West Lake – Structure Revealed

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last December I submitted a post entitled “West Lake Complex – Secrets” that took a look at some of the structure that I had observed through late November. Those observations had primarily taken place from a distance as I had not come prepared to hike the muddy lake bottom. However, during a pair of December visits on the heels of the “Secrets”, I came ready to get down and dirty in an effort to get some up close insights on the scenery. I was sure glad that I did wander nearly the entire lake bottom as today’s post and the upcoming series finale will detail.

Structure is a key component in the fish finding equation as it can hold fish and provide a highway for fish movement. Some folks delineate “cover” from “structure” but I’m keeping it less complicated. Essentially, a combination of some of the components to follow is typically better than a lone item. For example, a roadbed or a point has potential but combine those bottom contours with a brushpile or a group of tires and it heightens the appeal.

Bass Fishing 101 continues via video with a closer look at some of the stuff revealed in the draining of Lake of the Hills. Below is a series of clips exploring several general types of structure (Note: not all examples are included in videos and some items could fit a couple categories).

Contours (points, channels, roads, humps…)

 

Wood (stumps, laydowns, standing timber, brushpiles, beaver lodges…)

 

Rock (riprap, gravel, rockpiles…)

 

Manmade (tires, docks, pallets, artificial fish attractors…)

 

Of course, weeds also play a key role as structure (or cover) in a lake but as a seasonal aspect those are out of the picture at present. In addition, it may be a while until the lake is allowed to fill again and promote the return of aquatic vegetation. I suspect that pending structure additions and restorations will result in the valve being left open for the foreseeable future. Time will tell and your dedicated West Lake Restoration reporter will be on the case as 2020 moves forward.

One final post to get caught up on the 2019 visits comes your way next. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Fauna

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The West Lake posts continue as I run the risk of the old “beating a dead horse” saying. But, hey, you’ve got to admit there’s been some pretty cool stuff and some unique scenery filling the blog lately. Right?

While I did not actually find any trace of a horse, dead or alive, I did discover the remnants of a fair sampling of local wildlife. Some leaving tracks on the newly exposed terrain and others dead in their tracks as their aquatic habitat disappeared.

Short and sweet on the intro today as we go direct to video.

 

Okay, a couple more posts until we give the West Lake Project a break. But have no fear, plenty of other stuff waiting in the wings. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Tackle Trove

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Whenever I pay a visit to a fishing hole, you get a fishing report, complete with most all of the details. Right down to the lures that fooled the fish.

Well, my visits to West Lake Park were more than a little different. After all, I was taking a trip to a handful of lakes that no longer had any fish in them at all. In fact, several of them didn’t even have any water.

You know, now that I think about it, is that still a lake?

But, I digress.

Even though there was no fish catching to report, there was plenty to pass along in regards to lures. Just take a look at the clips below detailing a batch of lost tackle treasures.

 

 

Certainly nothing salvageable in the collection as I was a little late to the scavenger hunt, but fun nevertheless. Quite entertaining in wandering around the lakebed mentally writing blog posts only to have a flash of metal or a colorful clue catch my eye. The finds also brought a grin from this fisherman who has “donated” a few lures to a number of local fishing holes. Perhaps some dedicated Lake of the Hills anglers also got a kick out of finally discovering just what mysterious object had been the end of the line for what was on the end of their line.

Oh yes, we’re not done with the West Lake stuff quite yet so come on back again. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Creekbed

Posted on by Troy Jackson

“I know, nobody knows, where it comes and where it goes.” – Dream On, Aerosmith (1973)

Contour maps provide good, limited info but you just can’t beat walking along the actual creekbed

Many lakes like West Lake Park’s Lake of the Hills were created by constructing a dam to impede the flow of an existing stream. The water then pools to fill the surrounding terrain until it reaches the level of an overflow such as a spillway. As the lake fills, the original creekbed is left hidden deep below the surface, gradually collecting sediment over the years. What was once a pronounced channel is often altered as time and nature do what they do.

