Strip Mine Report 3/4

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Some may have seen a version of this report before on my previous blog but I’m going with a new run of the posting here so I provide a start to finish collection of fishing reports for 2017.  Just kind of tough when I decided to kick this thing off one third of the way through the year.

Oh yeah, and I also like a rerun of this post as it’s got a pretty good catch (singular but solid).

Stats

Date: March 4, 2017
Location: Little John Conservation Club, Knox Co. IL
Time: 2:30pm-5:30pm
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 48F
Water Temp: 44F
Totals: 1 bass
Lures: Jig & Pig (black/blue) with #11 pork frog (black/blue) – 1 bass
Top Bass: the only bass landed
Weight: stay tuned below

Notes & Nonsense

Company – As I pushed my boat into the lake, another pair of anglers arrived and I had a decision to make when faced with sharing water.  The location lends itself to a couple options that I’ll just call a right turn or a left turn.  Both directions have been productive over the years so it was not necessarily an easy decision on which portions of the lake to give up.  I chose to take the figurative left and fate was on my side, winding up with no regrets or second guesses at the end of the day.

 

Old Faithful – Now the “Old’ part of Old Faithful is certainly apt when it comes to the pork trailer on my trusty black and blue jig and pig setup.  I have no idea how old this piece of pig really is nor how many bass it has fooled but it has been through the wringer as I am about as frugal as it gets when it comes to fishing stuff (well, life actually).  The photo above left shows the rig from the top, where it looks pretty normal.  However, the photo above right shows the pig portion flipped over to reveal how much it is chewed up and faded to almost white.  I’m sure some of those Bassmaster sorts would cringe or shake their heads at my unsophisticated presentation but it fooled another fish and yes, I put it back in the old weathered jar for next time once I decided to call it a day.  (Note: the next outing I lost the setup on an unreachable snag while bankfishing, bummer)

Perseverance – On these early season days I go out with the mindset of getting one bite knowing that the conditions are such that it is unlikely I will be greeted by a steady stream of bass coming into the boat.  A week long batch of cold weather, southeast wind, 44 degree water temps and a warm-up not forecast until the overnight meant it could be a challenging day but I was definitely glad to finally get on the water.  I made my first stop at a productive area which allowed fancasting to a number of spots that have cooperated in the past.  I spent 20 minutes anchored where I chose to start and fired away with the jig and pig, slow rolled spinnerbait, squarebilled crankbait, Shad Rap and underspin with a swimbait trailer all without so much as a bite.  Finally, the jig and pig paid off with a bump and a slight sideways movement of the line prompting me to shake the winter rust and set the hook.  Initially, I felt I had a decent fish but a dive near the boat left me wondering just how decent this fish was truly going to be.  When it surfaced, rolled and shook its head, it was obvious that I had something pretty special.

2:57pm 2017 First Bass 22.5″ 6-2 Jig & Pig (black/blue)

Details – At 6-2, this fish was my first ever in the six-pound range and my second largest bass ever landed.  As such it pretty much broke every personal record with the exception of largest crankbait bass.  In addition, it got my 2017 Top 5 off to a pretty good start, doubt I’ll be culling this one when it’s all said and done.

Aftermath – Five days prior to this catch I had written a post about my quest for the elusive six-pounder including one fish that “might have been.”  Fortune was smiling on me on this first outing of 2017 as I had now caught and released the bass that I’d been chasing after for a long time.  After a brief weigh-in, photo session and texts to Julie, one of my brothers and Mom and Dad I just sat for several minutes letting it sink in.  Maybe a little over the top, sappy or cheesy but those three ounces better than a 5-15 bass on my ledger from February 2002 sure meant a lot to this angler.  Granted, many reading this posting have bigger personal bests, and I do too, but the six-pound monkey was now off my back.

After my catch I really didn’t care how the rest of the day panned out.  Good thing too, as I never got another bite.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Top 5 Stat Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Gonna shift gears over the next few days and finish up the intro type stuff later next week (Where, How and Why).  Instead, I’ll focus on some 2017 fishing items to play a little catch up in transitioning from my previous blogging gig to the new website.  First up is a look at the current 2017 totals for the Top 5 project as I continue with the regular monthly stat update.  (Note: the Top 5 has been an annual project since 2014)

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 = 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 = 22-14 (6-0,5-15,3-14,3-10,3-7)

Boat vs. Bank Fishing
Boat = 27 bass
Bank = 5 bass

Boat vs. Bank Top 5 Weight (all anglers combined)
Boat = 28-1 (6-2,6-0,5-15,5-2,4-14)
Bank = 16-6  (3-14,3-10,3-7,3-6,2-1)

