Friday Flashback – March 29, 2005

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The latest flashback via an excerpt from the original report posted on March 31, 2005.

Upon catching a fish, I wanted to brag as well as let Dad know that I’d found something the bass seemed willing to hit. However, he was a couple hundred yards across the lake as we had headed in opposite directions upon arriving. With the wind screaming, there was no way to give him a yell but I did have my cell phone in my pocket. Upon dialing what I thought was the number, I got no answer and put the phone back in my pocket. The entire time from when I caught the fish through making my call, Dad had been in the timber with his back turned and had no idea I was trying to get his attention. I thought he had got a lure snagged in a tree or something but such was not the case. No sooner had I put my phone back than it produced one of those annoying tunes indicating an incoming call. It was Dad, who had been trying to read the display on his phone the entire time he’d had his back turned. A combination of glare and no glasses had made the task a bit more complicated but he got through. I relayed my info and in a matter of minutes he was on my side of the lake and casting a Rat-L-Trap. As it turned out, I had called Mom’s cell phone anyway as I didn’t realize that Mom and Dad now have their own phones. Nevertheless, a first, cellular communication to share the day’s fishing tips.

Dad 1-14 on a Rat-L-Trap

Turns out my generosity cost me Top Bass. A few minutes after Dad arrived on “my side” of the lake he caught a 1-15 and later reeled in a 1-14 to push me to third place on the list for 2005. I did manage to catch three more bass but the best of the bunch was a 1-5. We headed for a pothole that I think is called Axle Lake after wearing out our welcome on Hopper. I had one good strike on a jig but missed and Dad ended up donating his jig to a tree before we decided to call it quits. The stop at the last lake was essentially exploring, as we weren’t sure if the lake even had a bass population. Final results for our day were nine bass with eight coming on lipless crankbaits in a brown crawfish pattern and one on a jig (black/blue). Three additions to the record book was also a pleasant surprise and Dad’s 1-15 established a new lake record for Hopper Lake besting Tim’s 1-10 caught on 3/10/04.

Dad 1-15 on a Rat-L-Trap

Short and sweet on the outro as lots of blogging and more going on these days. Talk to you later (and soon). Troy

Lure Lunacy-Emiquon Region Round 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another region in the books per the rundown below.

Emiquon Region

Rat-L-Trap (1) vs. Flying Lure (16)

Matchup: Perhaps best described as a matchup of “As seen on TV…” versus as proven on the water. Yes, I donated some dollars to the infamous Flying Lure although I can’t recall whether I bought the hype or just had some extra fishing cash lying around. At any rate, I don’t think I ever caught a bass on the marketing sensation

Result: The original Bill Lewis lipless crank wins this one in a blowout. The Flying Lure was quoted after the thrashing that “it was just happy to be here and be remembered.” Of course, how could those of us who viewed those old advertisements ever forget.

Swimbait (8) vs. Quad Shad (9)

Matchup: I’ve seen some monster bass on swimbaits but never on the end of my line. Actually, I rarely ever have a swimbait on the end of the line. Perhaps that explains my lack of success. The Quad Shad did spend time on the end of the line and while a winner wasn’t quite as strong as some other spinnerbaits.

Result: I’m going with the swimbait on this one as the general lure type has many offerings from gaudy and gargantuan to sleek and modest. As such it lives to fish another day.

Triple Ripple Worm (5) vs. Alabama Rig (12)

Matchup: One of the original worm designs to grace the tacklebox, a lot of Triple Ripple worms arrived via mail at my folks’ house shortly after we received the Bass Pro Shops catalog. Many years later, the Alabama Rig took the fishing world by storm. The Emiquon Region is a perfect fit for such a multi bait lure as those Emiquon Preserve bass sometimes went into an absolute feeding frenzy.

Result: Every year it seems that there is a 12 seed upset over a 5 seed and this is it. Sure wish I had ventured into tossing the Alabama rig in the early days of Emiquon but I missed my chance. But today the A-Rig gets its due in a fantasy fishing sort of daydream

Creatures (4) vs. Poe’s Crankbait (13)

Matchup: Not sure what some of those plastic appendaged baits are truly supposed to represent but the bass sure take a liking to them when bounced around some structure. And the Poe’s crankbait, endorsed by the legendary Rick Clunn, promised to bounce off structure with its “coffin” bill and elicit bone jarring strikes.

