Month: March 2018

2017 Video #8 – Family Record

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Jayce sets new family record…read on (Note: iPhone video as opposed to GoPro for this clip)

Today’s video documents the establishment of a new family record for the green sunfish species reeled in by my son, Jayce, on May 27, 2017. The catch weighed in at 13 ounces, came from a Henry County, IL pond and was caught on a waxworm hung from a bobber.

Perhaps your next question is, “How big was the old record?”

Well, in all honesty, I don’t really know that there was an old record despite reeling in hundreds of these misfits over the years. For many years we fished Lake Bracken just south of Galesburg, IL and while it featured an abundance of these feisty fish I don’t recall that we ever got one quite this big or bothered much in weighing these catches.


New record at 13 ounces (gravel aided weight deemed negligible)

You see, the green sunfish is an interesting sort of outcast.

They are very cooperative, aggressive fighters and feature a wide range of colorization due to hybridization with bluegill. For kids they are also easier to get a hold of than a bluegill thanks to a bigger handle (meaning a bigger mouth). However, every once in a while you run into one that has some pretty good teeth that will give you a little scrape reminiscent of what we call “bass thumb.”

A small jighead or hook tipped with a waxworm or piece of dew worm and hung from a bobber will get the job done as will moving Beetle spin type baits with or without a spinner. Most times you can find green sunfish in the shallows and they seem to particularly like hanging in the cover of a rocky shoreline waiting to pounce on a meal. A cast to such a spot on the Lake Bracken shoreline back in the day was about as close to a guarantee as you could get.


The record was not a fluke as Jayce hauled in another fine specimen two days later

Which takes me back to the fun of being a fishing kid as while green sunfish can have some negative effects on a body of water they sure are fun to catch on an ultralight rig. As much evidence as one would need in this video of a happy kid tied into a feisty fish that nearly jerks the pole away at one point. Fishing in its simplest form, just looking for whatever’s biting. And a little extra cause for celebration when it’s a “family world record.” Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Video #9 – Second Chances

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The second video of our countdown actually comes from the same outing as the first video which was posted yesterday. Believe it or not, it was the second bass of the morning, coming only three minutes after the inaugural GoPro catch.

Can you tell that I am having fun with this whole new aspect of the fishing trip?

Sure thing, as situations that I’ve experienced countless times over the previous 35 years or so kind of take on new life when caught on film (I know, no film, but that’s the way I talk so that’s the way I write).

I also thought that a piece featuring “Second Chances” in the title just logically fit as the second submission in the countdown. Indeed, there is occasionally a method to my madness and a tinge of planning to some of this stuff.

 

So, let’s set the scene before I shift into Bass Professor mode and break this clip down in order to pass along a couple valuable topwater bass fishing lessons. What I am doing here is casting a topwater bait known as a Whopper Plopper across a point that drops off into 8-10 foot of water on all three sides of its ledgelike setup. Classic summer bass magnet in the lowlight conditions early or late in the day. The Whopper Plopper (pictured below) features a propeller sort of rear end which sputters across the surface when twitched or reeled.


Whopper Plopper 90 in the I Know It color

Lesson One – Do not set the hook on a topwater bait when you see the fish strike it, wait until you actually feel the weight of the fish. Easier said than done no matter how long you have been topwater fishing. My error in this regard occurs around the 0:04 mark of the clip as I essentially jerk the lure away from a “hot” fish that has taken two swipes at the plug and likely will keep after it until he gets it right.

Lesson Two, Plan A – Go right back after the fish either with the same bait or what is often called a “follow-up” lure as it is likely still hanging in the general area and perhaps wondering how its breakfast got away. In this case, I opted for a repeat with the Whopper Plopper but made sure to cast well beyond where the strikes had occurred. My intent is to not land on top of the fish but rather cause a commotion several yards away and then bring it right over the top of what I hope is still a fired up fish. Worked like it was supposed to on this occasion and always cool when they make you look smart.