So how does Blackhawk Creek weave its way through the lakes from west to east? Read on…

Since about 1970, this aging process has been hidden from view on Lake of the Hills. As you can see by the arrows on the map above, Blackhawk Creek runs through the site. It flows from the west entering Blue Grass Lake and eventually exits via the Lake of the Hills spillway, flowing underneath Interstate 280. Until last fall, where it meandered in between those spots was a mystery to those who did not possess either an old plat map or a new-fangled depthfinder.

Clip number one below covers Railroad Lake and the western half of Lake of the Hills

 

Clip number two covers the eastern half of Lake of the Hills

 

I found it quite interesting to see Blackhawk Creek and associated tributaries once again flow freely to the outlet valve that formerly lay beneath roughly 16 feet of water. Only a short reprieve, however, as Mother Nature will again be allowed to fill the lake basin once restoration work has been completed.

I’ve said it several times in my video clips but indeed a once in a lifetime experience for this interested angler. A cool glimpse back in time and still more to come from my wanderings. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Attire and A Tire, or Two…

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The bottom of West Lake Park’s Lake of the Hills produced an interesting collection of stuff during my 2019 lakebed wanderings. Some of the discoveries were placed there intentionally while others, I assume, were more of the accidental sort.

Today’s pics and video take a look at both varieties beginning with some clothing and accessories. Pretty much everything you need beyond a nice pair of slacks. Oh yeah, no shoes in the clip below but trust me, I’ve got those covered in just a bit…

 

Next up is some of the West Lake Park tire collection. Sinking such items has long been practiced to add fish holding structure to a body of water. While opinions and regulations vary, Lake of the Hills and neighboring Railroad Lake certainly contain quite a batch of these durable discards.

 

The final items for today also feature tread. But unlike the tires, I suspect that most were not intended to finish their days at the bottom of a lake. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the “West Lake Top 10 Shoes.”

 

Certainly some diverse footwear to be found. And while I may be a bit biased, I find that the proper way to end such a list is with the boots of a dedicated observer/explorer/blogger.

Hope you enjoyed today’s featured finds. While some are a bit unusual, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Plenty more secrets to come, both standard and strange. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Bare Bottom

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Close up view of the majority of Lake of the Hills lake bottom, cracked and bare beyond the proximity of the shoreline

When it comes to fishing I am an admitted bank beater.

I suppose a lot of us are.

At times, however, I wonder just how many bass are behind me as I cast bankwards from a boat. Fortunately, I find plenty of takers among the visible cover within yards of the shoreline or slightly farther from the bank on spots like extended points or expansive flats. Therefore, I don’t really dwell on what I’m missing offshore on the modest size lakes that I fish. Besides, I frequently run without any form of depthfinder so I have become accustomed to what I don’t know don’t bother me.

Today’s pics and video feature the vast amount of the lakebed that is quite bare beyond a rather silted in creek channel.

 

Now, every lake is different but from what I have discovered on West Lake Park’s Lake of the Hills I wouldn’t be missing much beyond the shoreline. Nearly all of the structure lies within a couple casts of the shore and probably not more than 8-10’ deep. Right up my alley as a shallow sort of guy. It will certainly be interesting to see how this aspect of lake structure changes during the restoration project.

 

Still plenty more to come featuring structural hotspots, historical remnants and a collection of what Lake of the Hills has collected over the years. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake – Far and Near

Posted on by Troy Jackson

During the implementation of the 2019 drawdowns, I made visits to West Lake Park on August 4 and September 29. Once the process had completed, I made a visit on November 29 to have another look at the largest lake on the site, Lake of the Hills. Each of the visits found me confined to the bank in my running shoes, not the proper gear needed for more in depth wandering.

The completely exposed lakebed, however, sure begged for a closer look. Come December, my curiosity got the best of me so I packed up my boots and headed back. A December 7 hike covered a great deal of the lake and a return trip on December 29 allowed me to explore the rest.

Today’s post features a collection of pictures and video showcasing several sections of the scenery from both afar and down and dirty.

