Author: Troy Jackson

Top 5 Stats

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A new month means the time is right for a Top 5 stat update. Thus far, we have four anglers posting twenty-seven bass (largemouth and spotted) along with a lone walleye.

Bass Totals (largemouth and spotted)

2025 Totals
March = 10 bass
April = 16 bass
May = 1 bass

Top 5 Weight by Month
March = 11-3 (2-15,2-8,1-15,1-15,1-14)
April = 18-9 (4-14,4-10,3-13,2-14,2-6)
May = 1-3 (1-3)

Boat vs. Bank
Boat = 14 bass
Bank = 13 bass

Boat vs. Bank Weight
Boat = 10-12 (2-8,2-6,2-1,1-15,1-14)
Bank = 19-2 (4-14,4-10,3-13,2-15,2-14)

Public vs. Private
Public = 25 bass
Private = 2 bass

Public vs. Private Top 5 Weight
Public = 17-5 (4-14,4-10,2-15,2-8,2-6)
Private = 6-11 (3-13,2-14)

The Baits
Chatterbait = 9 bass (Top Bass 4-14 Chatterbait)
Lipless Crankbait = 7 bass (Top Bass 4-10 Brent Jackson)
Jerkbait = 6 bass (Top Bass 2-8 John Kirkemo)
Swimbait = 2 bass (Top Bass 3-13 Jim Junk)
Plastic Worm = 1 bass (Top Bass 2-6 Brent Jackson)
Popper = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-15 Brent Jackson)
Spinnerbait = 1 bass (Top Bass 1-8 Troy Jackson)

Monthly Top Bass
March
3-13 Jim Junk
April
4-14 Troy Jackson
May
1-3 John Kirkemo

2025 Top 10 Bass
4-14 Troy Jackson 4/19
4-10 Brent Jackson 4/6
3-13 Jim Junk 4/6
2-15 Jim Junk 3/24
2-14 Jim Junk 4/16
2-8 John Kirkemo 3/18
2-6 Brent Jackson 4-25
2-1 Brent Jackson 4/12
1-15 Troy Jackson 3/22
1-15 Troy Jackson 3/27
1-15 Brent Jackson 4/26

Angler Weights
Brent Jackson 13-2 (4-10,2-6,2-3,2-1,1-15)
Troy Jackson 11-15 (4-14,1-15,1-15,1-11,1-8)
Jim Junk 9-10 (3-13,2-15,2-14) – only three fish thus far
John Kirkemo 8-7 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4,1-3)

Other Species

Walleye
Brent Jackson 1-6 (1-6)

Being a stat guy it is fun to delve into the numbers. Here’s to adding some more so get out there, reel ‘em in and send them my way. Email your submissions and details to troy@troyjacksonoutdoors.com. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Two more bass from South Carolina keep the update streak alive. These fish also fill the limit for one of our anglers and allows him to cull along the way.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-1
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 30
Weather: Bright sun with blue skies. Light wind.
Water temperature: 74 degrees
Location: Lake Keowee near Cane Creek Landing, West Union, SC
Lure: Silver and black 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fish caught while casting toward shore near tree branches hanging over the water.

Fish: Spotted Bass
Weight: 1 lbs. 3 oz.
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: May 4
Weather: Bright sun with passing clouds
Water Temperature: 73 – 74 degrees
Location: Lake Keowee, Seneca, SC along the South Cove County Park shoreline
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Comments: Fished from 9 am to noon. Trolled the Rapala in about 10 feet of water. Also lost a bigger bass in the same spot using the same trolled Rapala as this fish. Caught an 11.5-inch bass earlier casting to shoreline structure.
Top 5 Weight: 8-7 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4,1-3) culls 1-1

Thanks, John, and keep on boosting that weight. And I have to say that those spotted bass are attractive as they certainly have a different look compared to their largemouth cousins. Good luck to all and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 25 & 26

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My brother, Brent, was able to get out on the Knox County strip mines on back-to-back days last week. For these outings he ditched the hiking boots in favor of his kayak. Read on for the notes, pics, and numbers.

