Strip Mine Report – September 10

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A busy Friday last week finished with a couple hours on some old stomping grounds. Prior to getting on the water, I had worked a half day, visited with a fishing buddy, paid my respects to another fishing friend who recently passed away and had a good visit with my folks while back in Galesburg.

Stats
Date: September 10, 2021
Location: Little John Conservation Club – Knox County, IL
Time: 5:10pm-7:20pm (2.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/breezy to calm
Air Temp: 64-75F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 2 bass, 7 bluegill
Lures: War Eagle Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 2 bass, Gulp Minnow (emerald shiner) on a 1/16 oz. jighead (pink) – 7 bluegill
Top Bass: 2-13 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight (only 2 at 12” or better): 4-9 (2-13,1-12)

5:35pm – First bass 1-12 (15.5″) on a spinnerbait

Notes and Nonsense

Overdue and Off Limits – I’ve fished Little John Conservation Club for close to 35 years but had only managed one visit this year as my casting has focused on other waters. With several spots to choose from at Little John it is a challenge to decide where to fish. While I had it narrowed down to two spots, my decision was made for me as the first choice was off limits to anglers due to goose hunting. I can’t recall ever experiencing such a restriction at Little John before. I agree that the goose population could certainly stand to be thinned but it frustrates me to see it limit my fishing (see also Snakeden Hollow).

Believe it or not, these bass were only separated by an ounce in weight as displayed on scale and described below

Same Size, Different Shape – I like fish and over the years I’ve come to appreciate the variation in size, shape, and color of many of the species that swim in our area waters. In particular, the body plan and hues of my favorite, the largemouth bass, always catch my eye. On this trip, my Top Bass weighed in at 2-13 and measured 17” in length. Without getting into my vast collection of data over the years, those measurements indicate a stout, solid bass. In contrast, Brent landed a 2-12 a couple days later that was considerably longer (around 19” or 20”) but was rather gaunt. The series of pics above feature these catches along with the reading on my scale. Angler honesty has long been a point of contention and in some cases questionable. Indeed, it is tough to believe that these fish essentially tipped the scales at the same weight. No way that I would guess that from the photos, so I guess the moral of this fish story is to shoot straight and let the internet haters hate.

Gulp Minnow Master – I was able to get the afternoon off from work so that I could attend the visitation of an old fishing friend, Larry Smith. Larry and I have been telling fish stories off and on since the late 80s and our correspondence had really kicked up a notch over the last ten years or so via emails, texts, and some on the water visits. Larry was a wizard with a jar of Berkley Gulp Minnows as his catches were phenomenal in terms of both quantity and quality. While he often focused on bluegill and crappie, he and his Gulp Minnows landed nearly every species that swims. In fact, just a week before Larry passed away, he texted me a picture of a good Lake Storey muskie and informed via email that “Two days ago caught a musky at Lake Storey to complete my catching every species of fish that swims there on a Gulp Minnow.” A master indeed and I sure will miss his fish stories.

Dedicated the end of the evening to some Gulp Minnow fishing for an old friend

Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A couple more Jacksons add a few more September bass to our list.

Weight: 1-13
Angler: Jayce Jackson
Date: September 6
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 70F
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig (watermelon creme laminate)
Angler Comments (via editor): It was fun to get Jayce out with myself and our Top 5 leader, Jim Junk. Some challenging conditions on the hike to our fishing holes but it paid off when Jayce landed our largest catch of the day.
Top 5 Weight: 5-4 (1-13,1-3,1-3,1-1)

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 12
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 2-12
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 12
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Angler Comments: The 2-12 was kind of skinny. Ended up with around a dozen, also got a 2-3. Two or three others around a pound, mostly on a Senko and a few on a spinnerbait.
Top 5 Weight: 17-9 (4-7,4-0,4-0,2-12,2-6) culls a 2-5

This is a great time of the year to get on the water and there should be a good window once the weather breaks into a fall feel. Get out there if you get a chance as it seems that this part of the year always flies by for me. Between work and the shorter days, there’s never enough time to fish. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 8, 2001

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s post takes us back 20 years to an old favorite fishing hole called Emstrom’s Pond. The Friday Flashback has spent a few weeks there since the inception of the series back in 2018. You’d think after that collection of posts about the farm pond that I would have run out of stuff to write about.

Nope, I can always come up with something when it comes to talking fishing.

For today’s post we’ll look at our resemblance to a couple celebrities of yesteryear.

Wilson (Home Improvement 1991-1999) & Jackson (2-6 bass from 9/8/2001)

While I have shown some improvement in striking a pose with my catches, it took me quite a few years to heed Julie’s advice to not hide behind the fish. A valid point, although I never really thought about it back in the day. After all, the fish was the focal point to my way of thinking. Of course, today’s pic pre-dates my use of a cell phone for selfies although I did employ cameras with timers in those days. Those cameras were lacking the do-over feature provided by digital photography, but I didn’t care if my face was in there anyway. Would have liked to have gotten a brighter shot on this catch though.

