Strip Mine Report – May 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Hard for me to believe that it is May already and what better way to kick off the month than with a hike around the strip mines. I was able to hit the water last Saturday morning where I was greeted with some cool temperatures and ugly winds. But you get what you get, and you don’t throw a fit as you can’t control the weather. Read on for the scoop.

8:38am – first bass and first swimbait catch

Stats
Date: May 1, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (6 lakes)
Time: 8:00am-12:35pm (4.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 52-75F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 11 bass
Lures: Bass Pro Shops Speed Shad (small mouth magic) with Berkley 3/0 weighted swimbait hook – 5 bass, Senko weighted wacky rig (pumpkin/black/green flake) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Zara Spook (natural frog) – 1 bass, Rapala Shad Rap (shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Zara Spook
Top 5 Weight (only 4 at 12” or better): 5-2 (1-11,1-3,1-3,1-1)

9:02am – Top Bass 1-11 on a Zara Spook

Notes and Nonsense

Blow Away – The wind was crazy on this outing at 8:00am when I started casting and got stronger as the day progressed. Wind can be your friend in helping to position some fish, but that aspect wasn’t particularly pronounced on this outing. Wind can also be a challenge in hindering casting and maintaining a feel for some presentations. Like any day on the water, there are numerous variables to take into consideration and adapt accordingly. Fittingly, I also heard George Harrison’s 1979 Top 20 hit “Blow Away” on the drive to the fishing hole.

Taking my shot and joining the swimbait craze

New Trick – I struggled for about the first 40 minutes of casting with nary a bite, cycling through several solid, proven lures in the process. The chatterbait, Red Eye Shad lipless crankbait, a jig and craw and a Shad Rap had all failed to produce, so what to do next? Over the winter, I had picked up some Bass Pro Shops Speed Shads while visiting the business’ East Peoria, IL location. Despite being a challenging presentation in the high winds, I tied one on with a Berkley Fusion 19 3/0 hook and tried my luck. Several minutes later, I had my first bass of the day and first ever on such a lure.

The arsenal mixed new with old and older

Old Trick – In contrast, I later threw a Zara Spook, a lure that I first fished nearly 35 years ago. I had packed a couple along on this trip after reading many reports of a topwater bite while perusing several regional fishing groups on the internet. However, the strong winds weren’t exactly ideal for such a presentation. But stubbornness, faith in my lure and a bit of desperation at my lack of bites led to me giving it a shot. While I only caught one bass on the lure, it wound up being my Top Bass of the day. It was caught as a result of plenty of years of practice as I tried to fool a semi-interested bass. I spotted the fish on a shallow flat and it took a look at my first pass without committing. Therefore, I elected to increase the speed and commotion of my retrieve on the next cast in hopes of provoking a reaction bite as the faster moving lure doesn’t give the fish the luxury of a lengthier analysis. Right on cue, the bass struck the lure but missed getting hooked. Bingo, I knew the fish would bite and hoped another pass would result in better aim. The rapid, loud retrieve did the trick on cast number three and those 35 years of Zara Spook fishing paid off with a solid and rewarding catch.

10:38am – Top Bass Runner-Up 1-3 on swimbait

Same Old, Same Old – I ended my day on a spot that I call Maiden Lake as it is the first lake that I ever fished on this batch of strip mine waters. My largest bass on the lake was the first fish I ever caught there and came in just shy of two pounds. In the years since, all I have been able to manage during my occasional stops has been an endless parade of 8-11” bass. However, witnessing my brother, Brent, reel in a four-pounder last month sure got my attention. His catch proved that there was at least one quality fish that called it home and hopefully more as there is plenty of water. I spent close to an hour on a few stretches of windblown bank and guess what? Three bass between 8-11”, surprise, surprise. However, one of these less windy days with a bit of cloud cover, I’m going to put the old Zara Spook to work on Maiden Lake and see if that approach can weed out the little ones and get me some quality bites.

Interesting day with big sun and big wind as I made my way around a half dozen of my target lakes. Due to time constraints, I skipped over one other spot but overall was pleased with my gameplan and decision making during a morning where I had a time limit due to real life responsibilities. My brother later reported a near four-pounder on that spot but apparently in spawn mode as no interest in biting. Those bass are out there, just boils down to outsmarting them. Definitely an important aspect of what this fishing hobby is all about but always fun to get out there and take your shot no matter the results. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last Saturday saw a tag team match of sorts on some strip mine stomping grounds that my brother and I fish. I was out in the morning and had texted him with an update only to find out that he had the same destination in mind for the afternoon. While we didn’t cross paths and physically tag off like a wrestling duo, we put up a good fight in the windy conditions to add a couple Top 5 catches.

