Strip Mine Report – September 28

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Some of my public strip mine fishing holes have a limited window of opportunity. In this case, access ended on September 28 so I invested a vacation day for the 2020 farewell visit. I was hoping for a good parting shot but I had concerns that a significant cold front might have the bass in a less than cooperative mood. Read on for the outcome.

Stats
Date: September 28, 2020
Location: Knox County, IL public strip mines (6 lakes)
Time: 10:35am-4:55pm (4.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/breezy to windy/brief rain
Air Temp: 54-57F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 43 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 25 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (Never Fail) – 8 bass, Chatterbait (bluegill) with Zako trailer (smoke) – 7 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (parakeet) – 3 bass
Top 5 Weight: 8-5 (2-12,1-7,1-7,1-6,1-5)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Cold Front/Crunch Time – As noted in the intro, this was the final day for fishing on the site and I always like to get one last chance at the bass. Of course, you can’t control the weather and I highly prize my vacation days so it was do or die regardless of the prevailing weather conditions. The area offers plenty of smallish bodies of water that make for a fun approach of spot hopping. If they aren’t biting in one spot it ain’t far to new water for another try.

10:36am – First cast, first bass

First Cast Bass – It sure didn’t take long to get some feedback from the bass as my first two casts resulted in catches. I was certainly pleased but admittedly a bit surprised although the narrow cut I chose for my initial casts has the “like shooting fish in a barrel” potential. It features a trough where the bass pretty much have to stack up as the remainder of the lake is quite shallow. I call the spot “Beamon Lake” in honor of the longtime world record long jumper, Bob Beamon. In low water years, the spot is so narrow that he could probably clear it in a leap.

50 Bass Day? – After two bass on my first two casts, my outlook on the day improved considerably almost to the point of getting a little cocky. While only two casts into my day, I was pretty certain that I had lucked into my goal of finding my fall feeding frenzy bite. Two bass in two minutes and roughly six more hours to roam had me shooting for a 50 bass day. Although I ultimately fell short of that number, no complaints. I definitely could have lingered on a couple spots that were cranking out some 10-12” fish but opted for a shot at some larger bass and eventually found a few.

My ancient floppy hat nearly met an untimely demise

Close Call – Near the end of my day, I ditched my hat on a particularly long stretch of walking between fishing holes as I started to work up a sweat. Instead of on my head, I put my hat in my hand along with my collection of half a dozen rods and reels. After a few casts at my destination, I figured that I’d better put my hat back on as I’m a little lacking on hair up top. However, my old floppy hat was not among my rods and backpack in the shoreline weeds. Nope, it was somewhere in the waist high grass over the last quarter mile or so of hiked ground. Fortunately, after only a few minutes of backtracking I found my lucky lid. I was quite grateful as not only did it save me some sunburnt scalp but it will also allow me to give the old cap a more fitting farewell someday.

2:38pm – Top Bass (tie) at 16″ and 2-1 on a chatterbait with a tip of the cap to some serious wind

Top Bass – The top three fish on the day came from my next to last stop on the hike. Historically, this spot has been my best producer of quality bass. I call it “2×4 Lake” in honor of a pair of four pounders caught back in 2013 on my first ever visit to the lake. The following spring I fooled another four-pounder from the spot but elected to stick with my original name as what sense does “3×4 Lake” make?

 

The epitome of a grand finale as the gates closed on this batch of fishing holes. It takes some work putting in four miles of hiking but I truly enjoy this type of fishing as much as any other approach. This makes eight years of exploring and I still learn something new every time out. The ups and downs, surprises and disappointments, small bites and big bites always keep me looking forward to the next chance to visit. Only 179 days until the April 2, 2021 opening day. Got it marked on my calendar but plenty of other fishing holes out there in the meantime. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake McMaster Report – September 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As part of the “Snakeden at 30” celebration I had it in mind to get back on “The Big Lake”, Lake McMaster, for the first time since 2013. While it is less tiring and more comfortable to launch and fish from the “big boat”, I still prefer prowling the walk-in interior fishing holes thus the long stretch without a visit. So, here’s how it went down as Brent and I ditched the boots and bikes, borrowed Dad’s Bass Tracker and got it done.

