Friday Flashback – October 13, 2008

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Original log entry from 10/13/2008

Back to Lake Storey and only one day shy of exactly ten years ago. This outing was one of the annual visits to the “home lake” with Dad. I too had a solid handle on being a dad but kind of only half the dad that I am these days. Only two little girls at the time, didn’t know that they’d have a couple little brothers on the way. Much has changed on the family front, but in regards to the fishing hole it still resides at the top of the list thanks to the angling challenges, exciting rewards, aesthetic appeal and personal history. Read on for a sample of these characteristics as conveyed via excerpts from the original 2008 fishing report.

This outing and the actual lures from the trip are older than this boy (and his big brother)

10-13-08
Lake Storey (with Dad)
Time: 8:40am-2:10pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Dad – 12 bass 1 Muskie (20”)
Troy – 8 bass 1 walleye (4-14)
Lures
Bomber Flat A in baby bass pattern (also 1 muskie & 1 walleye) – 9 bass
Zoom Super Hog (watermelon seed) – 9 bass
Quad Shad Spinnerbait (white) – 2 bass
Top Bass – Dad 3-0 Troy 1-13
Top 5 weight 8-3 (3-0,1-13,1-4,1-3,0-15)

Solid 4-14 walleye but three pounds lighter than another Lake Storey catch a week and a half earlier

Challenge and Reward, Part I – The second quality walleye “accident” of October tipped the scales at 4-14; a very good fish that kind of paled a bit in comparison when following up a near eight pounder.

Top Bass for the day was Dad’s 3-0 on a Zoom Super Hog creature bait

Challenge and Reward, Part II – This outing and a series of earlier fishing trips produced a handful of new entries for the record book. Eight bass gained entry with Dad’s 3-0 taking Top Bass honors. All eight came from Lake Storey as the strip mines just couldn’t compete with Galesburg’s “home lake” when it was in the midst of the annual fall drawdown.

Aesthetic Appeal, Part I – The drawdown drops the lake level several feet leaving a great deal of structure (trees, stumps, rockpiles, weeds and docks) high and dry. This drastically limits the amount of hiding places for smaller forage fish and allows the larger predators to stock up as we head towards colder weather. Theoretically, this management tool will help sustain a healthy fishery. For the angler, the drawdown provides a glimpse under the surface that can be helpful in targeting the fish when the lake reaches its normal pool in the spring. In addition, it makes any remaining subsurface structure a potential magnet for baitfish which, in turn, attracts predators such as bass, walleye and muskie. Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to reap the rewards and I would say the practice is working just fine.

I like pics of any toothy critter so Dad humored me for this juvenile catch (cool drawdown background too)

Aesthetic Appeal, Part II – During my trips to Lake Storey I observed a pair of our most impressive birds of prey. First up was an osprey that I watched as it plummeted to the water’s surface while harvesting an unsuspecting fish for lunch. Next was a bald eagle, the first I’ve seen at Lake Storey. I have also spotted a few at Lake Bracken and Snakeden over the years, testimony to the marked recovery of the species.

Personal History – Twice I ran out of battery power and had to utilize the gas motor to get back to the ramp. While it’s against regulations, desperate times call for desperate measures. Ain’t the first time I had to pull the stunt as one other time Brent and I had to fire up the big motor to escape a storm that snuck up on us.

Chalk up another successful outing and a few more fish stories from Lake Storey

Actually, this stuff all fits under the personal history category and cool when it overlaps with Dad’s personal history in this case or other fishing partners in other instances. Stories to be told again and again and always a treat when you share the adventure as each person recalls some different aspect of the same tale. More than a few such stories from Lake Storey. In fact, another Friday Flashback from the lake coming next week. Hope you’ll tune in and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Here we go with another batch of Top 5 stats. The numbers below reflect the totals through Monday’s update which brought our submissions to 89 bass, 2 muskie and a channel cat. If you dig your stats like this guy, read on.