U L (MLB 1977-1987) & TJ (3-15 bass and toothpick from 9/8/2001)

Dad’s pose with his quality bass from this trip brings to mind a shortstop by the name of U L Washington. Washington’s major league career spanned 1977 through 1987, during which he collected 703 hits, 27 homers and 132 stolen bases while posting a .251 career batting average. However, it was his ever-present toothpick that left as much of an impression as his on the field performance.

One more catch from 9/8/2001, Dad with a 3-1 bass (and a toothpick)

You know, come to think of it, Dad also had a “fro” reminiscent of U L once upon a time. And did you know that U L was U L’s given name and not initials?

Yes, folks, this blog is much more than just pretty fish and rugged outdoors people. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 6

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Labor Day offered a chance to get away and chase some bass. This time around I was able to share the day with one of my boys as well as a couple fishing friends. A great way to celebrate the holiday as detailed below.

Stats
Date: September 6, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines
Time: 7:10am-9:20am (1.75 hours fishing, the rest hiking)
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 63-70F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 12 bass (Jim = 6, Jayce = 3, Troy = 3)
Lures: Senko wacky rig (various colors) and Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad (small mouth magic) with Berkley 3/0 weighted swimbait hook
Top Bass: 1-13 Jayce (Senko)
Top 5 Weight (only 1 at 12” or better): 1-13

7:14am – Jayce with his first bass of the morning on a Senko

Notes and Nonsense

Guide Fails – Having my son, Jayce, along for the outing allowed me to partially assume the role of guide. I got off on the wrong foot as he awoke me at 5:09am, well after I had silenced my 4:04am alarm. I knew what we were getting into in terms of weedy hiking, but I decided to give it a go and test our endurance. After navigating some tough terrain, I couldn’t put my client on very many fish before the decision was made to head for the truck.

Even Jayce’s “juice”, given to him by Papa, couldn’t help us fool those stubborn bass 

Guide Success – Jayce did land our largest bass of the trip and he gets all the credit for getting it done. He picked the lure; he selected his spot on the bank and he did the work to fool the fish. As with any of my “guide trips”, this one was on the house. Payment is always received via an excited young fisherman battling his catch and a big grin upon landing it (same for the guide behind the camera).

7:52am – Jayce with our Top Bass of the day, caught on a Senko

Meet Up – Many of the famous YouTubers do a thing called a “meetup” where they meet and greet subscribers and viewers of their channel. While I do have a YouTube channel, my 24 subscribers indicate that I am far from famous. Even so, I can kind of pretend as my buddy, Jim, joined us for our two hours of strip mine roaming (and was the top angler of the morning). In addition, Jayce and I headed over to a nearby boat launch to visit with our friend, John, to end our trip. Good to see both fellows and even better to have Jayce along to be “one of the guys.”

8:58am – The “Senior” guide gets on the board…barely

Lost and Found – Along the way we lost a pair of shades. Not the first time but the first lost in a long time. We lost a couple Senkos along the way as well, one to the weeds and one to a fish. But we also gained a few items during the morning. Jim provided me with a collection of classic fishing reading material while John offered up an edible souvenir from his recent trek to The Land of Enchantment. Thanks, guys, for the treasures and treats.

Treasures and treats from a good morning of visiting

I sure do like to catch fish and I am a dedicated compiler of notes and stats regarding those catches. But as time rolls on, I’ve come to realize that there’s a lot more to a fishing trip than fish. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another month in the books and only one bass added since the last stat update. However, it was a good one as it easily made it into the Top 10 Bass of 2021. At present we are sitting at 70 bass with plenty of opportunity to find some more as the fall bite should be on the horizon.

2021 Totals
January = no submissions
February = 2 bass
March = 19 bass
April = 14 bass
May = 13 bass
June = 10 bass
July = 9 bass
August = 2 bass
September = 1 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
January = no submissions
February = 7-3 (3-15,3-4)
March = 21-14 (5-5,4-3,4-2,4-2,4-2)
April = 21-6 (5-3,5-2,4-0,4-0,3-1)
May = 14-14 (4-6,2-12,2-10,2-10,2-8)
June = 15-8 (4-3,3-9,2-14,2-8,2-6)
July = 22-7 (6-0,4-10,4-4,3-13,3-12)
August = 5-7 (3-4,2-3)
September = 4-7 (4-7)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 14 bass
Bank = 56 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 15-12 (4-3,3-9,2-14,2-10,2-8)
Bank = 26-4 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-10)

Public vs. Private
Public = 66 bass
Private = 4 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 26-4 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-10)
Private = 9-6 (2-10,2-8,2-6,1-14)

