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

The three youngest kids took my folks up on an overnight visit and we had nothing going at home so it was off to Iowa after work to chase bass across the river for the first time since late July.

Stats
Date: September 8, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 6:16pm-7:46pm
Weather: Sunny/calm to windy
Air Temp: 74-68F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 4 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Weight (two bass at 12” or better): 3-0 (1-14,1-2)

6:32pm 13″ 1-2 Buzzbait crummy pic but solid start with two bass on the board just over 15 minutes into casting

Notes & Nonsense

Plan of Attack – Knowing I only had maybe an hour and a half to fish, there was no exploring or experimenting this time around. Nope, hit all the spots with fast moving baits – a couple crankbait spots, a few Senko pitches at specific targets and otherwise a steady dose of buzzbait on proven areas.

Crankbait Results – I hit my two best crankbait stretches and never got a strike. Weapons of choice were a Mann’s Baby 1- (copper) and Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill (natural pumpkinseed). Although no takers on this outing, I do look forward to nailing some over the next several weeks as fall cranking is a favorite, and successful approach.

Senko Results – I pitched the Senko into a handful of targets along with using it as a follow-up bait on a couple missed buzzbait strikes. My targets produced a pair of hookups but both threw the bait before reaching the boat, tough break but good to see the spots come through (neither was a “keeper” at least).

Actually a pic from last week’s outing after a bass knocked off my buzzbait skirt on a strike, the skirt pictured was the winner today

Buzzbait Results – Not quite 30 minutes in, I had three bass on the buzzbait and was feeling pretty good about my prospects for the rest of the short outing. All three of these bass came from banks that were sheltered from the direct sunlight and my home stretch would feature similar conditions once the sun descended behind a slight ridge. All in all, things were setting up pretty well.

Foiled Again – The 2017 weather on my Lost Grove outings has not fully cooperated ranging from too much sun to a scary storm showing up in a hurry. This time around I plucked a 1-14 from some partially submerged brush on the buzzbait as I began my run through several money spots on the homestretch. The photo below shows a light ripple on the water in the background, which was just about right for presentation and boat control. By the time I got this bass photographed and logged, the wind kicked up to near whitecap magnitude blowing me in the opposite direction of the ramp. Boat control was shot and buzzbait commotion was negated by the increased wave action. I got a couple missed strikes but no more hookups and wound up with a disappointing stretch run as the darned weather turned on me again.

7:16pm Top Bass 15″ 1-14 Buzzbait  all was falling into place until the wind kicked up and ruined the topwater bite

Even so, I felt it was a decent sort of abbreviated outing, especially as I came very close to just staying home for a nap on the couch instead as I’d been beat all week. Can’t catch ‘em at home so glad I went, posting my third largest Lost Grove bass to date with the day’s Top Bass. Also got some GoPro footage as the camera seems to be back in working order after an odd hiccup (or operator error) and a shout out to an unnamed Good Samaritan who helped me lug my boat back to the truck at the end of my day. One more trip in the books from today so look to have a report and some other items from the outing on the way. Talk to you later. Troy

The follow-up trip to Eclipse Day produced a slew of bass but nothing big to show for it. In fact, my one “keeper” on the rain shortened, one hour, Eclipse outing outweighed the Top 5 for this trip all by itself. But hey, anytime you can post 43 bass with most of them on a buzzbait, now that’s a blast. In lieu of a batch of lunkers to report, I’m going to pull out an old stunt and use some Pop/Rock music to help convey my day on the water.  First the bass and the data, then we jam.

  

7:07am 14″ 1-8 First Bass and Top Bass Buzzbait                                       7:27am 13″ 0-15 Buzzbait      

Stats
Date: August 22, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (3 lakes)
Time: 6:25am-3:00pm (6.0 hours fishing, rest walking or driving)
Weather: Mostly cloudy/very windy
Air Temp: 66F-76F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 43 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (Snow White shad) – 34 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 3 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (copper) – 1 bass
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-8 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-7 (1-8,1-1,1-0,0-15,0-15)

Rest of the Top 5 (left to right): 0-15 (8:51am Buzzbait), 1-0 (9:41am Baby 1-) and 1-1 (11:08am Buzzbait)

Notes & Nonsense

“Take It To The Limit” (Eagles – 1975) – Went for a change of scenery “one more time” on this outing and every time I pull this stunt I wind up beat and wonder if it’s the last time. And I’m not just talking fishing results as this type of adventure provides a real workout. Forgive me for being a little vague but this bright idea involves hauling a boat into fishing holes that are a long ways from the truck, we’re talking potential miles for a round trip.

