Category: Fishing Reports

Strip Mine Report – October 8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

With three fishing trips in five days, it’s hard to keep up with the fishing reports here on the blog. Today, we have Part II of the fishing report from last week’s outing with Dad/Papa and my boy, Jayce. While Part I focused largely on the peripherals, Part II resembles more of my standard report.

2:47pm – Top Bass (yes, I used this pic in a previous post but it’s a darn good shot)

Stats
Date: October 8, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 lakes)
Time: 3:30pm-6:45pm (3 hours fishing)
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 70F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 8 bass (everybody got at least one)
Lures: Senko wacky rig (various) – 8 bass
Top Bass: 1-3 (Senko)
Weight (all bass): 4-10

3:18pm – Top Bass Runner-Up

Notes and Nonsense

Guesstimation – I’ve touched on this contest before, most recently on a Lake McMaster outing with my brother, Brent. For this trip, Papa read my mind and had each of us make a guess regarding our success as we drove to the fishing hole. The pic below is the official document and reading from top to bottom each angler predicted our total number of bass, a species count, a Top Bass weight and Total Weight for all of our bass combined. For this outing we opted to weigh every bass instead of only recording the Top 5 meeting the 12” minimum length criteria.

The official “Guess Sheet”

5:10pm – we weighed them all and this one registered at five ounces

And The Winner Is – I guess that I would have to go with Papa for the victory as his weight prediction was only a mere ounce from our actual total. The rest of our estimates really didn’t pan out as our two fishing holes proved to be a bit finicky. I did toss around a Gulp minnow on a jighead hung from a bobber but found no takers among the panfish. Top Bass also fell well shy of our hopes which was also unfortunate as it is extra cool to get a nice fish with a young angler onboard.

I enjoy that Jayce enjoys handling the release duties on everyone’s catches

I guess you’d call this a handheld livewell as Jayce gives a catch a delayed release

The Extras – I’m not sure on the ratio, but me and Papa made substantially more casts than our young angler. On the flipside though, we spent a lot less time dunking the dipnet, examining/releasing our catches and collecting aquatic vegetation. It’s all part of the “make your own adventure” aspect of a fishing trip or an outdoor outing in general. You just can’t beat it when your boy says, “This is fun” during a fishing trip at a point when he hasn’t even made a cast for probably fifteen minutes. And even better as he honestly wasn’t missing much in terms of catching.

Found this unintended casualty of random dipnetting after we got the boat back in the garage

A most excellent adventure with quality time for three generations on what Jayce described as “the longest fishing trip I’ve ever been on.” Indeed, at roughly three hours on the water, I believe we set a new record (and that does not include the roughly two and a half hour combined truck time). Later that evening, I was further rewarded as I overheard Jayce telling his sisters about the day on the water. Mission accomplished. Talk to you later. Troy

Much More Than Fishing

Posted on by Troy Jackson

At some point, most folks come to realize that a fishing trip ain’t just about the catch. I’ve always enjoyed the peripherals of outdoor adventures over the years whether fishing or trapping. Things like observing nature, shooting the breeze on the ride, razzing each other over breakfast, stopping for a treat on the way home and so on. Of course, as I have put a few more years behind me and added a wife and family to the equation, the outdoor perspective has continued to evolve. Earlier this week, the stars were aligned allowing for me, my son Jayce and Papa to get outdoors for some quality time. Here are some tunes, tales and treats with a handful of bass for icing on the cake.

I like my tunes on the ride and Jayce is developing a pretty solid appreciation and recognition of my 70s and 80s musical stomping grounds. Our mission during the commute time was to select the favorite jam that we heard while surfing the FM dial.

Top Tunes
Jayce – “Smooth Criminal”, Michael Jackson (1988)
Dad – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”, Alice Cooper (1973)
Papa – no selection as we were too busy telling stories for the radio

I call this “Pass the bass” but, of course, it’s a lot more than that

Old Tales
Having fished together for so many years, me and Dad naturally have quite a collection of stories. Throw in a couple lifetimes in Knox County and, well, Jayce got an earful.

Muskie Mania
So, Jayce mentioned wanting to muskie fish…
Me: “One time me and Papa fished Lake Storey and I fished for muskie while he fished for bass.”
Papa: “Tell Jayce how that turned out.”
Me: “I caught nothing, never even saw a muskie while Papa caught 25 bass.”
Papa: “Best Lake Storey bass fishing day ever.”