Weight: 1-11
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: May 1
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pit
Lure: Zara Spook (natural frog)
Structure: Saddle/flat
Angler Comments: Spotted this fish and caught it on the third retrieve past its location. Tune back in for further details as the complete fishing report is coming your way later this week.
Top 5 Weight: 9-13 (3-1,1-13,1-11,1-10,1-10) culls a 1-1

Weight: 2-2
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: May 1
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig
Top 5 Weight: 14-8 (4-0,4-0,2-3,2-3,2-2) culls a 1-12

Hard to believe that it is May already but that bodes well for some fishing. The bluegill and crappie should be cooperative and for those who enjoy catching bass on topwaters and wacky rigs, those bites should be off and running. And it won’t be long before the area catfish move shallow to spawn on some moving waters. Truly a good time for multi-species anglers. Send ‘em my way when you catch ‘em. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback -April 27-28, 2006

Posted on by Troy Jackson

April is a great time for a range of outdoor pursuits. Spring turkey season is on, morel mushrooms begin to appear, and the crappie bite kicks into full gear. Well, for today’s flashback, I guess two out of three ain’t bad as we head back 15 years with a couple special guests.

Both excerpts below come from an original post simply entitled “Outdoor Update” submitted on May 3, 2006.

April 27 – Dad called to say that he’d bagged his turkey this morning and wanted to show it off. I was more than happy to oblige although Helena wasn’t quite sure what to make of “the birdie.” I guess the real thing is a bit more intimidating than what she eats on a sandwich.

April 28 – I spent two hours mushroom hunting at Little John and found thirteen which is about normal as I must count individuals, not pounds. Julie and Helena came out for a picnic at suppertime, and we played on the swings and merry-go-round. One of us also got rather filthy in the sand. Of course, it was Helena as Julie’s not much on getting on the ground these days, as she might not be able to get back up being rather pregnant. As close as I got to playing in the sand was catching one of my two short bass off the beach at Club Lake.

Short and sweet today, just like that little girl on her way to the “terrible twos.” Luckily, that phase didn’t really materialize as best I recall and suddenly, she’s driving a car and approaching her final year of high school. Time indeed flies. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 24

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last weekend, things finally aligned to get some of the kids out for a fishing trip. Initially, the only taker was my older son, Jayce, when I inquired on Friday night. However, the following morning, my younger boy, Zac, surprised me with “When are we going fishing?” Turns out that his decision to join the crew likely made it a more successful outing as we fished and explored for nearly three hours. I believe that having a brother along made it more fun that just hanging out with Dad. And that’s just fine as I got a kick out of the pair wandering the bank with a GoPro in tow as I leisurely reeled in a batch of bluegill. Read on for the results and some observations.

Top Bass on a Senko wacky rig

Stats

Date: April 24, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mine
Time: 3:35pm-6:35pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Air Temp: 64F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 42 bluegill, 3 bass, 1 crappie
Lures: Waxworms on a jighead hung from a slip bobber, Senko wacky rig
Top Bass: Jayce at 1-3

Bonus Stats
Drinks: 3 Mountain Dews, 2 Unsweetened Teas, 1 Dr. Pepper, 2 bottled waters
Grub: 2 Andy Capp Hot Fries, 2 orders of Buffalo Chicken strips, 2 orders of cheese curds, 1 shrimp basket, 1 order of onion rings, 1 pack of M&Ms

 

Notes and Nonsense

Antics and Chatter – Leading a pair of young boys on a fishing trip is, well, a trip. I observed a rendition of a portion of a Napoleon Dynamite dance as Zac apparently thought his boots were comparable to the movie character’s. I caught bits and pieces of a discussion on the outcome of a Spawn vs. Ghost Rider battle. We stumbled upon what were termed “polders”, a portmanteau of “pole” and “holders” that were actually crawdad holes. We dealt as best as we could with some funk in the cab of the truck as boots and shoes were ditched from achy feet. There were also a couple instances reminiscent of the Blazing Saddles campfire scene.

First known shot of a “polder”

We’ll Be Back – The boys had watched the original Terminator movie in the morning before we took off to the fishing hole. As a result, we were keeping our eyes open and evading the Schwarzenegger character on our adventure. First up, was a suspicious fellow on a motorcycle at the bait shop in Carbon Cliff. Various other cyclists crossed our path along with several fuel tankers and we also observed a pair of countryside fires that we suspected were his handiwork. Fortunately, we all came through unscathed. In reviewing the boys’ GoPro footage, I also became aware that Bigfoot was stalking us at some point. I guess what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

 

And the Winner is… – Zac was the bluegill champ and requested that I text Mom to “tell her that I caught two more bluegill than you.” Well, I eventually did convey that tidbit and now I share it with those who are reading along. A good boost of fishing confidence for the young fellow; bluegills are great for just such a thing.

