2017 Resolution Result – Retro Report

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For this Resolution I proposed revisiting a concept for submitting a fishing report that was first instituted back in 2002. The idea was based on a Bassmaster magazine series that follows a pro on a new lake and details their approach and results over the course of seven hours as they look to discover what it takes to get bit.

My version featured a photo and the details of every bass we landed, big or small. After all, we don’t quite rank like the folks who actually make a living by fooling fish so there’s a chance that our haul wouldn’t quite wind up as impressive as the pros. But for me, the rest of the story is just as important as anything we catch. As always, it’s fun to look back and reminisce about a day on the water with a favorite fishing partner no matter the quality or quantity of the results.

For whatever reason, I put this concept on the shelf after 2009 so I figured it was high time to bring it back in 2017. And I did just that, along with Dad, during an abbreviated July 8 outing at Little John Conservation Club that I called “Lake Lowdown.” The stats from the trip appear below (along with several pics mixed in throughout this post):

Totals: 17 bass (Troy – 10, Dad – 7)
Lures:
Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 9 bass
Senko weighted wacky rig (smoke) – 7 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-4 (5-0,3-5,1-8,1-4,1-3)


Bass #1 – 6:08am 16” (1-8) Senko wacky rig (electric shad)
On the board eight minutes in with our first “keeper” after two regular spots let us down, spot number three is once again a winner.


Bass#3 – 6:29am 7” Senko
Wasting no time, Dad grabs the lead, but who’s counting? And yes, for this project they all count and get their picture taken, even if they aren’t much bigger than the lure (5” Senko).


Bass#6 & 7 – 7:02am Dad 12” (0-14) and Troy 11” both on Senkos
Dad gets the first of our only double as I hook mine only seconds after he has set the hook. He gets me by an inch with our second “keeper” boosting our weight to a whopping 2-6 and looking for three more to round out a Top 5.


Bass#9 – 7:16am 8” Senko
I dig the take a pic of every bass aspect of this project as it shows that you typically have to wade through a bunch of “dinks” in search of the “keepers” and occasional “lunkers.” The thing is though, you don’t really want to bother the other guy with one of these so you do the photo honors yourself. Holding this one close to the camera still doesn’t make it look bigger, however.


Bass#10 – 7:19am 14” (1-3)
Now this one was cool as it came from an area that has produced in the past but I was going to skip due to cramped quarters in Dad’s Bass Tracker versus the old eight foot johnboat. However, Dad got snagged on an underwater limb prompting a rescue mission into the area. First cast to an overhanging bush after freeing his Senko and we had “keeper” number four, bumping our weight to 4-13.


Bass#14 – 8:11am 21.5” (5-0) Buzzbait
The buzzbait shutout ends in a big way after intermittent casting for the first two hours failed to produce.  I had told Dad that it only takes one bite and this was it.  Throw in the fact that it came on the second visit to a spot that is historically productive including a couple other big ones and it really makes you feel like you know what you are doing.  Top 5 complete with a big jump in weight total to 9-13.


Bass#15 – 8:39am 20” (3-5) Senko
Dad joins the big fish parade with what he speculated was his “biggest Senko bass ever.” A great fight featured a dive at the boat that had me poised and ready with the dipnet when the fish surfaced. Crazy thing was, it surfaced about eighteen feet behind us having swam completely under the boat. Dad deftly guided the fish back around to our side, dodging our rear trolling motor with his rod tip under water and we had another big boost to our Top 5. This fish knocked out the earlier 0-14 and brought out total weight to 12-4.

A rousing success and glad I revisited the idea, just might have to bring it back as annual event. While this was only a 3.5 hour trip, don’t think that we shortchanged the concept as we did have a full day on the water. It’s just that the next few hours were spent with my boys chasing some panfish in Papa’s big boat. Which is part of another Resolution headed your way soon. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Resolution Result – Spring Stroll

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This Resolution pertained to what has become an annual trek across some Knox County strip mine ground. My designation as a “stroll” was intended as tongue-in-cheek, for what is defined as “a short leisurely walk” is really no such thing.

Here’s a bit of how I described this Resolution:

“Last year was particularly ugly as I was eaten alive by mosquitoes and fought armpit high weeds across the entire site once stepping off the interior road that bisects the area. On top of those nuisances, the quality of the bass that I fooled left much to be desired with only four at 12” or better for a Top 4 weight of 4-13. Just not my day and I began to wonder if I would pull such a stunt again, vowing to re-read the blog posting I submitted about that misadventure when pondering a 2017 visit. Therefore, the resolution is to add the site to my list for the fifth straight year but to do so nearer to opening day (April 1) rather than closing time (site shuts down after September 30).”

