Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A new month means a new stat wrap-up for the Top 5, here we go.

2017 Totals (* = new record)
*January = 1 bass (no previous entries)
*February = 13 bass (old record 7 in 2016)
March = 10 bass (record 13 in 2014)
April = 9 bass
May = 8 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
*January = 2-11 (2-11) no previous record
February = 21-5 (5-2,4-14,4-2,3-15,3-4) record 22-9 in 2016
March = 22-15 (6-2,4-11,4-9,4-3,3-6) record 28-0 in 2016
April = 25-0 (6-0,5-15,5-9,3-14,3-10)
May = 25-0 6-15,5-8,5-2,4-1,3-6)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 31 bass
Bank = 10 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 30-9 (6-15,6-2,6-0,5-15,5-9)
Bank = 20-2 (5-2,4-1,3-14,3-10,3-7)

Public vs. Private
Public = 21 bass
Private = 20 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 26-10 (6-0,5-15,5-2,4-14,4-11)
Private = 29-4 (6-15,6-2,5-9,5-8,5-2)

The Baits – unspecified (* = new record)
Crankbaits = 14 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Jigs = 9 bass (Top Bass 6-2 Troy Jackson)
Swim Jigs = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Jake Bresson)
Lipless Crankbaits = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Bruce Zilkowski)
Underspins = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Mark Balbinot)
*Buzzbaits = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-9 Troy Jackson)
Old record 5-8 Terry Isbell 9/14/14
*Creature Bait = 2 bass (Top Bass 6-15)
Old record 6-1 Jeff Marshall 5/23/14
Jerkbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Mark Balbinot)
Plastic Worm = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-5 Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-1 Troy Jackson)
Tube = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Jake Bresson)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
*2-11 Mark Balbinot (no previous record)
February
5-2 Mark Balbinot
March
6-2 Troy Jackson
April
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.
May
6-15 Mark Balbinot
.
Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
*6-15 Mark Balbinot 5/13 (#7 all-time)
6-2 Troy Jackson 3/4
6-0 Randy Sampson Sr. 4/15
5-15 Mark Balbinot 4/14
5-9 Troy Jackson 4/25
5-8 Mark Balbinot 5/13
5-2 Mark Balbinot 2/26
5-2 Jake Bresson 5/20
4-14 Randy Sampson Sr. 2/19
4-11 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/25

Angler Weights
27-10 Mark Balbinot (6-15,5-15,5-8,5-2,4-2)
22-3 Randy Sampson Sr. (6-0,4-14,4-11,3-6,3-4)
20-11 Troy Jackson (6-2,5-9,3-6,3-5,2-5)
18-5 Jake Bresson (5-2,4-1,3-10,3-7,2-1)
18-0 Bruce Zilkowski (4-9,4-3,3-15,3-0,2-5)
3-2 Brent Jackson (3-2)

Bonus Species – Northern Pike
Total = 54.5” Jake Bresson (33.5”,21.0”) both on Tubes

Bonus Species – Green Sunfish
0-13 Jayce Jackson

Lots of good fish but still a lean year in terms of participation. I get it, modesty and/or secrecy sometimes outweigh the desire to join a “brag board.” My advice is to just view our project as the modern equivalent of having that Polaroid picture of your latest catch on the counter of the local baitshop. Just ignore the fact that the baitshop is pretty much available to anyone around the world. Good luck and send them my way. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Nothing new in the Inbox so it was fortunate that I got out via a vacation day and managed to fool one that gave me a boost of a few ounces.  This fish was part of my final May outing and the full fishing report was passed along in yesterday’s post.  Here’s the intimate details on the latest addition to my creel.


Weight: 2-5 (17″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 30
Location: Little John Conservation Club, IL
Lure: Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad)
Structure: Weed edge
Angler Comments: This one gave me a second chance after a good blowup and a long distance swing and a miss in some windy conditions that were pushing the limits for buzzbait commotion.  Didn’t have much of an option for the normal Senko follow up cast in the conditions so figured it was buzzbait or nothing.  Lucky for me, this one was either dumb enough or hungry enough to blast it again.
Top 5 Weight: 20-11 (6-2,5-9,3-6,3-5,2-5) culls a 2-1

So, still got one in the two-pound range bringing up the rear which is a reasonable target to boot on most of my fishing holes.  Gave a couple of those spots a brief shot this past weekend so stay tuned for a report later this week on how it panned out.  As always, if you’re catching them send them this way for a few minutes of “fame.”  Talk to you later.  Troy

Strip Mine Report 5/30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last Tuesday, I extended the holiday weekend to a four day “vacation” by taking a needed day off of work.  My recent role as fishing guide for the kids had exacerbated the itch to go fishing so I selfishly decided it was time to fly solo while the youngsters trudged through their next to last day of school.