Missing Metropolis
Me: “There used to be a town here. It was called Appleton.”

Coonhunting
Papa (east of Appleton): “Me and my dad used to coon hunt over there, drove that lane back into the timber.”
Papa: (east of Victoria): “Used to coonhunt over that way with a guy named ‘Stew’, think he had a relative who lived there.”

Old Fish Story
Me: “Papa caught a good one right here one time.”
Papa: “That’s the one that swam under the boat and jumped out of the water behind us.”

Older Fish Stories
Papa: “I saw Uncle Frank hook a northern here at Little John a long time ago.
Me: “I saw Uncle Brent catch one in the 80s, last one I’ve seen out here.”

One of the new tales related below

New Tales
Of course, new stories arise from every trip and we certainly managed a few on our outing. I can imagine Jayce telling his siblings on our next visit to Little John and who knows, maybe one day relating the adventures to his kids, nephews or nieces.
Each tale could begin something like this:
“One time, me, Dad and Papa were out here fishing…”
AND
“We caught a praying mantis out of the water in a dipnet.”
“I first learned how to drive a foot controlled trolling motor.”
“I got a bass stuck in the dipnet, he was hanging by his lip and Papa had to get him out.”
“I got to ride in the boat or stand in the back of the truck as we drove through Little John.”
“Every time I went to grab the gate key from Papa he would drop it before I could grab it.”
“If you look real hard you can see a Senko worm up there about twenty feet high in that tree.”

Oh yeah, we also caught some bass but I’ll save that for Part II of the report.

In closing, I would also like to thank our “Sponsors” on this trip.
HyVee Gas, Mountain Dew, Little Debbie, Oreos, Taco Bell, Culver’s, Yamamoto Lures and Bass Tracker (circa 1987) – sure would be nice if they actually gave us free stuff.

Almost home and too big to carry into the house these days.

Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 28

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Some of my public strip mine fishing holes have a limited window of opportunity. In this case, access ended on September 28 so I invested a vacation day for the 2020 farewell visit. I was hoping for a good parting shot but I had concerns that a significant cold front might have the bass in a less than cooperative mood. Read on for the outcome.

Stats
Date: September 28, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (6 lakes)
Time: 10:35am-4:55pm (4.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/breezy to windy/brief rain
Air Temp: 54-57F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 43 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 25 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (Never Fail) – 8 bass, Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke) – 7 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (parakeet) – 3 bass
Top 5 Weight: 8-5 (2-12,1-7,1-7,1-6,1-5)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Cold Front/Crunch Time – As noted in the intro, this was the final day for fishing on the site and I always like to get one last chance at the bass. Of course, you can’t control the weather and I highly prize my vacation days so it was do or die regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. The area offers plenty of smallish bodies of water that make for a fun approach of spot hopping. If they aren’t biting in one spot it ain’t far to new water for another try.

10:36am – First cast, first bass

First Cast Bass – It sure didn’t take long to get some feedback from the bass as my first two casts resulted in catches. I was certainly pleased but admittedly a bit surprised although the narrow cut I chose for my initial casts has the “like shooting fish in a barrel” potential. It features a trough where the bass pretty much have to stack up as the remainder of the lake is quite shallow. I call the spot “Beamon Lake” in honor of the longtime world record long jumper, Bob Beamon. In low water years, the spot is so narrow that he could probably clear it in a leap.

50 Bass Day? – After two bass on my first two casts, my outlook on the day improved considerably almost to the point of getting a little cocky. While only two casts into my day, I was pretty certain that I had lucked into my goal of finding my fall feeding frenzy bite. Two bass in two minutes and roughly six more hours to roam had me shooting for a 50 bass day. Although I ultimately fell short of that number, no complaints. I definitely could have lingered on a couple spots that were cranking out some 10-12” fish but opted for a shot at some larger bass and eventually found a few.

My ancient floppy hat nearly met an untimely demise

Close Call – Near the end of my day, I ditched my hat on a particularly long stretch of walking between fishing holes as I started to work up a sweat. Instead of on my head, I put my hat in my hand along with my collection of half a dozen rods and reels. After a few casts at my destination, I figured that I’d better put my hat back on as I’m a little lacking on hair up top. However, my old floppy hat was not among my rods and backpack in the shoreline weeds. Nope, it was somewhere in the waist high grass over the last quarter mile or so of hiked ground. Fortunately, after only a few minutes of backtracking I found my lucky lid. I was quite grateful as not only did it save me some sunburnt scalp but it will also allow me to give the old cap a more fitting farewell someday.