11:58am – First bass, no shutout, hoping they get bigger

Stats

Date: September 26, 2020
Location: Lake McMaster (Snakeden Hollow) – Knox County, IL
Time: 11:35am-6:35pm
Weather: Partly cloudy/very windy
Air Temp: 68-77F
Water Temp: 69-71F
Totals: 14 bass
Lures: Yamamoto Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 10 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (Parakeet) – 2 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass, Strike King Pro Model Series 5 Crankbait (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-12 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 5-14 (1-12,1-4,1-0,1-0,0-14)

Notes and Nonsense (song title version)

The Weight (The Band, 1968) – I thought it would be fun to bring back an old feature that we used to enjoy on some fishing trips. The guess the final weight game came with the added visual of writing it down on paper. I will admit that I borrowed the latter aspect from Bassmaster as it plays well for social media and a blog. The concept is to see who is closest with their prediction for the weight of our combined Top 5 bass (both of us contribute to the one final weight total). Brent was the winner although we fell a pound short of his guess. I ended up guessing a bit higher than my original thought as the sunny day in an earlier forecast had changed to overcast/partly cloudy. However, it also changed to very…

Windy (The Association, 1967) – While some surface chop on clear water can serve to make the bass a little less spooky, the winds on this trip were way overboard. I have no idea what the gusts were and overall it was a sustained wind the entire time. Even as we left at dark, the wind was still howling. The only breaks on the day were a short stretch of timbered bank on the southwest shore and part of the dam on the main body of the lake. Beyond that sixty minutes or so of casting, we took a beating. Truthfully, it would have been a better day for bank fishing and hiking but we were on a mission.

Did I mention it was windy?

Only the top color and hook combination was a winner

It’s In the Way That You Use It (Eric Clapton, 1986) – No matter when, where or how I fished my Senko wacky rig, the bass showed no interest. The above picture shows each of my efforts as I changed from weighted to weightless and ran through a batch of colors, all without a bite. I even fished a similar color to Brent’s and wound up outfished 10-0 on the Senko. Now, I’m used to getting outfished by him and frequently it involves a spinnerbait. But a Senko shutout on Lake McMaster still has me scratching my head. My best guess is that I needed to slow down more and let the Senko sink as fishing too fast is one of my bad habits. Or maybe as Dad would say, “You weren’t holding your mouth right.”

Fly Like an Eagle (Steve Miller Band, 1976) – this one took off before a close-up

Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper, 1984) – We weren’t sure about our boat lights so the plan was to be back at the ramp at sunset which was 6:47pm or so. A glance at the ramp showed one trailer besides ours left in the lot and as we rounded a nearby point we spotted a boat at the dock. Perfect timing as the other anglers were taking out, right? Nope, it was a pair of night anglers just launching and seconds later a second truck and trailer pulled into the on deck circle. So we opted to troll over to the overflow on the dam so I could snap a few pics for the blog. And believe it or not, a third truck and trailer pulled up to get in line to launch. No big deal, no hurry to get home but I swear it rarely fails that the ramp suddenly becomes a popular place whenever we show up to launch or load.

 

A bit of a struggle versus conditions and bass but mission accomplished and fun to visit an old fishing hole. While the lake is still quite clear, it has gotten noticeably murkier over the last 30 years. While quality bites were in short supply, I’m sure there are still plenty of good fish that call McMaster home. While I was soundly outfished, it is always good to share a trip with my brother and he’s a darn good angler, no shame in being taught a lesson. Time will tell if we are able to get in another tag team effort on the bass before the poles are put away. Another solo trip is in the books, however, so stay tuned for the fishing report from a productive strip mine hike. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 29, 2010

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Original log entry from September 29, 2010

Ten years ago this week, Dad and I hit up Lake Storey for some bass fishing on his birthday. Below is the original fishing report from our day on the water, a solid fall drawdown outing.

Originally Posted 9-30-10
It always brings a smile to hear someone groan that fishing at Lake Storey is “a waste of time” or gripe that “there’s no fish in there.” There have been days when I’ve felt their pain, but in the end, I know better. This highly pressured body of water can no doubt be a tough nut to crack but that makes it all the more rewarding on a day like yesterday.