Lesson Two, Plan B – You can also resort to the “follow up” lure approach with a sinking lure that is pitched right into the vicinity of the strike as quickly as possible after the swing and a miss by the bass (and angler in this case). My go to lure in this scenario is a weightless wacky rigged Senko. It enters the water above that bass with less commotion and its waving action on a slow fall is often too much to resist.


Senko weightless wacky rig in natural shad color

We’ve still got at least another month around here before a solid topwater bite will come into play but definitely a blast, and rather addictive when it does. Keep these lessons in mind when you put those baits to use and it will put a few more of those bites in the boat. Oh, and don’t be too tough on yourself if you jump the gun on a few of those topwater explosions by bass with bad aim. Happens to us all, no matter the icewater we got in those veins. Just part of bass fishing and be grateful that some of those bass can’t resist a second chance. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Video #10 – First Cast Bass

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I’m going to take the suspense out of the video that leads off the countdown if you happen to read this before you click the clip. What you are about to see (or have already clicked on here or Facebook) is a 10” bass.

Now you see, I’ve come to realize over the years that it’s not just the size of the fish that makes for a memorable catch. In addition to the length or weight, you’ve got to consider the circumstances in assessing whether or not that fish is gonna stick in your head or have the starring role in a fish story.

Or, in the case of this project that draws on the offerings of modern technology, whether the video clip finds its way onto the external hard drive and possibly the internet or simply winds up in the Recycle Bin.

 

This one wound up a winner for the reasons described in my video commentary which are also repeated below.

How often do you catch a bass on your first cast?

On your birthday (#50 to boot)?

On a topwater bait for added visual appeal?

On the first time you punched record on a fishing trip with your brand new GoPro?

Yep, a winner on all accounts.


Actual log entry for the catch minus a few location details though

If you’ve taken the time to tune into any of the stuff I’ve written here on the website or the collection of postings at other locations over the years, it should be apparent that I just flat out like to talk fishing (some may even say ramble about fishing). And today’s submission fits that habit perfectly, a little bass that makes for a big fish story. In fact, it was the smallest bass that I caught among the eleven bass landed on the roughly five hour outing that included a Top Bass of 3-8.

Speaking of that Top Bass, it didn’t make the Top 10 video cut for a couple reasons but I thought that if would be fun to add a little bonus footage to some of these countdown postings along the way. So here’s a quick look at that catch as well, kind of abbreviated as wouldn’t you know, I forgot to start the camera until after I set the hook on the biggest bass of the day. Go figure, but at least I was able to scramble and get some footage of the fight.

 

So, the countdown is off and running and while the video is a cool addition, there’s always more to the whole story. And as the stories continue through the countdown, there’s actually some fishing knowledge to be learned along the way (like don’t forget to turn on your GoPro, right). In fact, a couple of those fishing tips are headed your way with tomorrow’s clip. Hope you’ll stop by for a look and a lesson. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Video Countdown

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Last July, my wife, Julie, gave me a GoPro camera for birthday #50. I’d looked around at them plenty of times but never pulled the trigger on getting one. After kicking off the website last May, it also occurred to me that it would be fun to incorporate some video at some point. I’d also started tuning into a handful of fishing vloggers on YouTube about the time that I launched the website, further convincing myself that video could be a solid addition.

Over the course of last year’s fishing I compiled a fair amount of footage including a handful of clips that have already made an appearance here on the blog. Well, as the final part of my 2017 wrap-up I’m going with a video countdown. From the intro below through the rest of the month I will pass along a Top 10 video countdown compiled from GoPro and iPhone video shot in 2017.

Mind you, I am still getting my feet wet on the whole video shooting and editing stuff so bear with me on some things like wind noise, lame commentary and brief bits of rather empty frame. But hey, I can’t afford a camera operator yet and they wouldn’t fit in the boat with me anyway, so I get what I get.

The Top 10 Video Countdown starts tomorrow and the hits keep coming for the rest of the month. Hope you’ll tune in and talk to you later. Troy

2017 Wrap Up – Partners

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today we look back at who I spent time with in the boat or on the bank during 2017. And these days it’s not too surprising that I happened to be related to every one of them.