Result: The creatures take the win as I never have figured out how Rick Clunn made those Poe’s baits into bass fooling machines. Then again, at 73 years old, Rick Clunn is still out there doing a lot of things that the rest of us wannabe Bassmasters will never understand.

Wooly Curltail (6) vs. Tubes (11)

Matchup: A lure that is best fished at a crawl for those tough bites takes on a bait that, well, is fished kinda slowly for those tough bites.

Result: This one plays out like one of those classic Princeton Tiger contests that go down to the wire courtesy of their controlling, methodical pace. In the end, the curltail comes out on top as it just has a little something extra, leaving the tubes (and Ivy Leaguers) “this close” to an upset.

Rapala DT Crankbaits (3) vs. Dancin’ Eel (14)

Matchup: The DT (“Dives To”) series of baits from the early 2000s traces its roots to 1930s Finland and legendary luremaker, Lauri Rapala. The Eel arose in the 80s, taking part of its name from a legendary angler, Bill Dance. Folks, that’s a couple heavy hitters from the fishing world.

Result: Despite the Eel’s famous name, it never really caught on, or caught many bass in my case. A Rapala DT6, on the other hand, is responsible for my largest bass of all-time. No contest.

Swim Jig (7) vs. Power Worm (10)

Matchup: Swim jigs were a hit and a bit of a rage when they hit the scene but seem to have faded in the wake of swimbaits in recent history. The Power Worm entered the market looking to capitalize on a rising interest in a bass’ sense of smell.

Result: Well, I don’t know about the bass but I smell a winner in the Power Worm from this matchup. Recognizable right out of the bag, I also smell an upset as we say so long to the Swim Jig.

Red Eye Shad (2) vs. Jigging Spoon (15)

Matchup: The largely horizontal commotion of the Red Eye Shad takes on the methodical, vertical lift and drop of a jigging spoon. Relatively shallow versus relatively deep as well, entirely different approaches.

Result: If ever there was a slowdown, milk the clock, Princeton Tiger upset brewing this would be the matchup. Close, but only a moral victory as the Red Eye Shad is just too talented at fooling fish.

Stay tuned as two more opening round regions to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy-Storey Region Round 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

We kick off “Lure Lunacy” with the early results via the wonder of scheduling blog posts in advance. Yes, I am at work but through the magic of technology and a dose of imagination I am able to share a makeshift substitute for our missing madness.

Storey Region – Round One

Zara Spook (1) vs. Vibratron (16)

Matchup: A classic topwater with origins dating back to the 1940’s takes on a funky spinnerbait that I have no idea when I purchased or if it ever hit the water.

Result: Vast experience and some great catches easily push the Spook to victory over the largely unknown spinnerbait

Sidewinder Worm (8) vs. Rapala Fat Rap (9)

Matchup: An 80s flashback here with both of these baits being mainstays in my meager tackle collection back when I first decided that I would try to be a bass fisherman.

Result: A heated old school battle with the Sidewinder eking out a victory amid memories of learning how to fish a Texas rigged plastic worm.

Mann’s 4- (12) vs. Mepps – (5)

Matchup: An original lure from the 80s tacklebox competes with a precursor to the current batch of squarebilled crankbaits.

Result: Dad made sure I was well-versed in the effectiveness of a Mepps inline spinner and it stills has a spot in the tacklebox. The Mepps moves on to the next round while the 4- moves back into the garage.

Bomber Flat A (4) vs. Lizards (13)

Matchup: A favorite cold water crankbait battles a slow moving bait that has given way to more interesting creatures over the years.

Result: I’m more into cranking and reeling so the Flat A pulls out an easy victory over the flipping and bed fishing presentations often used with lizards.

Chatterbait (6) vs. Rattlin’ Rogue (11)

Matchup: A versatile moving bait in the chatterbait matches up with the slow twitch and suspend profile of the jerkbait.

Result: I know folks swear by the chatterbait and I’ve seen their results but I just haven’t got it to work for me. I’m not a slowdown guy either but we have an upset in this case as the Rogue also sets up well for a more frantic retrieve at times.