Date: September 29, 2010
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 8:55am-3:40pm
Air Temp: 60-74F
Totals: 16 bass (Dad 9, Troy 7)
Lures: Mann’s Baby 1- (unknown) – 4 bass, Quad Shad spinnerbait (white) – 4 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad or smoke with large black flake) – 4 bass, Bomber Flat A (honey shad or baby bass) – 3 bass, Vicious Muskrat (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-11 (Troy – Quad Shad spinnerbait)
Top 5 Weight: 10-3 (3-11, 2-2, 1-8, 1-7, 1-7)

8:55am – Dad with a first cast bass before I ever got in the boat

Notes and Nonsense

No Jinx – After getting the boat in the water I had to make a restroom stop in the bushes before starting the day. Upon returning to the boat, Dad already had me down one to nothing without ever leaving the bank. His Senko produced a bass on his very first cast of the day along a laydown. We’ve long viewed this as a bad omen but Dad went on to prove that such superstitions are unfounded. Then again, perhaps it was simply negated by his lucky buckeye.

Variety – Unlike the Senko domination at Lake McMaster, Lake Storey required a more varied arsenal. On one hand, I don’t really care how we catch the bass as long as we catch them. But, on the other hand, the change of pace was certainly fun as each lure has its own merits along with an entirely different feel in regards to presentation and strikes.

12:05pm – Top Bass at 19.5″ and 3-11 on a spinnerbait

Redefining Shallow – A lunchtime gamble turned a fair day into a good day with six bass along a couple hundred yard stretch of shallow, windblown bank. I’d pulled this stunt one other time back on November 1, 2008 and figured the conditions made it worth another try. We hit isolated pieces of cover including cinder blocks, logs and chunk rock along an extended flat sometimes having to make multiple casts or change angles to get bit. A key to the pattern was schools of baitfish that would scatter as a crankbait or spinnerbait landed within mere inches of the shoreline.

Super shallow wood chunk where I caught our Top Bass, its a wonder his back wasn’t sunburned

Top Bass – A prime example of this shallow water pattern was my 3-11 taken off a chunk of wood (beyond my right shoulder in photo above) in what couldn’t have been more than 6-8” of water. While this was the desired result it still had us shaking our heads in disbelief as it was amazing that the bass’ back wasn’t protruding above the surface.

Fun to take a visitor for a boat ride and introduce him to a Lake Storey bass

Guest Angler – My little guy, Jayce (age 16 months), joined us for a boat ride and got to check out a bass we’d briefly stashed in the livewell for him. The only thing was the poor kid had to wear a pink lifejacket but such is the price of having a pair of older sisters. Regardless, he still seemed to enjoy the ride as he took in the scenery and gnawed on some French fries while rather immobilized by the bulky flotation device.

Same fella, nine years later with a Lake Storey catch of his own and minus the pink life jacket

Happy Birthday – Although my annual birthday outing never materialized back in July, I was happy to share the boat with Dad on his birthday. The kids made him some creative cards and we went with the standard gift of fishing stuff. The lures provided immediate reward as he landed a 1-7 on a Vicious Muskrat and his first cast bass came on one of his new Senkos. He also outfished me nine to seven as I decided to give him all the good spots being it was his day.

Good old Lake Storey with Dad, one of many memories dating back to the 1970s. Crappies on the Gapen Fishie lure, a tall tale about tobacco juice enhancing the bite, a day of dueling muskies, the one-eyed bass record, a jaw-dropping walleye, a bass out of the top of an exposed stump, a crappie tip from an old-timer at Al’s Sporting Goods, catching bass on picnic tables…Talk to you later. Troy

Snakeden at 30 – Changes

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Thirty years is a long time to be acquainted and the changes certainly add up over the years. When a relationship is close during such a term, those changes just kind of happen, you take note and then they just become part of the landscape. However, when you look back over a span of three decades, well, things kind of add up. For better or worse, change is part of the game.

I could probably write a book on Snakeden Hollow but not today. Instead, you get the rough draft, abridged version in a video of some of the changes along with a couple things that remain the same.

 

Indeed, here is to some more Snakeden adventures. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 28, 2005

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Fifteen years ago this week, I took a few days off of work to focus on some fall fishing. The combination of encountering a potential for a fall feeding frenzy and knowing that the end of another fishing year is near make this period my favorite time to hit the water. This trip to Knox County Illinois’ Lake Bracken, which was once in my backyard, did not disappoint. Below are some stats, pics and most of the original fishing report.