Now, when I initially thought back on 2017, I found myself thinking that I had been rather selfish in my fishing with nearly all of my fishing time spent flying solo chasing those darn bass. There’d been plenty of requests to tag along from the kids which didn’t materialize for various reasons, such as a reluctance to get out of bed at 4:30am. It is also a tough sell on a long day as I selfishly like to put in more than a few hours, particularly when hitting my old stomping grounds as they require about a two hour round trip.

Okay, enough of the excuses, gonna look to boost time on the water with some fishing partners as part of the Resolutions posted for 2018.

And, actually, when looking back there was a lot more of that quality family time than I initially thought, just look below.

May 27 and May 29
Got the kids out on these two occasions on a pothole of a pond near Coal Valley, IL. Aquatic weeds and limited bank and casting access provided some challenges but we reeled in a decent amount of fish.

June 2 and 3
A family camping trip to Little John produced the regular multi-species quest and our brood have taken to the hobby like a fish to water. A good bunch and fun to watch them practice and hone their skills. Next up, consistently baiting your own hook and talking off your own fish.

June 25
Went exploring with Carly and Jayce for a change of pace after our Coal Valley spot let us down. They were all about a change of scenery and we found some cool access and a handful of fish on the Hennepin Canal in Colona, IL.

July 8 (3.5 hours, 17 total bass, 5-0 and 3-5 Top Bass, 12-4 Top 5 Weight)
The lone trip with Dad for 2017 produced a decent quantity of bass and though it took a while we also posted two real solid catches. This outing was featured in a return to a retro fishing report entitled Lake Lowdown. Look for a revisit to this format at some point in 2018.

July 8
After the “serious” bass outing for me and Dad, we were joined by my boys, Jayce and Zac, for some panfishing amidst some goofing off. A great time with lots of good photos and some video footage that I hope those two youngsters will appreciate more and more as they get not so young.

July 15 (5.50 hours, 15 total bass, 7-3 Top 5 Weight, 1-6 Top Bass)
On the heels of the successful outing for me and Dad, I did the brother fishing trip with Brent to see if we could pull off another one. We struggled a bit as can happen during the “Dog Days” of summer, fishing longer but still coming up a bit short on quantity and a bit more short on quality.

September 17 (6.75 hours, 27 total bass, 8-3 Top 5 Weight, 2-9 Top Bass)
A very comfortable and successful fall drawdown day on the “home lake”, Lake Storey, with my brother, Brent. Even wound up with a toothy fish as can happen, just another reason that this is probably my favorite fishing hole. We even made a pact to split time in both ends of the boat so nobody could claim they got “front ended.” 27 total bass was a very good day and you’ll have to ask Brent who wound up on top despite equal time in the generally advantageous front of the boat position.

That does it for another look back at 2017 as I await my next shot in 2018. Plenty of fun with some fishing buddies but must say that a couple are missing on the list. Definitely need to get my wife, Julie, out there as well as our oldest daughter, Helena, who is content to observe her younger siblings getting it done. However, I got some inspiration from an NCAA football stunt last season to provide a little competitive incentive in 2018. Stay tuned for the reveal in a future posting once spring kicks into gear.

But wait, I am not yet finished with 2017, as once I get on a roll talking fishing…One final project headed your way. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – 3/20/2003

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Welcome to my latest project entitled “Friday Flashback” that takes a look back at the pics, stats and reports (in many cases) from the fishing hole. Similar to the “Trapping Tuesday” postings that ran during trapping season, this one will look back 5, 10, 15…30 years at memories from time well spent on the water. I guess all of these fishing logs, photo albums and blog entries actually come in handy.

To kick off the series we visit a classic fishing hole known as Emstrom’s Pond located just west of Galesburg, IL. The name arose from the fellow who granted Dad permission to fish the spot back in 1988, Dwight Emstrom, who ran a local trucking company. It seems that his sister lived on/owned the land with the pond. From 1988 through 2004, when we lost access to the pond, we caught a lot of fish including many pretty darn nice bass. Suffice to say, this won’t be the only visit we’ll pay to Emstrom’s Pond during Friday’s to come.