Public vs. Private Water
Public = 20 bass
Private = 12 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight (all anglers combined)
Public = 26-10 (6-0,5-15,5-2,4-14,4-11)
Private = 20-1 (6-2,4-2,3-10,3-7,2-12)

The Baits – (* = new record)
Crankbaits = 14 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Randy Sampson Sr.)
Jigs = 9 bass (Top Bass 6-2 Troy Jackson)
Lipless Crankbaits = 3 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Bruce Zilkowski)
Swim Jigs = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-10 Jake Bresson)
Unsderspins = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-2 Mark Balbinot)
Jerkbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 3-0 Mark Balbinot)
Spinnerbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-1 Troy Jackson)

2017 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.

2017 Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
6-2   Troy Jackson 3/4
6-0   Randy Sampson Sr. 4/15
5-15 Mark Balbinot 4/14
5-2   Mark Balbinot 2/26
4-14 Randy Sampson Sr. 2/19
4-11 Randy Sampson Sr. 3/25
4-9   Bruce Zilkowski 3/26
4-3   Bruce Zilkowski 3/26
4-2   Mark Balbinot 2/19
3-15 Bruce Zilkowski 2/19

2017 Angler Weights
22-3    Randy Sampson Sr. (6-0,4-14,4-11,3-6,3-4)
22-1    Mark Balbinot (5-15,5-2,4-2,3-14,3-0)
18-0    Bruce Zilkowski (4-9,4-3,3-15,3-0,2-5)
15-4    Troy Jackson (6-2,3-6,2-1,1-15,1-12)
7-1      Jake Bresson (3-10,3-7)
3-2      Brent Jackson (3-2)

2017 Bonus Species – Northern Pike
54.5” Jake Bresson (33.5”,21.0”) both on Tubes
Weekly updates of new entries will be featured each Monday beginning next week so send fish if you’ve got ‘em as detailed in the Top 5 Intro post from earlier this week.  Playing more catch up tomorrow with a fishing report from my first outing of 2017.  Talk to you later.  Troy

When

Posted on by Troy Jackson

While my earliest outdoor memories date back to somewhere around the early 70’s, my interest magnified considerably with the independence offered a teenage boy and his younger brother during the bulk of the 80’s.  Further independence as a young adult resulted in a few lost years in the 90’s before getting back on the outdoor track.  Becoming a responsible adult in the new century/millennium along with a new found passion for writing and bunch of kids further rekindled the urge to escape to the outdoors when able.

“When” is also reflected in a practice I began back in 1985, keeping a fishing log.  It was an idea that was just sort of fun to start with, still is, and has become habit all of these years later.  Kind of wild to look back at the early data, seeing a combination of definite room for improvement and ample free time to practice, sometimes getting on the water four or five days in a week.  Fast forward to 2017 when it may take me a couple months to work in that many fishing trips amidst just a few more responsibilities.

1960’s – Dad before first kid (this blogger) showed up                                      1970’s – my younger siblings and some rats

1980’s – campout, bankpoles, independence…and skinny                 1990’s – no responsibilities & no gray hair

2000’s – 2 dads rocking Emiquon               2010’s – panfish w/ Batman,Superman,Hannah Montana,Lady Shakespeare

Photos are also an important aspect of today’s topic.  Starting with old family photo albums of my dad and uncle doing their outdoor thing and continuing with gigabytes of jpegs on hard drives and memory cards it’s always a treat to look back and reminisce.  Put those pics and logs together with these modern things called social media and blogs and I’m having a field day rambling away.

And that’s the final piece of this “when” posting that I wrestle with, blogging frequency.  I’ve been advised that frequency (as well as content) can be an integral part of maintaining some semblance of reader interest.  I could definitely run around outdoors and write some sort of longwinded blog entry about every day if I could manage to turn it into some sort of occupation.  Not the case at present, but I will commit to coming out with guns blazing for this new blogging adventure and see where it goes from there.  It will also be fun to get more in tune with some of the peripheral social media outlets that aren’t quite so labor intensive and lend themselves to short bursts of inspiration as opposed to something that takes a little more time and occasionally some planning.

My initial goal is a blog post a day for May.  Beyond that, I’ll remain a bit elusive with any predictions or revelations.  How about we just leave it with a parallel to my standard response to the question, “When is the best time to go fishing?”  Having spent thirty plus years on the water, for me the answer is simple: “Anytime you can.”  Talk to you later.  Troy

What

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Fifteen years ago I launched a project to share fish stories.

Since then, times have changed and the scope of the outdoor tales has expanded as conveyed by the collection of pics that grace the homepage, the About page and today’s post (all of which have been featured in a past blog entry somewhere).