First up, is a look at the northeast arm of Lake of the Hills.

 

Moving southward we encounter one of several roadbeds that cross stretches of the lake bottom.

 

Plenty more to come as we take a look at more areas of the lakebed as well as some of what that lakebed has accumulated through the years. Folks, I’ve only scratched the surface…or would that be scratched the bottom? Anyway, stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

West Lake Restoration Status

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

I intended to get this project posted last month but time got away from me. Instead, you get a post-Groundhog Day rundown of the West Lake Restoration Project.

If you haven’t been introduced, this is a Scott County, Iowa public recreation area that is undergoing a complete rehabilitation of the onsite fisheries. I have taken a look at the progress from the outset during the summer of 2019 until just shy of the arrival of 2020. One aspect of the project involves draining the lakes at the site to improve fish habitat in advance of restocking the fish population. The target for the area to once again allow fishing is the summer of 2021 as the lakes refill.

In the in interim, I aim to keep tabs on the project and post periodic updates here on the blog. To get up to speed, a series of upcoming posts will cover my recent visits during December 2019.

Below is a look at the components of the lake draining process.

 

Here’s a preview of some of what is headed your way this month with a focus on the largest of the lakes onsite, Lake of the Hills. More posts to hit the blog as time permits.

 

Hope you’ll tune in for an interesting, entertaining and sometimes strange look at what once lay hidden beneath the surface. Talk to you later. Troy

Sleds, Shishkabobs & Snowballs

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The aim to remain on friendly terms with winter continues as we head towards a Groundhog Day/Super Bowl Sunday combo. Yep, still plenty of winter to go but I must admit that it is slip sliding away in timely manner. Groundhog Day around here is supposed to see temps in the mid-40s which may put a damper on one of our winter missions but no complaints here. After all, we may still get our shot at that mystery activity. You just never know what Mother Nature may have in store for the shortest month of the year.

In the meantime, me and my boy, Zac, finished out January with another visit to the sledding hill with a bit of a new wrinkle with the GoPro. Another project was foiled by the consistency of the snow but we made the best of getting outside with a little target practice.

Videos below and more posts to come…

A little more sledding….

 

A few wipeouts and a “shishkabob” on the slopes…

 

A new wrinkle was sled target practice aimed at the GoPro…

 

Finally, we resorted to target practice on the durable GoPro…

 

Talk to you later. Troy

1,000 Words – Changes

Posted on by Troy Jackson

While “Belonging” served as the inspiration and kickoff article for the “1,000 Words” series, this photo certainly could have taken top billing. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I have rarely ever hit the water without a camera for much of the last thirty five years. That’s a lot of fishing and a fair amount of success all captured for posterity. The result is well over a thousand pictures of myself and a multitude of fishing partners proudly showing off their trophies (nearly all of which were released to do battle again). But, hands down, this is my favorite fishing picture of all-time; the ideal finale to wrap up my “1,000 Words” series.

The youngster in the photo is my brother, Brent, with a two pound bass from Lake Storey that was caught on a buzzbait sometime during the summer of 1986. Despite my typically meticulous record keeping, this one somehow managed to slip through the cracks, which is probably the way it should be when reminiscing about our introduction to the pursuit of the largemouth bass. Over the years we’ve caught thousands more bass including hundreds that were larger, but this fish came from a different time.

Things have changed a lot since 1986.

Same kid in 2011 at The Emiquon Preserve

At that time, Dad, Brent and I were just starting to grasp what bass fishing was all about. Sure, Dad had caught plenty of nice bass over the years, but he was about to turn things up a notch with some help from two of his boys. All of us were broke and busy but still found a way to pursue this new and exciting hobby together. In those days we each had a couple rod and reel combos, a handful of bass lures, limited knowledge on how to use them and Dad’s small rowboat (it still floats and is sitting in my garage awaiting yet another adventure). Nowadays, we also resort to filling Dad’s old Bass Tracker with over a dozen rods and reels paired with forty or fifty pounds of tackle. Gas and electricity propel us rather than elbow grease and oars. An electronic depth finder now tells us how deep the water is rather than an anchor rope, an oar or the tip of an inverted fishing pole. With or without those luxuries, simply spending time on the water has helped to improve our skills and our catch rates; either we’re getting smarter or the bass are getting dumber, it’s open for debate.