2018 Totals (* = new record)
*January = 5 bass (old record 1 in 2017)
February = 5 bass
March = 0 bass
April = 12 bass
May = 24 bass
June = 10 bass
July = 8 bass
August = 4 bass
September = 16 bass
October = 5 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
*January = 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3) previous record 2-11 in 2017
February = 7-3 (2-6,1-7,1-5,1-2,0-15)
March = no submissions
April = 14-15 (4-0,3-0,2-12,2-10,2-9)
May = 19-5 (4-11,4-8,3-10,3-7,3-1)
June = 18-10 (4-5,4-1,3-9,3-7,3-4)
July = 18-13 (4-0,3-14,3-13,3-11,3-7)
August 11-6 (3-15,3-10,2-12,1-1)
September = 23-8 (5-2,5-1,4-9,4-8,4-4)
October = 8-12 (2-3,2-1,2-0,1-5,1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 37 bass
Bank = 52 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight (* = new record)
Boat = 21-2 (5-1,4-8,4-0,3-15,3-10)
Bank = 23-3 (5-2,4-11,4-9,4-8,4-5)

Public vs. Private
Public = 75 bass
Private = 14 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 22-6 (5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4,4-2)
Private = 22-12 (5-1,4-11,4-8,4-8,4-0)

The Baits (* = new record)
Plastic Worms = 51 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jim Junk)
Crankbaits = 14 bass (Top Bass 3-15 Mark Balbinot)
Spinnerbaits = 8 bass (Top Bass 5-1 Brent Jackson)
Chatterbait = 4 bass (Top Bass 4-11 Chris Schwarz)
Creature Baits = 3 bass (Top Bass 3-9 Paul Kessler)
Buzzbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-8 Troy Jackson)
Jigs = 2 bass (Top Bass 2-12 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbaits = 2 bass (Top Bass 1-13 Troy Jackson)
Jerkbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-6 John Kirkemo)
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-7 Nick Tiska)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
3-15 Mark Balbinot (old record 2-11 Mark Balbinot 2016)
February
2-6 Troy Jackson
March
No submissions
April
4-0 Chris Schwarz
May
4-11 Chris Schwarz
June
4-5 Jim Junk
July
4-0 Jim Junk
August
3-15 Jim Junk
September
5-2 Jim Junk
October
2-3 John Kirkemo

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
5-2 Jim Junk 9/8
5-1 Brent Jackson 9/23
4-11 Chris Schwarz 5/26
4-9 Jim Junk 9/6
4-8 Chris Schwarz 5/26
4-8 Troy Jackson 9/23
4-5 Jim Junk 6/27
4-4 Jim Junk 9/16
4-2 Jim Junk 9/29
4-1 Jim Junk 6/30

Angler Weights (* = new Top 5 record, old mark 32-13)
Jim Junk 22-6 (5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4,4-2)
Chris Schwarz 18-12 (4-11,4-8,4-0,3-1,2-8)
Brent Jackson 16-1 (5-1,3-7,2-12,2-10,2-3)
Troy Jackson 15-9 (4-8,3-2,3-0,2-9,2-6)
Paul Kessler 14-0 (3-10,3-9,2-12,2-1,2-0)
Mark Balbinot 13-5 (3-15, 2-7, 2-6, 2-6, 2-3)
John Kirkemo 10-3 (2-7,2-3,2-0,2-0,1-9)
Jayce Jackson 7-8 (2-5,1-13,1-5,1-4,0-13)
Nick Tiska 3-7 (3-7)
Landon Hannam 1-5 (1-5)

Other Species

Muskie Length Totals
70+” John Kirkemo (40”, 30+”)

Channel Catfish Totals
8-2 (25”) Chris Schwarz

The days are getting shorter and only 82 remain in the 2018 edition of the Top 5.  Yep, folks, the year is indeed winding down. But don’t you dare put those fishing poles away too soon as there are still plenty of bites remaining. Looking to get a few myself, will keep you posted and hope you will do the same. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Some more good bites as fall kicks into gear including a young angler joining our Top 5 in posting a new personal best.