Stats

Date: May 30, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (3 public, 2 private)
Time: 5:55am-3:00pm (6.25 hours fishing, the rest walking/driving)
Weather: Sunny-partly cloudy/windy-very windy
Air Temp: 53F-77F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 20 bass, 1 green sunfish
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 15 bass
Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 3 bass
Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (2-5,2-0,1-14,1-11,1-11)

8:01am 16.5″ 1-11 Zara Spook                                                    Me and the Spook go way back, still produces

Notes & Nonsense

Old School – A bright and early start, a run of stable weather and late May had me preparing for a topwater bite to start the day.  For one weapon of choice I opted to go old school and tied on a Zara Spook in the black shore minnow pattern, we were real tight back in the 80’s and 90’s.  It produced my first two bass and three overall with the last being the best, solid in terms of size (1-11) but more so in a technique meets location scenario.  I had a nice narrow finger in this particular strip pit that featured a solid weed mat clogging the back end and a couple pieces of brush for a lure to pass in open water as it headed back to the boat.  I’d made a couple casts with a buzzbait to no avail before deciding that I needed something that would dance a bit more near the weed mat and not buzz through the area too rapidly.  Turned out to be the right decision as a cast within a few inches of the weeds followed by a handful of twitches in a walk the dog retrieve and I had a taker.  Nice when it works like that.

Recuperated and Rejuvenated – My best estimate on my haul on this day was a definite post-spawn mood.  Plenty of bass were willing to bite so it seemed like they had shifted their focus from rejuvenating the lakes to recuperating via strapping on the feedbag.  Most of the bass were on the skinny side as well indicating that they had recently spent most of their energy on restocking but were now on the road to recovery as evidenced by a positive activity level.  Did still see several bass on beds but much less than during my last outing.

8:41am 15″ 1-11 Buzzbait                                            12:08pm 16.5″ 1-14 Buzzbait

Clouds – “I’ve looked at clouds from both sides now.  But now they only block the sun…” – Both Sides, Now – Judy Collins (written by Joni Mitchell)
And, boy, was blocking the sun just what the doctor ordered.  The combo of a sustained chop on the surface from a stout wind and brief windows of lowlight conditions each time a cloud bank passed between me and the sun was the key to a sustained, day long buzzbait bite.  Once the predicted clouds showed up about 11:30am (an hour late) the bite was on whenever the sun disappeared.  Nine buzzbait bass from 11:41am-2:25am with none in the sun had me convinced that clouds were key.  Also had me tweeting as follows.

11:41am and 1:38pm (left to right) – it took fishing to make a tweeter out of me…and have also found some “Friends”, still a recluse in real life though.

No Kicker – While I definitely landed some decent fish I just couldn’t fool what the pros call a “kicker.” Nope, the big one eluded me even when able to successfully wield a bait all day long that can certainly get a lunker to make a mistake.  Fifteen of my twenty bass came on the buzzbait with twelve of those fish coming in at 12” or better.  Quality was not that surprising as the buzzer is a fairly large and fast moving bait typically lending itself to a bigger bite.  However, quantity exceeded expectations due to the unusual strong afternoon finish.

A good day on the water as I covered a lot of ground which is pretty normal for my strip mine trips.  I’ve always enjoyed hopping around the collection of modest sized waters that I have at my disposal.  An hour or two on most of these fishing holes is plenty to make the rounds to my spots and then it’s time for a change of scenery to do it all over again.  Look forward to doing it again soon.  Talk to you later. Troy

Pond Reports 5/27 & 5/29

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Memorial Day weekend provided great weather and a great opportunity to get our young anglers out casting.  Two trips with one a smashing success and the other not so much but always interesting with this bunch.