March 20, 2003 Emstrom’s Pond 2-10 (18″) Jig & Pig
My wife, Julie, always gave me a rough time about holding the fish in front of my face but what would you rather see?

Today’s inaugural flashback features a catch from 15 years ago this week. Below is an excerpt of the original report that featured the catch and was emailed to family and friends on April 5, 2003 in the days before I became an official blogger.

“During the past three weeks, I have fished Emstrom’s Pond and the Little John strip mines with limited success. Tops was a six bass day at Emstrom’s Pond and low was a shutout at Little John. Most of my forays at Emstrom’s Pond consisted of an hour or hour and a half before or after work. Little John outings included visits to Jake, Muskrat, Club and Skeet Lakes. Top producer at Emstrom’s Pond was a 1/4 oz. jig (black/blue) with a pork frog #11 or #11G (black, blue or blue glitter) fished on the Beaver Lodge. At Little John, I picked up bass on a Rapala Rattlin’ Rap (brown craw) off tops and drops of main lake points, jigs around fallen trees and a Mepps #5 (white/rainbow trout) along dropoffs.”


Actual log entry from the day on the water

Today’s bass came on the six bass day referenced above and preceded my standard Stat recap that is a feature in all of my latest fishing reports. So, better late than never.

Stats
Date: March 20, 2003
Location: Emstrom’s Pond – west of Galesburg, IL
Time: 9:30am-10:45am
Weather: Overcast/light rain
Air Temp: 52F
Water Temp: 43F
Totals: 6 bass
Lures: ¼ oz. Jig (black/blue) with #11G pork frog (black/blue glitter)
Top Bass: 2-10 (18”) Jig & Pig
Top 5 Weight: 7-2 (2-10,1-4,1-2,1-1,1-1)

All in all, not too shabby of a day considering only 75 minutes on the water. Had a lot of those days over the years at Emstrom’s so you haven’t seen the last of the flashbacks from this old favorite. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Stats – Location

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For today’s stat wrap I’m gonna tell you where I caught my bass in 2017, all 416 of them (that is a correction as I erroneously reported 418 last week).

Well, kind of tell you where I caught ‘em. General location on some, specific body of water on a few but not overly precise like Chilly Willy Point, Power Point or Freak’s Point. Actually, all of those are made up names, two by me and one handed down from some fellas back in the 80s. So, unless you are related to me, those spots probably wouldn’t mean thing anyhow.

But I’m still not telling, gotta keep some air of mystery. Here we go.


Bass #416, strip mine

Grand Totals
Bass = 416
Bodies of water = 31
Comments: The numbers are pretty jacked up in terms of bodies of water as I flat out fish small. In fact, the biggest body of water that I fished in 2017 was Lost Grove Lake in Scott County, IA which comes in at 400 acres. On the other end of the spectrum were a handful of public strip pits that are maybe a half cast wide at best.


Hauled 265 bass into this deluxe watercraft

Access
Bank Bass (Northerner boots, biking and hiking) = 102
Little Boat Bass (near 40 year old 8’ johnboat) = 265
Big Boat Bass (1987 Bass Tracker Pro 17) = 49
Comments: Small waters, walk-in only access and no ramps on most of my stomping grounds means no blazing bass boat or high tech gear. And all of that suits me just fine, those things go too fast for this angler and I spend all week messing with technology so who needs electronics. Besides, several of these spots I’ve fished since the 80s or 90s so trial and error has provided ample insight. Sure there are more secrets beneath the surface and perhaps armed with a new, cool, retro tool in 2018 I may just find a few. Stay tuned.

The Waters (from least to most caught)


Henry County, IL pond

Henry County Private Pond (1 visit – 4/18)
4 bass
1.00 hour
4.00 bass/hour
Top Bass: 11.5” (2 bass – Chatterbait, Jig & Pig)
Top 5 Weight: no bass 12” or better
Comments: This is a spot that is associated with my employer, just a pothole water reservoir but I got wind it had some fish in it, got permission and checked it out. Put it to decent use with the kids too (another wrap-up piece) but rumor has it that the big ones are long gone via a firsthand “you should’ve seen it…” report.