(Note: experienced some technical difficulty in uploading pics for a pair of the catches below resulting in data only.)

Weight: 2-0
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 5
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Lure: Wacky Worm
Structure: Ten feet off shore in about five feet of water
Angler Comments: This is the best of seven fish caught Friday afternoon between 1:00 and 3:45pm. The other six fish were in the 10-12” range.

Weight: 2-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 6
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Weather: Overcast with a stiff wind
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Aquatic vegetation and wood along the shoreline
Angler Comments: Fished from 1:30-3:50pm with a fisherman new to the sport. We landed four fish. This was the largest. The rest were 8-9” and not weighed.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: October 7
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 65 degrees
Lure: Weedless Wacky Worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation and wood
Angler Comments: Fished from 2:15 to 4:30 pm with Avery Yung, Reed Yung and Landon Hannam. Reed and Avery were in kayaks while Landon and I were in my boat. Heavy overcast and warm but no rain. No other boat fisherman and maybe one or two shore fisherman west of the pavilion. I caught two other fish but they were a pound or less. We caught nine bass all on wacky worms among the four of us.
Top 5 Weight: 10-3 (2-7,2-3,2-0,2-0,1-9) culls 1-6 and 1-2

Weight: 2-1
Angler: Paul Kessler
Date: October 6
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: White spinnerbait with dual blades
Top 5 Weight: 14-0 (3-10,3-9,2-12,2-1,2-0)

Weight: 1-5 (13”)
Angler: Landon Hannam
Date: October 7
Lure: Weedless wacky worm
Location: Lake Storey
Water temp: 65 F
Structure: Aquatic vegetation
Angler Comments: Fishing with my uncle John and my cousins Avery and Reed. Biggest fish I have ever caught.
Top 5 Weight: 1-5 (1-5)

Way to go everybody and congratulations to Landon on his new personal best, more to come I am sure.  Thanks all for the continued casting as the days get shorter and 2018 fishing heads into the home stretch. 89 bass submitted at present, let’s see if we can make it 100 before the 2018 edition comes to a close. Best of luck and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After 57 days without a bass, I was quite happy that back to back weekends to end the month offered opportunities to go fishing.  A September without any fish would be a real bummer as it is one of my favorite months of the year to get on the water.  For September fishing trip number two, on top of the expected enthusiasm, I was also looking forward to teaming up with a friend, Jim Junk, who is having quite a year as our Top 5 leader.  Here’s the scoop.

Stats

Date: September 30, 2018
Location: Knox/Fulton County, IL strip pits (3 public, 2 private)
Time: 6:30am-10:45am and beyond (details later in report)
Weather: Partly cloudy/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 53-74F
Totals: 42 bass (Troy = 24, Jim = 18)
Lures Troy
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 8 bass
Senko wacky rig (pumpkin/black flake) – 7 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 5 bass
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 3 bass
Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 1 bass
Lures Jim
Wacky rigged worm or white spinnerbait
Top Bass: Jim 3-14 Wacky worm, Troy 1-13 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight Jim: 14-7 (3-14,3-4,2-8,2-7,2-6)
Top 5 Weight Troy: 8-11 (1-13,1-12,1-12,1-11,1-11)

7:03am on the board with a double

Notes and Nonsense

The Shallows – After about 20 minutes without a bite we rowed into a spot that afforded casts in opposite directions, each to a shallow pocket. Prior to taking our shots I mentioned that I often get a bite despite there being some pretty skinny water. Right on cue we soon had a double in the boat and we were off and running. Our second catches, mere minutes later, also came aboard in similar synchronized fashion and we missed a third double about ten minutes later. As the day progressed, we continued to find our Knox County bass quite shallow which is just fine by me.