Blue Glimmer (3) vs. Dardevle Spoon (14)

Matchup: The Blue Glimmer is no longer in production so I have guarded my last intact model to the point of not taking it out of the package. Some nostalgia on the spoon though as I discovered a couple in a tacklebox of my grandpa’s when he passed away in the 80s and they would fool more than a few farm pond bass along the way.

Result: Despite the longevity of the Dardevle Spoon, it is no match for the good, old Blue Glimmer spinnerbait.

Rat (7) vs. Mann’s 20+ (10)

Matchup: Another pair of 80s baits in a classic battle on completely opposite ends of the spectrum in the water column. Rat explosions on the surface mat are a blast while the pole bending retrieve of the original deep diver made it feel like you already had a fish as the Mann’s 20+ dredged formerly uncharted crankbait territory.

Result: The Mann’s 20+ was a revolution and takes the victory by going where a crankbait had never gone before.

Booyah Spinnerbait (2) vs. Ghost Minnow (15)

Matchup: The Booyah Blade represents my go to spinnerbait over the last decade or so while the Rebel Ghost Minnow was a flash in the pan. The Ghost Minnow just tore up the strip mine bass for me and Dad in 2003 but then completely fell off the radar after its “One Shining Moment.”

Result: Booyah in a runaway victory after the Ghost Minnow darted out to an early lead.

One region in the books courtesy of a couple clicks to launch the previously compiled results during lunch hour. Back to work shortly as lunch hour fades. Tune in later tonight as the Emiquon Region results head your way for a nightcap. Talk to you later. Troy

Line, Lure, License, Lose, Log (Lockout?)

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The latest in a series of letdowns in our strange spring

This time of year always gets the fishing feeling flowing. Mid-February means the local Quad City Conservation Alliance Outdoor Show, which I skipped upon finding that Al Lindner was unable to make a scheduled appearance for medical reasons.

Of course, then there is baseball spring training which also turns my thoughts to better weather and getting on the water. The pre-season of my favorite past time was fun while it lasted but is now out of action.

Don’t forget the Bassmaster Classic which has lost it’s luster for me with the departure of most of the guys I followed for many years. I did tune in for the final weigh-in but overall it just doesn’t appeal to me like it did with the old roster.

And now the powers that be have shut down the outdoors as I can’t even go fishing at Snakeden Hollow State Fish & Wildlife Area. One of the places I enjoy maintaining my social distance and rarely see another human on my hikes is now off limits.

Despite the above series of letdowns, I have stuck to my pre-fishing ritual to insure that I put my best foot forward when it comes time to cast. My annual alliterative preparations consist of the following.

Line

Also threw in a new reel courtesy of a Field & Stream gift card from Christmas

Lure

Boys got new tackleboxes and we all got some new tackle

License

Illinois – check! Iowa – Check! Club Dues- Check!

Lose

Back in shape although I did get a little lax during the holidays (see below)

Once my public strip mines are out of quarantine, I’m ready for battle

Log

Here’s to 2020…

Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Normally, hoops fans and other interested prognosticators would be feverishly filling out brackets right about now in preparation for the madness tipping off next week.

Alas, the climate around the nation and the world has changed considerably in the last several days. Certainly a degree of madness is still in the air, just bit more concerning no matter how you assess or address the current health situation.

So, in an effort to satisfy the need for some sort of March competition I present “Lure Lunacy.”

Mirroring the traditional hoops format (minus “play-in” contests) I have seeded a 64 lure bracket consisting of a batch of bass catching creations. Same as the battles on the hardwood, a pair of lures will go head to head with the victor moving on to the next round. I have attached downloadable regional brackets below in the perhaps unlikely event that anyone would wish to play along with their personal preferences or predictions.

 

 

http://troyjacksonoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031520-Bracket-LJ-Region.jpg

 

 

http://troyjacksonoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031520-Bracket-Emiquon-1.jpg

 

 

http://troyjacksonoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031520-Bracket-Snakeden.jpg

 

 

http://troyjacksonoutdoors.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/031520-Bracket-Storey.jpg

Regardless of any active audience participation, the Lure Lunacy tourney will launch on Thursday and move through the upcoming weeks just like the real deal. Winning and losing lures meet their fate solely based on a combination of my experience and imagination as it relates to each bait. Stay tuned for end of day results and commentary Thursday through Sunday.

