“Takin’ my time, choosin’ my line, tryin’ to decide what to do.”

Walk Away – James Gang (1971)

You never know what lies ahead as you head to your fishing holes.

Today we conclude the series with a pic that to me is a visual representation of the beginning of every fishing trip. No matter terrestrial approach as displayed here or chasing those fish via watercraft, the concept is the same.

Before you venture into somewhere out there, there’s a degree of preparation and planning for what you feel may lie ahead. But in actuality, anything can happen which is all part of the fun.

But at the moment represented in our final pic, here frozen in time, hopes run high, the heart beats a little faster and a smile graces the face. The image still does all of those things as I sit here typing while letting my mind wander to thoughts of the next time I get to take that initial step into that world.

You know what’s funny?

Today’s title, lyric and feelings also apply each time I find myself in front of a clipboard or a keyboard.

Thus we conclude the “Blog Banner” series, thirty up and thirty down. An exercise in explaining what the outdoors means to me via some words behind the photos.

And what a journey it’s been.

From Alice Cooper to ZZ Top…Bigfoot to Martians…Joe Jackson to Jack-in-the-Pulpit…legends to one-hit wonders…Sister Sledge to Mr. Hand…tunes featuring the likes of Charlie Brown to Bela Lugosi… Blue Glimmer to Snow White Shad…Julius Caesar to Virgil Ward to Hank Parker… my family to The Addams Family…

All in the name of conveying the title and tagline that reside just above those 30 pictures that I call the Blog Banner.

I’m going to leave the current one around for the rest of the month before another change of blog scenery, thinking perhaps a bit more retro outdoor theme. We’ll see.

Of course, more stuff coming your way and I’ve got my fingers crossed that I get a chance to chase that first March bass. Talk to you later. Troy

“They were chopping them up, they were chopping them down…”

Kung Fu Fighting – Carl Douglas (1974)

Jayce and Zac wielding a butcher knife, a boomerang, a katana and a staff

Wildcat Den State Park, IA – May 13, 2017

The outdoors is a wonderful place.

So is a kid’s imagination.

And when those places collide…well, it’s quite an adventure.

The wooded ravines of Wildcat Den State Park in Muscatine County, Iowa were a bit safer on this day thanks to a pair of martial artist brothers. Not only were their hands considered lethal weapons but they also managed to collect several other weapons from nature’s stash.

Who knew that lying trailside amidst the towering bluffs, along the running streams and beneath the forest canopy one would find such an arsenal?

Sadly, not a fifty year old guy more concerned with the flora, fauna and geographical features of the site. But you know, those young imaginations are more than a bit contagious.

So while I scan the terrain this spring for Virginia bluebells, bloodroot and Dutchman’s breeches I’ll also be on the lookout for swords or hatchets or spears.  All the while under the watchful eyes of my entertaining and stealthy outdoor protectors. Talk to you later. Troy

“Lights out, aha, blast, blast, blast!”

Lights Out – Peter Wolf (1984)

(Note: this fun solo effort from the onetime J. Geils Band frontman is kind of a lost cut and I would also recommend checking out the entertaining video for his 1987 tune “Come As You Are”)

Booyah Buzz Buzzbait in the Snow White Shad pattern

blast (verb) – to attack vigorously

blast (noun) – an explosion or violent detonation

blast (noun) – an enjoyably exciting experience, event or occasion

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.

Well, wait a minute. I guess I need to check out one more definition.

Booyah (exclamation) – used to express triumph or exuberance

Yeah, that also fits the bill on a buzzbait catch.

Being an amateur scribe, I don’t get compensated to pitch anything but Booyah if you are out there…

Anyway, I buy these off the rack just like most of us fishing folk. For my money they are just right as the price is reasonable for one thing. Many places you can find them for under $5 and after a couple good strikes I’d say the bait has returned your investment. Of course, they last much longer but the rest is just icing on the cake.

The second aspect that is a winner is the fairly brainless nature of a buzzbait retrieve. Now you’ve got to be tossing it in the right places but once you identify such locations it’s basically cast it out, reel it in and get comfortable on the edge of your seat.

A few quick tips though before I let you go.