8:56am with my second largest bass of the day at 1-12 on a buzzbait

Old Boat, New Junk – Jim has posted quite a Top 5 creel this year which I find additionally impressive due to his catches coming while prowling the bank. So, while my eight foot johnboat is not particularly glamorous I hoped that it at least provided some new scenery as we hit all the spots that a bank angler views as “I sure wish I could get over there.” Jim and I had visited one of the lakes in Dad’s Bass Tracker in June but the little boat is a whole different ballgame and I had a laugh later upon realizing that I had added another Junk to the list of co-anglers in the watercraft. Back in the 80s I prowled Knox County waters with his brothers, John and Mark, took his sister-in-law, Lisa, along about 15 years ago (she was eight months pregnant at the time) and his nephew, Brady, has had the boat out for a few adventures (not sure if Jim’s boy, Matthew, may have been aboard on some of those as well). I always say that I take too much stuff along on my outings but apparently never can have enough Junk in the boat.

9:45am – Jim’s 2-8 was Top Bass from the Knox County leg of the day

12:22pm – My Top Bass of the day at 1-13 on a spinnerbait from Knox County walk-in strip mine

Full Day Addendum – While we had a successful morning in combining for 37 bass in just under four hours at Little John, we both had other tricks up our sleeves. I headed to some walk-in ground after our joint outing for another dozen bass while Jim remained at Little John chasing some crappie. I stopped by again on my way home about 2:00pm just as Jim was wrapping up, or so I thought. Instead, about 7:45pm I got a text from Jim stating that he had made his last casts of the day at around 6:30pm at Banner Marsh where he fooled five more at 3-14,3-4,2-7,2-6 and 1-9.

Jim couldn’t get enough fishing it seems and his dedication paid off in Fulton County to end a long day

One That Got Away – As painful as it can be, it’s a fishing standard that inevitably hits every angler from time to time. The fishing gods decided it was Jim’s turn this time around. Shortly before we ditched the little boat and went our separate fishing ways, Jim flicked his wacky rig onto a shallow ledge featuring a collection of laydowns and worked his lure towards the edge into deeper water. I wasn’t sure if it was a fish or a snag in the initial split second when I saw his rod bend but a huge thrash just at the surface and a big flash of green and white screamed “Big fish!” However, seconds later the worm came loose and we were left to wonder. I did not offer up an estimate, not the time or place, and we didn’t fish long enough afterwards for the topic to come back up. But after nearly a week to replay those few seconds, I’ll just say that the current lake record of 5-14 (a bass caught by Jim in 2014) wouldn’t be the lake record anymore.

My arsenal for the day while Jim scored with a wacky rig and spinnerbait

A solid and enjoyable day on the water as we put the first week of Fall behind us. If pressed to choose, I would have to say that this is my favorite time of the year to chase some bass. Too tough to put the appeal into words but knowing that the days on the water are numbered seems to bring an added appreciation. Just a vibe that this is the home stretch knowing what looms on the horizon in terms of the seasons. Those bass know it too, providing us anglers with a good opportunity to find a few that let their guard down. Here’s hoping for a few more chances to cross paths with a Fall feeding frenzy. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 8-21, 1998

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Once upon a time I had a lake in my backyard.

A big lake, like 170 acres big.

Also had a two man bass boat on the dock at the ready and a little something called “free time.”

And that free time allowed me to get on the water at Lake Bracken just south of Galesburg, Illinois for a series of quick afternoon/evening October 1998 trips in pursuit of my favorite species, the largemouth bass. Pretty cool in looking back that when I decided to fish it was simply a matter of hauling some gear down the hill and it was on.

Original log entries from October 8 through October 21, 1998 – quick trips of two or three hours were winners.

For the time period of 1994 through 2002 when I called the lake “home”, those bass did not disappoint. Have a look below at a batch of bass from October of 20 years ago along with some notes on the items in the periphery from my days prowling the spot in that old two man boat.

October 8, 1998 at 4:44pm 17.5″ 2 lbs 9 oz on my old faithful Blue Glimmer spinnerbait and, as usual, probably too much stuff in the boat starting with the five poles and two tacklebags.