Johnson-Sauk Trail

Johnson Sauk Trail Lake – Henry County, IL (1 visit – September 11)
5 bass
3.00 hours
1.67 bass/hour
Top Bass: 1-2 (13.5”) Strike King Red Eye Shad
Top 5 Weight: 2-1 (2 bass 1-2,0-15)
Comments: Hadn’t fished this spot since 2002 but after a look during a day trip with the family I thought I’d revisit. Nothing big in my creel on the lone outing but have seen a few pics of some decent bass and a few toothy fish (just hope they were released to catch again). Found it to be the right size for my little boat and only about half of it was worth fishing on this day as extremely shallow and shady in the morning.


Lake Storey, one of the “big boat” bass

Lake Storey – Knox County, IL (2 visits – 9/17 and 10/2)
34 bass
14.00 hours
2.43 bass/hour
Top Bass: 15” 1-11 Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 6-5 (1-11,1-4,1-3,1-2,1-1)
Comments: Probably my favorite fishing hole of all-time even though it gets some serious pressure and can be a tough nut to crack at times. Nothing particularly large was landed but I was quite pleased with my 2.43 bass/hour rate which was considerably higher than my “career” average of 0.98. Hit it at the right time just couldn’t put my lures in the right place to fool a few big ones.


Encouraging Lost Grove Lake result as they are getting bigger

Lost Grove Lake – Scott County, IA (11 visits June 10 – September 30)
74 bass
24.50 hours
3.02 bass/hour
Top Bass: 2-3 (17”) Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 9-6 (2-3,1-15,1-14,1-11,1-11)
Comments: At 400 acres, a lot to explore in my little boat so I break it down into manageable pieces. Starting to figure out a few things in my second year of casting on this water across The River. After only two fish over 12” in 2016, my quality of catches got quite a boost in 2017 and observed another angler reel in one over four pounds. Like to think I’m experiencing a combination of the bass getting bigger and the bass fisherman getting brighter on the young fishing hole.


The old stomping grounds near Victoria, IL

Knox County, IL Private Strip Mines (20 visits, 5 lakes, March 4 – December 2)
135 bass
62.00 hours
2.18 bass/hour
Top Bass: 6-2 (22.5”) Jig & Pig
Top 5 Weight: 26-13 (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
Comments: I’ve paid my dues and pay annual dues on these fishing holes so they typically get the most attention. 30 years of experience here has helped me find and fool some pretty good fish but 2017 featured some overachievers on the end of the line including my six heaviest bass of the year. Already have my Top 5 filled for 2018 from this stomping ground but suspect there’s more to come for a boost to my current total of 7-3.


Racked up a few more miles and a lot of bass on the public access Knox County, IL strip mines

Knox County, IL Public Strip Mines (11 visits, 22 lakes, March 26-October 8)
164 bass
30 hours
5.47 bass/hour
Top Bass: 3-8 (18”) Strike King Rattling Squarebill Crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 15-13 (3-8,3-6,3-5,3-5,2-5)
Comments: Private fishing holes as noted above are really cool, I wouldn’t trade them for anything and wish I had access to more. However, I get a great deal of satisfaction from fooling bass where everybody and their brother can fish. And me and my brother have tackled a bunch of these spots and caught a bunch of fish over close to 30 years and a lot of miles on foot, by bike or dragging around a little boat.  Happy to still be able to get it done at 50 although I had to be helped out of a restaurant by Julie and Helena after one of these stunts when my legs cramped up so bad I nearly couldn’t walk. Provided them with a good laugh and I too think its funny, now.

There you go, as much insight as you get on where to find some 2018 bass that even I can seem to outsmart. Looking to work in one more wrap that features the folks I got to fish with last year and hoping to get in a countdown of sorts before the end of the month. Also hoping to get in a March outing but no promises as weather and responsibilities seem to be conspiring against goofing off. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Stats – Lures Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

No need for much introduction, did that yesterday for Part I of the lure portion of the 2017 wrap-up. My standard go to baits and one newcomer that made a big splash (actually several big splashes).