Regardless of who caught the most fish, we were all winners on this trip. I was pleased with the boys’ effort in tackling a fifteen-minute walk to our fishing hole as well as their continued interest in getting some fresh air. In fact, they were all set to take another adventure lap around the lake before I informed them that it was best that we grab some supper and visit Grandma and Papa. Even fishing took a backseat to the latter prospect as the last year has been tough on all of us. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another angler joins the quest with a bass from a weekend strip mine hike.

Weight: 1-3
Angler: Jayce Jackson
Date: April 24
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig (white)
Angler Comments:
Top 5 Weight: 1-3 (1-3)

Since I was kind of playing fishing guide on this outing, I will look to post a full report soon. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – April 23, 2011

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s flashback reinforces that this writing/blogging hobby has been a worthwhile undertaking. Sure, I remember this fishing trip but only in a general sense. I know we caught a handful of bass, I’m sure there were some fish stories told and I suspect that there were also a few laughs along the way. However, by putting it down in a log and a blog, I can revisit some of the otherwise forgotten details.

Originally posted as “Tagging Along” on April 25, 2011

This time it was the “grown up” taken on a fishing trip by the youngster.

While I’m technically an adult, I sure felt like a kid all day as I waited for 3:00 pm to roll around so I could finish my work and move on to play as my friends the Junk family (more specifically twelve-year-old Brady) had invited me out to the local fishing hole. Brady and I would spend around an hour and a half chasing bass from boat rather than bank with hopes riding high since we could reach all those formerly inaccessible places. A late bite saved the day, but we were unable to fool any of the lunkers that call the pond home. However, it was still an enjoyable evening of fish stories, tall tales, and tips as I tuned into my young guide.

Stats
Date: April 23, 2011
Location: Junk’s Pond
Time: 5:45pm-7:15pm
Weather: Overcast/windy
Air Temp: 55F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 8 bass (Troy – 5, Brady – 3)
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (orange craw) – 4 bass, Rat L Trap (red crawfish) – 1 bass, Storm Wildeye Swim Shad (firetiger) – 1 bass, shallow crankbait (green) – 1 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-9 (Troy)

Notes & Nonsense

Quality – Our trip reinforced much of what I’ve learned about this hobby in the 30 plus years since I was Brady’s age. Sure, it’s good to land a trophy or two but I enjoyed the conversation as much as anything. It was fun to discuss lures, techniques, memorable catches and so on as we picked each other’s brains. That’s not to say that there isn’t good conversation with my usual fishing partners (my dad or brother) it’s just that we’ve covered a lot of this ground beginning long before Brady’s parents even met.

Squappie – Among the tales was one involving an odd creature that Brady and his fishing buddy, Michael, described to me. According to these young anglers it is part squirrel/part crappie and has been spotted running around the bank before plunging into the pond and disappearing below the surface. The tables were indeed turned as in my experience it has always been the adults filling up the kids with such strange stories. I won’t commit on the mystery either way beyond saying that I pointed out a muskrat at one point and the boys were unimpressed.

Royal Treatment – It’s tough to beat a fishing trip where your hosts provide you with a check along with steak, baked potato and more for supper. There’s actually a little more to the story but the above sentence makes me sound important, so I’ll just leave it at that.

Paying My Dues – The fish didn’t cooperate as much as we’d hoped, and the big ones stayed in hiding. I’ll blame it on the crazy weather, but I suppose it’s only fitting that the pond did not give up too much to a newcomer. I just feel bad that my guide had to pay the price with me; you’d think the bass would’ve showed off in some sort of home lake advantage.

Parting Shot – As I pulled out around 9:00 pm to head home, Brady and Michael came running after the truck hollering something regarding what I thought was a “reel.” I slowed and rolled down my window thinking that perhaps I’d left something behind. Instead, one or both boys were taunting me by yelling, “Bigfoot isn’t real!” Too funny, as they have evidently been informed of my fascination with the hairy giant dating back to the mid-70’s. 

I had a great time and look forward to tagging along again. I spent the drive home daydreaming in the dark pondering just how to turn eight smallish bass into a blog posting. But you know, the beauty of this whole writing thing is that the fish are sometimes not the most important part of the fish story.