2:38pm – Top Bass (tie) at 16″ and 2-1 on a chatterbait with a tip of the cap to some serious wind

Top Bass – The top three fish on the day came from my next to last stop on the hike. Historically, this spot has been my best producer of quality bass. I call it “2×4 Lake” in honor of a pair of four pounders caught back in 2013 on my first ever visit to the lake. The following spring I fooled another four-pounder from the spot but elected to stick with my original name as what sense does “3×4 Lake” make?

 

The epitome of a grand finale as the gates closed on this batch of fishing holes. It takes some work putting in four miles of hiking but I truly enjoy this type of fishing as much as any other approach. This makes eight years of exploring and I still learn something new every time out. The ups and downs, surprises and disappointments, small bites and big bites always keep me looking forward to the next chance to visit. Only 179 days until the April 2, 2021 opening day. Got it marked on my calendar but plenty of other fishing holes out there in the meantime. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake McMaster Report – September 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As part of the “Snakeden at 30” celebration I had it in mind to get back on “The Big Lake”, Lake McMaster, for the first time since 2013. While it is less tiring and more comfortable to launch and fish from the “big boat”, I still prefer prowling the walk-in interior fishing holes thus the long stretch without a visit. So, here’s how it went down as Brent and I ditched the boots and bikes, borrowed Dad’s Bass Tracker and got it done.

11:58am – First bass, no shutout, hoping they get bigger

Stats

Date: September 26, 2020
Location: Lake McMaster (Snakeden Hollow) – Knox County, IL
Time: 11:35am-6:35pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy
Air Temp: 68-77F
Water Temp: 69-71F
Totals: 14 bass
Lures: Yamamoto Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 10 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (Parakeet) – 2 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass, Strike King Pro Model Series 5 Crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-12 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 5-14 (1-12,1-4,1-0,1-0,0-14)

Notes and Nonsense (song title version)

The Weight (The Band, 1968) – I thought it would be fun to bring back an old feature that we used to enjoy on some fishing trips. The guess the final weight game came with the added visual of writing it down on paper. I will admit that I borrowed the latter aspect from Bassmaster as it plays well for social media and a blog. The concept is to see who is closest with their prediction for the weight of our combined Top 5 bass (both of us contribute to the one final weight total). Brent was the winner although we fell a pound short of his guess. I ended up guessing a bit higher than my original thought as the sunny day in an earlier forecast had changed to overcast/partly cloudy. However, it also changed to very…

Windy (The Association, 1967) – While some surface chop on clear water can serve to make the bass a little less spooky, the winds on this trip were way overboard. I have no idea what the gusts were and overall it was a sustained wind the entire time. Even as we left at dark, the wind was still howling. The only breaks on the day were a short stretch of timbered bank on the southwest shore and part of the dam on the main body of the lake. Beyond that sixty minutes or so of casting, we took a beating. Truthfully, it would have been a better day for bank fishing and hiking but we were on a mission.

Did I mention it was windy?

Only the top color and hook combination was a winner

It’s In the Way That You Use It (Eric Clapton, 1986) – No matter when, where or how I fished my Senko wacky rig, the bass showed no interest. The above picture shows each of my efforts as I changed from weighted to weightless and ran through a batch of colors, all without a bite. I even fished a similar color to Brent’s and wound up outfished 10-0 on the Senko. Now, I’m used to getting outfished by him and frequently it involves a spinnerbait. But a Senko shutout on Lake McMaster still has me scratching my head. My best guess is that I needed to slow down more and let the Senko sink as fishing too fast is one of my bad habits. Or maybe as Dad would say, “You weren’t holding your mouth right.”

Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller Band, 1976) – this one took off before a close-up

Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper, 1984) – We weren’t sure about our boat lights so the plan was to be back at the ramp at sunset which was 6:47pm or so. A glance at the ramp showed one trailer besides ours left in the lot and as we rounded a nearby point we spotted a boat at the dock. Perfect timing as the other anglers were taking out, right? Nope, it was a pair of night anglers just launching and seconds later a second truck and trailer pulled into the on deck circle. So we opted to troll over to the overflow on the dam so I could snap a few pics for the blog. And believe it or not, a third truck and trailer pulled up to get in line to launch. No big deal, no hurry to get home but I swear it rarely fails that the ramp suddenly becomes a popular place whenever we show up to launch or load.