October 8, 1998 at 6:13pm 19.5″ 3 lbs 15 oz, Blue Glimmer spinnerbait, 20 years later that lifejacket and boat cushion are still around while I passed along the boat to a young family friend many years ago.

October 14, 1998 at 5:52pm 20″ 3 lbs 15 oz, Blue Glimmer spinnerbait.

October 16, 1998 at 5:43pm 20″ 4 lbs 8 oz, Blue Glimmer spinnerbait and there was a time or two that the livewell was filled with ice and beer instead of a bass posing for a pic. Fun to see my old Shimano Fightin’ Rod on the left, a favorite pole, long gone as well after a run-in with a trunk lid.

October 21, 1998 at 2:45pm 17″ 2-7 on, you guessed it, the Blue Glimmer spinnerbait.  Shimano Fightin’ Rod in view again, log book hiding underneath and a look at one of my maps that I made back in the day. Still got those maps stashed away in the event I ever get another shot at the one-time “home lake.”

As always, fun for me to look back at the fish, the gear and the logs to remember stuff that would otherwise be forgotten.  All told I spent close to 30 years chasing fish at the lake.  Starting around 1978 as the guest of a Little League teammate, through the 80s as part of our family membership, into the 90s and 2000s as a homeowner and concluding in 2008 as Dad’s guest before he gave up his membership as well.  Many memories and stories for another day.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Top 11 Trip Tunes 9/23 – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And the countdown continues…

5. Brain Damage/Eclipse – Pink Floyd (1973) – The grand finale to arguably the top album of all-time. Forever linked and you shouldn’t really listen to one without the other, wonderfully loony and heavy at the same time. If you are among the few on the planet who has yet to purchase a copy of this classic Floyd album, the time has come. See you on the “Dark Side of the Moon.”

4. Karn Evil 9 (1st Impression Part II) – Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1973) – If I were to pick a theme song for my blog, this might be the one. “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends…” And in regards to this blog thing, well “you’ve got to see the show, it’s a dynamo.” “Rest assured you’ll get your money’s worth” (it’s free by the way) and every now and then “you’ve got to see the show, it’s rock and roll.”

3. Let’s Groove – Earth, Wind & Fire (1981) – What can you say? This is the jam, even got my boys hooked as they call it the “Boogie on down” song. Gotta pat myself on the back as a good Dad for that one. Just cool, gets you moving and singing along even if you’re not sure of some of the words, go ahead and make ‘em up as you go, more about the vibe than the lyrics anyhow. Although, “just move yourself and glide like a 747” is pretty hip.

2. American Girl – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (1977) – Just my opinion but I favor the old Tom Petty (say 1977-1985) over the rest of his lengthy and illustrious career. This one is a perfect example of my preference as the older stuff just seems a little more varied and a little rawer. Got lots of favorite lines in lots of songs and for this one I would definitely choose “she stood alone on her balcony” as Petty’s pronunciation and delivery are quite fun.

1. My Best Friend’s Girl – The Cars (1978) – Second straight Top Tunes post that features The Cars at the top spot (see 7/28 list – Bye, Bye Love) and both tunes are from the same album, the band’s self-titled debut. Yet again, a solid mix of musicianship, lyrics and delivery, straight up Cars magic as we prepared to leave disco behind in favor of something new, as in New Wave. And who wouldn’t be a little envious of his buddy’s lady with her “Nuclear boots” and “suede blue eyes?”

Ah yes, another one of my distractions. I have fun with the tunes, hope no one minds the occasional bit of meandering. Next up though, back to some fishing with a report and a flashback to get us through the weekend. Talk to you later. Troy

 

 

Top 11 Trip Tunes 9/23 – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hey, let’s do this again.

And one better than a Top 10 in “turning it up to 11” as I just had too many good cuts to choose from on this particular trek to the Knox County strip mines.

11. Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row (1989) – For a number of years I had trouble coming to grips with my affliction for that interesting period of rock music when “hair” bands roamed the radio and television dial. But then I just flat out decided that I like it (and I know you like it too). Many great high voices (tone and otherwise) rocked the airwaves but tough to beat Sebastian Bach’s pipes when he wailed away. Rock has long been the domain of the rebel and this offering represents an anthem for the hair generation. Additionally, kind of cool when you can work your band name into the lyrics (see also Boston, Bad Company, The Who…)

10. Midnight Blue – Lou Gramm (1987) – Anybody ever associate a particular song with a time or a place or a person? Of course you have, that’s what good tune does. Anybody else hitting that age where you recall something and then wonder if the memory is correct? In the case of this song, I seem to recall a lefty on the Knox College baseball squad nicknamed Giddy who really dug this cut and I do too. Giddy, I know you’re out there, if you read this let me know if I’ve got it right or simply losing my mind.

9. Let It Whip – Dazz Band (1982) – Speaking of Knox College, back in the early 80s the college radio station, WVKC 90.7FM, used to feature a weekly program focusing on a mix of funk, hip hop, rap, post-disco and R&B infused pop. Interesting stuff for a kid normally tuned in to WLS 89AM or the local Top 40 station, Q93. Spent many of those Saturday nights tuned into “The Voice” as the station was nicknamed (Sunday nights was Dr. Demento on 97X). Anyway, what a treat it was to hear stuff like this one or “Controversy” by Prince or “White Horse” by Laid Back or “Take Your Time Do It Right” by The S.O.S. Band or “The Breaks” by Kurtis Blow or “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five or…time to revisit these jams on the internet once I get this post completed.

8. Wasted on the Way – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1982) – This is another one of those cuts that hits a little closer to home these days than it did when released in the summer before my sophomore year of high school. Would make a nice addition to side two of a cassette tape along with “Time” from Pink Floyd, “Running on Empty” from Jackson Browne, “Long May You Run” from Neil Young and “Like a Rock” from Bob Seger. “Oh when you were young…”

7. Sooner or Later – The Grass Roots (1971) – Dare you not to sing along to this catchy love song. Plenty of vocal roles to choose from, too. Maybe you’re a lead singer, perhaps you opt for harmony, possibly just pitch in with the punctuated “time”, “mind”, “when”, “again”, take part in a little call and response or go ahead and let it all hang out during an improvised finale. Just one of those make you feel good, could listen to it all day, they don’t make ‘em like that anymore tunes.

6. The Ballad of Curtis Loew – Lynyrd Skynyrd (1974) – Discovered this one rather late. Never was much of an album kid, didn’t have any money after buying baseball cards, so never heard this tune until sometime in the 90s on the radio. Knew who it was right away but not quite what it was and always a treat to find something old on the dial that’s brand new to my ear. Great story song about a wonderful piece of common ground called music.

How’s that for a blog entry? You get Curtis Loew and Kurtis Blow all in one post. And on an “outdoor” blog to boot! Now that’s some good stuff. Part II tomorrow to finish off our eleven songs for the price of ten. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

In case you were considering putting your fishing gear away as we head into the last few months of the year, check out the latest offerings for the Top 5 before you make your decision.

Weight: 1-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 28
Location: Lake Storey
Water Temp: 66-67F
Air Temp: High 50s and falling
Lure: Weedless wacky worm
Structure: Shoreline aquatic vegetation
Angler Comments: I fished from 1:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. Overcast skies with a stiff wind blowing from northwest. Brief light sprinkles at one point. I caught seven fish. Each was as big or bigger than the previous fish.
Top 5 Weight: 8-8 (2-7,2-0,1-9,1-6,1-2)

Weight: 4-2
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: September 29
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: Not sure if this will cull or not, 4-2 on a dreary Saturday morning.