So, this stroll thing accounted for a little over 6.5 of these miles, I’ll leave the feet/bass calculation to you based on the numbers below.

Success on all accounts with two trips (April 8 and May 13) encompassing 6.25 hours, just over 6.5 miles of hiking, 33 bass, Top Bass of 3-6 and a Top 5 Weight of 12-1. And, as an added bonus, no mosquito bites.

In my original posting I also noted the following:

“Here’s to short weeds, no skeeters and an overdue boost to my all-time Top 5 from the site that presently sits at an even 20-0 (4-6,4-3,4-2,4-0,3-5).”

  

My two best of the adventures, 3-6 (April 8 on left) and 3-5 (May 13 on right), both caught standing in the same exact spot.

Well, mission accomplished on the Top 5 boost too, as my 3-6 added one whole ounce to my total. Here’s to a repeat of this Resolution in 2018. 80 days and counting…Talk to you later. Troy

Trapping Tuesday – 1973 Coon Hunting

Posted on by Troy Jackson

1973 (l to r) – Terry Jackson (with Lady), Bill Downin (with Buck), Jody Jackson (with neighbor’s plot hound, name forgotten) 

Coon hunting was an activity that ran in conjunction with trapping season for more than a few years. I did get to experience this interesting pursuit as a youngster on several occasions and have a handful of recollections from those evenings. But I’d have to say that one of the primary memories is just the general sense of how dark dark really is once you get away from the artificial lights and switch off the headlamps.

Anybody know what these are?  Likely another reason there’s no action shots of the hunts, not as easy as pulling out your “phone.”

And I suppose dark is part of the reason why there are not any photos during the actual hunts.  Instead, the pictures are more so of the processed pelts or the hunters with the true workhorses, the dogs.  I recall dogs named Bones, Susie and Paint while a check-in with Dad also yielded several others such as Buck, Lady, Herbie and Spot (the latter identified by Dad as “the best coon dog ever”).  Certainly a great deal of tales associated with that pack of hounds for another time.

Never knew this second shot existed until Dad recently found another batch of photos, pretty cool from the days when black and white was film not a filter.

Did I happen to mention how dark it gets when you’re coon hunting?

You know, when you’re a kid out there with your Dad, you’re safe, right?  After all, he’s not scared of anything, he’s seen and done it all, knows the woods like the back of his hand and can positively identify everything that goes bump in the night. Even so, when you’re a ten year old kid, it’s a whole different world out there in the dark. And all of these years later, I’d have to honestly say that I’ve never quite put that whole dark thing behind me. Give me some moonlight, a campfire and a little space and I’m perfectly fine. But middle of the woods, pitch dark, senses running overtime…

I’d say don’t tell my kids that I’m not as brave as Papa but I suppose they already know that from some of his outdoor tales. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Resolution Result – New H2O

Posted on by Troy Jackson

“Destination…somewhere new.”

So began the New H2O Resolution post and so begins our update.

I managed to check this one of the list with three bodies of water. Two were actually new and one was a spot I hadn’t fished since 2002, so essentially new in my book.


April 8, 2017 Private pond

April 8, 2017 – One of the plant locations of my employer features a pothole of a pond that I gained permission to fish last year during a conversation with the Plant Manager. The visit produced four short bass in an hour of casting while a pond side discussion with a plant worker on his break wound up being one of those “you should have seen this pond a few years ago” stories. It appears that I missed the heyday of the spot as he noted that several large bass had been harvested over the years. However, the cooperative nature of the ones that I fooled on this morning led me back a couple more times with the kids in tow and a good time was had by all (more on that in a later Resolution post).

April 8, 2017 – After the stop at the above location I hit some walk-in strip mines and managed to fool another short bass out of a remote pothole that I’d never fished before. Always interesting what may lie in these off the beaten path spots and there’s still plenty more at this area that await fulfilling a revisit to this resolution.

September 11, 2017 Johnson-Sauk Trail

September 11, 2017 – I suppose Johnson-Sauk Trail Lake warrants an asterisk as I had actually fished it twice before, once for panfish back in the mid-90s and a brief visit in 2002 chasing bass. However, I feel that sufficient time has passed to deem this new water. I managed five bass in three hours with Top Bass only 1-2 but found the lake to be just about right for that old 8’ johnboat and a set of oars. In addition, I’ve seen a handful of pictures of some quality bass and a few nice muskies (all noted as released) that show potential for a good catch.