The Baits (* = new record)
Plastic Worm = 28 bass (Top Bass 6-0 Jim Junk)
Lipless Crankbait = 17 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Jim Junk, Troy Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 8 bass (Top Bass 4-10 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 4-0 Brent Jackson)
Chatterbait = 5 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Jim Junk)
Jig = 2 bass (Top Bass 1-8 John Kirkemo)
Creature = 1 bass (Top Bass 5-5 Jim Junk)
Livebait = 1 bass (Top Bass Patricia Kirkemo 2-10)
Stickbait = 1 bass (1-11 Troy Jackson)
Swimbait = 1 bass (1-13 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass (* = new record)
January
No submissions
February
3-15 Jim Junk
March
5-5 Jim Junk
April
5-2 Jim Junk
May
4-6 Jim Junk
June
4-3 Troy Jackson
July
6-0 Jim Junk
August
3-4 Troy Jackson
September
4-7 Brent Jackson

Top 10 Bass (* = new Top 10 all-time)
6-0 Jim Junk (7/4)
5-5 Jim Junk (3/26)
5-3 Jim Junk (4/8)
5-2 Jim Junk (4/6)
4-10 Troy Jackson (7/11)
*4-7 Brent Jackson (9/3)
4-6 Jim Junk (5/25)
4-4 Jim Junk (7/6)
4-3 Jim Junk (3/30)
4-3 Troy Jackson (6/19)

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 26-0 (6-0,5-5,5-3,5-2,4-6)
Troy Jackson 19-0 (4-10,4-3,3-9,3-6,3-4)
Brent Jackson 17-2 (4-7,4-0,4-0,2-6,2-5)
John Kirkemo 11-14 (2-10,2-8,2-8,2-6,1-14)
Jayce Jackson 3-7 (1-3,1-3,1-1)
Landon Hannam 2-12 (2-12)
Patricia Kirkemo 2-10 (2-10)

We already have one more catch to add but that one will have to wait for next Monday’s update before being officially added to our list. And perhaps this week may hold some others in store. Fingers crossed and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Got a good one for the update this week. Anytime you land one that won’t fit in a selfie, you’ve got a quality bass.

Weight: 4-7
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: September 3
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Angler Comments: This one came on a Senko. I had caught two others on a spinnerbait, maybe a pound. He came right from the spot where we saw the big one in the spring.
Top 5 Weight: 17-2 (4-7,4-0,4-0,2-6,2-5) culls a 2-3

It’s Labor Day and several of us are out there taking an early morning shot at some more Knox County bass. Here’s hoping we find some fish for next week’s update, but I’ll have a fishing report to post whether we fool any big ones or not. In addition, I have a special guest tagging along in the truck. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 5, 1991

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Scott “Woody” Woods with our trio of four-pounders being relocated among his grandparent’s ponds

Today’s flashback looks back thirty years ago this week for a visit to Woody’s grandma’s ponds down around Augusta, Illinois. At the time, Woody and I were both employed by a manufacturing facility in Galesburg, Illinois called National Seal Company. Our schedules consisted of four twelve-hour days followed by four days off, one of the best work weeks I’ve ever had with basically a vacation every eight-day week. In addition, I had a lot less responsibilities leading to ample time to fish and goof off.

4-4 on a Texas rigged plastic worm

Woody is Scott Woods, a Knoxville, Illinois native whom I first met as a kid when our dads played softball together. Woody would go on to star as an athlete at Knoxville High School and later at Monmouth College. I had the privilege of being a teammate on the Galesburg Legion Post #285 squad and was later a rival third baseman in the Knox-Monmouth College baseball rivalry.

1983 Galesburg Legion Post #285 squad

Back Row (l to r): Coach Gary Mitchell, Dan Curry, Mike Karlovich, Jon Ripperger, Cedric Woodson, Shag Hess, Paul DeJaynes, Pat Hise, Derrick Bland, Joe Maxwell, Coach John Shay

Front Row (l to r): Joe Dennis, Bobby Jackson, Doug Dawson, Scott Woods, Arnie Gonzalez, Troy Jackson, Hank Sprinkle, Jami Isaacson, Head Coach Jimmy Isaacson

1986 Rivalry – Woody taking the throw as I slide in with a triple and star pitcher, Carlos Interial, delivers a strike

Upon crossing paths again in the 1990s at National Seal Company, we would pass some time on the job swapping fish stories. Along the way, Woody invited me down to his grandparent’s farm which featured several ponds. On this visit we managed three bass over four pounds during a half day of prowling the banks. Woody would later catch one over seven pounds from one of the ponds as I recall.