 

A bit of a struggle versus conditions and bass but mission accomplished and fun to visit an old fishing hole. While the lake is still quite clear, it has gotten noticeably murkier over the last 30 years. While quality bites were in short supply, I’m sure there are still plenty of good fish that call McMaster home. While I was soundly outfished, it is always good to share a trip with my brother and he’s a darn good angler, no shame in being taught a lesson. Time will tell if we are able to get in another tag team effort on the bass before the poles are put away. Another solo trip is in the books, however, so stay tuned for the fishing report from a productive strip mine hike. Talk to you later. Troy

Rock Report – September 20

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Over the past several years, I’ve had the good fortune of being able to fish a cool Peoria County fishing hole referred to as “The Rock”. The owner, Chris, invited me to tag along on those trips with the most recent visit being this past June. On the heels of that trip I finally got up the nerve to ask if I could bring Dad down for a shot and Chris was kind enough to oblige. But after having Chris’ experience and expertise as a guide on previous trips I was curious how it would work out when I got to assume that role. Could I get the guy who got me hooked on fishing hooked up to some bass? Read on for the results.

2:52pm – First bass at 14″ and 1-8 on a spinnerbait

Stats

Date: September 20, 2020
Location: Private lake – Peoria County, IL
Time: 2:50pm-6:20PM
Weather: Partly cloudy and varied winds
Air Temp: 71-63F
Water Temp: 69F
Totals: 45 bass (Troy – 29 bass, Dad – 16 bass)
Lures: Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 32 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill crankbait (multiple) – 7 bass, Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass, Yamamoto Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Spinnerbait (Troy), 1-10 Spinnerbait (Dad)
Top 5 Weight: 7-15 (1-11,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-8)

Several of the winning lures along with a Senko fooling a couple

Notes and Nonsense

The Plan – Figuring we had four hours at most to fish, I had five areas in mind to try our luck. We were able to hit four of them and only one was a bit of a bust. Spot one was a bit of a slow start but gave up 6 bass in about 45 minutes. Spot two then produced 9 bass in 45 minutes and spot three resulted in 5 bass in about 20 minutes before our final stop really kicked things up a notch. In our last 70 minutes of casting we reeled in 25 bass for an exciting finale leaving us no time for the fifth area that I had in mind.

Mother Knows Best – While definitely a safe practice, wearing a life jacket is one of those do as I say not as I do sort of things when I am on the water. As we left home, however, Mom made it clear that Dad needed to wear a life jacket the entire time on the water. As you can see from the pics and clips we abided by her instructions. Just don’t tell Mom that one of her kids did not follow her directions.

3:52pm – Dad with one of our “doubles” both coming in at 1-4 on spinnerbaits

One That Got Away – No matter where you fish, if you do it often enough, you’ll end up with a batch of these tales. In this case, what would have likely been our Top Bass of the day spit Dad’s crankbait midway back to the boat. The one that got away would have tipped the scales at over two pounds and represents a step in the right direction as the lake experienced a partial fish kill several years ago that wiped out the big bass (past lake record catches included several over eight pounds).

 

Fish Stories – I’ve always enjoyed fishing the lake with Chris as the guide as I not only learn how to fish the water but also a little history of the fishery. So as the substitute guide it was fun to pass along some of the lore to Dad. From spots of the lake that were estimated to never hold water to the exact spot where a bass over eight pounds was reeled in to the decision to stock tiger muskies to the spot where I caught one of them to the spot where Chris landed one of similar stature, it was fun, as always, to tell some fish stories. Fishing never fails to leave a lasting impression and The Rock is something special.

The end of a good day on a great fishing hole

Thanks, Chris, for a chance to get out on the water with Dad for a memorable and productive evening of bass fishing. Much appreciated by a couple of guys who have shared more than a few hours creating some memories and chasing some fish for many years. I’m sure Dad’s been telling some of the new fish stories to Mom. Hope she doesn’t make him wear his life jacket in the living room.

Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

As often happens when I am “back home” in Galesburg, Illinois, I take a drive or a walk around an old favorite fishing hole, Lake Storey. A recent family get together was no exception other than the fact that I brought a couple poles along for my stroll.