Stats

Date: May 27 and 29, 2017
Location: Henry County, IL pond and Butterworth Park, East Moline, IL
Totals: 5/27 (Jayce & Zac) = 14 bass, 1 green sunfish
5/29 (Carly & Jayce) = 1 bass, 1 green sunfish
Bait: Waxworms on jighead with slip bobbers
Top Bass: 0-11 (two different bass for Jayce and Zac)
Top 5 Weight: 3-2 (0-11,0-11,0-10,0-10,0-8)

Top Bass tie 0-11                                                 Family record green sunfish 0-13 (dropped in parking lot)

Notes and Nonsense

Waxworms – I ended my “Resolution – Kid Fishing” post last month with a word of warning to waxworms and bluegills.  Well, the bluegills dodged a bullet this time but the waxworms got a workout.  Duh, they’re bait, right?  On the guys’ trip they were also “sacrificed over a cliff”, given out as a snack to several bass prior to releasing the catch, impaled on each barb of the two treble hooks on a crankbait and launched into the lake with Zac explaining that they “needed a bath.”

Fun with waxworms, not for waxworms                                       Jayce wanted to cast this setup but we did not

Borrowing my shades                              Destroying my pliers                                                Did not feed this guy waxworms

Quote of the day (5/27): “Guess what, Dad?  We caught more fish than you, that means we can’t go fishing with you for a long time…that’s what Mom said.” – Jayce (Note: Julie has outfished me, I did say that once and we did go fishing together again several years later.)

Retro Rod and Reel – An added highlight from the guys’ trip was Jayce reeling ‘em in with the first rod and reel combo I called my own.  This setup dates back to 1984 as prior to receiving it as a 17th birthday gift I utilized whatever Dad had in the shed.  It faded from use once I turned into a bass fisherman but still worked just fine over 30 years later for another Jackson boy.

“Shoulda been here yesterday” – A favorite fishing quote tells it like it happens sometimes as Carly learned upon joining up for Round Two at the fishing hole.  Me and Jayce laid it on pretty thick after the success of our initial outing, and honestly, I was feeling quite confident of a repeat performance.  One fish apiece for this pair in about an hour and they’d had enough, pushing to try our luck elsewhere which was even more disappointing at Butterwoth Park with zero bites.  No matter how long you’ve chased fish you are gonna run into days where you can’t fool them.  Just another lesson in the learning process.

Carly first bass                                                   Jayce green sunfish master

One of the most important skills to teach your co-anglers (Hint: make it seem fun)

Great to get the kids out even though it wound up with a tough finish.  Interestingly, it also started a bit rough when Jayce and I hit the local Walmart to pick up our waxworms. As the checkout lady was ringing up Jayce’s bait she says, “So, you and grandpa going fishing?”

Nah, I just made that one up, didn’t really happen.  Chronologically quite feasible but just hoping that adventures like these fishing outings will continue to keep me young.  Talk to you later.  Troy

According to Alice Cooper…

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I considered some theme music for this posting but wasn’t sure how to do it or if there were any sort of copyright hang-ups.  So instead it’s up to your imagination for the background music featuring Alice Cooper’s classic #7 hit “School’s Out” which debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 chart forty five years ago this week.  With a catalog that contains today’s anthemic theme song, the anti-drug composition “Hey Stoopid”, uncharacteristic ballads such as “You and Me” and “How You Gonna See Me Now” and rock standards like “Be My Lover” and my personal favorite, “No More Mr. Nice Guy” you just can’t go wrong with a dose of Detroit rocker Vincent Furnier (no he was not born Alice Cooper).  Diverse, not overly serious and a stage persona second to none make Cooper a legend.

Anyway, school ended Tuesday afternoon for the kids (Julie got a couple day head start), so in my book it is now officially summer regardless of the date.  I asked around to see what was on the agenda and the list included swimming, hiking, camping (Lake Storey and Little John Conservation Club), fishing (Carly wants to add a catfish to her species list) and some sand volleyball.

Personally, I’m looking forward to no more 6:15am wakeup calls for four kids in order to depart at 7:20am for the girls and 7:40am for the boys.  Most days I’ll only have to make my own breakfast and Julie won’t have to have two or three sack lunches packed.  However, there’s still plenty of duties and chaos that comes with four youngsters but hopefully a little less rushed than the last nine months of weekday mornings.