A four-pounder and a 12-ouncer

In addition to the fishing, we had a few refreshments to keep cool in the heat. And apparently it was a little warm too as we look to have ditched the shirts. Been a long time since I did that sort of thing although my fifty something body ain’t a whole lot different than the 24-year-old body in today’s fishing pics. Just a bit more self-conscious and quite a few less beers these days, I suppose. Talk to you later. Troy

Prowl the Canal – August 28 & 29

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

After more than a month away, I was able to hit the canal again on back-to-back evenings last weekend. And the canal education continues each time that I look to fool some of the bass that call the lengthy stretch of water home. Despite a lull to start each evening, the results turned out alright and included the Top Bass runner-up of my short canal “career.”

Stats
Date: August 28 & 29, 2021
Location: Hennepin Canal – Henry County, IL
Time: 6:10pm-7:55pm both outings
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 80s
Totals: 11 bass (8/28 – 5 bass, 8/29 – 6 bass)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (various colors) – 10 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (rainbow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-4 (Senko)
Top 5 Weight: 8-6 (3-4,1-10,1-4,1-2,1-2)

Trip Lyric
“And it was late in the evening, and I blew that room away.”
Late in the Evening. Paul Simon (1980)

Notes and Nonsense

August 28 – Following 15 minutes without a bite on some proven spots, I noticed a school of bluegills rippling the surface in a broad opening among the scattered surface vegetation. Several minutes later they all scattered in a hurry, leaving me to surmise that a predator was in their midst. Sure enough, I landed back-to-back bass and four of my five catches in the next 20 minutes.

August 29 – My first stretch only produced one blow-up on a topwater frog as the formerly open water area was nearly covered in duckweed and vegetation stacked up by the current. Plan B was to move to some deeper, open water and the Senko wacky rig was a winner when cast tight to whatever “edges” I could find.

 

Lessons

1. Last month I noted, “Packing a dipnet along on a canal prowl can be beneficial as you encounter some interesting bank access. The lengthening of your ‘arm’ can save the day.” Well, I forgot to follow my own advice and had to hold my breath as I hoisted a 3-pounder up to my perch along the canal on 10-pound test. While I was successful in landing the bass, I was also lucky.

2. A nice blowup near the bank on a frog got my attention although it didn’t get a bass. I was tossing a small, cheap topwater frog and know that I should probably use this presentation more frequently and perhaps a larger bait to make more commotion among the thick surface vegetation. Any advice is welcome.

3. I am still pondering the risk/reward equation when it comes to the limited bank access along the waterway. While some “easy” spots have paid off, I also have my eye on some off the beaten path areas. Poison ivy, hidden holes, sloped edges, and unsteady riprap make for some tough decisions, but the wheels are turning upstairs…

August 29 at 6:54pm. my second largest canal bass to date at 19″ and 3-4 on a Senko wacky rig

The Canal continues to impress and provides a perfect evening getaway that is closer to home than the hour plus drive to my regular Knox County strip mine stomping grounds. I intend to make several more canal visits as the year progresses and hope that you continue to stop by the blog for the latest fishing reports. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

After a bit of a Top 5 lull, a couple more bass join the ranks as the Jackson brothers beat the heat this past weekend. Separate outings and different locations but we both managed to fool a decent bass.

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: August 28
Location: Snakeden Hollow
Lure: Spinnerbait (white)
Top 5 Weight: 14-14 (4-0,4-0,2-5,2-6,2-3)

Weight: 3-4 (19″)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: August 29
Weather: Sunny, breezy, 82F
Location: Hennepin Canal
Lure: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (cream white)
Structure: Lock
Angler Comments: After a month away from The Canal it was a nice welcome back to land this one. And landing a decent bass in most spots out there can certainly be a challenge as the banks can be a little unfriendly.
Top 5 Weight: 19-0 (4-10,4-3,3-9,3-6,3-4)

Well, we sit at roughly two thirds of 2021 in the rearview mirror and 69 bass submissions for our Top 5. Generally speaking, the entries wane as the fall rolls in as it can be difficult for some anglers to find a bite that will boost an already solid Top 5 Weight. But those fall bass will strap on the feedbag at some point when sensing the cold-water period on the horizon so here’s hoping that you are on the water when they chow down.

And it’s not too late to play along. Send your catches to troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com (must include a photo and weight/length and whatever details you are willing to provide like entries above). Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 2006 & 2011

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Among the open water months of the year in my neck of the woods, I would rank August as my least favorite. Several factors come into play beginning with school getting back in session earlier than ever. With it comes a series of priorities that take precedence over fishing as the family gets back in the swing of things.

On top of back to school, throw in the dog days of summer. Granted, the bass are still there but often they get a little tougher for me to fool in the hot, sunny conditions that mark mid-summer.

Of course, there is a saying that “the best time to go fishing is anytime you can.” And for today’s Friday Flashback, I offer up some Snakeden Hollow examples to demonstrate that quality fish can still show up when you take a shot at beating the August heat (particularly at the end of the month).

 

Talk to you later. Troy