Month: February 2019

Blog Banner – Photobombing Bigfoot

“He’s gonna get caught, just you wait and see,

Why’s everybody always pickin’ on me?”

Charlie Brown – The Coasters (1959)

Bigfoot sighting, Macomb, IL – July 4, 2017

Bigfoot was introduced to our children at a very young age. It’s just one of those things that you do as a parent, pass along some of your interests and see if they stick. And with a couple young boys joining the family it didn’t take much arm twisting to get them hooked on this furry fellow.

The photobomber in this picture, our boy Jayce, developed a particularly keen interest at an early age. I hesitate to guess how many Bigfoot hunts he’s undertaken in his near ten years. Tantalizingly close on numerous occasions to capturing the elusive beast but always an amazing escape or some sort of misstep foils the quest. A near miss at dusk at the Lake Storey campground, within reach just beyond the campfire at Little John Conservation Club, seemingly fenced in in the backyard and even cornered in the living room but suddenly gone.

So, when we spotted old Sasquatch along the main drag in Macomb, Illinois we definitely had to stop (that main drag happens to be named “Jackson Street” by the way). Exiting the van with phone in hand I captured this shot of Bigfoot and one of his most ardent pursuers. Of course, a picture was as good as we got, for actually nabbing a Bigfoot comes with a rather hefty price tag.

And thus, the hunt goes on…Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Stairsteps

“Your feet are going to be on the ground, your head is there to move you around.”

Stand – R.E.M. (1989)

Hennepin Canal near Sheffield, IL – August 5, 2017

I love my kids.

In my book, that’s a given, right?

I mean after all, it’s pretty much half my fault that Julie and I have them. I don’t recall which one of us started it over the years but the next thing you know there’s Helena, then Carly, then Jayce and then Zac. And once you have them, well, you care for them and teach them and introduce them to stuff.

In the case of this photo we took a daytrip to the Hennepin Canal just outside of Sheffield, IL. Oh boy, more than a few memories from that Bureau County hamlet in the days before I had children including some where today’s song title of “Stand” required a little extra concentration. Used to be a watering hole up there called “R & J’s” run by a couple buddies…but I digress.

The Hennepin Canal is a pretty cool bit of engineering history that is included on the National Register of Historic Places. There’s plenty to be said about the one hundred plus mile waterway but that will have to wait for another day.

For this day, it’s all about quality family time spent outdoors exploring a bit of regional history. Our crew (minus Julie who was our photographer for this shot) is perched on a series of steps that lead from the high ground above the canal to the towpath along the edge. I felt that the descent was an ideal spot for one of those “line up oldest to youngest/shortest to tallest” shots with a little silliness thrown in.

And indeed it was.

However, the odds of getting four kids on board as we neared the end of their arduous four hour daytrip were generally pretty slim. So this pic worked out about as well as one could have hoped in terms of the goofy pose I envisioned. Four kids and four personalities with some shared traits and some individual quirks, you just never know what will transpire during that split second when the photo is snapped.

While initially frustrating in failing to get the perfect outdoor photo I had in mind, it looks just right in hindsight.

It’s us.

Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Livewell or Live Well

“It’s in the way that you use it, boy don’t you know.”

It’s in the Way That You Use It – Eric Clapton (1986)

Dad, Zac and Jayce on a Knox County, IL strip pit – July 8, 2017

I think about it every once in a while, am I a writer or just a guy who likes to write?

Tough to say, kind of depends on the day or the mood. Perhaps not for me to even say at all.

I can say, however, that I am armed with a pen, a clipboard, a keyboard and a computer and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.

I can also say that ever since I developed this writing affliction, spellcheck has given me some grief. You see, I’m a compound word guy and when it comes to outdoor writing there are plenty of terms where me and spellcheck just don’t see eye to eye.

Tacklebox, baitshop, lawnchair, bassboat, baitcaster and so on. Each of those get the old red underline. I disagree and keep them as one word since I have the benefit of being my own editor (bad idea by the way as you can never effectively proofread your own stuff).

However, today’s picture presents an interesting dilemma as you can’t go wrong either way.