6:05pm – First bass of the evening on Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Stats

Date: September 19, 2020
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 5:50pm-7:20pm
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: 65F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 3 bass
Lures: Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (chrome blue back) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 0-15
Top 5 Weight: 1-13 (only two at 12” or better)

6:53pm – Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait and kind of a baby bass

Notes and Nonsense

Bank vs. Boat – Go figure that my brother, Brent, and I spent over four hours in a boat on Lake Storey the previous weekend and only managed five bass with the whole lake at our disposal. In contrast, I spent maybe an hour casting in two stretches of perhaps a couple hundred yards and fooled three from the bank. This is not the first time I’ve witnessed this sort of thing and I do have some ideas on the increase in bass/hour. A topic for another time but factors to consider include different casting angles, enhanced focus on a specific, proven area and in this case, an increased drop in lake level.

7:10pm – last bass also on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Normal vs. Drop – Lake Storey is always a challenge for me and I give myself and co-anglers a little pat on the back for every bass we fool. For many years I have made it a point to pay a visit or two during the fall drawdown as I feel it can tilt the odds a little more in my favor when I can catch it right. Of course, there are plenty of factors that come into play any time you hit the water and stable weather, some sun and a little breeze are at the top of my Lake Storey fall trip wishlist.

This guy was pretty friendly and encroached on my fishing spot

Man vs. Raccoon – Raccoons and my family are not on the friendliest terms. You see, between my dad, my uncle, my cousins, my brother, myself, spouses and kids there would have to be well over 200 years of combined trapping experience. However, the proximity of my visitor pictured above may indicate that the tensions have decreased as we all retired from the trapline several years ago. Lots of stories from those days though. Made me wish that I’d asked the coon if his kind told stories about The Jacksons.

Lots of memories out on that old lake and fun to create a few more on a pleasant late summer evening. From my vantage point at Cannon Hill in the shot above I can see where I caught my personal best muskie, where I lost one that was bigger, where Brent set the Lake Storey bass record, where Dad caught a bass out of a hollow stump, where possibly the largest Lake Storey walleye ever was caught, where an Illinois state record muskie was landed in the 1980s…the memories go on and on. Perhaps 2020 holds another shot to make some more. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I always look forward to the “Fall Drawdown” at Lake Storey in Knox County, Illinois which typically begins just after Labor Day. In general terms, here’s how it is supposed to transpire.

1. The City of Galesburg Park Department opens the valve to lower the lake.
2. The lake drops and leaves the spots for little fish to hide high and dry.
3. Cooler nights and warmer days get the predator fish in a fall feeding mood.
4. Me and Brent clean house on the often challenging lake.

And here’s how it really went down in blog terms.

6:57am – First bass on KVD Squarebill crankbait

Stats

Date: September 13, 2020
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 6:40am-10:55am
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 58-73F
Water Temp: 67-69F
Totals: 5 bass (Troy – 4 bass, Brent – 1 bass)
Lures: Spinnerbait (white) – 3 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 1 bass, Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 1-5 (only one at 12” or better)

Notes and Nonsense

The In Crowd – By most accounts, recreational fishing has seen a significant uptick in 2020 as a ripple effect of the pandemic. Lake Storey supported the validity of such an assessment with six trailers in the lot and a flotilla of kayaks scattered about the lake. Good for folks to get outdoors in these wild times and it appeared that crappie or bluegill were the targets for those we observed. Nobody else seemed to be casting and moving and honestly they weren’t missing much from our perspective. Then again, maybe they knew something we didn’t and opted to leave the bass alone.

Mr. Lake Storey – And, yes, on occasion there’s that one guy who owns the lake and feels that the rules do not apply to him. In this case, he was running his outboard at a pretty good clip around the lake multiple times. Several kayakers, bank anglers and other boaters hollered at him to no avail. In fact, he actually waved at us as he sped by in the distance. Brent and I elected to wave back rather than respond with an alternate hand gesture. Who knows, maybe the guy was just clueless but kind of hard to believe he was unaware of the trolling motor only restriction.

Proven winners at Lake Storey but limited production on this outing

Excuses – I was feeling good about our chances leading up to the trip as the weather had been warming for a couple days after a cold front and heavy rain. Word also had it that the drawdown had begun many days prior. It turns out that the level had not dropped much at all, seemingly filling up from the rain as much as the drop from the drain. In addition, the rain had the clarity murkier than the normal green tint and was progressively dirtier to the east away from the dam. All our meager catches came from the west end of the lake and none more than a quarter of the way to the inflow near the east ramp.