April 25 log

April 25 at 8:55am on Senko wacky rig

Yes, folks, Senko time has arrived, keep one tied on from now until October

Date: April 25
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Time: 8:45am-12:05pm
Totals: 27 bass
Lures: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit – 10 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad – 9 bass, Senko wacky rig – 7 bass, Z-Man Chatterbait – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-6 Senko
Top 3 Weight (only three at 12” or better): 4-6 (2-6,1-1,0-15)

April 25 at 10:00am – Top Bass of the trip at 2-6 on a Senko wacky rig

April 26 log

April 26 at 5:33pm – Top Bass of the trip at 1-15 on a popper

Topwater time is here again – Mann’s Chug N’ Spit

Date: April 26
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Time: 4:00pm-6:30pm
Totals: 18 bass
Lures: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit – 12 bass, Senko wacky rig – 4 bass, Z-Man Chatterbait – 2 bass
Top Bass: 1-15 Chug N’ Spit
Top 5 Weight: 8-1 (1-15,1-13,1-8,1-7,1-6)

They may not all be big, but they all count

It’s good to see the Senko wacky rig and topwater bait make their first appearances in a 2025 report. Right on schedule, things are looking up as the bass fuel up, head shallow, and prepare to make more bass. Good luck and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Three more bass this week with one angler moving closer to posting his initial Top 5 limit for the year and another boosting his weight as the early season leader.

Spotted Bass
Weight: 1-10
Angler: John Kirkemo
Date: April 21
Weather: Partly cloudy with temperatures in the 70s headed to the low 80s
Water Temp: 73F
Location: Lake Keowee close to the Cane Creek Boat Ramp
Lure: Black and silver 3 ½ inch shallow running Rapala
Angler Comments: Fished from about 8 am to 11 a.m. casting lures to structure around an island. (See attached picture below.) No other fishermen in sight. Worked our way counterclockwise around the island passing over two shallow bars. Lots of fallen trees in the water. My fishing partner caught three to four fish. His biggest came on a RE shad and weighed an estimated 1 to 2 lbs. He caught two smaller fish on an unweighted bubble gum colored Zoom Trick Worm worked just under the water surface. Lots of follows on this lure. Zoom bubble gum Trick Worms were sold out at the local Walmart for the balance of the week!!
Top 5 Weight: 7-4 (2-8,1-14,1-10,1-4)

 

Weight: 2-6
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 25
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Senko wacky rig

Weight: 1-15
Angler: Brent Jackson
Date: April 26
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Mann’s Chug N’ Spit
Top 5 Weight: 13-3 (4-10,2-6,2-3,2-1,1-15) culls 1-11 and 1-9

Well done guys and keep those catches coming. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes II – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

And now, for the rest of the round-trip drive to the fishing hole.

5. Do It Again – The Kinks (1984)
This tune was released as I headed into the home stretch of my senior year. It featured a catchy hook and paired with a fun video; it was a treat. Forty years, three “careers”, lots of hours, weekly paychecks, and gray hair later, the tune is still a favorite. However, it hits on a different level after all those decades of doing it again, and again…

4. Nightrain – Guns N’ Roses (1987)
While this song is a tribute to a cheap wine, me and my buddies were fonder of inexpensive beer. Green Oaks, campfires turned bonfires, a boom box, the Appetite for Destruction cassette tape, and just a few Milwaukee’s Bests with John, Hack, and Catfish. While the album was released in 1987, of course we waited until 1988 before such camping trips after all of us reached 21. (Insert winking emoji)

3. Peace of Mind – Boston (1976)
Nearly fifty years old, but it never gets old. And to think that Tom Scholz pretty much created it all in his basement. With the advent of the internet, it is interesting to check out the wide range of breakdowns of this tune. From creators marveling over the vocals, to musicians pulling apart the song track by track, it fosters a whole new appreciation for a song that’s still going strong on the radio.

2. Feeling That Way/Anytime – Journey (1978)
There are several incarnations of the band Journey. My vote for the best version spans 1978’s Infinity album through 1980’s Departure release. These begin with the addition of vocalist Steve Perry and end with Greg Rolie leaving the band. This song is one of my favorites as it features dual vocals from those members. In addition, when you get two songs for the price of one on the radio, it is always a treat.

1. Some Kind of Wonderful – Grand Funk Railroad (1974)
Love songs come in all shapes and sizes. And this one needs the volume turned up a notch for full effect. There’s much to be said for the ballads that get you misty-eyed but with a foot stompin’, sing along jam like this one, it’s your own fault if you have a bad time. On a side note, also see “Get Ready” from Rare Earth.

Next up is the latest Top 5 Update and I hope to add another strip mine report from Brent as the week progresses. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 10 Trip Tunes I – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A longer drive to and from the fishing hole on this trip means an expanded batch of tunes.