9:13am – Top Bass at 4-2 on a Mann’s 4- crankbait

Originally posted on 9-30-05

Day Three provided exactly what I was looking for from my Fishing Vacation. Lake Bracken came through with quality and quantity, as the bass were on a classic fall feeding binge complete with an approaching storm front. It would be tough to find a better time to be on the water during an unpredictable time of the year.

Site: Lake Bracken
Time: 7:10 am – 12:25 pm
Totals: 20 bass
Lures: Mann’s 4- crankbait (blue/chartreuse) 13 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (rainbow) – 6 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (black) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 4-2 (Mann’s 4- crankbait)
Top 5 Weight: 8-15 (4-2,1-8,1-3,1-2,1-0)

Original log entry from the outing

7:00 am to 8:00 am – My first cast hits the water at 7:10 am and I boat my first bass at 7:13 am along ramp road on a Mann’s 4- crankbait (blue/chartreuse). It’s a nice 11” fish and I get the feeling things may go well today. Our past few outings on Lake Bracken haven’t given up many fish even at some of our “old faithful” spots. This one comes from The Sticks three minutes into my trip and gives a welcome boost to my confidence. The Beaver Lodge in West Bay gives up a pair of bass including a healthy 1-3 and things are looking good as two proven spots produce.

8:00 am to 9:00 am – Three more bass are added to my creel with one each on a Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (rainbow), a Mann’s 4- crankbait (blue/chartreuse) and the Senko finally makes another appearance. At 8:11 am, a 13”, one-pound bass becomes bass number 100 for Lake Bracken this year. I also lose a two-pounder that throws the hooks after a brief battle on The Beaver Lodge in Spillway Cove. I’m sticking with a run and gun approach as the weather is supposed to take a turn for the worse somewhere around late morning. I’m hoping to hang in until noon and plan to move quickly to a number of proven spots. Crankbaits are the order of the day allowing me to cover a lot of water in a hurry while hoping to run into some active fish. So far so good.

9:00 am to 10:00 am – This turns out to be my most productive stretch of the day as I boat eight bass, seven of which come along The Dam. The crankbait bite is in full throttle as I also add a pair of fish to the record book. The first is a 1-8 while the second comes in at an impressive 4-2. The latter fish bests Brent’s 4-0 by two ounces for Top Bass of the month. Needing to share my success, I phone Dad who is on his way to Kentucky with Mom for a fall getaway. I end up talking with Mom as Dad is driving and she relays my results. Despite my success he decides to continue on his vacation rather than come back to get in on the feeding frenzy. However, Dad does mention that it is funny that I have no witnesses to verify my big fish. I guess Walgreen’s photo lab will have to back me up as I always bring along my camera. I also call and leave a message on Brent’s answering machine to greet him/rub it in when he gets home from work.

I still pack this item along but now primarily use a phone for a camera

10:00 am to 11:00 am – I add four more bass including two over 12”, all on my Mann’s 4- crankbait. Two of the fish during this hour come on a return trip to The Dam. I figured it was worth a second pass after leaving the fish alone for an hour.

11:00 am to 12:25 pm – Things slow down considerably during my last hour and a half on the water as I only catch two more bass. My final bite comes at 12:12 pm and while the bass is 12” long, it falls just a bit short of 12 ounces. As I reel the bass in I can see the first few sprinkles of rain making their way across the lake towards me. Wanting one more shot at The Beaver Lodge in West Bay, I hope the heavy stuff can wait just a little longer. It turns out I was being a bit greedy and should have been happy with twenty bass instead of going for twenty-one. The skies open up, barely allowing time for me to don my rain gear. I head for the ramp at 12:22 pm satisfied that Mother Nature cooperated as long as she did as the sky looked rather ominous most of the morning.

I sure miss the TracPhone days when my livelihood wasn’t tethered to a device

Always fun for me to look back on this stuff that I documented and hopefully it provides a little escape and perhaps some fishing insight for those who invest a few minutes to read. It is also fun to ponder the peripherals of a camera versus today’s smartphone along with the reference to getting pictures developed at the photo lab. Much has changed for me in the last fifteen years but many things also remain the same. This flashback featured Dad’s old Bass Tracker which will be put to use again this weekend as me and Brent have a trip in the works to a lake I last fished in 2013.

