3 bass, Strike King Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-13 (Senko on 7/2)
Top 5 Weight (only 4 bass at 12” or better): 6-14 (2-13,1-11,1-9,0-13)

June 25 at 7:35pm – best I could muster, courtesy of a Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Notes and Nonsense

June 25 – The first stop had a modest amount of open water which can be a tough summer find among the stretches I have checked out thus far. However, bank access presented some challenges which is another standard canal feature. I fished four or five areas of access and found only three small bites.

July 2 at 7:53pm – Top Bass at 2-13 on a wacky rigged Senko

July 2 – Several “keepers” were caught from another area featuring a fair amount of open water. In addition, the water had some better depth than most stretches of the canal. This allowed me to toss the Strike King Squarebill crankbait and fool a couple decent fish. But it was the Senko wacky rig which once again came through for the Top Bass of the evening. The 2-13 fell one ounce shy of my canal personal best and further proved that there are some quality bass that call the waterway home.

July 2 at 8:30pm – Top Bass Runner-Up at 1-11 on a Strike King Squarebill crankbait

So, what have I learned from my four Hennepin Canal adventures to date?

1. The overall quality of catches has been a pleasant surprise. Previously, I never viewed the local sections of the canal as a regular destination but results and social media posts have opened my eyes.

2. Casting is key as is generally the case in bass fishing. There’s lots of vegetation where the bass can hide or wait in ambush, but that vegetation can also ruin a cast with many lures. Accuracy and repeated casts (at varying angles if possible) have been keys to success.

3. A bike is a bonus as stretches of open water can be few and far between at this time of year. Pedaling cuts down transit time and gets you away from the easy to access spots at the scattered parking areas.

4. While I have several topwater frogs in my tackle backpack, I have yet to put any of them to use. Fortunately, my other presentations have kept me busy with bites, but I do need to see if I can entice some quality strikes from beneath the plentiful surface vegetation.

The evening outings have been a fun way to work in a few weekday casts and I have been pleased with the action. There’s plenty more water to explore so I suspect that I will be back with some future reports as I continue to “prowl the canal.” Talk to you later. Troy

200,000 Mile Fishing Report – June 21

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

My truck means a lot to me as it came into possession after the passing of my father-in-law back in 2006. Junior Breuer put a lot of miles on that 1998 Chevy Silverado, and I have added over the years with the truck on the verge of 200,000 miles as I set out on this fishing trip. I figured that there was only one way to celebrate the milestone and that was a round trip ride to the fishing hole.

 

Stats
Date: June 21, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 7:35pm-8:35pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm
Air Temp: Low 60s
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 6 bass
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig – 5 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- (rainbow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-14 (Mann’s Baby 1-)
Top 5 Weight (2 bass at 12” or better): 3-11 (2-14,0-13)

Trip Lyric
“Long may you run, long may you run, although these changes have come.” – Long May You Run, Neil Young (1976)

Notes and Nonsense

Back on the Bike – I’ve got this plan to explore some more of the Hennepin Canal as I have seen reports of solid bass over the years. The historic corridor covers over 100 miles (including a feeder portion) with a decent section within a half hour drive from home. Such makes for a nice weekday evening shot at wetting a line for an hour or so when I can get away. Open shoreline access is scattered which makes for a perfect excuse to get the bike tires aired up, toss it in the truck bed and get some needed exercise along the way.

4-4 – On new water, my first goal is to get that one bite to get me on the board and avoid the shutout. Well, it sure didn’t take long to get that monkey off my back as I landed a bass on my first cast. And it didn’t stop there as I managed to catch a bass on each of my first four casts. It got me wondering if I had ever had such good fortune once upon a time when I played a little baseball. Among the scattered archives I found an affirmation that such a feat took place at least once. The proof from July 13 is below and it sure is fun to reminisce on the names of teammates from a portion of the Hi-Lo highlight recap of the 1986 season.

Crooked Bass – Top Bass was an interesting specimen with a stubby, crooked back end. I have caught several odd bass over the years including those with a similar affliction but have yet to determine the cause of the crookedness. On the positive side, the bass was eager to eat, otherwise healthy looking and put up a good fight. Here’s hoping it rewards other anglers and leaves them scratching their heads as well.