“This Night Won’t Last Forever” (Michael Johnson – 1979) – So this is where the whole music oriented concept originated for this report. I’m just killing them on a buzzbait and all of a sudden realize that a slightly altered version of this cut is going through my head. Substitute “bite” for night and it goes a little something like this: “I know this bite won’t last forever, I know the sun is gonna shine sometime.” For the first time in a while I got what I was after as the clouds were my friend.  The result was an all-day buzzbait buffet, first buzzbait catch at 7:07am and last buzzbait bass at 2:12pm, truly an expanded window.

“Lovely Day” (Bill Withers – 1977)
When the forecast calls for cloudy skies,
A cool breeze puts heat behind,
The thought of buzzbait bassin’ time,
Is foremost on my mind.
“And I know it’s gonna be a lovely day, lovely day, lovely day, lovely day…”
Yep, my own version of those lyrics were a significant part of my mental soundtrack as well. Maybe I ain’t right, but a lifetime in front of a radio has provided lyrics for every occasion and this one was spot on. If you dig tunes and topwater fishing, you know where I’m coming from.

“Lights Out” (Peter Wolf – 1984) – The former J.Geils Band lead singer summed up the fishing action quite nicely: “Blast, blast, blast.” Literally and figuratively, as topwater fishing appeals to the visual, auditory and tactile senses in an addictive fashion all in a split second of entertaining bass fishing action.  (Note: this Wolf tune is not to be confused with the video where he hops all the way through the song, that one is “Come As You Are”, quite interesting.)

“I Missed Again” (Phil Collins – 1981) – As the wind picked up, the buzzbait was still getting plenty of attention but I’d have to say that the surface chop made for a diminished success rate as at least a dozen bass came up short in their efforts.  Cue up the former Genesis singer with a classic early MTV bit of video entertainment as he croons, “Oh, did I miss again, I think I missed again” on behalf of those bass. In one case, a missed strike knocked the lure a foot above the surface, can’t recall ever seeing that one before. While it may have been wise to adjust my presentation to the changing conditions, I still had plenty of others displaying better aim, thus I kept right on buzzing as my primary approach.

The Jackson 5 – Lest anyone think that I am a sort of one hit wonder in lure selection most days, I did make a few changeups when cover and instinct dictated. Two bass on the Senko in two minutes around a lone bit of bankside standing timber was one case. In addition, I did add a few by lipless and shallow cranking in a couple spots that produced in the past. Overall, I landed bass on five different baits although the buzzbait was far and away the star of the group, the Michael of my tackle box on this day.

  

Left to right: Buzzbait (Michael), Red Eye Shad (Jackie), Baby 1- (Tito)

 

Left to right: Baby Brush Hog (Marlon) and Senko wacky rig (Jermaine)

“Hurt So Bad” (Linda Ronstadt – 1980) – Okay, so here’s the rundown on a fishing trip beat down. Both knees from hauling stuff and logging several miles of strip mine trekking (fortunately most was old roadways). Right shoulder from casting and lower back from hauling and sitting in an eight foot johnboat for about an eight hour day. Left elbow from a tumble as I also stand in that boat a lot even though not the wisest idea and several fingers just because they are getting old, ache and don’t work as well as they used to.

“Hurts So Good” (John Cougar – 1982) – But here I am a couple days later and those aches and pains are nearly a thing of the past and I’m well on the road to convincing myself that I need to try this stunt again. You know, the positives of a 43 bass day will still eventually outweigh the negative physical effects as the hours and days roll by. And don’t forget one other physical malady that is more of a badge of honor than a source of pain, good old bass thumb.

Thanks for tuning in and tune in again tomorrow for a blogging retrospective covering the last 15 years. Talk to you later. Troy

All of the kids went to my folks’ for the weekend so I got a shot at another unexpected fishing trip (and Julie and I actually got to go out for dinner two nights in a row, been many years).  My fishing destination was the Knox County, IL strip mines bright and early last Sunday morning to see if I could find some more bass.