But that’s another story. Talk to you later. Troy

Rock Report – September 20

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Over the past several years, I’ve had the good fortune of being able to fish a cool Peoria County fishing hole referred to as “The Rock”. The owner, Chris, invited me to tag along on those trips with the most recent visit being this past June. On the heels of that trip I finally got up the nerve to ask if I could bring Dad down for a shot and Chris was kind enough to oblige. But after having Chris’ experience and expertise as a guide on previous trips I was curious how it would work out when I got to assume that role. Could I get the guy who got me hooked on fishing hooked up to some bass? Read on for the results.

2:52pm – First bass at 14″ and 1-8 on a spinnerbait

Stats

Date: September 20, 2020
Location: Private lake – Peoria County, IL
Time: 2:50pm-6:20PM
Weather: Partly cloudy and varied winds
Air Temp: 71-63F
Water Temp: 69F
Totals: 45 bass (Troy – 29 bass, Dad – 16 bass)
Lures: Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) – 32 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill crankbait (multiple) – 7 bass, Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass, Yamamoto Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-11 Spinnerbait (Troy), 1-10 Spinnerbait (Dad)
Top 5 Weight: 7-15 (1-11,1-10,1-10,1-8,1-8)

Several of the winning lures along with a Senko fooling a couple

Notes and Nonsense

The Plan – Figuring we had four hours at most to fish, I had five areas in mind to try our luck. We were able to hit four of them and only one was a bit of a bust. Spot one was a bit of a slow start but gave up 6 bass in about 45 minutes. Spot two then produced 9 bass in 45 minutes and spot three resulted in 5 bass in about 20 minutes before our final stop really kicked things up a notch. In our last 70 minutes of casting we reeled in 25 bass for an exciting finale leaving us no time for the fifth area that I had in mind.

Mother Knows Best – While definitely a safe practice, wearing a life jacket is one of those do as I say not as I do sort of things when I am on the water. As we left home, however, Mom made it clear that Dad needed to wear a life jacket the entire time on the water. As you can see from the pics and clips we abided by her instructions. Just don’t tell Mom that one of her kids did not follow her directions.

3:52pm – Dad with one of our “doubles” both coming in at 1-4 on spinnerbaits

One That Got Away – No matter where you fish, if you do it often enough, you’ll end up with a batch of these tales. In this case, what would have likely been our Top Bass of the day spit Dad’s crankbait midway back to the boat. The one that got away would have tipped the scales at over two pounds and represents a step in the right direction as the lake experienced a partial fish kill several years ago that wiped out the big bass (past lake record catches included several over eight pounds).

 

Fish Stories – I’ve always enjoyed fishing the lake with Chris as the guide as I not only learn how to fish the water but also a little history of the fishery. So as the substitute guide it was fun to pass along some of the lore to Dad. From spots of the lake that were estimated to never hold water to the exact spot where a bass over eight pounds was reeled in to the decision to stock tiger muskies to the spot where I caught one of them to the spot where Chris landed one of similar stature, it was fun, as always, to tell some fish stories. Fishing never fails to leave a lasting impression and The Rock is something special.

The end of a good day on a great fishing hole

Thanks, Chris, for a chance to get out on the water with Dad for a memorable and productive evening of bass fishing. Much appreciated by a couple of guys who have shared more than a few hours creating some memories and chasing some fish for many years. I’m sure Dad’s been telling some of the new fish stories to Mom. Hope she doesn’t make him wear his life jacket in the living room.

Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

As often happens when I am “back home” in Galesburg, Illinois, I take a drive or a walk around an old favorite fishing hole, Lake Storey. A recent family get together was no exception other than the fact that I brought a couple poles along for my stroll.

6:05pm – First bass of the evening on Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Stats

Date: September 19, 2020
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 5:50pm-7:20pm
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: 65F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 3 bass
Lures: Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait (chrome blue back) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 0-15
Top 5 Weight: 1-13 (only two at 12” or better)

6:53pm – Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait and kind of a baby bass

Notes and Nonsense

Bank vs. Boat – Go figure that my brother, Brent, and I spent over four hours in a boat on Lake Storey the previous weekend and only managed five bass with the whole lake at our disposal. In contrast, I spent maybe an hour casting in two stretches of perhaps a couple hundred yards and fooled three from the bank. This is not the first time I’ve witnessed this sort of thing and I do have some ideas on the increase in bass/hour. A topic for another time but factors to consider include different casting angles, enhanced focus on a specific, proven area and in this case, an increased drop in lake level.