I find that a longer rod is a must to get the most effect and distance out of your casts (I use a 7’ Medium Heavy/Fast Action model). I want to throw it as far as I can around those fishy looking spots in order that it makes as much commotion for as long as it can on the way back to the boat or bank.

A high gear ratio reel helps to keep the bait moving and picks up slack in a hurry to begin the retrieve once the bait hits the water. I only use a 6.2:1 so could definitely step it up to ease the workout but it is what I’ve got and I make do just fine.

Final note, don’t set the hook when you see the strike but wait that split second to feel the fish. Easier said than done and takes some practice.

While we won’t be tossing buzzbaits anytime soon around here I thought this post provided a good opportunity to educate beyond the earlier vocabulary lesson. The education aspect is a feature that I hope to delve into a bit more as 2019 progresses.

Okay, four more of these Blog Banner posts to go along with the regular Friday Flashback. Looks like I just might complete this project after all. Talk to you later. Troy

“We’ll leave the TV and the radio behind, don’t you wonder what we’ll find.”

Steppin’ Out – Joe Jackson (1982)

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area – August 5, 2017

How appealing does this picture from a summer day look to anyone else who is tired of a full blown Midwest winter?

Beyond the sign lies a wonderful world of discovery for our young crew and a reconnect for their folks. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, before Julie and I tied the knot and later found ourselves responsible for four kids, we used to spend a fair amount of time roaming the outdoors. Field guides in hand we prowled numerous Illinois state parks from the home base of a much smaller tent than what is required nowadays.

Johnson-Sauk Trail State Recreation Area near Kewanee, IL had made the cut back in the day making it even more fun to revisit and view through the eyes of our offspring.

As expected, the park did not disappoint with nature’s pallete of greens, yellows, reds, purples, and oranges all catching our attention. The plants bearing those colors included tulip tree, jewelweed, trumpet creeper, Joe Pye weed, tall bellflower, cup-plant and one of my favorites, bergamot, all of which we demonstrated identifying with our field guides in tow.

Now, winter’s been a rough one around here, but sooner or later those woods will spring to life yet again during another act of nature’s fascinating annual play.

Keep your eyes peeled for the stars of the show such as trillium, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, mayapple, bloodroot, violets, phlox and more. And if your timing and eyesight are right, perhaps you’ll cross paths with a generally highly regarded springtime fungal treasure known as the morel.

So dust off those hiking boots or an old pair of tennis shoes and be ready to step out when nature calls (you know what I mean). Talk to you later. Troy

“Life, so they say, is but a game and we let it slip away.”

We May Never Pass This Way Again – Seals & Crofts (1973)

End of the line with a gaunt bass from a dying Knox County, IL public strip pit – July 30, 2017

Back in 2006 I wandered well of the beaten path at some public strip mines and found a few bass in a secluded lake partially surrounded by a grove of locust trees. Since it didn’t have a name on a map, I christened it Locust Lake.

For the next several years I made a handful of visits and even managed to portage a boat into the spot on a couple occasions. It was a decent fishing hole in terms of numbers and worth the effort to reach. However, I could never find any heavy bass that I suspected called it home. Closest I got was a big bite that busted off my Mann’s Baby 1- crankbait one afternoon but I never got a look at the fish. But I’ve done this long enough to know that not only was it a good fish but also that it could be as big as the story I chose to tell.

Fast forward to the summer of 2017 and I finally got my look at what might have been on my line, actually several examples. All floating on the surface as I crested the rise that effectively hides the lake. The collection of dead fish, including several bass in the four pound range, was an unfortunate explanation for the foul stench that permeated the air during my approach.

Having put forth the effort to haul in my little boat, I decided to give it a go for old time’s sake to see if I could find any survivors. The picture above from the Blog Banner was one of three bass that came aboard in a couple hours of rowing around the rotting fishing hole. It measured 17.5” and tipped the scales at a sickly weight of only 1-13. I was surprised it even had enough left in the tank to bite and I remember at the time thinking that I didn’t really even want to lip it as it looked almost infectious.

Truly a sad end to the remote body of water and even more disheartening when observing those quality floating bass on its surface. I guess at least it confirmed my suspicions of some decent fish. Sure wish they would have been on the end of my line instead of at the end of the line. Talk to you later. Troy