Nothing stellar but always fun to see some new fishing holes, full reports for each can be found by clicking the link in the dates above. Two for two so far on the 2017 Resolutions and more results to come. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Resolution Result – Traplines

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For this 2017 Resolution, I boldly offered up the following:

“To coincide with the beginning of trapping season in November I am going to kick off a multipart series of blog postings that I collectively refer to as ‘Traplines.’ And when I say ‘multipart series’, you don’t even know…”

While the original trapping blowout project did not materialize due to time constraints and a desire to do some further research, an abbreviated version continues with the weekly “Trapping Tuesday” pictures and postings which will run through the end of the month.

I’m going to have to give myself a thumbs up on this one, however. After all, the Tuesday blog (and Facebook) entries do indeed qualify as a “multipart series.” Nowhere near the collection of parts anticipated but a shout out to trapping to say the least. Heavy on nostalgia and family but those things are as important as any catches.

All told, the “Trapping Tuesday” posts will cover 13 weeks and feature over three dozen photos spanning 45 years on the trapline. A pretty solid look at three generations enjoying an often overlooked and less glamorous outdoor pastime when compared to the big business of hunting and fishing pursuits. But even 13 posts only scratch the surface when looking back over decades of stories and photos. Perhaps another time…

   

  

More Resolution results on the way, hope you’ll tune in for these brief bits of Cabin Fever relief. Talk to you later. Troy

Trapping Tuesday – 1978 Outfoxed & More

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last Fall, during a visit with my folks, Dad produced a batch of outdoor pictures that included today’s shot. Many other gems were also included in the stack of pics which was quite a treat. I had long thought that I’d gathered all of the family outdoor pics from a collection of photo albums and random envelopes but as it turned out there were more treasures to be had.

For me, it’s cool enough that this shot displays a collection of fox pelts as that species was not a primary focus of Dad and Uncle Dick. Instead, it was coons, muskrat and beaver that were the main furbearers targeted. To me, it goes to show that my trapping mentors simply knew how to get it done regardless of the quarry they had in their sights.

But wait, there’s more to this classic shot.

Dad’s hat is also a neat bit of trapping nostalgia as the emblem represents a group known at The Fur Takers of America which was founded in 1968 according to their website. I recall going to a meeting or two with Dad in the 70s and believe I even had a membership card of some sort, perhaps the youngest member in the local chapter, sounds like a good story anyhow. I seem to recall meetings being held at the Galesburg Moose Lodge and at one point I believe Dad and my Uncle Dick filled the roles of Secretary and Vice President, respectively.

Another fun aspect of this picture relates to the location as that is still my Mom and Dad’s driveway all these years later, close to the end of that dead end street on the banks of good, old Cedar Fork. That classic wood panel station wagon has given way to a parade of vehicles over the years but I have to say that it is outstanding to find it inadvertently preserved in this bit of outdoor family history.

The backdrop also makes me wonder if we are looking at a piece of West Central Illinois meteorological legend. The note on the back of the photo simply states 1978 season which leads me to believe that this photo reflects the 1978-79 trapping calendar year as the season has typically spanned from November into January and even March depending on the species pursued. As such, the snowfall behind Dad quite likely is part of what a March 3, 2014 Galesburg Register Mail article noted in stating, “Set in the 1978-79 winter, Galesburg received 52.8 inches of total snowfall during the astrological winter.” A National Weather Service bit covering January 1979 entitled The Brutal Winter of 1978-79 also adds, “Besides being a month for record snow, January was also the coldest month ever in the Quad Cities. The average temperature for the month was only 6.3 F. The second coldest reading ever occurred on January 2, when the temperature dropped to 27 F below zero.”

And here we are, exactly 39 years removed from that record low and I now call the Quad Cities “home.”  Luckily, in 2018 we’re only looking at a forecast low of -12 F. Talk to you later. Troy

You Say You Want A Resolution

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, so maybe you don’t really want a resolution, but as a committed outdoor blogger, I’m going to give you some. After all, this annual exercise (often in futility) is just too good to pass up. Here we go, for 2018…

Bass Break – Going to be tough to top 2017 in terms of my Top 5 weight of 26-13. Not to say that I’m not going to try, but it’s high time that I go back to my fishing roots and give some other species a shot.

Catch and Cook – A much younger generation dominates the fishing vlog landscape and I keep a watchful eye on a handful of them for entertainment and occasional enlightenment. One standby is something they call “Catch and Cook” videos. Now, I don’t know that I will necessarily go the whole video route but I do plan on keeping some fish with the intent of showing the kids the whole process from reeling ‘em in to chomping ‘em up. Been a lot of years, hope I still remember how to clean fish. Hey, Dad…

New IA H2O – Now that Iowa is only a handful of miles from home, I’ve taken to purchasing the non-resident license and trying to fool some Hawkeye State bass. My exclusive destination to date has been Scott County’s Lost Grove Lake but for 2018 I’ve got my eye set on a couple other spots to add to my list.