On one hand, Papa and my boys are checking out the “livewell” to inspect their catch. And yes, spellcheck has red flagged my spelling even though it’s correct. Per Wikipedia, “A livewell is a tank found on many fishing boats that is used to keep bait and caught fish alive.” Right on, a credible source even, kinda, sorta.

But splitting the word also works just fine in this case as “live well” applies just as well. For the definition of “live well” sure doesn’t get much better than some fresh air, some fishing and guy sharing his love of the outdoors with a couple of his grandkids hovered over the livewell.

So, spellcheck can generally getlost on this blog. While rules certainly serve a purpose, sometimes you’ve got to cast them aside and let sentiment trump syntax and feeling win out over spelling. Thus, as a writer I may never hit the bigtime in my lifetime but I’ll have a goodtime in the meantime. Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Brush with Greatness

“I got goosebumps and dizzy and felt kinda faint,

I think I’ve been talkin’ to Hank.”

Talking to Hank – Mark Chesnutt featuring George Jones (1992)

Meeting a fishing hero, Hank Parker (he’s the guy without the hat) – February 16, 2018

Way back when, a fellow by the name of David Letterman kicked off a late night talk show. One of his gimmicks in the early days was something called “Brush with Greatness” where Dave would speak with audience members who described their encounters with celebrities. Had I been in attendance it would have went a little something like this.

One day shy of a year ago today, I had the good fortune of meeting bass fishing legend, Hank Parker, at the QCCA Outdoor Show. I enjoyed his bass fishing seminar and then hung around long enough to have a conversation. Part of our chat revolved around his runner-up finish at the 1994 Bassmasters Superstars Tournament staged on the Illinois River out of Peoria, Illinois. My brother, Brent, and I were in the crowd for that final weigh-in and were really pulling for Hank to win it and he sure looked like he had it in the bag with one angler left to hit the scales. That fellow, O.T. Fears III, nabbed a four-pound kicker fish late in the final day and wound up knocking Hank Parker out of the top spot. Brent and I were pretty bummed that Hank got edged out of the title. Fast forward almost 25 years and I got to hear all about it first hand from the angler himself. A very gracious man who gave credit to the winner and who could still grin as he related the close call.

Of course, Hank Parker is pretty much smiling all the time and is as entertaining in person during a candid conversation as he is in front of the camera. It was quite a treat to spend a few minutes talking fishing and I even went as far as asking if I could take a picture with him. Maybe a little weird for a 50-year old guy to make such a request but you’ve got to realize that the man is a flat out hero to this guy. After all, once upon a time I used to be a teenage kid watching him do his thing on a Saturday morning fishing show. Kind of fun to feel like that kid again over thirty years later.

Oh yeah, I also gave him a business card for my website. Still waiting on that first Top 5 submission, Hank, if you’re out there reading buddy. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – February 19, 2014

Today we look back at the very first fish ever submitted to the “Top 5” project.

Pictured above is angler, Bruce Zilkowski, along with the details on his bass from the entry for the catch. And it all started after a conversation with one of Bruce’s friends, Terry Isbell. Now I had long compiled a list of my Top 5 bass catches for each outing but I sure hadn’t thought about keeping a tally of my annual five best bass. How that escaped me I have no idea but I was on board one hundred percent with the concept.

So, in 2014 at a former blogging gig I kicked off the “Top 5”, a sort of virtual brag board. Kind of the modern day equivalent to the stack of pictures that I used to marvel over at a pair of local baitshops, Al’s Sporting Goods and Steve’s Army Surplus.

Oh, what a collection of catches those shops used to hold.

Anglers of all ages and interests adorned the counters with all manner of species and sizes. A strip mine bass here, a Lake Storey muskie there, a hand-sized farm pond bluegill, a stringer of Oak Run crappie, some Spoon River catfish deeper in the stack or a stray Lake Bracken carp slid across the glass amongst a handful of other photos. Various handwritten details adorned the backs providing yet more to amaze this young angler.