And plenty of fish stories over the years with Brady’s family. Starting back in the 80s, I fished with his dad and one of his uncles. In the 90s, I also fished with his mom. In fact, once upon a time she was out with me in my little boat when she was about eight months pregnant with Brady’s younger sister. And these days, another of Brady’s uncles is the top contributor to the Top 5 project. Good people and good times. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes April – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And the Top 5 goes a little something like this…

5. Wango Tango – Ted Nugent (1980)
Whether or not you like “Uncle Ted” and his views or his willingness to expound on them, you’ve got to admit that he produces some fun rock and roll. Apparently, he has a soft spot for dance tunes in the case of this cut. Motor City Madman indeed, raw as heck and wandering off into stream of consciousness rambles as he lays it down.

4. Just The Same Way – Journey (1979)
I like what I call “middle Journey” (1977-1981) more than the bookends of their lengthy career. Several songs during that span feature shared vocal duties between Steve Perry and Greg Rolie. This tune is one such cut, and I’ve always enjoyed the mix of the two singers interspersed with the blend of instruments each shining at various points during the song. Just a cool tune overall with a band hitting on all cylinders on a tune that wasn’t a chart “hit.”

3. You’re My Best Friend – Queen (1976)
Queen is one of my favorite bands of all-time and this song serves as a perfect example of what I dig about their sound. Now, I don’t know a darn thing about notes, scales, chords, harmonies, measures, time signatures or any other technical stuff, I just know it sounds good. Each member gets to strut his stuff with instrument and/or voice and with a little help from their standard vocal multi-tracking, this one soars. One final aspect that I find interesting is that the song was composed by bassist, John Deacon. Often overlooked, his contributions could pack a punch (see also “Another One Bites the Dust”).

2. Ain’t Even Done with The Night – John Cougar (1981)
Before he really hit it big and was able to add his given last name to his stage name, John Cougar released a trio of Top 40 hits that rank among my favorites from his catalog. Along with “I Need A Lover” and “This Time”, this 1981 cut was an introduction to a career that would soar to the next level the next year. Numerous Top 10 hits and a Billboard chart topper would come his way but to me there’s something special about this song from the early years.

1. Dance the Night Away – Van Halen (1979)
From the opening cowbell, this one is a winner. Classic Van Halen, rocking, fun, one for the ladies, the occasional lead vocal histrionics and the always enjoyable background vocals. Probably my favorite Van Halen song, always have to turn it up and try to sing along. The only thing missing for me is a third verse as this three-minute ride always ends too soon.

And the blogging beat goes on tomorrow with the weekly Friday Flashback. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes April – Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

With three fishing trips under my belt, I’ve spent a fair amount of time surfing the airwaves on the way to the fishing holes. Thus, it is time for an overdue batch of Trip Tunes collected on the ride.

10. Forever Young – Alphaville (1984)
I honestly don’t recall this tune from it’s original release as it did not make much of a splash on the Billboard Hot 100 and did not crack the Top 40 (peaked at #65). However, fast forward to 2004, when a movie entitled Napoleon Dynamite put this tune on my radar. If you haven’t seen the flick, it’s an odd one, but a hit around our house and brings plenty of laughs for all. As far as this soundtrack cut, it is certainly a nostalgic piece of the 80s and approaching 40 years old. Time flies.

9. Too Shy – Kajagoogoo (1983)
I couldn’t help but stop the dial on this one hit wonder and MTV staple from my sophomore year of high school. All these years later, I still don’t know all the words but that doesn’t hinder singing along as I roll down the highway in my truck. That whole “hush, hush, eye to eye” bit is still a catchy, winning hook that will never get old. It is fun though to discover something new about the tune nearly 40 years later. I find it fun to find the funk in what was a new wave, synth-pop hit. I guess the television speakers just didn’t do the tune justice back in the day.

8. You Can’t Change That – Raydio (1979)
Several years before he was lyrically asking, “Who you gonna call?”, Ray Parker, Jr. was fronting a band called Raydio. Among the group’s handful of chart hits, I would select this one as my favorite.

7. Whatcha Gonna Do – Pablo Cruise (1977)
Always dug this tune that offered quite a range of grooves from pop to rock to soul to light jazz to a little bit of funk. Takes me back to Steele Middle School, WLS, and a few awkward laps around the local roller rink. Coming in at #16 on the Billboard year end chart and #65 on the WLS Big 89 for 1977, those charts featured a quite a range of tunes. From pop to rock to soul to disco to soundtrack cuts to singing actors, what a great time to be a kid with a transistor radio.

6. Werewolves of London – Warren Zevon (1978)
What can you say about a quirky song that references beef chow mein, pina colada, names Lon Chaney and Lon Chaney, Jr., and includes the word “mutilated”? Not to mention, the lead character being a werewolf. However, the lyrical coup de grace is Zevon using the odd word “amok” in a song. An interesting stroll around London town from the mind of a musical marvel.