New Parks – Our family had a good time with several day trips to Illinois and Iowa parks in 2017 and I want to continue that trend in the New Year. There’s tons to choose from whether a few acres amid the urban setting of the Quad Cities or expanses that lie beyond the hustle and bustle of the city.

New Campground – While our normal stomping grounds of Little John Conservation Club or Lake Storey just outside Galesburg, IL are outstanding outdoor resources, I’m looking to expand our horizons and show the kids some new scenery. Once again, plenty of opportunities are available within close proximity which is cool as I hate wasting time sitting in a vehicle that could be better utilized getting some fresh air.

Definitely a family oriented slant on the 2018 outlook and that is the overall intent. I had an excellent 2017 on the water chasing my bass but admittedly got a little selfish and had more than a few “Dad can we go fishing?” requests that didn’t materialize. So here’s to getting better at fulfilling those wishes.

Stay tuned as the New Year gets underway for a look back at how I fared on my 2017 resolution list. Talk to you later. Troy

Trapping Tuesday – 2002 Routes, Records

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2002 wound up being a solid year on the trapline in terms of totals and variety as our haul featured more than just the standard coons, muskrats and beaver with a couple coyotes, double digit skunks, a mink and even a weasel. However, record keeping on the trapline often wound up being a bit unofficial as the seasons drew to a close. After the first couple weeks our group of trappers would split up and the trapline totals and reports would get a little more sporadic based on factors such as time, access and weather. Nothing overly inaccurate, maybe a coon or two here or there as the totals below show 120 coons while a write-up I did back in 2002 reported our total as 130+ along with 20 beaver versus 19 in the respective reports.

Of course, it was about much more than the numbers as we traversed old, familiar stomping grounds such as The Big Timber and Pat’s Creek. For many years we would split up with Uncle Dick and me hitting the former while Dad and Brent covered the latter location. We would then move onto a handful of Warren County locations collectively called Moore’s before meeting up to compare the hauls and pose for a group photo.

Richard, Troy, Terry and Brent Jackson with a 2002 day’s haul

We covered many miles over the years and I suspect Dad and Uncle Dick could probably cover the ground with their eyes closed. Well, except maybe for The World’s Most Dangerous Crossing, had to be on your toes for that spot. And those sort of memories are as much a part of the story as the fur. Many tales and many places that were entertainingly named by a couple outdoorsmen who knew it best.

Photo shoot at The Cemetery with 20+ pound coon, 47 and 39 pound beaver 

These shots from one of those spots, The Cemetery, during the 2002 season are particularly memorable as we racked up a new record for beaver catches including a couple that tipped the scales at 60 pounds, another at 47 pounds, two at 39 pounds and one at 34 pounds. In addition, we pondered whether or not we had set a family coon record with one coming in close to 24 pounds. Great catches that you don’t really want to have to haul too far along those trapline trails. Talk to you later. Troy

Outdoor Wish List #2 – 2 Boot Patches

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

My Northerner boots definitely rank as unsung heroes among my fishing/outdoor gear. These typically unseen items rarely get any glory when snapping pics of the catch. After all, the standard pose presents the fish in proximity of the angler’s chest, right in front of my face in a lot of my old pictures or embarrassingly extended as far as the arm can reach towards the camera in some of the mainstream media (I quit doing that one a long time ago). And with the advent of the fishing selfie, well, there’s no way your boots are going to get in on the action.

Fortunately, a fair amount of my fishing has taken me off the beaten path on foot and made for some interesting photo shoots on the weedy bank of a pothole or from a foothold on the steep incline of a spoilbank with a camera propped up on some utility boxes. As such, it’s kind of fun looking back to find that my boots got to be included in the fishing album. Never thought about that aspect before as they are simply great boots, doing their job as they take a beating while keeping my feet warm and dry.

  

 

Every once in a while, those good old boots make it into the pic

Well, this pair has finally gave out in a couple spots making them a little leaky as I prowl around the bank or wade through early morning wet terrain. But with the combination of frugality, sentimentality and perhaps even a little superstition, new boots aren’t on the list. Instead, a couple patches and some gunk will suit me just fine.

Besides, things usually get a little deeper during fish stories than they do during the actual fishing, if you know what I mean. Talk to you later. Troy