Fulton County, IL has a wealth of strip mine fishing holes, but for most of them, you’ve got to have some connections. Once upon a time, I had such good fortune as my aunt and uncle on my wife’s side were caretakers at what we called “The Guesthouse” on the Buckheart strip mines. Several Easter weekends were spent down there packed with family, food, and just a little fishing. Below are a pair of excerpts from the original 2006 fishing reports along with some pics and log entries.

April 15 – Day One of the Easter weekend fishing trip to Buckheart produced thirty bass, along with my first ever northern pike and a crappie. My biggest bass came in at 3-4 on a 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (watermelon) and the northern pike hit a Smithwick Suspending Rogue jerkbait (copper). My collection of fish came on a Mann’s 4- crankbait (blue/chartreuse), a jerkbait (red/yellow), a #5 Mepps (rainbow/white) and a 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (watermelon). The rest of the crew also boated a batch of bass, a handful of northerns and got into a good crappie bite on one of the lakes during about seven hours on the water. I fished in a boat with Uncle Fred (his bass included a 2-12 and a 2-13) while my brother-in-law, David, paired with his son, Dylan and Uncle Donnie shared a boat with his friend Rick and Uncle Ted at various times. Of course, we took a break for an excellent lunch with Aunt Phyllis in charge of the kitchen.

April 16 – Day Two consisted of just under four hours of bank fishing for me, David, and Dylan. Uncle Fred and Aunt Laurie had gotten up a bit earlier, so they got in a little more fishing. It paid off as Laurie landed a 5-4 walleye on her first cast. I ended up with eighteen more bass (heaviest was 2-7) and three more northerns. Top lures for me were the Mepps and a buzzbait (blue glimmer). David caught a pair of bass in the five-pound range on a Zara Spook but didn’t get official weights. Most everybody else is normal and just fishes for fun although Fred did play along as I recorded our fish and snapped a few photos while we shared a boat. I had a great time, enjoyed the company, and hope to do it again in the future.

Certainly, one of those fish stories that begs the saying, “those were the days.” Fishing access dried up over the years, but the fond memories are what “Friday Flashback” is all about. Talk to you later. Troy

Fifteen years ago, Julie and I were less than two years into starting a family and were only a few months away from welcoming a sibling for Helena. The old pictures in today’s post are from an April 2006 visit to Little John Conservation Club.

Of course, during a trip to Little John, it’s recommended to pack along a fishing pole or two to see if you can get a few bites. Along with the fishing gear in those days, we also packed along a car seat, a diaper bag, a stroller, kid food and snacks, sippy cup…and so on. While I have learned that the standard “they grow up so fast” statement is indeed true, I can’t really say that I miss the preparation and packing that was a part of hauling little kids. Nope, these days, it’s just a matter of handing Helena the keys, telling her three siblings to pile into the minivan and off we go with our chauffeur. Still seems a little strange at times.

The picture below is a more recent look at the old scene above. It was taken last spring as part of a larger project that has yet to fully materialize. The intent was to duplicate as many of my blog banner pictures as possible to use as a new blog banner. That project is still in the works, so I guess consider today’s flashback post a sneak preview.

Talk to you later. Troy

Going back a ways today to The Bicentennial with a pic featuring a pair of my outdoor heroes. The guy on the left is my dad, Terry Jackson, while the guy on the right is his brother, Richard Jackson.

There’s lots that I could say about this photo and these guys but not enough time or space. After all, a blog loses a little luster when a post turns into a novel.

This photo was shot in my uncle’s backyard in Berwick, Illinois. If you’ve never been to Berwick, you are not alone. If you are familiar with Berwick, kudos to you for getting out and straying more than a little off the beaten path.

Further off the beaten path, not far from Berwick, was a fishing hole called Griswold’s Pond, the former home to these guys’ stringer of bass. The pond drew its name from the resident, Clark Griswold. No, not the Christmas Vacation guy, but the real-life Clark Griswold. I can’t say that I know much about Mr. Griswold beyond recalling that he was a talented golfer. In fact, the landscape on one side of the pond was manicured to the point that it looked like a fairway.

Back of the above photo

As far as this fishing trip, I’m guessing that a Rapala Floating Minnow and/or a Mepps spinner were involved. Fishing tackle was certainly a lot less complicated in 1976 and lacked the advertising hype of today’s connected society. Those two lures never needed much hype anyway. The bass provided plenty of feedback and us kids took whatever these two said to heart.

Which brings me around to saying that such unwavering and often wide-eyed trust and belief in their tales can get you fooled every once in a while. For this pair of outdoor brothers are more than prone to a little leg pulling and fish stories. From alligators in Cedar Fork to effectively running off the elephants, hippos or rhinos that used to call West Central Illinois home, a few tales are rather tall. Then again, some of their tall tales are actually true, so you just never know.

Regardless of the veracity of the stories, they have been told time and time again and are still as entertaining today as ever. And as the years have passed, it’s been a treat to watch a new generation of outdoor kids get the wool pulled over their eyes every now and then.

All part of the fun when under the tutelage of two one of a kind outdoor mentors. Talk to you later. Troy