Stats

Date: July 30, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 private, 1 public)
Time: 5:35am-11:45am (5.25 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 60-78F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 12 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (chartreuse white shad) – 7 bass
Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (copper) – 2 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 2 bass
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-13 Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 6-8 (1-13,1-5,1-3,1-3,1-0)

Notes & Nonsense

6:35am 14.5″ 1-3 Senko                                                                                           6:44am 12.5″ 1-0 Buzzbait

On Time Arrival – My intent on these early morning outings is to get on the water right about the time that it is getting light enough to see what I’m doing.  With a drive of roughly an hour, that means getting up around 3:30am to put the finishing touches on breakfast, pack a lunch, get dressed and load the few remaining pieces of gear.  This time around I hit everything just about right and made my first cast at 5:35am.  First bass showed up twenty five minutes later on a buzzbait after my first three go to spots let me down.  The first “keeper” came aboard at the one hour mark amidst a bite that was enough to keep me interested but not the daybreak flurry I was seeking.  At times I wonder if I actually get up before the bass and if that whole early bird thing does not apply when it is man versus fish.

7:05am 14.5″ 1-3 Buzzbait                                                                                                   8:15am 15″ 1-5 Baby Brush Hog  

Plan B – By 9:10am it was time to shift gears as two typically productive lakes had failed to give up any of the big bites I was seeking on the buzzbait.  I had nine bass on several different presentations with four at 12” or better but the heaviest was only 1-5.  I still had at least a couple more hours to fish so I decided to wing it and tackle a reunion trip I’d contemplated since 2011, the last time I fished an off the beaten path, public spot that I call Locust Lake.

Locust Lake – This destination requires a portage from another body of water and upon dragging my boat to the area I was met with a frequent hint of something dead wafting through the air.  I figured it might be a dead deer or something until I caught a glimpse of Locust Lake through the surrounding reed forest.  Dead bass and bluegill littered the nasty brown water and a dying mat of slimy surface vegetation covering the majority of the lake.  Well, I’d invested about twenty minutes to get there so I decided to go ahead and explore although I didn’t hold out much hope for success.

Dead Sea Results – Rowing through the mossy surface I spooked a handful of bluegill and several bass when crossing the scattered open water areas on the lake.  And about ten minutes into casting I had a 12.5” keeper on a buzzbait.  Several minutes later I landed a second bass at 13.5” on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait.  But my strangest and final catch would be the best of the day at 17.5” as the crankbait came through again.  The fish was so gaunt and sickly looking though that I was truly a little hesitant to even lip the thing as it just looked nasty.  I guess it was healthy enough to eat, possibly starving, but I sure think its days are numbered.

11:27am 17.5″ 1-13 Baby 1- crankbait  – Three pics of the same fish still don’t do justice to how scrawny and sickly this bass looked.  It easily should have weighed two and a half pounds with even a modest build.  The lake facing shots serve to display a few of  the dead fish in the background as well as a look at the nasty dying weeds, pretty messed up but somehow two other bass also bit.

Theory of a Dead Lake – The area around the south bank of Locust Lake had been completely bulldozed with trees and nasty strip mine soil perched on the rim above the lake.  My guess is that whatever got stirred up in that dozing process has found its way into the lake and put a real hurting on the fish (largest dead bass was likely around four pounds, pretty sad).  If you’ve never roamed the strip mines, let me tell you, there are some pretty weird looking pieces of ground scattered around despite reclamation efforts.  I’ve long referred to them as “patches of the lunar landscape” as they are devoid of life and have a color that doesn’t resemble real dirt.  In addition, you find runoff areas that have water that don’t look like water if that makes sense.  At any rate, something ain’t right as there is a second body of water nearby that was surrounded by bulldozed terrain and, you guessed it, a bunch of dead bluegill, bass and a few walleye.  Strip mines have provided me with countless hours of outdoor enjoyment but the whole process has really done a number on some areas.

