Better late than never this time around as the Friday Flashback darn near didn’t show up until Saturday. Been a wild week of work that wrapped up about four hours ago upon ending a roughly 1,000 mile/16 hour drive from Kinston, NC to the Quad Cities (four hours last night and twelve today). I am beat but not too beat to meet my Friday deadline.

Mark “Geek” Junk

Today’s flashback takes me back to a time with far less responsibilities for a trio of more or less single guys back in 1995. Joining me at the Lake Bracken Spillway on this trip were a couple old buddies known as “Geek” and “Hack”. Throw in some doughballs and an adequate supply of Milwaukee’s Best and you’ve got yourself an adventure.

And on this day it sure was a good time as evidenced by the rewards from a pair of carp battles.

Matt “Hack” Reynolds

A fun outing with some good guys who I’d say are now even better. Each of us has added a better half and a batch of eight kids over the last quarter century. We’ve long scattered in different directions and rarely see each other these days but when we cross paths it’s just like old times. Can’t ask for better friends than that. Talk to you later. Troy

Guess what “officially” turns 30 years old in just a few weeks.

Why, Snakeden Hollow, of course.

The old Knox County collection of fishing holes holds plenty of memories for me, my brother and my dad. And today’s flashback happens to be one of those memories. My biggest bass from the area, nabbed on a Zara Spook, 25 years ago this week.

It’s a little weird to me looking back. So many pictures grace the internet these days where you have no idea how big the fish truly is based on the camera angle, the proximity of the bass to the lens and the integrity of the angler.

No matter, not for me to question or judge. I just enjoy the pictures and reports and leave the scrutiny to others who feel the urge to add their two cents.

So, my biggest Snakeden bass came in at 5-2 although it sure doesn’t look like it one of the pics. This one could raise an eyebrow, even for the guy who caught it as he looks back 25 years later. But I’ve landed, measured and weighed thousands of bass over the years and never once felt the need to stretch one. After all, nearly all of them are meticulously documented in a collection of fishing logs dating back 35 years.

Fortunately, my brother, Brent, was along on this day to snap a shot with the scale in view. Zooming in, the display indeed reads 5-2, so no funny business going on with my trophy (released as always).

Another weird aspect of this catch is that I caught it on a spot that I would initially name Spook Lake after the lure that fooled the bass, the Zara Spook. In the 25 years since, I have never caught anything remotely close to this bass out of this pothole. I believe my runner-up comes in at 1-15. Due to the lack of future quality catches I even went so far as renaming the lake. Along with it’s somewhat linked companion, the fishing holes now bear the names of Upper and Lower Twin Lakes.

Just a strange catch all the way around and one I’ll always remember. That’s today’s story and I’m sticking to it. Talk to you later. Troy

A couple weeks ago, the Friday Flashback told of the first Senko bass I ever caught. May 22, 2005 at Lake Bracken, a true highlight in a lifetime of fish stories. Well, just over a week later, Dad and I were back on Lake Bracken and that wacky presentation was on the end of my spinning rod. Below is the original log entry along with the original fishing report submitted on June 30, 2005 as part of a “June Wrap Up.”

Original log entry – June 1, 2005

June 1 – The first day of the month turned out to be the only day of the month that I actually wet a line. Dad and I hit Lake Bracken from 5:30am-9: 30am and we landed 31 bass. Dad led the way catching 19 with 12 coming on a Rebel Ghost Minnow, 5 on his tube jig and one apiece on a plastic crawdad and a twister tail. I caught 12, all of them on my Senko. The highlight of the day was a 5-0 that I caught off of a stump in about seven feet of water. The bass currently holds the Top Bass title for the year and missed the Lake Bracken record by one ounce.

Senko record of 5-0 from June 1, 2005 (later eclipsed on May 19, 2007)

If I wasn’t hooked on the Senko from the success of that first May outing, my second trip wielding the lure certainly sealed the deal. It’s been a mainstay in my arsenal ever since.

Oh, by the way, Dad and I would make our next visit to Lake Bracken on July 13, 2005. Guess what lure caught ten of his eleven bass? Talk to you later. Troy