Well, it’s all still part of the fun of the Top 5 project which has included anglers from age 8 to age 80 and has expanded to include various species as well. Regular Monday updates when the catching is good grace the blog along with monthly and yearly updates of the stats we amass.

A sample of those initial 2014 bass and their anglers.

And we’re doing it all once again in year number six that kicked off with a New Year’s Day bass nabbed before winter got all ugly around here. But it’s mid-February and pitchers and catchers have begun reporting which brings a faint glimmer of hope that my least favorite season will eventually loosen its grip.

Perhaps I’ll see a fish in front of your smiling face as 2019 rolls on. Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Dynamic Duo

“And I wanna spend some time with you, just the two of us.”

Just the Two of Us – Grover Washington, Jr. with Bill Withers (1981) 

Father’s Day photo op – June 18, 2017

Hey, what do you know? Strange how this Blog Banner pic turned up on Valentine’s Day.

It’s not often that my wife, Julie, and I are together on the other side of a camera or phone. Actually, it’s kind of weird that I’m not holding a fish either, cake is good though.

At any rate, I dig this picture taken by one of our kids and hope that they all will dig it a little more as time marches on. A happy photo of their folks on a beautiful Father’s Day from a couple years ago. One day they will better understand just how tired those two smiling, relaxed people really are.

The lady from making hundreds of lunches for our kids every school year, washing and sorting thousands of socks, putting in full days teaching other children and then coming home to tend to her own. Knowing where everybody is supposed to be and getting them there as well as reminding me of my role so I don’t leave anybody stranded. Oh yeah, and this is all on maybe five hours of sleep, six if she is lucky.

As far as the guy in the photo, well, he’s tired too. In fact, on this particular day I was running on about four hours of sleep. Got to bed probably around midnight and back up at roughly 4:30am. The log says that I got my first bass at 6:15am on Lost Grove Lake…on a Booyah Buzzbait…measured 14.5”…weighed 1-9.

So, Happy Valentine’s Day and a big “Thank You” to my wife who takes care of all of those necessary things and lets me get away with some slacking to chase those crazy bass and have some alone time.

Alone time as a couple though is a rare commodity around here and today’s lyrics sum it up nicely from one of my favorite tunes of all-time. However, “Just the Two of Us” can sometimes be a bit of a paradox. Kind of how if got to be “Just the Six of Us”, you know.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Julie. Love you and talk to you later (if we can get in a word edgewise). Troy

Blog Banner – Blue Glimmer

“Hello old friend, it’s really good to see you once again.”

Hello Old Friend – Eric Clapton (1976)

Lake Storey bass on a classic lure – October 2, 2017

Today’s pic features a lure whose given name is a 3/8 ounce Stanley Rainbow Glimmer Vibra Shaft Spinnerbait in the Blue Glimmer pattern. My nickname for it is simply “The Blue Glimmer.”

This one is certainly worthy of a nickname due to its ability to produce, kind of like how “Dr. J” or “Reggie” or “Pele” or “Cher” suffice. It doesn’t go quite as far back as those folks but it does have a storied history. I’ve told that history a couple times over the blogging years. Once in a series on “Legendary Lures” in a previous blogging life and also in a 2017 post that detailed its return after an extended absence. I’ve got it on the radar to revisit the “Legendary Lure” concept one of these off seasons and you can check out the 2017 post by clicking on “The Blue Glimmer Returns.”

As noted, the bass in today’s pic came from Lake Storey and was the result of breaking a blade off of a Terminator spinnerbait on the second bass of the morning. Enter an old fishing friend, The Blue Glimmer, and a half hour later I had the first catch on the bait in nearly ten years.

Why the lengthy hiatus? Not really sure but likely due to the fact that the model went out of production and I only had a couple spares.

And wouldn’t you know, the triumphant return was short lived. After a strong Lake Storey showing with seven bass I busted a blade off this one the very next outing.

Still got one spare remaining. Maybe 2019…

Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Just Like Virgil Ward

“Everybody’s a dreamer and everybody’s a star,

and everybody’s in movies,

it doesn’t matter who you are.”