At any rate, I thought I’d get an answer on whether Locust Lake was still worth the effort but I must admit that I walked away rather confused.  Perhaps a revisit next spring may be worth a shot before the vegetation kicks into gear and to assess if cool weather has a revitalizing effect or simply finishes the job.  Stay tuned on that one I guess and tune in tomorrow for the latest monthly Top 5 stat wrap.  Talk to you later.  Troy

So, what to do to kick off my 50^th birthday in style?  Why, a fishing trip, of course.  Up at 4:15am and half a dozen bass in the log before anybody probably even got up at my house.  I could also write “before anybody even missed me” for as long as those kids have their mama around I don’t think they notice that I’m gone, even on my birthday.

Stats
Date: July 23, 2017
Location: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 6:30am-12:15pm (5.25 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to windy
Air Temp: 74-86F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 11 bass
Lures:
Whopper Plopper (I Know It) – 5 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 2 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (chartreuse white shad) – 2 bass
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 3-8 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-1 (3-8,1-8,1-1,1-0,1-0)

6:33am 13″ 1-1 Whopper Plopper                                                                                   6:58am 13″ 1-0 Whopper Plopper

Notes & Nonsense

Immediate Feedback – Julie and the kids bought me a GoPro for my birthday as I must admit to being a bit entertained by a handful of fishing oriented YouTubers over the last year or so.  I’m nowhere near as hip as this bunch but do take some consolation in the fact that I was pulling a few of their stunts before they were even born or Al Gore invented the internet.  Anyway, this was the inaugural GoPro outing and believe it or not I caught a bass on my first cast of the morning, GoPro filming and everything.  Only a 10” fish but had to laugh at my good fortune despite such “luck” superstitiously being the kiss of death via a first cast bass.  The jury is still out on what will become of the GoPro footage in terms of any public display but that’s a decision and a blog entry for another time.

You Go Back, Jack, Do It Again (Steely Dan, Do It Again, 1972) – Stop number two did not live up to expectations with only three bass in just under three hours with the largest being 13” and one-pound even on the buzzbait.  The other pair came on the Senko wacky rig and I busted off a fish on a creature bait on the hookset as my knot pulled free.  Just not my day on this spot, even when I slowed down a bit.  Once again focused on force feeding a buzzbait in less than ideal conditions looking for that one bite but my stubbornness did not pay off.  The good thing was I still had at least another hour and a half before I had to head home.  The tough thing was deciding on the next fishing hole that would present the best opportunity to get something big.  I mulled it over as I rowed back to the ramp and came up with the brilliant plan to go back to the lake I’d selected to start my day.

7:23am 15″ 1-8 Whopper Plopper                                                                      10:29am 13″ 1-0 Buzzbait

That One Bite – It took me thirty minutes upon my return to lake one before I fooled my first bass of visit number two while slowing down with a Texas rigged creature bait.  Not looking like a real winning move in my choice of a return trip at that point as the sun dominated the sky and the noon hour was just around the corner.  I was desperate for cloud cover and when a lone cloud showed up between me and the sun it was time to bust out the buzzbait yet again…and it worked to the tune of a 3-8 to save the day.  Crazy thing is, it was the fourth time I had worked this particular historically productive area on this trip and the only bite it produced.  With a blend of perseverance and stubbornness I got my bite.

Top Bass 11:40am 19″ 3-8 Buzzbait                                                               New appearance of an old lure

BBH – This abbreviation found its way into the logbook again after a significant absence from being on the end of the line for a cooperative bass.  Strange how lure selection can result in lures that come and go as I get in a rut, rely heavily on comfort lures or swing for the fences with a proven big bass bait.  In this case it was a welcome and successful changeup in my choice to slow it down as the Zoom Baby Brush Hog was my Texas rig bait of choice.  I’d struggled this year to entice a bite in limited use with this general presentation while employing a Senko or Havoc Pit Boss but “rediscovered” the Brush Hog, tied it on and parlayed it into a pair of bass around some laydowns.  My game (and sometimes my downfall) is power fishing but setting the hook on those taps brought back an appreciation for the variety of approaches it takes to fool my quarry over the course of a day, a year and a lifetime of chasing the largemouth bass.

Been waiting to write a report filled with a combination of quantity and quality so, of course, that means a little longwinded on the recap.  But what else do you have to do, you’re probably supposed to be working anyway.  No need to thank me for the substantial distraction, just keep reading.  And tell your fishing buddies.  One more report to go this week in order to finally get caught up for July, been very fortunate in terms of time on the water.  Talk to you later.  Troy