7:10pm – last bass also on the Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait

Normal vs. Drop – Lake Storey is always a challenge for me and I give myself and co-anglers a little pat on the back for every bass we fool. For many years I have made it a point to pay a visit or two during the fall drawdown as I feel it can tilt the odds a little more in my favor when I can catch it right. Of course, there are plenty of factors that come into play any time you hit the water and stable weather, some sun and a little breeze are at the top of my Lake Storey fall trip wishlist.

This guy was pretty friendly and encroached on my fishing spot

Man vs. Raccoon – Raccoons and my family are not on the friendliest terms. You see, between my dad, my uncle, my cousins, my brother, myself, spouses and kids there would have to be well over 200 years of combined trapping experience. However, the proximity of my visitor pictured above may indicate that the tensions have decreased as we all retired from the trapline several years ago. Lots of stories from those days though. Made me wish that I’d asked the coon if his kind told stories about The Jacksons.

Lots of memories out on that old lake and fun to create a few more on a pleasant late summer evening. From my vantage point at Cannon Hill in the shot above I can see where I caught my personal best muskie, where I lost one that was bigger, where Brent set the Lake Storey bass record, where Dad caught a bass out of a hollow stump, where possibly the largest Lake Storey walleye ever was caught, where an Illinois state record muskie was landed in the 1980s…the memories go on and on. Perhaps 2020 holds another shot to make some more. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Always fun to see some fish in the inbox for an update and an extra treat this week with some State Capital city public water bass.

Weight: 1-4 (14”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 15
Weather: Sun with some passing clouds, air temp mid-70s
Water Temp: 78-80F
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: Casting to shoreline structure

Weight: 1-4 (14”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 16
Weather: Sun with some passing clouds, air temp mid-70s
Water Temp: 78-80F
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: Casting to shoreline structure

Weight: 1-2 (13”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 16
Weather: Sun with some passing clouds, air temp mid-70s
Water Temp: 78-80F
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Chompers
Angler Comments: Casting to shoreline structure

Weight: 1-8 (14”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 16
Weather: Sun with some passing clouds, air temp mid-70s
Water Temp: 78-80F
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Wacky worm
Angler Comments: Casting to shoreline structure

Weight: 1-3 (13”)
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: September 16
Weather: Sun with some passing clouds, air temp mid-70s
Water Temp: 78-80F
Location: Sangchris Lake
Lure: Chompers
Angler Comments: Casting to shoreline structure
Top 5 Weight: 8-0 (1-15,1-13,1-8,1-6,1-6) culls 1-4

Way to go, John, looks like a productive pair of days on the water. Further reinforcement that a solid bite remains so keep on casting as we officially head into fall this week. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I always look forward to the “Fall Drawdown” at Lake Storey in Knox County, Illinois which typically begins just after Labor Day. In general terms, here’s how it is supposed to transpire.

1. The City of Galesburg Park Department opens the valve to lower the lake.
2. The lake drops and leaves the spots for little fish to hide high and dry.
3. Cooler nights and warmer days get the predator fish in a fall feeding mood.
4. Me and Brent clean house on the often challenging lake.

And here’s how it really went down in blog terms.

6:57am – First bass on KVD Squarebill crankbait

Stats

Date: September 13, 2020
Location: Lake Storey – Knox County, IL
Time: 6:40am-10:55am
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 58-73F
Water Temp: 67-69F
Totals: 5 bass (Troy – 4 bass, Brent – 1 bass)
Lures: Spinnerbait (white) – 3 bass, KVD Strike King Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 1 bass, Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-5 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 1-5 (only one at 12” or better)

Notes and Nonsense

The In Crowd – By most accounts, recreational fishing has seen a significant uptick in 2020 as a ripple effect of the pandemic. Lake Storey supported the validity of such an assessment with six trailers in the lot and a flotilla of kayaks scattered about the lake. Good for folks to get outdoors in these wild times and it appeared that crappie or bluegill were the targets for those we observed. Nobody else seemed to be casting and moving and honestly they weren’t missing much from our perspective. Then again, maybe they knew something we didn’t and opted to leave the bass alone.