 

A good hour on the water and mission accomplished on the sunset drive home as I watched the odometer turn. Someday I suppose there will be a post or two in tribute to the old truck but for today I’ll leave it as a fishing report. As a fellow fisherman, I’d like to think that Junior would have enjoyed the drive. Talk to you later. Troy

Snakeden Hollow Report – June 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It sure felt like summer on the last day of spring so what better time for a workout walk-in at Snakeden Hollow? I psyched myself up as best I could during the hour drive to meet my brother, Brent, as I knew it would be a chore in the near 90-degree heat.

Was it worth it?

Read on.

Stats

Date: June 19, 2021
Location: Snakeden Hollow (4 lakes)
Time: 3:10pm-9:15pm (4.50 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy to dead calm, hot and humid
Air Temp: 81-87F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 55 bass (Troy – 29, Brent – 26) and 2 bluegill
Lures: Yum Dinger wacky rig – 19 bass, Strike King Pro Model Series 4 Crankbait (sexy shad) – 17 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 10 bass, Emiquon Special Spinnerbait – 7 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 4-3 (Troy – Red Eye Shad)
Top 5 Weight: 13-5 (4-3,3-9,2-6,1-13,1-6)

Winning Lures

Bonus, big bluegill on a crankbait

Trip Lyric
“And I would walk 500 miles…” – I’m Gonne Be (500 Miles) – The Proclaimers (1993)

Notes and Nonsense

New Water, Old Tricks – Even after 34 years of fishing Snakeden, there are still things to learn. Back in March, Brent and I hiked in to check out one spot that I had always wanted to try but was never able to attempt. Our scouting trip revealed a positive change in water level and shoreline access and a few casts proved that there was at least one bass that called the lake home. On the return trip, Brent came armed with a wacky rig and a spinnerbait while I took to casting a crankbait, no surprise from either guy. The combined attack produced 34 bass as we drifted the shorelines with Brent working the shallows while I cranked the drops. Should we muster the energy again, a return trip would certainly be worthwhile.

7:20pm – Top Bass at 4-3 and 20″ on a lipless crankbait

Lost Tackle – While I was getting ready to replace a Senko wacky rig, our boat began to drift into some trees. I had several poles sticking out of the boat, so I instinctively reached to grab them and get them out of harm’s way. What I failed to realize was that my film container holding my wacky rig hooks and O-rings was open in my hand. In the process of grabbing the poles, the entire contents flew out of the container. A sickening “plop” behind me clued me in that the gear was gone. Although not an expensive mistake, it was still disheartening and a bit embarrassing. Fortunately, my fishing partner is also a wacky guy and had plenty of spare items. However, I had a solid crankbait bite dialed in, so I did not have to resort to begging for a borrow.

8:56pm – Brent Top Bass at 2-6 on a wacky rigged Yum Dinger

Change For the Better – I worked a six-month temporary stint at Snakeden back in 1990 and to say that it was in a primitive public access state would be an understatement. Of note for today’s entry, were several nasty, barren depressions on the landscape that looked more like the lunar surface than our planet. One such area produced our two largest bass of the trip, so I’d like to give a well-deserved shout out to those who have managed the area over the years. It is incredibly rewarding to cast on the former sickly, damaged area all these years later. And nearly eight pounds of bass on two casts a half hour apart is quite rewarding as well.

 

As we trudged through our trek, I thought back to a challenging June 21, 2019, journey that Brent and I took to a remote Snakeden lake. We called that one the “100 Year Trip” as Brent was 49 and I was 51 for a combined 100 years of existence. I guess that this latest outing would be a “104 Year Trip” at 51 and 53 years of age. While 105 years might have been a better headline, if I wait until I turn 54 on July 23, I’m afraid the weather might be too hot. Near 90 degrees like this trip is just about my limit. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – June 12

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last weekend we took the summer (almost) Lake Storey challenge during a weekend family camping trip. My brother, Brent, and I hit the water at sunrise and my oldest boy, Jayce, joined us as we wrapped up our day. As expected, conditions were quite weedy, but I must say that the water clarity was as good as I can recall being a clear green rather than the normal murky green. And as crazy as it sounds, we were the only trailer in the lot the whole Saturday morning. Read on for the results.