So, “Out for summer, out ‘til fall” and here’s looking forward to plenty of outdoor adventures before that old back to school routine sneaks up on us again.  To get June headed in the right direction I’ve got more than a few catch up postings headed your way including some fishing reports and a park review over the next several days.  Beyond those, who knows…Hope you’ll take a peek and talk to you later.  Troy

Resolution – Traplines

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, folks, there’s a fine line between ambitious and foolish.

So, I already used “Stupid Stunt” for an earlier Resolution but have mulled over that same sentiment for what I am about to announce here.

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…

Actually, I’m not even 100% sure about this beast as it has went through a few different incarnations since the first words were put to paper back on August 20, 2015.  Yep, this thing is gonna be over two years in the making as far as constructing the collection of pics and postings.  But more accurately it is several lifetimes on the trapline in the making from a group you will meet along the way.

Looking back at my blogging efforts at my last gig, I counted 31 trapping postings submitted over the past five years with the bulk of the articles appearing in 2011 and 2012.  Thus I feel it is high time to give this pursuit a shout out as it kind of flies under the radar when it comes to outdoor activities.  In addition, my dad announced his retirement from trapping after giving it one more go last season which also means that it’s time to take a well-deserved look some tips, techniques and tales (a few taller than others) from the trapline.

While this project is still many months from kickoff, I’m gonna need plenty of that time to get it just right as best I can.  And what better method of commitment than the risk of public humiliation should I fail to come through.  Then again, it’s quite likely that I’m the only one keeping score.

And with that, I now wrap up the Resolutions and start playing catch up on some fishing reports and other recent outdoor activities.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Resolution – Retro Fishing Report

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Now, I like my standard format for my fishing report postings as I feel that they tell the tale just fine with an intro, a batch of stats, a handful of notes on the highlights, lowlights, observances, random happenstance and, of course, pics.  But several times in the pre-blog days I wandered off that path in borrowing a page from Bassmaster magazine’s “Day on the Lake” feature.

For those not familiar with the magazine’s monthly series, the concept is to put an angler on an unfamiliar body of water and then provide a chronological account of the decisions, results and conversation during a seven hour day.  The articles finish with the angler’s assessment of the day, what approach they would take were they to return “tomorrow” and yep, a Top 5 weight.  It has been my favorite feature in the magazine since its inception many years ago and is always my first read when the latest issue arrives.

2002 Day – Brent,action shot                                                                                               2003 Day – Dad, Top Bass

My kickoff date for my new website venture to start this month marked fifteen years of writing which all began with occasional fishing, trapping and general outdoor reports to family and friends prior to becoming a blogger back in April 2010.  Among those pre-blog postings were seven of the “Day on the Lake” type postings of my design, borrowing some of the concepts from Bassmaster along with inventing some of my own, including taking a photo of every fish we caught no matter the size.

2004 & 2005 Day – they all count and have a moment of fame for this project

My archives indicate that I kicked off this idea in 2002, posted a pair of these reports in 2003 and then made it an annual project with one a year through 2009 (skipped 2006 for some reason, probably had another kid or something).  Each of the outings were trips with a partner, either Dad or my brother, Brent, but unlike the Bassmaster version all but one were trips to familiar waters.

I just finished re-reading each of the old reports and while some are a bit lengthy, I still found them quite entertaining.  Of course, I had a front row seat and certainly possess a bit of bias as the author.  Still, it is fun to look back and reminisce over days spent on the water with your best fishing partners.  Some “Days on the Lake” were more successful than others in terms of fish but as I continue to put a few more years and fishing trips behind me I’ve come to realize that fishing is about a whole lot more than catching.

Yet again, a ringing endorsement for keeping a log/journal or in some way recording your day on the water.  For within those postings and log entries there are countless details that still bring a smile or a shake of the head, details that would have long been forgotten had they not been documented.

Good stuff then, good stuff now and good stuff for the future.

2007, 2008 & 2009 Days

So, this resolution is to take another swing at this approach at least once this year after being put on the shelf since 2009.  More details to come and perhaps a revisit of the past postings prior to kicking off the 2017 version.  After all, who doesn’t like a fishing report, even if it’s nearly 10 years old?

Hey, guess what?  My initial resolution of a blog a day for May is now officially completed.  And I’m having so much fun that I’m going to keep the string alive into June.  Talk to you tomorrow.  Troy

Resolution – Go Swimming

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Okay, so I know that the collection of baits in the photos below do indeed catch some bass and some really good ones at that.  However, I just can’t seem to put down my confidence baits in favor of any of these varied lures that are generally categorized with “Swim” as part of their names.