7:44am – Retro floppy hat and Top Bass of the day on Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

Old Hat – I managed to destroy my lucky floppy fishing hat and elected to go retro with a previous version instead of breaking out a new one. While I do have a couple new options, I wish to put 2020 behind us and start 2021 with a new floppy. More on that at a later date.

I feel bad as I failed to get a shot of my fishing partner but always like this 1980s Lake Storey shot of Brent

BREAKING UPDATE!!!

 I paid a short visit to Lake Storey last evening and walked the bank armed with a couple poles. Three bass in roughly 75 minutes of casting in a pair of spots was certainly an improvement over last week’s visit. Looks like the increased drawdown and the cool nights/warm days combo has some fish in a biting mood.

I believe the anticipated fall fishing bite has arrived, just a few days early. Get out there and get after some bites. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 12

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It’s that time of year again folks, when some of my public strip mine stomping grounds are reaching the end of fishing access. Of course, in the case of the fishing holes in today’s report, the bite is just picking up as the site nears shutting down. Gotta get in those last casts while I can and this outing produced a solid bite.

Stats
Date: September 12, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (5 lakes)
Time: 3:15pm-6:45pm (3 hours fishing)
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy
Air Temp: 68-72F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 15 bass
Lures: Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke) – 11 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Booyah Spinnerbait (bleeding shad) – 1 bass, Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-12 (Chatterbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-5 (2-12,1-7,1-7,1-6,1-5)

3:20pm – Happy to be on the board but room for improvement

Notes and Nonsense

First Cast Top Bass – After catching a pair of small bass in 30 minutes on my first stop, it was on to what is probably my best fishing hole on the site. Right on cue, the first cast with a chatterbait parallel to the deep edge of a lengthy flat produced a 2-12 bass. Sure thought I was on to something but that catch would be Top Bass of the evening.

3:55pm – Top Bass at 19″ and 2-12 on a chatterbait

Feeling Hip – With a heavy batch of rain for several days and a light shower ending as I arrived, I figured that the vast expanse of terrestrial weeds would be quite damp. As a result, I opted for hip boots over my regular knee boots to contend with the moisture. The approach took me back to the old trapping days of walking miles of creek and timber in a pair of the bigger boots. The kept me plenty dry (although a bit sweaty) and provided a nice barrier when planting a knee to climb up several steep banks. Once again, that technique took me back to those fall days of yesteryear on the trapline.

Five for Five – Each of the stops at the five lakes that I selected on this evening produced some bass. My best lake produced the best catch after struggling the last few years on the spot to get quality bites. It was also cool that the lake where I have the least confidence produced four bass in 45 minutes with all running over a pound. Yet another of the aspects that I enjoy about spot hopping a collection of strip pits. While you may have a track record or a preconceived notion of how things may shake out, you just never know.

Entertaining late night horror hosts, past and present (Chuck Acri’s Creature Feature was a highlight of 1970s Saturday nights with siding sales pitches and all) 

Attack of the 14” Bass – I tune in to a couple of Saturday late night horror programs nearly every week, Midnite Mausoleum and Creature Feature. Both include some interesting flicks and camp humor reminiscent of the original Chuck Acri’s Creature Feature that I watched as a kid in the 1970s. I couldn’t help but think of a monster movie sort of title as I reeled in a batch of solid bass on this outing with nine of the fifteen looking quite similar and ranging from 13-14.5”.

 

A fun evening hike on the strip mines and one that I hope to pursue again before access for 2020 ends on September 28. As always, if I get out, you get a report. And speaking of another fishing report, stay tuned for a recent trip “back home” to Knox County’s Lake Storey. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – August 22

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As best I can recall, I first fished Lake Storey in the early 1970s with Dad and it’s always a treat to get back on that old hometown fishing hole. This trip actually involved several “missions” and limited fishing but always a good time back in The Burg.

4:55pm – first bass, mission accomplished and the rest didn’t get much bigger.

Stats

Date: August 22, 2020
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 4:40pm-6:40pm
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy to calm
Air Temp: 85-81F
Water Temp: Forgot to check
Totals: 3 bass
Lures: Blue Glimmer Spinnerbait – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: not applicable
Top 5 Weight: Nothing at 12” or better

Notes and Nonsense

Mission One – Dad’s boat had not been out of the garage since my trip to Lake Storey last October. As a result, it had attracted a fair amount of clutter from Christmas décor to toys to Mom’s original childhood highchair. Under Dad’s direction, we were able to get the stuff relocated. Mission accomplished.