6:30am Brent with our first bass of the day caught on a spinnerbait

Stats
Date: June 12, 2021
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 5:20am-12:35pm
Weather: Sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 72-90F
Water Temp: 83-85F
Totals: 10 bass (Brent = 8, Troy = 1, Jayce = 1), 6 bluegill
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig – 8 bass, Spinnerbait (white) – 2 bass, Waxworms on a 1/16oz. jighead hung from a slip bobber – 6 bluegill
Top Bass: 1-11 Brent Senko
Top 5 Weight: 5-15 (1-11,1-3,1-2,1-0,0-15)

Trip Lyric
“’Cause, Mama, I’m so hard to handle now.”
Hard to Handle – Black Crowes (1990)

Several fish were hard to handle as seen in this snip from some GoPro video

Notes and Nonsense

Hot Seat – While not technically summer, you sure couldn’t tell as it was flat out hot, reaching 90F during the latter portion of our day. If you left your seat for even a short stretch of time, it sure got your attention when you sat back down. Same for my phone as I had to hide it in order to prevent the “iPhone needs to cool down before you can use it” message. You certainly can’t be without a phone at the ready on a day when bites are tough as you don’t want to miss a scattered photo opportunity.

 

Slippery Fish – It seemed like the fish were extra slippery on this outing as several got loose in the boat and one unfortunately slipped from the grip while getting a rinse. The latter was Jayce’s lone bass that had swallowed the hook on his Senko pretty good. As a result, it was bleeding, so I decided to wash it off before taking a pic. Jayce stated that it was a bad idea and despite what I felt was a good grip on the lip, his bass gave a good shake and swam away. I’m sure the bass was happy, but we had a boat full of disappointed anglers and Jayce threatened to not go fishing we me again. Can’t really say that I blame him after my boneheaded move that prevented a pic with his catch. At least we had the catch (and unintentional release) on video that will be posted another day.

12:13pm my lone bass of the day

Secret Weapon – Many times over the years, we have joked about having a “secret weapon” in tow that we plan to unleash on the fish with stellar results. Sometimes it’s an unorthodox or forgotten lure or perhaps a spray bottle of some can’t miss scent. In the case of this outing, it was Jayce. During the hour and a half that he spent casting with us at the end of the seven-hour trip, we caught the majority of our fish. Too bad I didn’t rouse him from the tent at 4:45am. Maybe next time.

Jayce, our “Secret Weapon” of the day with my bass as I let his get away later before snapping a pic

12:28pm Brent with Top Bass of the day as is slips away

Uncle Brent put a whooping on me on this trip. My youngest boy, Zac, had tagged along for a bit of boat ride and he is all about inquiring who is the better angler, his dad, or his uncle. Zac was right on the money on this day with his vote for Uncle Brent. No argument from me although I need to teach Zac about the whole front versus back of the boat excuse. I don’t think it would have mattered on this day. Talk to you later. Troy

Hennepin Canal Report – June 5

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A weekend camping trip along the historic Hennepin Canal afforded the opportunity to make a few casts. The heat was on with a blast of summer weather a few weeks early, but a handful of fish made it worth our while.

Stats
Date: June 5, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: scattered during afternoon
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 90F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 3 bass (Troy – 2, Jayce – 1), 2 bluegill, 1 pumpkinseed
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors) – 3 bass, Waxworms on a 1/16 oz. jighead hung from a slip bobber – 2 bluegill, 1 pumpkinseed
Top 5 Weight: 2-11 (1-10,1-1)

No giant, but my first Hennepin Canal bass was still rewarding

Notes and Nonsense

Paddle Fishing – A midday canoe rental found me, Carly and Jayce paddling through the weed choked waters in the 90-degree heat. We had a goal to reach a nearby lock and an hour to make the round-trip. Reaching the lock, I figured that we had time for some casts in the open water of the deeper pool and the first cast was a winner for my boy, Jayce. A solid canal catch made for some smiles, some excitement, and a proud dad before we turned around for the return paddle to the launch.

Jayce actually claimed the first Hennepin Canal bass for our family

New Species – Later in the afternoon, I tried my luck from the bank armed with a Senko for bass and some waxworms for panfish. Along the mossy bank of the canal, I found a couple open spots with a batch of panfish on beds. While they weren’t very cooperative, I did manage to fool a few, including my first ever pumpkinseed. This attractive member of the sunfish family was a cool and unexpected catch.

Going to have to add a new column to my spreadsheets for a new species

Top Bass – As my limited casting time window was winding down, I spotted a decent sized drum cruising in and out of sight in front of me. I dropped the Senko and waxworm in its vicinity numerous times along with reeling a crankbait past but not even a glance from my quarry. With only a few minutes of fishing time remaining, however, my Senko got a thump and a decent bend in the rod when I set the hook. For a moment, I thought the fight is on with my sought-after drum, but the catch turned out to be a 1-10 bass instead. All good.