New addition for 2017 Whopper Plopper 90 (I Know It color)

2017 Whopper Plopper Top Bass (see below)

Propbaits
Whopper Plopper 90 (I Know It) – 11 bass
Top Bass: 20.5” 4-7 July 17 Little John Conservation Club
Comments: I am not a $12.99 per bait price range kind of guy, no matter how catchy the name is. You see, there’s two ends to this fishing thing, one is the lure on the end of the line, the other is the angler on the end of the rod and I rarely see a need to spend that sort of cash on the latest rage when I’ve got a lifetime of experience with lures that have worked for years. But, I had a gift certificate and Whopper Ploppers were on sale so I now have several in the tacklebox. And I’ll be darned if this crazy new bait didn’t produce a 4-7 for its first bass after ten minutes of casting. Perhaps a lure that truly catches fish and not fishermen, more field testing to come in 2018.

Jig & Pig (black & blue), a legend and I am too cheap to replace this chewed up version as obviously it works

2017 Top Jig Bass, first catch of 2017, believe it or not (see below)

Jigs
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (black/blue) with #11 Uncle Josh trailer (black/blue) – 15 bass
Top Bass: 22.5” 6-2 March 4 Little John Conservation Club
Comments: If you are throwing a jig, you’ve gotta start with good, old black and blue and what a way to start 2017 with a 6-2 taking the bait for my first bass of the year. On the downside, I failed to fool a larger bass the rest of the year. On the upside, who cares? I’m sure other colors work just fine but the bass haven’t let me down on this old favorite yet.

Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad)

2017 Top Lipless Crankbait Bass (see below)

Lipless Crankbaits
Strike King Red Eye Shad – 27 bass (sexy shad – 26 bass, orange craw – 1 bass)
Top Bass: 16” 1-15 March 26 Little John Conservation Club
Comments: This bait is a favorite and produces throughout most of the year and surprisingly well in colder water as it is generally worked at a decent clip. Therefore, it is right up my alley although I do try and slow it down early in the year. 2017 was a down year for these baits, however, as the early buzzbait bite got me sidetracked.

Classic “Blue Glimmer” bait, possibly an antique but still getting it done

2017 Top Spinnerbait Bass (see below)

Spinnerbaits
Booyah, Stanley Vibra Shaft Blue Glimmer, Teminator – 41 bass
Top Bass: 16” 2-1 April 8 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Seems like the good, old spinnerbait has kind of fallen out of vogue if you read the major publications. I do have a couple of those subscriptions but either did not get the memo or just too set in my ways to ditch this favorite. Perhaps I will be on the leading edge of a spinnerbait revival after this post hits the internet. Okay, maybe not but I’ll keep tossing these things around as I will never get tired of running one parallel to a laydown and waiting for it to get heavy.

Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill (sexy shad)

2017 Top Crankbait Bass (see below)

Crankbaits
Strike King Rattling Squarebill, Mann’s Baby 1-, Rapala Shad Rap – 66 bass
Top Bass: 18” 3-8 September 2 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Yet another type of bait that generally lets me fish fast and the models I use also keep me relatively shallow (eight feet or less). Too slow and I get antsy, too deep and I lose my edge so the crankbaits noted above represent my confidence baits and they came through yet again with a decent haul.

Senko wacky rig

2017 Top Senko Bass (see below)

Plastic Worms
Senko wacky rig (weighted and unweighted), Senko Texas rig – 103 bass
Top Bass: 22” 5-11 August 21 Little John Conservation Club Senko wacky rig
Comments: Since I first plunged into the odd looking world of the wacky rig back in 2005, I’ve always had a Senko on a pole when I hit the water. And this year it paid off again with the highlight being an “Eclipse Day” beast that established a new personal Senko best just before a storm rolled in and sent me packing. If you aren’t fishing wacky, you are missing out on some serious action.

Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad)

2017 Top Buzzbait Bass (see below)

Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz – 134 bass
Top Bass: 22” 5-9 April 25 Little John Conservation Club
Comments: Can you say addictive? Buzzbait bassing kicked into gear on April 25 last year and once it got going, I wore it out. The buzzbait Top Bass of 2017 was my second catch of the year on the bait and fell one ounce shy of tying my buzzbait personal best. Lots of decent bass in the haul including a second five-pounder and a Top 5 of 18-6 on the lure. And I lost a pair at the boat that were at least four-pounders, scout’s honor.  Literally and figuratively, a blast.

So, there you have it on the lures. The next piece of the series will take a look at location, headed your way soon, hope you’ll tune in. Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Stats – Lures Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Do you know how many bass lures I’ve amassed over the last 35 years or so?

Yeah, me neither. Probably don’t want to know.

Any guess on how many lures I used in 2017 to fool over 400 bass?

Well, stay tuned over the next two days, because I’m going to tell you.

We’ll start from the bottom of the list (fewest bass caught) and move up to the heavy hitters from there.


Alabama Rig


Alabama Rig Top Bass (details below)

Alabama Rig
Yumbrella 3-wire rig (Tennessee Shad with white swimbaits) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 13.5” 1-1 September 9 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: This was a Resolution and it was fulfilled on 9/9 complete with a video and then I put the thing back in the tacklebox.


Ned Rig

Grubs
Arkie DeD Stand-up Jig head (green pumpkin) with Senko tail (electric shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 11” March 26 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Billed as a “Ned Rig”, this is a reputed cold water killer according to glossy magazines. It came through for me on 3/26 by enticing a bass that followed my jig & pig to the shore before losing interest and disappearing back into the depths. A cast beyond where the bass disappeared was enough to get a bite as the tidbit slowly drifted past.


Rapala Shadow Rap

Jerkbaits
Rapala Shadow Rap (blueback herring) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 10.5” October 8 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: This lure is supposed to be quite effective in cold water conditions for those who know what they are doing and can exercise the patience needed for a retrieve often requiring lengthy pauses. Nope and nope for this angler but I was able to fool a lone bass on 10/8 with a more rapid retrieve before conditions got too chilly and slowed down the fish.


Chatterbait


Chatterbait Top Bass

Chatterbaits
Chatterbait (bluegill) with swimbait trailer (watermelon) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 14” 1-7 October 8 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: I know a good collection of anglers swear by these baits but I’ve rarely given them much of a shot as I’m usually dialed in on something else (see Part II of this wrap-up). Fooled one bass in April and one in October but didn’t really need this weapon anytime in between.


Underspin


Underspin Top Bass

Underspins
Fish Head Underspin (white) with 4” Keitech Swing Impact (electric shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 15” 1-9 May 13 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Much like the chatterbait, I’ve seen some eye opening catches on these types of lures but never given much more than a few casts myself, thus some pretty meager results.


Stickbait – Zara Spook


Stickbait Top Bass

Stickbaits
Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 3 bass
Top Bass: 16.5” 1-11 May 30 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Me and The Spook go back to the mid-80s and I could write a whole chapter in a fishing book about this bait and its impact. Not only in terms of numbers back in the day but also what it meant to me and my brother, Brent, when we were bitten by the bass fishing bug. All three of these bass came on May 30 while searching for that big bite that The Spook can produce but the best it could muster was a 1-11. Good to reconnect with an old friend, however, still remember how to “walk the dog.”


Swim Jig


Swim Jig Top Bass

Swim Jigs
Swim Jig (sexy shad) with hammertail trailer – 4 bass
Top Bass: 14” 1-9 October 8 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: Not sure on the model but this may be a bait fashioned by Illinois smallmouth catcher, Jonn Graham. At any rate, this was another Resolution and it came through with flying colors on 10/8 when the bite on anything else completely shut down at mid-morning.


Creature Bait – Zoom Baby Brush Hog


Creature Bait Top Bass

Creature Baits
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 15” 1-5 July 30 Little John Conservation Club
Comments: Similar to the jig & pig it’s fun to feel that telltale tap and lay down the hammer on ‘em when fishing this bait. Bad thing is, it’s a slower type presentation and that’s not really in my wheelhouse. If I can get away with fishing fast that is what I do so the brush hog only got a brief workout but fun to revisit an old friend that has been a solid producer over the years.