Swim Jigs

Got a pile of these baits from a couple different manufacturers including some designed by “Stream Stalker” Jonn Graham that I picked up several years ago at the Elmwood Outdoors Show.  My logs indicate seven bass in 2013 and two in 2014 in limited use as I’ve never really given them a fair shot despite their successful track record in Jonn’s blogs and personal correspondence with an angler in our Top 5 project.

Swimbaits

During the four year run of the Top 5 I have received more than a few pics of some monster fish caught on some monster swimbaits but I have yet to take the plunge.  Very tempting but haven’t been able to convince myself to trade quantity for the quality bite.

So the goal is to catch some fish on each of these two bait categories from something pictured in the collections above as I’ve got plenty to choose from and the price tag on some new swimbaits in particular scare me half to death.  Definitely double digits on most of the hard bait type swimbaits which are pretty much out of my price range these days so I’ll stick with the low budget models I’ve got.

However, one did catch my eye on a major online tackle retailer that sells for $439.99.  The order page actually has a blank for quantity too, like I would buy more than one.  Dang, I think I’d be better off mounting that thing on the wall than the trophy it might catch as I would definitely not throw something in the water that carried such a price tag.

Can you imagine snagging that thing in a submerged tree or having a fish break you off?

I’d have to add regular old swimming to my resolutions in that case, as I’m going overboard after that baby.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

While the 2017 version of the Top 5 has ventured into a trial run of species beyond the standard bass offerings of the first three years, submissions have been kind of lean.  Four northern pike represented the other species until the fish below came calling this weekend for one eager young angler.  So eager, in fact, that he is back at it again this morning with one of his sisters in tow.

Bonus Species – Green Sunfish
Weight: 0-13
Angler: Jayce Jackson
Date: May 27
Location: Private pond, Henry County, IL
Lure: Waxworn on jighead with slip bobber
Angler Comments: It got on my line, I started reeling and I was struggling though.  It got stuck in the kinda weedy part and then got out of there and I just caught it.

Well done, Jayce, as your catch saved the day in terms of getting a submission for the weekly update.  It now stands as the Top 5 green sunfish record and while it is the only entry for this species to date, it actually was a pretty darn big green sunfish.  In fact, I believe it is the largest one I’ve ever seen in person.  Good job and good luck out there today, we’ll see if you and Carly can find something for next week’s update.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Happy Birthday, Jayce

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Our oldest boy, Jayce, turns 8 today so Happy Birthday wishes to an entertaining and thoughtful outdoor buddy.  To celebrate the day in an outdoor way, here’s a collection of images and a favorite story about one of my main men.

Bassmaster Tourney at 15 days old                                     Drooling over bluegill

  Papa’s little trapper                                                     Releasing Uncle Donnie’s catch 

Two bluegill make for one big grin

Some great pics, great memories and looking forward to more.  However, gonna be tough to top the following fish story that we shared last spring.  But that certainly doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying.

Last June during a family camping trip Jayce and I were chasing panfish on a Little John Conservation Club lake with decent success by casting to the boils of a bluegill school we periodically observed rippling the surface.  I’d row over within casting distance and “Bang!” we were reeling ‘em in until the school dipped below the surface only to reappear elsewhere on the lake and the chase was on to row over and repeat the process.

We were having a ball as Jayce was plucking them from “the herd” as he described it when surprisingly a fish of a different color went airborne shortly after the bobber went under and another catch, this time a bass, had pretty much hooked itself.

Now all fish are cool when you fool ‘em and I try to heap on the praise with each one the kids reel in to congratulate them on a job well done and to help feed the sense of accomplishment.  But when it’s your boy’s first bass, well that’s cause for a little extra celebration in my book, especially for a sensitive young fellow who needs a bit more of a confidence boost than his siblings.  We had a time and, of course, took a couple pics to show Mama upon our return and eventually Papa the next time we saw him.

Back at the campsite I encouraged Jayce to tell his Mama about our day, letting him do the honors on his “special” catch.  As he related the tale, he said that he was so happy when he landed the bass that he “almost cried.”

Me too as I type up this post nearly a year later.

Happy Birthday, love you buddy and look forward to some more time in the boat (especially once you get the hang of rowing).  Talk to you later.  Dad