Top Bass at 1-10 and I know where some bigger ones live now after a little scouting

Overall, a fun hour or so fooling around on some new water. I also made a few discoveries along the way that may bring me back to the canal with a few poles in the future. Plenty more to the weekend family adventure but those are tales for another post or two. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – May 23

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It was good to get another shot at the strip mines with my brother, Brent, this past weekend. Weather was solid, the bite was solid, and a handful of the fish were solid. Read on for the scoop.

Stats
Date: May 23, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (7 lakes)
Time: 6:45am-11:25pm (4.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 66-75F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 34 bass (Troy – 17, Brent – 17)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors) – 23 bass, Spinnerbait (white) – 8 bass, Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad (small mouth magic) with Berkley 3/0 weighted swimbait hook – 2 bass, Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 1 bass
Top 5 Weight: 9-13 (2-5,2-0,2-0,1-13,1-11)

 

Notes and Nonsense

Condition Pros and Cons – The weather was about as good as it gets in my book for some strip mine fishing. Plenty of cloud cover and a little chop on the water is a winner on these clear waters. Water conditions, however, were a little tough. Shallow weeds have taken over nearly all the spots we fish making for a challenge in getting some lures to the fish and getting hooked fish to the bank. You rarely have it all in fishing, so you just take what Mother Nature gives you and find out what the bass want from your arsenal. Overall, we did a solid job but there were extended stretches without a bite and probably a 70/30 split in favor of “non-keeper” (under 12”) bass.

Odd Bass #1 – Several bass that I landed had some odd characteristics, one more odd than the others. First up, is what I call a “notched” bass. I have caught several from this location, but I believe that all prior catches have come from one, specific lake. The fish above right was caught on a different body of water from the others. I am not sure what causes such a feature, but it does not seem to have any effect on the observable health and fight in these fish.

 

Odd Bass #2 – The next odd-looking fish had damage to one corner of its mouth and a reddish hue to the upper lip on the same side. I suspect that the injury may have been the result of having been hooked before with the reddish hue being some sort of residual effect. I truly am not sure of the cause of the appearance, just speculation on my part. However, I have observed bass exhibiting red upper lips in colder water but the characteristic in those instances was spread across both sides of the upper lip. As with all things fishing, I am open to any input from readers.

Odd Bass #3 – The final specimen was the strangest of the bunch and the large red growth on the upper lip was something I have never previously seen. Even with some brief internet searching as I composed this post, I am none the wiser. I will say it was kind of gross and left me thinking, “Do I really want to lip this one” even though the natural handle on a bass is the lower lip. I can also tell you that the bass was still on my mind as I unwrapped and ate my sandwich on the way home.

 

We did the dual GoPro thing again on this trip, but I continue to have trouble finding time to invest in editing the footage for my YouTube channel. Perhaps one of these days but I expect that the fishing trips and footage will keep piling up in the meantime. No problem, I fished for many, many years never dreaming that I would even have the means to make my own “fishing show.” Talk to you later. Troy

3 Generations Fishing Report – May 22

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Prior to a family birthday party, me and the boys joined Papa at his spot to chase some panfish and we weren’t disappointed. Not all about the catch with this crowd as conveyed in today’s report.

Stats
Date: May 22, 2021
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 10:45am-12:00pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy
Air Temp: 70F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: Roughly 40 bluegill, 2 golden shiners, 1 redear
Lures: Waxworms on a 1/16 oz. jighead hung from a slip bobber

Zac added a redear to his personal species list with his first catch of the morning

Trip Tune
“Who Can It Be Now” – Men at Work (1982)
My kids have a varied musical interest thanks to a little 70s and 80s brainwashing from yours truly. This tune is a favorite and ideal for a sing along on the ride to the fishing hole.

A golden shiner was a new species for me at Lake Storey although Dad has caught several in the last few years

The United States of Beef Jerky – We picked up breakfast on the way out of town consisting of spicy chips, Oreo bites, chocolate milk, Mountain Dew, unsweetened iced tea, and a couple bags of beef jerky (it was on sale). Zac grabbed a piece of jerky that he reckoned looked like North Dakota and it was on. A couple “states” in the video required some chewing while the rest were straight from the factory. Do we know how to have fun or what? Feel free to send me any additions that you may encounter in that next bag of beef.

 

Terms – I can’t recall the topic but somewhere along the ride my boys learned the saying, “Open a can of whoop@$$.” They found it rather amusing, and I asked Jayce to record it on the voice memos on my phone. He did so but wouldn’t use the “bad word” even though I told him it was fine. I also learned something new as Zac asked about a bug that had breezed by at one point. Jayce informed that it was a “three-horned monkey wasp.” As a guy with a biology degree and an entomological appreciation, I was impressed with his quick identification. Just wish we’d gotten a picture of this new species.