That wraps up Part I with a look at the lures that fooled a handful of scattered fish or had a particular day where they pinch hit and got bit. Part II features the baits that got a heavier workout while reeling in a darn good bunch of bass both in terms of quantity and quality. Stop by tomorrow for some pretty serious “confidence baits.” Talk to you later. Troy

2017 Stats – Intro

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For a number of years I submitted a series of fishing wrap-up posts over the winter. These posts served multiple purposes. They recapped the previous year, fueled the fire for the new one, gave me a stat fix and fed my writing habit.

Well, here we go again as I’m bringing back a look back. This time around, the series appears a little later than previous years and even comes after adding some 2018 bass to the log. It doesn’t look like I’ll be back on the water for a while though, so instead of fishing reports you get a recap. You see, I just got around to the 2017 data entry from my fishing log this week, and as a result, I’m kind of fired up to share the numbers, pics and some thoughts. And once I get a blog idea in my head, well, it usually finds its way onto the web.


2017  Bass #2 (first is pictured a little below) – March 26 Little John Conservation Club 15.5″ 1-12 Jig & Pig

Part I of the series will take a general look at the numbers, while subsequent posts will delve into lures, locations, partners and a countdown.

Let the stats, pics and two cents begin.

2017 Bass #59 – May 13 Knox County, IL public strip mine 17.5″ 3-5 Senko weighted wacky rig

Grand Totals (bass fishing only)
135.50 hours fishing
418 bass
3.08 bass/hour
Comments: I knew I caught a load of bass this year but got lazy on transferring the log data into the database and spreadsheets so I really had no idea where I was at until running the totals this week. It turns out that I established a new yearly personal best with the 416 bass, easily outdistancing my 2013 mark of 345 bass. Kind of wish I had paid closer attention as the year unfolded, could have had some exciting blog countdown going. It is worth noting, however, that the 345 bass in 2013 came in only 91.25 hours of bass fishing for a better rate of 3.78 bass/hour.


2017 Bass #1 is also 2017 Top Bass, are you kidding me? March 4 Little John Conservation Club 22.5″ 6-2 Jig & Pig

First Bass/Last Bass
March 4 – Little John Conservation Club 22.5” 6-2 Jig & Pig
December 2 – Little John Conservation Club 17” 2-4 Rapala Shad Rap
Comments: Gotta say that the 6-pound first bass of the year was pretty nuts. The only fish I caught that day and wound up being the largest catch of the year as none of the 417 to follow could measure up. A few five-pounders came close with the best being 5-11 but was technically all downhill after that first catch. The December bookend did turn out to be a decent catch as well at 2-4 and was the only fish landed on the finale. A pair of one fish days to start and finish the season but when they add up to eight and a half pounds I’m fine with the results. Not sure if a 273 day season is a record but has to be awful close if not.


2017 Bass #416 – December 2 Little John Conservation Club 17″ 2-4 Rapala Shad Rap

Top 5 Weight
26-13 (6-2,5-11,5-9,5-0,4-7)
Comments: The 2017 total establishes a new personal Top 5 best going back to the kickoff of the project in 2014 and likely my all-time mark though I have yet to do the research to make it official. My previous Top 5 best was 22-12 in 2015 so got a pretty substantial boost, just over four pounds. Included in my creel was my first ever six-pounder although not a personal best as I do have one over seven in the ledger.

2017 Bass #182 – July 23 a cool 50th birthday gift from Little John Conservation Club 19″ 3-8 Buzzbait 

Based on these numbers, I’d have to say that 2017 was my best year ever when it comes to bass fishing. Pretty cool to coincide with the introduction of my own website back on May 1. I did hit it a little harder in an effort to provide plenty of fishing content but even so, I must say that the bass sure helped me out and even made me feel kind of smart every now and then.

Plenty more stats where these came from over the next week or so to fill my self-imposed blogging quota and keep me outdoor occupied until I get another shot to actually get outdoors. Talk to your later. Troy