10. YMCA – Village People (1978)
Raise your hand if you have ever been to a wedding reception where the DJ played this gem. Better yet, raise both your hands and, well, you know. As an eleven-year-old kid in the fall of 1978, this one was a winner whether on the radio or at Skate Palace. Over forty-five years later, I still get a kick out of hearing this song as it takes me back in time and I even sing (and sometimes dance) along. (Yes, that is my original 45 pictured above but need a record player)

9. So Into You – Atlanta Rhythm Section (1977)
This band always slips through the cracks for me, so it is cool when I hear one of their tunes on the radio. I recommend a listen through their catalog including “Imaginary Lover”, “I’m Not Gonna Let It Bother Me Tonight” and “Do It or Die” as well as some other hits. Also toss in their remake of “Spooky”, best known from the Classics IV (featuring members who would later found ARS).

8. Our House – Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (1970)
CSN&Y doing what they did best. Harmonized vocals paired with a bouncy mesh of musical accompaniment, both of which start out basic, move to a peak, and fade to a finish. Sure, there are plenty of more heavy hitting tunes from this bunch, but how many of them were ever catchy enough to sell sausage and appliances?

7. Radioactive – The Firm (1985)
While this tune didn’t make a big splash on the charts (Billboard #28), it got plenty of play on MTV. This supergroup consisted of Paul Rodgers (Free, Bad Company), Jimmie Page (The Yardbirds, Led Zeppelin), Chris Slade (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band), and bassist, Tony Franklin. Although this tune was their lone Top 40 hit, “Satisfaction Guaranteed” is also a winner and was another MTV staple.

6. 18 and Life – Skid Row (1989)
I like story songs and this one about a troubled, rebellious youth fit perfectly with the booze infused, bad boy persona of hair metal. MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball was chock full of such stuff and provided a much-needed break from the bulk of Top 40 radio of the day. Some may poke fun at the garb, glam, and coiffure, but you can’t deny that many of those singers had some pipes. And Skid Row’s Sebastian Bach could get it done.

Well, that’s five down and five to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – April 19

Posted on by Troy Jackson

My latest outing on the Knox County public strip mines produced a whopping total of fifty-seven bass (and a crappie). While it sounds impressive, most of the specimens left much to be desired. Read on for the rest of the story.

Starting lineup

Stats
Date: April 19
Location: Knox County public strip pits (4 lakes)
Time: 10:45am-4:30pm (5.00 hours fishing)
Totals: 57 bass, 1 crappie
Weather: Overcast/windy, 56F
Lures Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw) – 36 bass, Lunker Hunt Finesse Swimbait (smokin shad) aka “Ned Rig” – 17 bass/1 crappie, Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with a BPS Speed Shad trailer (pro blue) – 4 bass
Top Bass: 4-14 (Chatterbait)
Top 5 Weight: 10-4 (4-14,1-8,1-8,1-3,1-3)

2:48pm – Top Bass at 4-14 (20.5″) on a chatterbait

Notes and Nonsense

Choices – I’d love to spend the whole day roaming the Knox County strip mines as there are a dozen parking areas that provide access to close to one hundred lakes. Each lake has its own history, personality, and appeal but time, energy, and weather can be limiting factors. The DNR made the call for me this time as a Conservation Officer who was stopped at one area was in the process of doing some checks. While I admire the job those folks do, and I fish legally, I just didn’t feel like a chat, preferred to get to casting and drove to another access area. Plan B worked out okay.

Dark Sleeper – I purchased a Dark Sleeper earlier this month after solid reviews from internet anglers and a thumbs up from our own Top 5 participant, Jim Junk. It made the starting lineup for this trip, and it didn’t take long to get a few short strikes that were either small or bad aim. When the first solid bite occurred, I set the hook and promptly snapped my line. So, the jury is still out for me on the new bait. I did learn one thing; I should have purchased a back up bait. Jim also gave me a lead on some less pricey purchases so I suspect that I will give the lure another shot.

Bonus crappie at 11.5″ on the Ned Rig

Ticks are out as I found eight on this outing

Mission Accomplished – Lots of little bass on this outing but I hit each of my goals.
Goal #1 – No shutout
Got this one out of the way thirteen minutes into the trip.
Goal #2 – Establish a Top 5 (five bas at 12” or better)
At 2:11pm, I landed my fifth keeper, but a big boost was on the horizon
Goal #3 – Post a double-digit Top 5
When you fool a 4-14, you are nearly halfway there, and four more decent fish were enough to push me past the ten-pound mark.

 

Winning lures

There’s a lot to package from this outing but I find it best not to ramble too long on these reports. Instead, I hope to pass along other aspects of the trip via individual posts. We’ll see if that plan works out or if more fishing reports get in the way. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Update

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Two more fish this week give a pair of anglers a significant boost. Jim Junk gets one bass closer to completing his Top 5 and I was able to fool what is currently our Top Bass of 2025. Read on for the details on the catches.