Weight: 3-14
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: September 30
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Wacky rigged worm

Weight: 3-4
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: September 30
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Wacky rigged worm
Angler Comments (Note: Jim and I had teamed up for about four hours earlier in the day): Add 5 more to the total. 1-9, 2-6, 2-7, 3-4 and 3-14. Each strategically placed to make me stay for just a few more casts. I’m beat.
Top 5 Weight: 22-6 (5-2,4-9,4-5,4-4,4-2) culls 4-1

Great to see one of my favorite fall destinations make the list with John’s Lake Storey contribution and continue to be impressed by Jim’s effectiveness from the bank as the hits just keep coming from his Fulton/Peoria County fishing hole. And he certainly put his work in to get that September 30 pair. Jim noted that he wrapped up his casting that evening about 6:30pm, pretty crazy considering he and I had fished that morning and made our first casts shortly after 6:30am. More on that adventure coming later this week. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – October 2, 2008

Posted on by Troy Jackson

October 2, 2008 12:29pm – Solid Lake Storey Fall drawdown bass at 15″ and 1-12 

Folks, it’s Fall drawdown time at Lake Storey, an old favorite fishing hole on the outskirts of my hometown Galesburg, Illinois. Spent 47 years living in The Burg and Lake Storey played a prominent role pretty much the whole way. Camping, swimming, birthday parties, jogging, softball, picnicking, working, playing, hiking, fireworks and even a little something we used to call “parking.”

Some stories are better left untold.

But not so for fish stories, so here we go with a flashback from 2008 via some excerpts from the original fishing report.

1:20pm – 14.5″ and 1-12

Date: October 2, 2008
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, Illinois
Time: 8:45am-3:30pm
Totals: 12 bass, 1 walleye (27” 7-14 new personal best)
Lures:
Bomber Flat A (baby bass) – 6 bass, 1 walleye
Zoom Super Hog (watermelon seed) – 5 bass
Quad Shad Spinnerbait (white) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-10 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-13 (2-10,1-12,1-12,1,-9,1-2)

A Lake Storey staple, the Bomber Flat A crankbait (baby bass)

2:09pm – A welcome “accident” with a 27″ walleye weighing 7-14, a new personal best

An added bonus when pursuing bass on Lake Storey is the ever present potential for hooking a toothy fish (walleye or muskie). An “accident” can happen at any time particularly if tossing crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits or in line spinners. Dad and I were fortunate enough to land four such “accidents” during a pair of trips as we each caught a muskie and I fooled a pair of walleyes. All of the toothy fish came on Bomber Flat A crankbaits and though our muskies were quite small (20” each), they are always an exciting surprise. The walleye, on the other hand, were pretty impressive. The largest was a 27” 7-14 which set a new species record and easily eclipsed my personal best by more than five pounds.

2:55pm – Top Bass of the day at 16.5″ and 2-10

Admittedly, that walleye is what I call a fortunate “accident” while pursuing my favorite fish, the largemouth bass. I will also admit to knowing very little about walleye fishing but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good and as long as you’ve got a lure in the water you just never know what might show up on the end of the line. In this case, a very solid Illinois walleye that would stand as my personal best for just over two years before another Lake Storey “accident” and a true beast. Perhaps the largest walleye ever caught in Lake Storey, but that’s another story for a future Friday Flashback (stick around until 2020 for that one). Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 23

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After 57 days without a bass I was excited to get a chance to hit the water last Sunday. My original plan was to spend the first day of Fall prowling the banks of a regular haunt while flying solo. But just for fun I sent out a text to an old fishing partner who’s also been known to cover a few miles in search of some bass. And guess what? My bro was good to go. Too bad for the bass.