Mr. Lake Storey – And, yes, on occasion there’s that one guy who owns the lake and feels that the rules do not apply to him. In this case, he was running his outboard at a pretty good clip around the lake multiple times. Several kayakers, bank anglers and other boaters hollered at him to no avail. In fact, he actually waved at us as he sped by in the distance. Brent and I elected to wave back rather than respond with an alternate hand gesture. Who knows, maybe the guy was just clueless but kind of hard to believe he was unaware of the trolling motor only restriction.

Proven winners at Lake Storey but limited production on this outing

Excuses – I was feeling good about our chances leading up to the trip as the weather had been warming for a couple days after a cold front and heavy rain. Word also had it that the drawdown had begun many days prior. It turns out that the level had not dropped much at all, seemingly filling up from the rain as much as the drop from the drain. In addition, the rain had the clarity murkier than the normal green tint and was progressively dirtier to the east away from the dam. All our meager catches came from the west end of the lake and none more than a quarter of the way to the inflow near the east ramp.

7:44am – Retro floppy hat and Top Bass of the day on Blue Glimmer spinnerbait

Old Hat – I managed to destroy my lucky floppy fishing hat and elected to go retro with a previous version instead of breaking out a new one. While I do have a couple new options, I wish to put 2020 behind us and start 2021 with a new floppy. More on that at a later date.

I feel bad as I failed to get a shot of my fishing partner but always like this 1980s Lake Storey shot of Brent

BREAKING UPDATE!!!

 I paid a short visit to Lake Storey last evening and walked the bank armed with a couple poles. Three bass in roughly 75 minutes of casting in a pair of spots was certainly an improvement over last week’s visit. Looks like the increased drawdown and the cool nights/warm days combo has some fish in a biting mood.

I believe the anticipated fall fishing bite has arrived, just a few days early. Get out there and get after some bites. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 2010

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, I’ve been writing a great deal about Snakeden Hollow in celebration of 30 years of public access. So, how about a look back ten years ago at some results from three trips within a week to Snakeden’s Lake McMaster. Welcome to another Friday Flashback courtesy of some notes, numbers and pics from September 2010.

Slideshow below of some highlights along with plenty more from late September back in 2010, as I remember, what a week.

 

Originally posted 9-23-10

Having a full day to fish, Dad and I decided on an early start and chose Snakeden Hollow’s Lake McMaster for our destination. We’d fished it back on May 20 with fair results and figured we’d give it another try before the area shuts down to anglers on October 1. We had to work for our fish but had a successful day once we pinned down some cooperative bass.

Original log entry from September 22, 2010

Date: September 22, 2010
Time: 7:20am-2:20pm
Results: 19 bass, 1 green sunfish (Dad – 10 bass, Troy – 9 bass, 1 green sunfish)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 13 bass & 1 green sunfish, Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 3 bass, Lizard – 2 bass, Zoom Baby Brush Hog – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-6 (Troy – Senko)
Top Five Weight: 11-4 (3-6,2-1,2-0,2-0,1-13)

September 22, 2010 – First bass at 7:31am on a lizard, weight 2-1

Notes – September 22

Toothy Encounters – We each had an opportunity to add another more impressive species than my lone green sunfish. About thirty minutes into our trip I had a muskie (upper 30 inch range) blow up on my Zara Spook. I’d seen the fish in pursuit and committed the cardinal sin of Spook fishing as the water exploded. I set the hook before I felt the fish and came up empty. I know better but if you’ve been in my shoes I hope you can relate. Dad also had a similar size fish follow a hooked bass to the boat but it wouldn’t commit to the easy meal.

Beaver Lodges – If I had to pick my favorite piece of structure it would likely be a beaver lodge and we picked three bass off of the two spots we fished today. Our first fish of the day was Dad’s 2-1 on a lizard and I quickly followed his fish with a 0-15 on a Baby Brush Hog. Fifteen minutes in we had three pounds on the board and high hopes.

Top Bass – My 3-6 came from a series of laydowns crossing a small, fairly deep shoreline pocket. It hit shortly after my Senko landed near one of the laydowns and the bass dove between a pair of the tress scraping my eight pound test along the wood. I could see it was a decent fish but had little choice other than horsing it to the surface in hopes it would clear the trees into some open water. In the end, I got lucky and have a new personal best for 2010 (for the time being).