Mission Two – The boat batteries needed charged and the tires required a dose of air in order for the boat to be road and water ready. We hooked up the chargers as we cleared the clutter and Casey’s came through with a working air pump. Mission accomplished, barely (see Mission Three below).

5:05pm – another smallish bass that lives tight to the wood in the background

Mission Three – I figured that while I was in town and the boat was ready that it was worth an evening peek at Lake Storey. My first casts came at 4:40pm with the intent to fish until sunset. However, the partial charge on the batteries as we cleaned the boat nearly left me out of juice after two hours. Thus, I called it quits on fishing at 6:40pm and spent the next forty minutes or so limping back to the ramp from halfway down the lake. Maybe not my brightest idea to roam so far but I did land the third of my three bass down there by Cannon Hill. Mission accomplished, just enough juice to run the boat up on the trailer.

Weeds weren’t bad, fooled a few bass and plenty of reminiscing in the relative solitude

Mission Four – This whole pandemic thing has obviously had a profound effect on things that we may have previously taken for granted. One of those things has been the regular visits with my folks. So it was great to hang out on the patio and shoot the breeze for a few hours before and after my brief Lake Storey visit. Mission accomplished with plans to get the whole crew included on a visit soon.

I bill this thing as an “outdoor” website but a fish story always involves more than just the fish or the time on the water. And a trip back home for a visit with an old favorite fishing hole, its wily inhabitants and my folks never disappoints. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – August 8

Posted on by Troy Jackson

With no fish submitted for a Top 5 Update this week, I will instead use Monday to catch up on an overdue fishing report. For this outing it was back to some old stomping grounds that I had neglected since mid-May to see if the bass had missed me.

Stats
Date: August 8, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL strip mines (3 lakes)
Time: 6:15am-11:50am (5.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 66-81F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 25 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 14 bass, Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 4 bass, Strike King Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait (blue glimmer) – 4 bass, Senko wacky rig (white) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 2-3 (Blue Glimmer)
Top 5 Weight: 9-3 (2-3,1-13,1-13,1-12,1-10)

 

Trip Lyric
“When the lights go on at Wrigley Field, I’ll be coming home to you.”
Don’t Wait on Me – The Statler Brothers (1981)
As this trip occurred on August 8, it was the anniversary of the first Cubs night game at Wrigley Field on August 8, 1988. While that game got washed out in the fourth inning, my fishing trip went off without a hitch.

Lucky Cubs shirt comes through in the late innings

Notes and Nonsense

No Panic When Tannic – Typically during this time of the year I can get a productive sunrise topwater bite, especially when I have some cloud cover and light chop on the water. Both of those conditions were in my favor just after dawn to start this trip. However, the first two lakes that I fished were unusually tannic and the bass in those tea colored waters just never turned on to my topwater offerings. But adaptation is the name of the game in dealing with the numerous variables that a day on the water offers. In this case, the commotion of a lipless crankbait was a winner in the dingy conditions.

Did get a few on a buzzbait including the exciting strike below

 

Winning Wind & Water – While I did manage a respectable haul of twenty one bass from the less than ideal stained waters, I just couldn’t find much in the way of quality bites. Only three of those nearly two dozen fish made the twelve inch mark and Top Bass to that point was a long and gaunt 1-13. I then pinned my hopes on a final stop to take me from late morning to noon on a spot that I hoped had some cleaner water. My hopes were realized in terms of water clarity and I also benefitted from an uptick in the wind which added some surface chop. Those conditions on this particular lake often produce a solid spinnerbait bite regardless of the season. In my final hour and fifteen minutes, the lake came through with four bass ranging from 1-10 to 2-3, all on my old faithful Blue Glimmer spinnerbait.

Blue Glimmer spinnerbait – 30 years old and still getting it done

A struggle at times, but in the end, a good day on the water. Much needed too as it was my first legitimate shot at the bass since the Fourth of July (did have a late July lunch hour pit stop in southern Illinois on the return from a Georgia work trip). In addition, it was a brief but welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of work, the daily upheaval related to this confusing pandemic and the steady, confounding stream of unrest and bickering seemingly everywhere you turn.

By the way, I understand that The Statler Brothers later substituted “When they put a dome on Wrigley Field” to address the fact that the lights had finally came on at The Friendly Confines. Here’s hoping that the following lyric will not need to be altered in future renditions:

“When they unfurl Old Glory and no one stands and cheers.”

Talk to you later. Troy