Whatever the case, things have changed a lot since 1986.

I shot this picture with an old disk camera. In those days, “disk” indicated that the film was on a circular disk contained within a plastic cartridge, a far cry from today’s digital video discs or memory cards. I still remember picking up this camera for a significant discount when the Galesburg Hornsby’s store closed its doors in the mid 80’s. For some reason, I also recall purchasing a tackle box that I eventually gave away after upgrading as well as a handful of 45 rpm records. Anyway, I used that old disk camera until the film apparently went out of production and I was forced out of Stone Age photography. The last place I could find disk film was the now defunct Midwest Photo in Galesburg. They sold me the last ones they had amidst glances as if I’d arrived via time machine. I’m happy to report that I am now hip and fully digital after a number of years with the Advanced Photo System medium.

Things have changed a lot since 1986.

Same kid, same lake in 2018 as he established a new family Lake Storey Top Bass record

As previously noted, Brent’s 1986 bass was caught at Lake Storey. The specific location, seen beyond Brent’s left shoulder, will always be referred to as The Dump. During my high school and college days, from the summer of 1984 until the spring of 1990 I spent quite a few hours “working” at The Dump while employed by the City of Galesburg’s Park Department. As teenagers, me and my buddies quickly realized that when given our daily workload, it was best to make it last all day. Initially we would bust our tails and finish early only to be rewarded with some crummy job that none of the “full-timers” wanted. It didn’t take long to come to the conclusion that our orders were essentially, “Here’s your job for the day, get it done, stay out of trouble and don’t come back until quittin’ time.” So, that‘s what we did. Since we all played baseball we’d spend time goofing around at The Dump hitting rocks with sticks and taking target practice on bottles while staying out of the sight of any local taxpayers. I’m proud to say that my work ethic and ability to resist peer pressure have both improved.

Things have changed a lot since 1986.

Brent’s attire also deserves a mention. He is sporting what we used to refer to as “baseball sleeves.” These were the three quarter length sleeve shirts that were worn under the jersey of each season’s baseball team. During our careers, my brothers and I probably racked up every color under the rainbow. We wore blue for the Little League Rangers, Galesburg Legion or Hi-Lo Grocery, black for the Little League Giants and Galesburg Silver Streaks, red for Coca Cola, yellow for a local funeral home and finally purple or yellow for Knox College. Nowadays, we no longer need to purchase such athletic wear for ourselves as we’ve grown too busy, too old and too “Dad.”

Things have changed a lot since 1986.

Same boat, same photographer, same kid with a 2019 trophy catch from Snakeden Hollow 

While that 1986 pic obviously conjures up a cascade of memories, the one aspect that goes a long way towards making this my favorite fishing picture is “The Look.” As mentioned earlier, Dad had already landed his share of quality bass with his twenty plus year head start. However, Brent and I weren’t in the same boat, figuratively speaking. So, for a pair of young, novice anglers, the bass was literally the bass of a lifetime, something to brag about. I’m sure we couldn’t wait to get home to tell Dad about the trophy (which was released after the photo). The right lure, an accurate cast, the proper retrieve, a good hook set, steady pressure and a firm grip on the lip all added up to a prized catch. To me, “The Look” says that he knows what he’s doing, has it all under control and “luck” isn’t in his vocabulary, although back in those days we all knew better. But there’s still something inspiring in the picture of that 16 year old kid who appears barely able to suppress a grin, full of confidence and satisfaction over a job well done.

“The Look” is evident in countless other photos in my collection and will continue to surface as every cast bears the potential of magically turning any of us “experienced” anglers back into that 16 year old kid.

I am grateful that some things never change.

Talk to you later. Troy