You see, when I began writing I was just a guy with few responsibilities going fishing.  These days as a husband and father of four it’s a whole different world but one that has featured plenty of fodder for outdoor stories on and off the water.

While fishing will still be the primary focus of my blogging, other activities such as camping, hiking and trapping will have their days.  Hey, once upon a time Bigfoot even took over one of my former blogs for a week.

As the saying goes, “Variety is the spice of life.”  I should certainly be able to provide that in an outdoor sense ranging from “serious” wannabe bass fisherman to campfire storyteller to nature photographer to assistant family tour guide to outdoor site interpreter and perhaps even videographer one of these days.

These are the normal sorts of things that one will find detailed on the blog.

 

These types of things are also outdoor related…so that could happen.

And then there was “Herb”, loosely outdoor related though I don’t recall how?  Anyway, expect the occasional unexpected along the way.

Over the years, the “what” aspect of my writing has evolved to reflect an increased appreciation of the little details that make up the big story.  I’ve been accused of rambling, guilty as charged, but there’s a whole lot more to a fishing trip than a half dozen bass caught in a couple hours conveyed by a sentence or two on a fishing forum.  Maybe I’m just not looking in the right places but I just don’t find many fishing reports that provide the combination of stats, details and tangents that I like so I just write ‘em myself.  Granted some may push the contemporary internet attention span but how in the world do you abridge a fish story, just can’t do it.

Sharing the outdoors with a bunch of youngsters also makes for some excellent adventures and blog opportunities.  Watching them experience nature from my grown up perspective takes me back to walking in their shoes (or bare feet) more than a few years ago.  Of course, there’s also plenty of interesting stunts that I would never have imagined witnessing in the days before these smaller versions of me and Julie came along.

These days, a handful of their little bluegill are just as exciting as my somewhat rare five-pound bass.  It’s a treat to supervise some rowing training in the same eight foot johnboat that me, my dad, my brother and some buddies started rowing around local fishing holes back in the early 80’s.  And watching some youngsters actually set aside their devices in favor of taking in the starry, night sky, a roaring campfire or a handful of waxworms gives me hope that nature can still win out over YouTube, Snapchat and the likes.

Admittedly a blog seems to run against that grain, but I can deal.  It’s my getaway to relive getaways when I can’t actually get away.  And I’m old enough that all of this computer age stuff didn’t shape my formative years.  Nature still wins, technology simply enhances.  Besides, I’ve seen this all before having ditched my Walkman, 8-track tapes and VHS movies that once ruled the day.  But until this whole internet, device and social media fad goes the way of the Atari I’ll continue to contribute what I’ve got to promote the great outdoors.  Talk to you later.  Troy

 

Who

Posted on by Troy Jackson

“Who are you? Who? Who? Who? Who?” – Who Are You, The Who (1971)

Okay, so that “About” page is about the toughest part of the whole blog thing.  After a fair amount of research on how to introduce yourself, I decided to throw out most of the advice and went with the novel approach of being myself.  Quit overthinking, write how you write and start posting.  Expanding on that webpage formality, I can now move on to the unlimited landscape of blogging which is ultimately a perpetual introduction as each posting simply adds more details to the whole picture.

So, borrowing a trick from the old fashioned, grade school writing handbook, here we go with the first “W”.

I’ve been writing “fish stories’ since April 2002 and have had a blog going back to April 2010, most recently at http://www.heartlandoutdoors.com beginning in April 2011.  All told I’m nearing 1,000 outdoor related postings (a few more loosely related than others).  Overall, a collective endeavor that I am rather proud of, a whim that has developed into a hobby that adds to an already appealing slate of outdoor activities.

 

Lucky husband and dad full-time and lucky bass angler occasionally

As far as who I am as an outdoorsman I would first describe myself as a guy who thinks he is a bass fisherman but has also spent time pursuing a variety of freshwater species with a recent, welcome re-introduction to panfish courtesy of all these kids.  I possess a biology degree from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois that I don’t use to earn a living but it does come in handy when playing nature guide with the family during camping trips or other forays into the outdoors.  Finally, I have spent more than a few years on the trapline dating back to the 1970’s although that pursuit has fallen by the wayside in recent years for a variety of reasons, lots of stories though (likely a late year project).

Enjoying the outdoors as a brother, son, nephew, dad, husband and uncle (yes, Julie and I are crazy taking all these kids camping)

Luckily for anyone stumbling upon this website, however, the “who” includes more than just the guy writing this stuff.  My wife, Julie, and our kids Helena, Carly, Jayce and Zac also get implicated in the adventures along the way.  In addition, there’s my dad, an uncle, one of my brothers, some nieces and nephews as well as a collection of fellow fishing fools who have chosen to play along with the Top 5 project introduced in yesterday’s posting.