In addition, I hope to get a chance to relay some other fishing related items along the way. However, I do get to work amidst the ever evolving situation so time may be limited. Kind of weird but even if I was off for a while, I would be unable to fish at some of my stomping grounds. Yep, the doggone outbreak has even closed some of the outdoors per the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. March Madness, indeed. Talk to you later. Troy

Fill the Void-Content, Content, Content

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Click here for my latest stunt, a YouTube channel

Interesting times these days with the dearth of current entertainment for those who are typically dialed in to arguably the most wonderful sports time of the year.

Interesting times as well, in the fact that folks can take a shot a filling that entertainment void from the comfort and relative safety of their own home. As a blogger, I loosely categorize myself as an entertainer and educator. In the world of digital media, I guess that the current designation assigned to us blogger, tweeter, social media ramblers is “content creator.”

Unfortunate and bizarre as the circumstances may be, there is substantial block of time out there that folks are looking to fill. Plans have been altered, you can only watch so many highlight reels and well, who really wants to watch the news these days? Without the escape of Cinderellas, buzzer beaters, heartwarming profiles and eventually “One Shining Moment” the made up mainstream media mumbo jumbo just gets depressing.

So, guess who has been spending more time than he should over the last few days creating content?

Your escape from reality and my effort to claim a bit of your “free time” begins now with my plunge into the world of YouTube.

And it doesn’t stop there!

A significant reveal looms on the horizon as I attempt to fill a bit of the void left behind by the missing madness.

Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – March 7

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This one covered a few miles making for a pretty full day

Well, now that I finally got caught up on the wrap-ups from 2019, it’s time for the first fishing report of 2020. This one comes from beyond my stomping grounds as part of my “2020 Visions” series and involves variety. In this case, I finally got around to a standing invitation from my friend, Jim Junk, to join him on some productive Fulton/Peoria County water. Tougher weather than expected made for a challenging few hours and eventually sent me scurrying to a Knox County comfort zone. Here’s the scoop.

Stats
Date: March 7, 2020
Location: Fulton, Peoria and Knox County strip mines (4 lakes)
Time: 11:15am-2:15pm and 4:15pm-6:00pm
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 48-52F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 2 bass (Jim – 1 bass, Troy – 1 bass)
Lures
Jim – Chatterbait (white)
Troy – Rapala Shad Rap (blue)
Top Bass: 4-1 (Jim)
Top 5 Weight (2 at 12” or better): 5-6 (4-1,1-5)

Text exchange en route, the conditions proceeded to get less appealing

Notes and Nonsense

Early Reward – The 30 degree early morning temperature meant that there was no need to get on the water at or near daybreak. Giving the sun some time to warm the water even in the slightest could work to my advantage, I figured. So, I get a couple texts from Jim on my way to the fishing hole that would eventually show that early was indeed the best part of the day. Best in terms of both lack of wind (see snip above) and also in terms of a lone, quality bite (see snip below).

Should’ve been there earlier but non-stop drives of any length, well…

Not a Banner Day – Let’s face it, we had a tough day on Banner Marsh. To start with, conditions were a bit rough with heavy winds pounding the wide open spaces of our selected fishing holes. With our mutual setups of smaller watercrafts this made for a challenge, particularly for a guy whose propulsion is a set of oars. I did find an appealing secluded area and we also took our shots from the bank on some historically productive spots but we just couldn’t muster the bites.

Hail Mary – Around 2:30pm, after a brief wander and ponder on some other lakes on the Banner Marsh site, I elected to take a drive to Knox County for one last shot at breaking up my shutout. Just over an hour drive put me on the water around 4:30pm. I gave my jig and plastic, a Red Eye Shad and a Rapala Shad Rap a workout on some regular spots during the hour and a half that I fished and was rewarded with one bite. Luck was on my side as the bass stayed hooked and got it’s picture taken as the lead fish for 2020. Mission accomplished, just in the nick of time, whew!

First 2020 bass 14.5″ and 1-5, not a trophy but a start

A short clip below of some stuff I previously recorded for a potential project, perhaps more to come…

 

Final Thoughts – Despite the weather app topping out at 52 degrees, it was not a pleasant 52 degrees. Does anyone know if there is such a thing as windchill at such temps? If not, there should be. The final thought that kept running through my head was the line that “I’ve been a lot warmer when it was colder.” Just an early, deceivingly sunny, March day.