Croc Rescue– A highlight of the trip was watching one of Zac’s brand-new Crocs blow across the lake out of grasp and casting distance. Somehow, he managed to launch if off his foot and well beyond his reach. The wind rapidly pushed it past the depth of my knee boots and several casts failed to hook the floating footwear. Fortunately, the wind direction was perfect, and the croc wound up across the cove along a limited stretch of easily accessible bank. We all got a laugh and a “don’t tell Mom.” All’s well that ends well and Mom got wind of the story but just shook her head in what I interpreted as a “boys will be boys” statement.

 

Sponsor Quest – Unlike real bloggers and YouTubers, I have no sponsors. However, the boys talked me into supper, so Culver’s, if you are out there, this makes two stops in a row on the return home from a fishing trip. In addition, the Cubs broadcasts tout a product called “FunkAway.” Well, my boys are getting to the ages where it gets a little ripe in the cab of a truck after a full day outdoors. I suppose we might as well throw in a beef jerky sponsor along the way. Perhaps one day we will get a spot in a commercial with Sasquatch, a dream come true for this crew.

The boys usually ask on the ride what time we will get home and my 8:09pm guess was only off by 15 seconds as we reached the driveway at 8:08pm and waited for the display to change.

Sure, we caught some fish, too. But with Papa as our guide that was to be expected as there are just a few years of experience for that guy in the camping chair. Talk to you later. Troy

Boys’ Fishing Report – May 16

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Me and my boys were looking to make some casts, but we did not have enough time on a Sunday afternoon/evening to make the drive to our regular stomping grounds. Instead, it provided an opportunity to look around at some local Quad City fishing holes, which is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. We took a shot at a pair of destinations, spending about a half hour at each spot to see what we could learn. We did our searching with a Senko wacky rig and waxworms hung from a slip bobber. Read on for the stats, a classic Trip Tune and the lessons learned.

Stats
Date: May 16, 2021
Location: Prospect Park and Hennepin Canal
Time: 3:30pm-6:00pm (one hour of fishing, see below)
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 68F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 6 bluegill
Lures: Waxworms on a 1/16 oz. jighead hung from a slip bobber

Trip Tune
“Sink the Bismarck” – Johnny Horton (1960)
My boys could actually care less on this tune as they were goofing off on the ride, but you can sure bet that I was singing along. I dig some Johnny Horton as it takes me back to my childhood and some old 45 records. My folks had “Sink the Bismarck” and my cousin Ronnie’s house had “The Battle of New Orleans”, absolute classics. Of course, I later discovered “North to Alaska”, “When It’s Springtime in Alaska” and more, awesome cuts.

Lessons
If you don’t learn something new from each fishing trip, you aren’t paying close enough attention. Here’s the list from our adventure.

Bait – We ran out of our old waxworms and the reliable Carbon Cliff baitshop was closed, prompting a search. The Shell station in Colona was a winner after the 7-Eleven came up empty although they did have a bait cooler with some dew worms.

Spoiled – Much of my time on the water is rather isolated and affords a measure of privacy when nature calls. To paraphrase Shakespeare, “All the world’s a bathroom” out there on the strip mines. The spots we fished on this outing, however, were crawling with people which posed a bit of an issue for the fifty-something boy on this trip. All’s well that ended well (barely) with a pit stop at home on the way to find more waxworms. However, the boys delighted in talking of flowing water, a big iced tea, and waterfalls during that leg of the journey. Good to know, that my boys will be boys.

Prospect Park – Little bluegills were the catch and I saw some bass in there that were as small as minnows at the local baitshop. First impression left much to be desired but perhaps the big ones were just smarter than us.

Hennepin Canal – We hit a spot in Colona that afforded a bit of space among several other anglers. It was our second choice as the first was quite crowded which did not surprise me in the least on a pleasant Sunday evening. The canal did produce a few decent bites and there are many more miles of water to explore on the historic corridor. A stretch to the east is on my radar and we are looking to explore in that direction later this spring.

Practice – There is only one way to get the hang of casting in close quarters and it’s called “practice.” One of the youngsters on this trip got in such practice. If you recognize any of the background scenery in some of the photos, there is a Senko for you up in a tree across the canal. I mean, way up in a tree. In addition, there were a few casts that I have no idea how the lure was rescued. That’s part of practice, too.

An entertaining afternoon/evening adventure with my boys that consisted more of just hanging out than actually fishing. All good, as it is always fun to break the kids up a bit to get some two on one time as a parent of four. I have a couple prospects on fishing before the end of May so here’s hoping that they pan out. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – May 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hard for me to believe that it is May already and what better way to kick off the month than with a hike around the strip mines. I was able to hit the water last Saturday morning where I was greeted with some cool temperatures and ugly winds. But you get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit as you can’t control the weather. Read on for the scoop.

8:38am – first bass and first swimbait catch

Stats
Date: May 1, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (6 lakes)
Time: 8:00am-12:35pm (4.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 52-75F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 11 bass
Lures: Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad (small mouth magic) with Berkley 3/0 weighted swimbait hook – 5 bass, Senko weighted wacky rig (pumpkin/black/green flake) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Zara Spook (natural frog) – 1 bass, Rapala Shad Rap (shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Zara Spook
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-2 (1-11,1-3,1-3,1-1)

9:02am – Top Bass 1-11 on a Zara Spook

Notes and Nonsense

Blow Away – The wind was crazy on this outing at 8:00am when I started casting and got stronger as the day progressed. Wind can be your friend in helping to position some fish, but that aspect wasn’t particularly pronounced on this outing. Wind can also be a challenge in hindering casting and maintaining a feel for some presentations. Like any day on the water, there are numerous variables to take into consideration and adapt accordingly. Fittingly, I also heard George Harrison’s 1979 Top 20 hit “Blow Away” on the drive to the fishing hole.

Taking my shot and joining the swimbait craze

New Trick – I struggled for about the first 40 minutes of casting with nary a bite, cycling through several solid, proven lures in the process. The chatterbait, Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait, a jig and craw and a Shad Rap had all failed to produce, so what to do next? Over the winter, I had picked up some Bass Pro Shops Speed Shads while visiting the business’ East Peoria, IL location. Despite being a challenging presentation in the high winds, I tied one on with a Berkley Fusion 19 3/0 hook and tried my luck. Several minutes later, I had my first bass of the day and first ever on such a lure.

The arsenal mixed new with old and older

Old Trick – In contrast, I later threw a Zara Spook, a lure that I first fished nearly 35 years ago. I had packed a couple along on this trip after reading many reports of a topwater bite while perusing several regional fishing groups on the internet. However, the strong winds weren’t exactly ideal for such a presentation. But stubbornness, faith in my lure and a bit of desperation at my lack of bites led to me giving it a shot. While I only caught one bass on the lure, it wound up being my Top Bass of the day. It was caught as a result of plenty of years of practice as I tried to fool a semi-interested bass. I spotted the fish on a shallow flat and it took a look at my first pass without committing. Therefore, I elected to increase the speed and commotion of my retrieve on the next cast in hopes of provoking a reaction bite as the faster moving lure doesn’t give the fish the luxury of a lengthier analysis. Right on cue, the bass struck the lure but missed getting hooked. Bingo, I knew the fish would bite and hoped another pass would result in better aim. The rapid, loud retrieve did the trick on cast number three and those 35 years of Zara Spook fishing paid off with a solid and rewarding catch.

10:38am – Top Bass Runner-Up 1-3 on swimbait

Same Old, Same Old – I ended my day on a spot that I call Maiden Lake as it is the first lake that I ever fished on this batch of strip mine waters. My largest bass on the lake was the first fish I ever caught there and came in just shy of two pounds. In the years since, all I have been able to manage during my occasional stops has been an endless parade of 8-11” bass. However, witnessing my brother, Brent, reel in a four-pounder last month sure got my attention. His catch proved that there was at least one quality fish that called it home and hopefully more as there is plenty of water. I spent close to an hour on a few stretches of windblown bank and guess what? Three bass between 8-11”, surprise, surprise. However, one of these less windy days with a bit of cloud cover, I’m going to put the old Zara Spook to work on Maiden Lake and see if that approach can weed out the little ones and get me some quality bites.

Interesting day with big sun and big wind as I made my way around a half dozen of my target lakes. Due to time constraints, I skipped over one other spot but overall was pleased with my gameplan and decision making during a morning where I had a time limit due to real life responsibilities. My brother later reported a near four-pounder on that spot but apparently in spawn mode as no interest in biting. Those bass are out there, just boils down to outsmarting them. Definitely an important aspect of what this fishing hobby is all about but always fun to get out there and take your shot no matter the results. Talk to you later. Troy