Top 5 up next…Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Jim Junk and my brother, Brent, come through again with another batch of quality bass for today’s update. A couple of the fish are a bit belated as travel got in the way of an update last week. But better late than never.

Weight: 5-2
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 6
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (white)
Structure: Submerged weed flat
Angler Comments: Lots of stops and presentations with very little success. Had a couple short strikes on white chatterbait and maybe a bump on a lipless crank. Ended up with three dink bass and one real nice one. The 5-2 was the first to come off a submerged weed flat on a white chatterbait.

Weight: 5-3
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 8
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Chatterbait (bluegill)
Structure: Weedline
Angler Comments: Numbers have decreased since last week’s barrage, but quality is great! Couple hours fishing late morning/early afternoon, one bite and one more quality bass. 5-3 hammered a bluegill chatterbait approaching a weedline.
Top 5 Weight: 23-15 (5-5,5-3,5-2,4-3,4-2) culls 4-2 and 4-2

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits
Lure: Spinnerbait

Weight: 2-3
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits
Lure: Spinnerbait

Weight: 4-0
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 12
Location: Knox County, IL public strip pits
Lure: Spinnerbait
Angler Comments: I fished from about 9:30 – noon. I think the wind got stronger and colder the whole time. It was pretty close to white caps on one of the lakes on the way back. I probably could have used another layer of clothing. As far as fishing it turned out pretty good. Almost all of the fish I caught had a fat belly like they had been eating good.
Top 5 Weight: 14-2 (4-0,4-0,2-3,2-3,1-12) culls 1-10,1-10,1-5

Also had the bonus April 13 submission above from Jim that he suspected may have added some weight to his 2021 total. Tough break though as he noted “the battery in my scale went dead.” I suspect that Jim will find some more bites (and batteries) to make up for it before all is said and done. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 5

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Life has been busy, leaving little time to blog despite plenty of potential content. One such bit of content is the latest fishing report which comes along nearly two weeks after the fact. This trip took place on an extended Easter weekend Monday as I took a day off and hoped for results like a successful Good Friday outing. Turned out to be Decent Monday in terms of numbers but just couldn’t find any quality bites. Such is fishing.

Placed my Boga Grip on a hole which was somebody’s home

Stats
Date: April 5, 2021
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (13 lakes)
Time: 10:50am-6:30pm (6.00 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 70-77F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 34 bass
Lures: Rapala Shad Rap (shad) – 15 bass, Excalibur XR50 lipless crankbait (chicken pox) – 10 bass, Bomber Flat A crankbait (baby bass) – 7 bass Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass, Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (chartreuse shad laminate) – 1 bass
Top 5 Weight: no bass at 12” or better

Lots of bass like this one, no “keepers”

Notes and Nonsense

Tough Trick – Thirty-four bass sounds like a rather good day on the water and truly that is a darn good number of bass. The crazy thing is that not even one was a “keeper” (12” or better although all get released to fight again). Except for one lake full of small bass, all the waters that I fished can produce plenty of bass that make the grade. Therefore, it was quite odd that all my catches ranged between eight and eleven and a half inches. Now I don’t claim to be any sort of Bassmaster but the lack of a decent fish among nearly three dozen in the log still leaves me scratching my head. Such is fishing.

Windows – Adding to the odd results were the highs and lows of the bite during the day. The first few hours of hiking and casting saw a solid bite and produced seventeen bass. However, the next two hours of roaming saw the bite shut down completely as I couldn’t even find a bass in one of my best spots. The last few hours saw the bite resume as I landed another seventeen bass. Simply weird, such is fishing.

Everything out of the water falls prey to a sooty covering

Soot – Much of the area that I fished has recently undergone a controlled burn, leaving the landscape charred and bare. This makes for easy walking and bank access and is always a welcome development. It also makes for sooty gear, hands, and clothing but by far a fair trade for the benefits. My utility boxes and backpack end up with a fair collection of ash by the end of the day and my hands are dirty enough that I usually rinse them in a lake before eating my sandwich. I do find it cool that my fishing log bears the sooty reminder of a day spent traipsing the burnt terrain. Folks have asked my why I don’t use one of the many fishing apps that are available and the ashy pages in the log are part of the reason. For me, the handwritten entries enhanced with soot, dirt, blood, rain spots and bleeding ink make it much more of a living log than some words and numbers on a device. Such are my fishing habits.

While there were no quality catches to report, there’s always something to write about when it comes to a day on the water. And that’s what I do, no matter the results. Talk to you later. Troy