And now on to the question of just how many posts on blogger can get out of a fishing trip that only featured two bass. Stay tuned as nobody performs such a feat better that troyjacksonoutdoors.com. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – March 21, 2015

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Originally posted 3-25-15

Only two bass on my first outing, but…

Stats
Date: March 21, 2015
Location: Knox County, IL public/private strip mines
Time: 11:15am-4:35pm (3.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 55F
Water Temp: 46F
Totals: 2 bass
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass, Jig & Pig (black/blue) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-13 Strike King Red Eye Shad
Weight (2 bass): – 9-4 (5-13,3-7)

First bass of 2015 – 23″ and 5-13 on a lipless crankbait

Notes & Nonsense

First Bass, First Cast, Second Lake – At my second stop, a recent quality producer, I wound up scoring in a big way on my first cast. I had just texted Julie regarding my initial shutout as follows: “Lake number one 1.5 hours on foot = zero bass. Yikes! Starting on lake two with boat.” Her response: “Sorry. Hope #2 yields better.” One cast later I replied: “So far so good. First cast 5-13.”

Wishful Estimation – I have never caught a six pound bass. Got a seven plus and just missed once upon a time with a 5-15. Well, when I saw this fish and lipped it I thought I had it and placed my mental guesstimation at 6-2. I weighed it twice as I customarily do but it stuck right on 5-13; if only it had eaten another bluegill before dining on the Red Eye Shad. No big deal though as it was quite a fish for me and my hand was actually shaking while texting Julie, that’s cool.

Slow Day – I was hoping that I was onto something after moving to the second lake but I wound up with only one more bite for the day. Fortunately, it was another darn good fish that took my jig and pig, weighing in at 3-7. It came off of a tree that is one of the best looking pieces of structure on the lake but rarely seems to produce a bite. Right place at the right time on this day I suppose.

Second bass of 2015 – 19″ and 3-7 on a jig & pig

Have I Become That Guy? – I am not a real big phone guy but on this day I couldn’t resist a little bragging or whatever you want to call it thanks to my device. Now I’ve spent a fair amount of time on the water flying solo over the years so I’ve certainly gotten used to having no one to high five when a good fish is landed. But with this whole technology thing I selfishly fell victim to the urgent need to tell a couple fish stories before I got home. I always used to laugh at all the folks who couldn’t leave their phone alone but look at me punching away in the very place I go to get disconnected for a while. I do at least take consolation that a pair of bass totaling over nine pounds qualifies as something very important to pass along.

A record first bass of the year, pretty tough to top that one, right? Somehow though, I did manage to beat it in March 2017. The story on that bass was the seventh blog entry ever posted here on the website (today’s post makes 629). Click here to read all about it. Talk to you later. Troy

2019 Video Blooper Reel

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Since receiving a GoPro in the summer of 2017, it has been a near constant companion when I hit the water. Along the way, I’ve compiled a solid amount of bass catching footage. In addition, I’ve missed a few catches due to a dead battery, not having the camera running or plain old operator error.

Of course, there’s also the inevitable goofs and gaffes along the way that wind up captured for posterity. A posterity that I now share with you as we take a look at the third annual “Blooper” post featuring clips from the 2019 season.

 

Hope you enjoyed some of the silliness and perhaps can relate to more than a few of the situations. With my 2020 season now underway, that means the start to another blooper reel is also off and running. Plenty of year to go and pile it up for the 2021 Blooper submission. In the meantime, stay tuned for the usual fare of Friday Flashbacks and fishing reports along with some new stuff for 2020. As the “Lyric of the Month” at the bottom of the page states. “More, more, more…” That’s my goal for 2020 as I look to take the blog and beyond to a new level. Talk to you later. Troy

2019 Fishing Recap Top 10 Vids-Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And without further delay, here are the Top 5 Video Highlight clips from 2019.

#5 – Fool in the Rain – 9/22/19

 

#4 – Outfished Again – 9/8/19

 

#3 – One-Eyed Bass Runner-Up – 7/27/19

 

#2 – Outfished Part II – 7/26/19

 

#1 – Snakeden Stud – 10/13/19

 

Now that was a fun run of videos if you ask me. And stay tuned as the fun continues with one more round of the 2019 warp-up, the blooper reel. Hope you’ll stop back for that post and then stick around as 2020 fishing is off and running. Talk to you later. Troy