It’s always interesting when establishing a foundation during a change of blogging scenery.  Lots of stuff to pass along to keep things moving forward so back tomorrow with another piece of the picture.  Talk to you later.  Troy

 

Top 5 Project

Posted on by Troy Jackson

2016 Champ Mark Balbinot 32-13                 2015 Champ Austin Chapman 29-7      2014 Champ Jake Bresson 32-13

For anyone not familiar with the Top 5, it is an audience participation project for anglers to submit their catches for public consumption on what I like to call a virtual brag board.  This is the fourth year of the project and it’s been an entertaining addition to my fishing and writing hobbies as well as something to look forward to with weekly update postings each Monday (we’ll look to get it back in gear next week).

While initially reserved for bass over the first three years, it was decided for 2017 to expand to include other freshwater species.  I will accept either weight or length data based on the angler’s preference so there will potentially be separate categories within species according to the information provided.  One stipulation is that the fish be landed via rod and reel.

Bass will still remain a collective group for your Top 5 creel (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted or whatever other black bass species you might run into on a fishing journey somewhere) and must measure 12” or better to qualify whether submitted to the length or weight category.  Don’t hesitate to send in some early members of your “limit” that you anticipate displacing later.  It’s always fun to watch the progression in such instances and even the Bassmasters have to post some “dinks” along the way.

I don’t really have any minimum criteria on other species at this point as this will be a work in progress during the maiden voyage to see what may turn up.  I’m also going to leave each species on its own for this experiment.  For example, the catfish family will all be separate, thus a flathead Top 5, channel cat Top 5 or even a bullhead Top 5 if that’s your specialty.

For those who elect to weigh their catch, while a digital model is preferred, if you still roll with a DeLiar and such, it’s all good as long as you can get within a couple ounces of accuracy (remember there is no big money check).  We run on honor code.  I shoot straight in terms of weight in all of my fishing reports and I assume others do as well.

The amount of information you are willing to share is entirely up to you.  I’m a more information the better guy but I get it if you’d rather remain somewhat elusive.  I have compiled a database of the 430 fish submitted over the years and it’s always fun to take a look at the record book.  Thus, it would be cool to have it dialed in, but I’ll take whatever I can get.

Here’s what I’m asking for in your submissions:

Weight/Length: I record weights in pounds and ounces such that 5-4 equates to five pounds four ounces as opposed to decimals so I ask that submissions be reported in this fashion to avoid conversion and/or confusion.  For length submissions let’s go with the nearest half inch.

Lures/Bait: if you aren’t willing to reveal specifics such as brand, model, presentation and color, a generic category such as spinnerbait, plastic worm or crankbait would be appreciated.  Chicken liver, stinkbait, dew worm, cutbait and so on work just fine as well.

Location: if you don’t want to say “Emiquon Preserve” just go with Fulton County and a designation of public or private would also be of interest.  Even West Central Illinois strip mine or Eastern Iowa stream would be beneficial if you prefer not to be too specific.

Date: can’t see much of an issue with this aspect but I guess I’ll just list it as the date I received the submission unless otherwise noted.  Once again though, the more accurate the better in my book.

Name: totally up to you whether you want to use your real name or a nickname, just let me know what you prefer.

Photo: a pic is required so have your cameras or “phones” at the ready.  After all, part of the premise of this entire project is to show more fishing pictures on the website than just my little bass.  Whether you put your mug in the frame is your choice.

Angler Comments: if you’ve got a story, something weird or otherwise interesting to pass along with the catch, by all means, include your tale.  Same goes for structure as it’s fun to hear if the fish came off a point, alongside a laydown, amidst a patch of lilypads and so on.  I will be happy to use your description, as written, in the periodic updates so don’t use any “bad” words, that way I don’t have to spend time editing.

Having typed all that, here is a sample submission:

Troy Jackson
Largemouth Bass
20.5”
4-10
Knox Co. IL strip mine
October 24, 2014
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad)
One of two four pounders caught in a fall feeding frenzy

And here is the general process:

Step One: You catch, weigh/measure, document and photograph a fish that resides in your Top 5 heaviest of 2017.
Step Two: Send your pic and details to troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com.
Step Three: I track the catches and photos in order to provide periodic updates (typically each Monday) as you build your Top 5.  (Note: you send each fish as you work towards a Top 5 rather than waiting until you have five, unless, of course, you wipe ‘em all out on your first trip).
Step Four: Repeat the above, replacing (or culling to use a tourney term) smaller Top 5 fish as larger ones join your ledger.  For instance, say your Top 5 by May 1 is as follows: 3-4, 2-7, 2-3, 1-12 and 1-11 for a total weight of 11-5. Then on May 6 you reel in a 3-3 so out goes the 1-11 and the total weight bumps up to 12-13.  Same concept for length submissions.