Weight: 2-14
Angler: Jim Junk
Date: April 16
Location: Peoria County Pond
Lure: Dark Sleeper
Angler Comments: Went out Wednesday after work. Four bass total, three short ones and this 2-14. All came on a Dark Sleeper in just under two hours of fishing.
Top 5 Weight: 9-10 (3-13,2-15,2-14)

Weight: 4-14 (20.5”)
Angler: Troy Jackson
Date: April 19
Weather: Partly cloudy/windy
Location: Knox County public strip pit
Lure: Z-Man Chatterbait (sexy shad) with Strike King Rage Swimmer trailer (sexy shad)
Structure: Flat/trough
Angler Comments: A chatterbait comes through in a trough that sits between an expansive point and a lengthy flat. Throw in a direct hit from the wind and you have a textbook spot that produced a big bite.
Top 5 Weight: 11-15 (4-14,1-15,1-15,1-11,1-8) culls 1-8

Good luck if you get out there and stay tuned for the full report from my latest outing. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – April 11

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Brent keeps the blog chugging along with a full report on his recent Lake Storey outing for today’s post. On this outing he was literally on the water as he launched the kayak for the first time in 2025. Dangerous business out there with large muskies on the prowl. Read on for his multispecies encounters.

Editor’s Note: A different April look as the lake level has not recovered after a dry winter, which is just fine by me

Stats
Date: April 11
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 6:00pm-7:15pm
Totals: 3 bass, 1 walleye
Lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad (chartreuse sexy shad) – 2 bass, ZMan Chatterbait (sexy shad) with swimbait trailer – 1 bass, 1 walleye
Top Bass: 1-11 (Chatterbait)
Top 3 Weight (only 3 bass at 12” or better): 4-7 (1-11,1-9,1-3)

Winning lures

 

Editor’s Note: Per the eyewitness description, the muskie appeared to be in ths size range below.
(Photo from 11/8/1999 courtesy of the vast Troy Jackson Outdoors archives)

More memories from the old “home lake”, and I am always excited to get a report from someone taking the Lake Storey challenge. Those fish are wily and you never know what you may find on the end of your line. I am encouraged by Brent’s report and hope to get a shot before the water returns to normal pool. I feel the lower water level in the spring will be a boon to anglers as the predators beef up for spawning and the prey have a many less places to hide. Talk to you later. Troy

Top 5 Trip Tunes- March 30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Getting caught up on the Trip Tunes as I bide my time to get back on the water.

5. Just Like Paradise – David Lee Roth (1988)
Roth is certainly one of a kind and made the original version of Van Halen better than the Van Hagar version in my opinion. He later made a few splashes on the solo side with a variety of entertaining tunes, from remakes to originals. And “original” definitely describes Diamond Dave.

4. Electric Blue – Icehouse (1987)
By 1987, Top 40 radio had lost me as a dedicated listener. I was more in tune with another wave of hair bands and country music, quite a combination. Of course, there were still plenty of popular tunes that caught my ear, and I always liked this one. When researching the tune for this post, I learned something new. The co-writer on the tune was John Oates, of Hall & Oates fame.

3. Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac (1975)
As a kid, I had no idea there were multiple incarnations of Fleetwood Mac going back to the sixties. While I do enjoy songs from the early catalog, the 1975 and forward version was my Fleetwood Mac. Similarly, there are many great Stevie Nicks vocals, but this is my Stevie Nicks. The image, the sound, the persona, the whole works, what a way to introduce yourself as a member of the band.

2. Time – Pink Floyd (1973)
I love my tunes for lots of reasons and this one has many reasons for liking. Start with timely sound effects, move to an ominous intro, and then hit you upside the head with a vocal blast. But here’s what really hits home over the years, “And then one day you find ten years have got behind you, no one told you when to run, you missed the starting gun.” And those guys wrote this stuff before they reached thirty.

1. 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover – Paul Simon (1975)
As I was eight years old when I first heard this song, I had no clue about content or story, just knew it sounded cool. I am a big fan of unique words in lyrics, but it would be many years before I had any inkling that “misconstrued” was in there. I am also a fan of songs with names and this one makes for a great trivia question. What tune features the likes of Jack, Stan, Roy, Gus, and Lee? And while the song does not deliver precisely 50 ways as promised, who cares.

Next up, another report from Brent, this time covering an evening on the old home lake, Lake Storey. Talk to you later. Troy