6:34am Top Bass #2 of the trip and our first bass of the day at 20″ and 4-8 on a buzzbait

Stats

Date: September 23, 2018
Location: Knox County, IL strip pits (3 public, 2 private)
Time: 6:30am-1:15pm (5.25 hours fishing, the rest walking/driving)
Weather: Sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 46-74F
Totals: 48 bass, 1 crappie (Brent = 28 bass, 1 crappie, Troy = 20 bass)
Lures Troy
Senko wacky rig (green pumpkin/black flake) – 8 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 6 bass
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 4 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Yum Wooly Curltail (pumpkin/pepper/green) – 1 bass
Lures Brent
Spinnerbait (Emiquon Special) – majority of his catch
Senko wacky rig (smoke) – the rest of his catch
Top Bass: 5-1 Brent Spinnerbait, 4-8 Troy Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight Brent: 14-11 (5-1,3-7,2-3,2-2,1-14)
Top 5 Weight Troy: 12-7 (4-8,3-2,1-11,1-10,1-8)
Top 5 Weight combined: 18-5 (5-1,4-8,3-7,3-2,2-3)

8:39am Top Bass at 22.5″ and 5-1 on a spinnerbait, just an outstanding looking fish, long and lean

Notes and Nonsense

First Bass – The original plan was to hit some walk-in strip mines but reconsidered as I had the boat loaded for Plan B. Thus we decided to row first while the prodigious terrestrial weed growth hopefully dried out a bit so we wouldn’t end up starting the day soaked in the 40 degree weather. Proved to be a good decision four minutes after hitting the water as my first bite of the day wound up being a 4-8 on a buzzbait worked over a mid-lake hump. Turned out to be my biggest of the day but not the biggest of the trip.

Lunker Point – As I rowed us around stop number two I started telling fish stories as I have been known to do while on (or off) the water. Pointing to an approaching point I mentioned to Brent that it had produced a pair of five-pounders over the last couple years (5-10 and 5-0 to be exact). I even noted that I had taken to calling it “Lunker Point” when documenting the location of catches in that vicinity as they are entered in the log. Right on cue, Brent’s rod loaded up with a good fish after a cast to the spot and the fight was on. After a few tense seconds trying to get a grip on the bass at boatside he hauled in the third five-pounder from the spot I’d been bragging up. Got us another fish story to add to the mix.

11:38am Top Bass #3 Brent’s 3-7 on a spinnerbait

Dropped the Ball, Part I – It’s kind of tough to explain but unfortunately there is no video footage of the two catches described above. I did have the GoPro packed along in my tackle backpack but just never got around to buckling it on. Kind of disappointing on one hand as it would have been some cool footage. But that thing can also present a bit of a dilemma as it is rather revealing. I love fishing pics and videos, especially if they are from somewhere that I fish but I must admit that I admire the background as much, if not more, than the fish. Just saying…

12:07pm Top Bass #5 at 2-3 Senko wacky rig, very cool as just a stout fish

Dropped the Ball, Part II – Last year I introduced something called “Lake Lowdown” here on the blog. This feature documents every bass we land via a photograph and log entry of all the details. Originally borrowed from Bassmaster’s monthly “Day on the Lake” series, I’ve run my piece nearly every year dating back to 2003. Well, in hindsight, this would have been a real winner for the project but somehow slipped my mind. Maybe next time as I need to keep the string alive with a 2018 version.

Get to the Point – Stop number one on our walk-in part of the outing resulted in a dozen bass warm-up as prep for stop number two, our best fishing hole on the property. As we headed out I told Brent that it’s “first come, first serve” on choosing our spots. He arrived first and made a solid choice. Never leaving the point he selected, he proceeded to put on a clinic in outfishing me 6 to 4 and easily outweighing me with his Top 5 on the spot tipping the scales at 11-8.

12:52pm – Top Bass #4 at 18″ and 3-2 on a crankbait

Quite a day, easily the best of 2018. I’ll wrap it up with one final bit of fun via a comment that I threw out after Brent had landed his 5-1 to top my 4-8 less than two hours into our trip. As we also had several in the one-pound range in our creel I said, “Now all we need is a three and a two for a 5-4-3-2-1 day.” Shortly before noon, Brent had put the finishing touch on the quintet with a 3-7 and a 2-2. Plenty more I could share from our productive day, including another batch of Trip Tunes so stay tuned. Talk to you later. Troy