We had several anglers on board at my former blogging gig so hoping all will continue with this change of scenery and welcome to any newcomers who are just getting wind of the project.  Good luck to all, thanks for playing along and talk to you later.  Troy

Strip Mine Report 4/25

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hey, what better way to kick off an outdoor blog than with a fishing report?

Seeing that last Tuesday was likely the last day of decent weather here in West Central Illinois before things took a backwards turn I opted to invest a day off of work in exchange for chasing some bass. Turned out to be a beautiful day just as forecast and the bass did not disappoint.

9:57am First Bass 15″ 1-8 Spinnerbait                                                          12:44pm 13″ 1-2 Buzzbait

Stats
Date: April 25, 2017
Locations: Knox County IL strip mines (1 public, 1 private)
Time: 9:30am-4:05pm (5.5 hours fishing, the rest relocating)
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 54F-79F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 11 bass
Lures
Booyah Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 4 bass
Booyah Counter Strike Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 2 bass
5” Senko weighted wacky rig (rainbow trout) – 2 bass
Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy ghost minnow) – 2 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-9 Booyah Buzzbait (snow white)
Top 5 Weight: 11-1 (5-9,1-12,1-8,1-2,1-2)

Top Bass 12:49pm 22″ 5-9 Buzzbait                                                                Booyah Buzzbait, unlikely lure of the day

Notes & Nonsense

First Stop – Catching wind of some success and a six pounder from one of my infrequent haunts I elected to make it my first stop to see if I could pull off a similar catch. Two hours of casting produced four bass with two at 12” or better and Top Bass at 1-8. Wind was tough as I worked over my spots with a variety of presentations but just not meant to be, enough to keep me interested but not enough to linger for another lap when I had other fishing holes within a short drive.

The Spawn is On – My crude water temperature gauge appears to be shot so no reading on that condition on this trip. However, observation indicated that things must have climbed to the point that the combo of calendar and water temp have at least a few bass in the mood. Rowing around the bank on this day I spotted at least half a dozen fish in bed mode. I left them to do their thing as I still waver on the time investment as well as the ethics of bed fishing. To each their own, but put yourself in their place…just saying.

Top Bass – About 10:00pm on the night prior to this outing as I packed my gear I spotted my buzzbaits in a box reserved for a little later in the year and thought to myself, “That might just be worth a shot” in the midst of our string of stable 70 degree days. And thirty minutes into my second stop without a bite I decided to put it to use a bit after high noon. On one hand I knew that it could be a longshot, but hey, I wasn’t getting bit anyhow. On the other hand, I also know that a buzzbait can produce some real pleasant “surprises” when being thrown on the outskirts of the customary warm water, early morning, late evening, low light, etc…conditions. At this location I did have a pretty good surface chop, partly cloudy skies and lightly stained water so primarily concerned about jumping the gun on activity level. Half a dozen casts later I had a 12.5” (1-2) in the boat from a short point with some scattered weeds and a good dropoff, success is cool! Five minutes later the water just exploded off of another wider point as the buzzbait neared a more gradual drop with some overhanging bushes on the bank. Topwater strikes can sometimes be deceiving in initially conveying what’s going to be on the line if your hookset is successful. But in the split second before me and the bass knew we were hooked up, my brain was hollering, “This is a good one.” And right it was, as I soon had a 22” (5-9) bass on board after a short but solid fight. The bass making you feel smarter than you really are is always a good feeling.

1:11pm 16″ 1-12 Buzzbait                                                                           1:37pm 13.5″ 1-2 Buzzbait

Last Stop – After four bass in just under two hours on my second spot (all on the buzzbait) I decided to move on to one more of my favorite fishing holes to see if I could continue my topwater success. But the sun came out in full force on the much clearer body of water and despite some good chop to break up the surface I put away the buzzbait in favor of other presentations. Three more bass joined the logbook via Red Eye Shad and Senko offerings but the best of the bunch only tipped the scales at 1-2. I called it a day after an hour and forty five minutes of fighting the wind and headed for home satisfied with my day of fishing that was originally slated for a day at work, always better no matter what the results.

So, welcome aboard the new website with my first posting being my favorite type, the fishing report. Got plenty more stuff headed your way every day. Stop by any time, let me know what you think and talk to you later. Troy