Our family moved to the Quad Cities area from Galesburg, IL back in August of 2014. Although still remaining on the Illinois side of The River, the proximity of one particular Iowa fishing hole caught my attention. I fished Scott County’s Lost Grove Lake on June 18 and June 29 of 2016 with good results in terms of quantity but quality left much to be desired. Even so, it grabbed enough of my interest to warrant a 2017 Resolution as follows:
“But it is still a quite young lake and based on stocking reports and a firsthand look at the habitat of the 360 acre fishing hole I am enthused about its prospects for the future. As such I am looking forward to a few more visits in 2017 in pursuit of a new Iowa largemouth bass personal best. 1-10 doesn’t set the bar too high, hopefully just a matter of getting some time on the water.”
So, off I went in search of my “Iowa Largemouth Bass Personal Best” beginning on June 10 and came up way short. But I was not deterred and going forward I opted for an all-in change of location on the fishing hole and it proved to be a winner. One week later, on June 17, I had a 1-11 that beat my old record by a whole two ounces. Not an outstanding fish but a winner for this resolution.
June 17 6:15am 15″ 1-11 Buzzbait
And Lost Grove Lake wasn’t done quite yet.
Two trips and three days later, on June 20, I latched onto a 2-3 that boosted the personal best Iowa bass into a little more respectable territory.
June 20 6:01pm 17″ 2-3 Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait
That was as good as it would get despite five more visits throughout the summer and early fall. I did have one encounter with a bass that topped the four pound mark but I was on the camera end of a photo shoot, lending a helping hand to the bank angler who landed the lunker. It was a simple case of first come, first serve as he beat me to the spot where the big one bit by only a matter of seconds. In fact, I was rowing to the exact area, same spot where I caught my 2-3, when he pulled into the lot, hopped out of his vehicle, strolled down the bank, cast a popper and got the immediate reward. All within casting distance of my boat. A tough pill to swallow at first but his excitement over the catch quickly changed my tune and I joined the fun in offering to snap a few pics of him and his catch with his phone.
A different kind of “one that got away” that makes for a good story that I’m sure I will retell and revisit every time I cast to the area. Which I will certainly do every visit as he fortunately released the bass to fight again. Perhaps my next personal best. Talk to you later. Troy