Celluloid Heroes – The Kinks (1972)

Happy Birthday GoPro – July 2017

Who would have thought that when I caught this bass fishing bug back in the early 1980s that we’d one day be able to essentially make our own fishing show?

Fast forward to 2019 and indeed we can do just that with an investment of a couple hundred bucks (assuming you already have a home computer).

Lucky for me, Julie decided to make such an investment for me with the purchase of a GoPro camera for my birthday back in 2017. I’d always thought that the devices sounded pretty cool but could never commit to pulling the trigger. Glad that she did as the camera has been a steady companion ever since and has allowed me to capture some fun footage to save for posterity.

If you’ve tagged along here on the blog you’ve seen some of the “highlights.” Maybe one of these days I can step it up a notch with my own YouTube channel or something. Of course, then I’ll need a theme song.

Perhaps something like “From the pits of Western Illinois to the lakes of Iowa…”

C’mon, join right in if you were a fan of Virgil Ward’s “Championship Fishing” program back in the day as you know the rest. My apologies if you find his theme song running through your head for the rest of the day. A good theme song does that, and it could be worse, like “The Facts of Life” or something.

Oops, my bad.

Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – One That Got Away

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose

and sometimes the blues get a hold of you,

oh just when you thought you had made it.”

Sweet Seasons – Carole King (1972)

Knox County strip mine – September 9, 2017

If you fish, you’re gonna lose a few along the way. It’s all just a classic part of the game, “the one that got away.”

I get it, but it still doesn’t make it any easier to take, especially when it’s something special. I eventually come to terms with such a lost fish but sometimes it takes a while. This was one of those cases as this dude was big. A large wake behind my buzzbait, an explosive and on target strike, a powerful run like a freight train and then a busted line.

All in maybe two seconds, yet one of those instances that strangely take place in slow motion. And thanks (I guess) to a GoPro I can actually watch it in true slow motion when I get the urge. Still heartbreaking, but casting emotions aside, a pretty darn cool shot.

Even though this unfortunate break took place nearly a year and a half ago it still bothers me on occasion. Probably will for as long as I fish. In fact, it is one of three examples of “one that got away” that continue to replay in my mind from time to time.

The other two are a Lake Bracken carp from about 1985 and a Lake Storey muskie from 2012. Both were essentially within arm’s reach and both were the biggest of their species that I have ever hooked. Boy, here I go again, probably another sleepless night on the horizon.

Okay, perhaps that’s a bit of an exaggeration but I would guess that plenty of fellow anglers can relate. A bit of exaggeration also comes into play as another standard aspect of “one that got away” tales. I don’t know if the fact that I did not get a look at the bass in today’s post is a blessing or a curse, tough call. I do know that it now falls into the category of “as big as you want it to be.”

Not going to offer up a guess though as some places you really don’t want to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Blog Banner – Nemesis

“You’re gonna need an ocean of calamine lotion.”

Poison Ivy – The Coasters (1959)

Toxicodendron radicans (Poison Ivy), Johnson-Sauk Trail Park – August 5, 2017

Me and this plant go way back and have had more than a few run-ins. Not the most eye-catching of our flora but certainly the most important one to identify in my book. And despite some effort, I don’t believe that any of my kids are still able to point it out. On our hikes I get a lot of “is that poison ivy” rather than “there’s poison ivy.”

I guess those youngsters just don’t have quite the intimate history with the plant like I do. And I do mean “intimate” as I’ve had it everywhere and I’ll leave it at that.

A few shots were in order as a kid and more than a few orasone or prednisone prescriptions have been issued in some of the classic battles over the years. Like today’s lyric, a collection of pink spots on the anatomy was not uncommon either via calamine or caladryl. Even had to resort to the wash thing a time or two in an effort to stop the itchy madness.

You’d think a guy with such a history would learn, but from time to time I still find myself in a risk versus reward quandary. It goes a little something like this.

Do I walk through that batch of poison ivy to get to that spot that looks like it could really be the ticket to some good bass?

Usually sounds like a good idea at the time. Over and over again…Talk to you later. Troy