Originally posted 9-24-10

Wednesday’s success on Lake McMaster brought us back for Round 2 on Thursday. Once again, we had to work for our fish but presentation was more of a chore than location as the weather forecast was right on with high winds.

Original log entry from September 23, 2010

Date: September 23, 2010
Time: 8:40am-1:25pm
Results: 17 bass, 1 bluegill (Troy – 13 bass, 1 bluegill, Dad – 4 bass)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 16 bass & 1 bluegill, Zoom Baby Brush Hog (watermelon seed) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-9 (Troy – Senko)
Top Five Weight: 4-9 (1-9,1-1,1-0,0-15)

September 23, 2010 – Top Bass 1-9 at 10:47am on a Senko

Notes – September 23

Some Words on the Wind – The reports indicated gusts of up to 33 miles per hour but I think there was a fair amount that exceeded even those predictions. A couple nearly knocked me off balance and more than once I found myself having to lean into the wind as I fished. On the upside, the wind helped to position a few bass but it never fails that the wind is working against us when trolling back to the ramp.

Back of the Boat Blues – Such was Dad’s assessment as he joked about having a tough day on the water. Typically I’m up front on the trolling motor while Dad is in the back sometimes getting “used” water despite my best efforts. But all he had to do was ask and on this rare occasion I would likely have traded places and let him fight the wind.

Solitude – As I wrote about last week, fall is a good time to have the lake to yourself. Today was a prime example as we showed up to an empty lot, never saw another angler the whole day and returned to find the lot just as we’d left it. It could be argued that the absent anglers simply had enough sense to stay out of the wind. But, you know, we got seventeen more bass than we would have hooked in the living room and it sure beats mowing the yard or doing the dishes.

Originally posted 9-29-10

Our pursuit of a strong fall finish continued Tuesday after a weekend at work and a Monday of grown up responsibilities. Dad and I selected Snakeden’s Lake McMaster once again in light of our recent success while hoping that the days off had given the bass in our hotspot time to recharge. We weren’t disappointed.

Original log entry from September 28, 2010

Date: September 28, 2010
Time: 9:10am-2:10pm
Results: 16 bass, 2 green sunfish (Dad – 9 bass, 2 green sunfish, Troy – 7 bass)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 13 bass, Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 2 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- 1 bass, 2 green sunfish
Top Bass: 3-9 (Troy – Senko)
Top Five Weight: 12-10 (3-9,2-13,2-11,1-14,1-11)

September 28, 2010 – Top Bass 3-9 at 11:01am on a Senko

Notes and Nonsense
81% – Of our 16 bass, 13 came from one general area in the span of just over an hour and a half. All but one came on a Senko with the lone exception hitting the Zara Spook. This was quite similar to our trip on 9/22 where the spot produced 13 of 19 with 10 on the Senko and 3 on the Spook. We had the area to ourselves despite half a dozen other boats on our latest outing so apparently nobody has caught us catching bass.

Misses – While we weighed a decent stringer (all released of course), there were a couple others that got away. Dad lost a two plus pounder when it dove into some heavy weeds and I had a big blowup on the Spook that unfortunately had bad aim. Near the end of our day I also had a small muskie nose my Senko part way back to the boat before slowly turning away.

Top Bass – At 9:53am I landed a 2-11 on my Spook to set the bar for the day’s big fish. It stood until Dad reeled in a 2-13 at 10:20am on his Senko. As soon as I set the hook on my bass at 11:01am I told Dad that I was going to need a net man. Upon seeing the fish in the clear water I further told Dad, “I think I’ve got you if I get this one in.” My eyes did not deceive as the 3-9 on my Senko would not only claim the title but eclipse our lake record of 3-6 from 9/22.

Final Stats
16.75 hours produced 52 bass (Troy – 29 bass, Dad – 23 bass)
3.1 bass/hour average (solid anywhere but very good for Lake McMaster)
Lures: Senko – 42 bass, Zara Spook – 5 bass, Lizard – 2 bass, Zoom Baby Brush Hog – 1 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-9
Top 5 Weight: 14-8

September 28, 2010 – Dad Top Bass at 10:20am on a Senko, weight 2-13 

All in all, a darn good “week” on the water and fun to take a walk down Memory Lane. Hope someone else got some insight along the way as well. Got at least a couple more Snakeden pieces to post before I wrap up the 30 year Snakeden celebration. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy