Month: December 2019

Outdoor Gifts – Low End

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

The outdoor wishlist concludes with a collection dominated by stocking stuffer items that ring up at under $20 apiece. Not surprisingly, most everything comes from my favorite shopping stop, the fishing aisle.

Bass Tacklebox 101 samples, just add open water one of these days.

Sure there are apps but I like the personalization of a handwritten fishing log (landscape tops portrait).

Too big for a stocking but perfect for cookout, concert, campout or catfishing.

There you have it, plenty to offer for the outdoor type on your list. Of course, I suspect that I will be more in tune with a snow shovel and an ice scraper than a fishing pole and a hot dog fork for a while. So goes the Midwest but at least I have a blog to get me through. Lots more to come for 2019, hope you continue to stop by. Talk to you later. Troy

Outdoor Gifts – Mid Range

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Round Two of suggestions for that outdoor person on your list takes a look at items in the $20-$99 price range. I’ve broken it down into a few outdoor categories with some gift options in each.

Camping

While we still roll old school in a tent, a sleeping bag directly on the ground is not the best on a fifty-something back.

Fishing

A solid rod and reel combo fits today’s price range and don’t forget the “must haves” for the tacklebag.

General

Don’t let inclement weather hold you back when a modest investment can prevent the conditions from ruining your day.

Technology

                                                         Nowadays both of these items are encompassed by a “phone” but still cool to go retro                                  (digital over film though for photography as I like the “do over” option).

Okay, not too tough on the piggybank with most of these items. And several are not solely limited to outdoor pursuits as they can come in handy year round, indoors or out. We wrap up our wish book tomorrow with a collection of low end items, many of which could be good stocking (or tacklebox) stuffers. Talk to you later. Troy

Outdoor Gifts – High End

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Kicking off the gift list are what I consider “high dollar” items, those in excess of $100.

For each of the items featured in the above video, the range runs from right around $100 to way out of my price range. Like anything, there’s plenty of choices out there for the gift giver. It’s all about how much you wish to spend.

Today’s fishing kayaks come with a wide array of bells and whistles. But they’ll cost you. It’s your choice to pick up a $3,999 fishing kayak (yeah, really) or stick with one of the considerably less pricey base models for a few hundred bucks.

Julie and I need to get our crew back out to a campsite as it’s been a couple years. When we do, we’ll still pitch it old school via tent. Six of us can sleep in a pair of domes that maybe cost us $250 combined once upon a time.

My GoPro is a low end model but it preserves the memories just fine. No doubt it has been more than worth the cost (a gift from Julie and the kids in 2017) and I encourage fellow outdoor folks to invest if you are able. (Note: there are additional costs for editing software. I use Wondershare Filmora at $39.99 annual fee for what its worth)

A drone would be a cool addition to my outdoor blogging someday but for now the GoPro is fine for recording a personal perspective. And just for fun here’s a vote for the GoPro below.

 

In the end though, I’m a rather cheap outdoorsman (and in general) so it’s tough to pry too much cash out my wallet. Now there’s an idea for some blog posts…frugality. But first we continue with the next batch of gift ideas from the $20-$99 range. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

As the ice takes over area waters, we have one more bass to pass along courtesy of our Top 5 leader. It certainly takes a combination of dedication, patience and skill to get it done this time of the year. Way to go, Jim.

Weight: 3-0
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: December 9
Location: Banner Marsh
Lure: Rapala Clackin’ Rap
Angler Comments: Threw a jig with a craw trailer and a swim jig with a paddletail…nothing on either. Moved to the next spot and after sitting in the car and warming up started throwing the trusty clackin’ rap. After about 5 minutes felt the tap and line started moving. Set the hook and landed this very cold 3-0 for my last bass of the year.
Top 5 Weight: 24-14 (5-3,5-1,5-0,4-14,4-12)

Thanks to Jim for the submission and his interesting weapon of choice in the Rapala Clackin’ Rap. More to come on that aspect in a 2019 Top 5 wrap-up post after the first of the year. Up next is a series of outdoor gift suggestions as we head towards the big day. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake Complex – Secrets

Posted on by Troy Jackson

The final piece of the series takes a look at the fishing secrets that come to light during a drawdown. The items or areas that can serve as fish magnets are collectively known as “structure” (or “cover”) which is comprised of several different types. Generally speaking, these types consist of wood, rock, vegetation, manmade structure and bottom contours. With a full drawdown in effect, the vegetation component is taken out of the equation for the time being. However, the rest are bared for all to see.

Wood

I break down this category of structure into specific types such as stumps, brushpiles, standing timber, logs, laydowns and my personal favorite, beaver lodges. The details, definitions and presentations that apply to such cover are posts for another time. For today, it’s simply about the scenery.

Lambach Lake – stump (foreground) and brushpiles (background)

Lake of the Hills – now that is a stump, folks

Lake of the Hills – laydown, logs and a picnic table (don’t laugh I’ve seen Dad catch a few off of those over the years)

Rock

For me, rock types consist of riprap, rockpiles and rubble. The West Lake Complex features some of each with more on the horizon via a substantial amount of shoreline improvement and stabilization. This particular improvement will come primarily through the placement of large chunk rock (aka “riprap”) along stretches of the shoreline. Such an addition will help combat deterioration and erosion of the bank caused by water, waves and weather.

Rocky banks near and far with more to come during the shoreline improvement phase of the project 

Riprapped jetty shoreline leading to a rocky roadbed crossing Lake of the Hills

Manmade

Drawdowns provide an excellent opportunity to add some manmade structure. Tires, pallets and various PVC/plastic creations are popular choices.

An extensive offshore collection of tires and pallets would certainly be worth some casts 

Got pallets? Actually, that business is how I earn a paycheck

Buckets loaded up with PVC pipes and concrete serve as fish attractors

Thought this old foundation was pretty cool, others listed on a map I found have apparently been silted over

Contours

The lay of the land below the surface also represents an important component of the overall fish holding structure in a body of water. Points, flats, drop-offs, humps, old creek channels and roadbeds all hold fish and each can shine during certain times of the year.

An extended flat featuring a collection of rubble and wood, dreaming of buzzbaits and summer

An old roadbed in the distance provides a hump crossing an arm of Lake of the Hills

Mid lake culverts along what was part of an old creekbed prior to the creation of Lake of the Hills

A classic collection of cover – a riprap point with several stumps, definitely want to stop here for some casts

Honestly, I could go on all day about this stuff but will call it quits for the time being. I do have my fingers crossed that I can get back out to the West Lake Complex and do a bit more in depth roaming before the lakebed gets covered in white stuff. Last time out I came prepared for a run and some limited, dry shoreline exploration. If I get back out again, I definitely plan on packing my boots for a change of pace after logging and jogging a few miles. As always, if I’m running around outdoors, I’ll talk to you sooner or later. Troy

West Lake – Tracks, Trash & Treasure

Posted on by Troy Jackson

So, what exactly would one expect to find on a lakebed that hasn’t been exposed for well over forty years?

Why, tracks, trash and “treasure”, of course.

And, in that order, let’s have a look.

People feet (bare and shod), coon feet and bird feet all in one shot

Tracks

Availability, sustainability and curiosity result in a diverse band of visitors to the exposed lakebed. The pictures above and below feature a few of the footprints observed as I left my own among the collection.

 

My contribution to Bigfoot evidence with the large footprint crossing upper right of photo

Trash

Sadly, there is plenty of this to be observed as well, mostly in the form of cans and bottles during my walks around the expanded shorelines. I was a little late to the party though as it sounds as if I missed a few surprising items as well as some expected pieces of lost now found. Among the former group were reports of a mattress, a lawn mower and some car parts. In terms of the latter, there were cell phones, car keys and a camera. I suppose that last group of items are inevitable over time as people take to the water. Perhaps the sight of the other trash will encourage folks to pack out what they pack in or invest those few extra steps to the ample supply of trash cans. It never ceases to amaze that people can haul in full beverage containers or bags of food yet can’t haul out the much more manageable empties.

Not surprisingly this assortment was gathered near the Lake of the Hills boat ramp

Must admit to this one a few times over the years whether actually golfing or just goofing

Treasure

“Treasure” hunting for me was represented by the search for some fishing related tackle. But once again, plenty of people beat me to the punch leaving nothing salvageable behind. It was entertaining though to find some relics and grin at the mystery revealed as to what sort of snag wrested the lures from the anglers’ tackleboxes.

While I have never made a single cast in the bodies of water at West Lake Park, I sure can relate to incidentally leaving a few things behind. Personally, over the last 40 years or so on various fishing holes I have both contributed and witnessed some “donated” items. Starting, of course, with more than a few lures that managed to snag some underwater objects, both known and unknown. There’s also a fishing pole, an anchor, a University of Wyoming baseball cap, a fish basket, a shirt, a tape measure, part of an oar…you know, pretty standard stuff over the course of a fishing lifetime.

Did I mention “Bigfoot”? Strange creation found amidst the various tracks…

One more West Lake post coming your way tomorrow as we look at what I find to be the most fascinating items out there on the lakebed…”Secrets.” Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake Project – Progress

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

A drawdown just doesn’t happen overnight. There are considerations to take into account beyond simply opening a valve and emptying the lake. In the case of the West Lake project, the largest lake on the site, Lake of the Hills, drains into what is called Blackhawk Creek which then meanders its way to the Mississippi River. Crews targeted a drop of roughly a foot a day to eliminate any negative impacts from the influx of water into Blackhawk Creek. The remaining lakes on the site do not feature a valve system and were instead pumped into Lake of the Hills in order to drain those bodies of water.

Lambach Lake was pumped into Lake of the Hills to drain

A couple shots above of Lambach Lake from August 4 as the pumping process neared completion

I was able to get onsite four different times to observe the progress with my first stop on August 4, shortly after the drawdowns began. My other visits were on August 10, September 29 and November 29 so I was able to get a good look at the initial stages of the overall site restoration project.

A 2017 shot of Railroad Lake looking east from fishing pier 

Railroad Lake from August 4, 2019 similar view as above but looking slightly northeast from fishing pier

Railroad Lake November 29, 2019 from same vantage point of the fishing pier

Railroad Lake August 4, 2019 looking roughly north 

Railroad Lake November 29, 2019 same view as above

I am not sure what the winter holds in regards to further work at the site but my hope is that I can get there another time or two to have a look. Per news reports, the lakes are to remain closed during 2020. Re-stocking of the fish population and re-opening of the lakes is targeted for some point in 2021 pending the return to suitable water levels via some help from Mother Nature.

Lake of the Hills August 4, 2019 

Lake of the Hills August 10, 2019, same goofball with same big, old stump now high and dry

Lake of the Hills jetty near beach area August 4, 2019

Lake of the Hills jetty near beach area September 29, 2019

Lake of the Hills jetty near beach area November 29, 2019

Lake of the Hills August 4, 2019 looking west from Interstate 80 to the boat ramp

Lake of the Hills November 29, 2019 opposite perspective from boat ramp looking east towards Interstate 80

Up next, we’ll take the first of a two-part look at the revelations from the exposed lakebeds. Talk to you later. Troy

West Lake Complex Restoration Project

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This series of posts have been on the back burner for several months. In fact, I kind of missed my original window for these submissions amidst other responsibilities and projects. Better late than never though, so here we go with a look at an area lake rehabilitation undertaking known as the “West Lake Complex Lake Restoration Project.”

2017 shots of the primary bodies of water to be drained, refurbished and restocked (Lake Lambach in middle photo)

I have long been a fan of fall lake drawdowns as my “home lake”, Lake Storey, has employed the practice for as long as I can recall. So, once I caught wind of the lakes at Scott County, Iowa’s West Lake Park being drained I sure couldn’t resist a few peeks.

There are a number of reasons to lower a body of water and different degrees to which the water level may be dropped. Such decisions are based on the desired outcome and the pros and cons of the practice are certainly open for debate.

8/4/19 – Lake of the Hills as drawdown begins, see below for current status

In the case of the West Lake Complex, the project is a complete rehabilitation of the fisheries on the site which ultimately means starting over. In such instances, the lakes are nearly or completely drained and any remaining fish population is eradicated. Then the lakes are allowed to refill via rain, snow melt and runoff with the restocking of the desired fish species to follow once the lake levels are suitable. In addition to the “do over’ on fish population, this project also features various other aspects such as dredging, fish habitat placement, shoreline reinforcement and construction of several new ponds.

11/29/19 – construction underway on Pond 9 noted on the project map above

Over the next few days, I am looking to share some pics and observations from my visits to the site during the last several months. Being an outdoor geek, I really dig this sort of stuff and as an area fisherman I find it quite interesting to witness what is truly a once in a lifetime environmental event for the site.

11/29/19 – Lake of the Hills – basically how this whole thing goes down, more to come in subsequent posts

Plenty more to come and even if you aren’t quite as big an outdoor dork as this blogger, I hope that you stop back for the rest of this series. After all, it is not often one gets a glimpse at what lies under the surface of a public fishing hole. Stay tuned as we take a look at some never before revealed scenery and secrets. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A bit tardy on a stat update but here we go. One month to go, still some open water in the area but I believe I will leave those casts for someone else. Call me a fair weather fisherman but too busy and too cold this December. At present, 2019 has resulted in a total of 88 bass submissions and 5 other species, here’s the breakdown.

2019 Totals 
January = 1 bass
February = no submissions
March = 8 bass
April = 14 bass
May = 12 bass
June = 14 bass
July = 11 bass
August = 7 bass
September = 9 bass
October = 8 bass
November = 4 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month (* = new record)
January = 3-3 (one bass)
February = no submissions
March = 19-3 (4-8,4-2,4-1,3-5,3-3)
April = 19 -10 (4-1,4-1,4-0,3-12,3-12)
May = 19-1 (4-6,4-0,3-15,3-10,3-2)
June = 19-15 (4-3,4-1,4-1,3-15,3-11)
July = 13-15 (5-3,3-14,1-15,1-8,1-7)
*August = 19-4 (4-14,4-10,4-6,2-14,2-8)
*September = 24-5 (5-3,5-0,5-0,4-12,4-6)
October = 20-6 (4-12,4-5,4-3,3-10,3-8)
November = 9-11 (5-1,2-12,1-14)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 28 bass
Bank = 60 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 19-5 (4-12,4-5,3-14,3-11,2-11)
Bank = 25-7 (5-3,5-3,5-1,5-0,5-0)

Public vs. Private
Public = 67 bass
Private = 21 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 24-9 (5-3,5-0,4-14,4-12,4-12)
Private = 24-3 (5-3,5-1,5-0,4-12,4-3)

The Baits
Plastic Worm = 27 bass (Top Bass 4-14 Jim Junk)
Chatterbait = 18 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Jim Junk)
Spinnerbait = 14 bass (Top Bass 4-5 Brent Jackson)
Lipless Crankbait = 12 bass (Top Bass 4-8 Jim Junk)
Jig = 4 bass (Top Bass 4-3 Landon Hannam)
Buzzbait = 3 bass (Top Bass 2-4 Troy Jackson)
Crankbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-11 Chris Schwarz)
Swim Jig = 2 bass (Top Bass 5-3 Chris Schwarz)
Underspin = 2 bass (Top Bass 4-6 Jim Junk)
Creature Bait = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-9 Troy Jackson)
Prop Bait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-12 Jim Junk)
Livebait = 1 bass (Top Bass 4-1 Jim Junk)
Topwater Frog = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-1 Landon Hannam)

Monthly Top Bass
January
3-3 Jim Junk
February
No submissions
March
4-8 Jim Junk
April
4-1 Jim Junk
May
4-6 Jim Junk
June
4-3 Jim Junk
July
5-3 Jim Junk
August
4-14 Jim Junk
September
5-3 Chris Schwarz
October
4-12 Jim Junk
November
5-1 Jim Junk

Top 10 Bass
5-3 Jim Junk 7/28
5-3 Chris Schwarz 9/22
5-1 Jim Junk 11/10
5-0 Jim Junk 9/15
5-0 Chris Schwarz 9/22
4-14 Jim Junk 8/3
4-12 Jim Junk 9/7
4-12 Jim Junk 10/16
4-10 Jim Junk 8/20
4-8 Jim Junk 3/28

Angler Weights
Jim Junk 24-14 (5-3,5-1,5-0,4-14,4-12)
Chris Schwarz 20-10 (5-3,5-0,3-11,3-10,3-2)
Troy Jackson 14-4 (3-14,2-11,2-10,2-9,2-8)
Brent Jackson 13-7 (4-5,2-14,2-6,1-15,1-15)
Landon Hannam 10-1 (4-3,2-7,1-4,1-2,1-1)
John Kirkemo 6-14 (1-9,1-7,1-6,1-5,1-3)
Terry Jackson 3-13 (1-15,1-1,0-13)
Jayce Jackson 2-13 (1-8,1-5)

Other Species
Bluegill 1-8 Teagan Mills 6/2/19 Private pond
Channel Catfish 13-0 Teagan Mills 4/20/19 Private Pond
Catfish 6-9 Chris Schwarz 6/12/19 Spring Lake – McDonough County
Catfish 34-35” Chris Schwarz 6/2/19 Spring Lake – McDonough County
Muskellunge 6-4 Chris Schwarz 6/28/19 Lake Storey

Well done by our group of anglers and we’ll have to see if any further entries join the ledger before our Top 5 wrap-up at some point in 2020. Until then, plenty more stuff to fill the remaining days of 2019 with a strong blogging finish. Up next is a once in a lifetime look at what lies beneath the surface of some Quad City area fishing holes. Hope you’ll tune in and talk to you later. Troy