Category: Fishing Reports

Strip Mine Report – September 30

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It is that time of year again when most of the Knox County public strip mine access shuts down to anglers in favor of waterfowl. And as we head into October, I know that my time on the water in general is also drawing to a close. With those factors in mind, I decided to spend the final day of September chasing bass on a couple solid spots. Read on for the results.

9:55am – Top Bass (tie) at 3-2 (19″) on a creature bait

Stats
Date: September 30
Location: Knox County strip mines (one public, one private)
Time: 7:35am-11:35am, 1:00pm-2:45pm
Totals: 23 bass
Weather: Sunny/windy, 63-87F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (peanut butter and jelly) – 11 bass, War Eagle Spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 5 bass, Yum Wooly Bug (crawdad) – 4 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-2 (tie) on Yum Wooly Bug and Spro Frog
Top 5 Weight: 11-1 (3-2,3-2,2-10,1-2,1-1)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Autumn Arrives – As I type up this report exactly one week after this trip, the Saturday morning temperature reads at forty-four degrees with a predicted high of fifty-nine. In contrast, I launched my boat last Saturday morning and it was already in the mid-sixties on the way to a high of eighty-seven degrees. Yes, fall has arrived. But somewhere along the way, those bass will turn on for a late season feed and I hope to be on the water at least once to take my shot.

Public Numbers – My morning was spent on a public body of water and four hours of casting resulted in thirteen bass. Top Bass was 3-2 and the Top 5 Weight tipped the scales at 8-11. I worked from top to bottom, from fast to slow, and while I never got a real pattern going, 3.25 bass/hour is still a very good catch rate. Sometimes, it is odd when on the water and focused that the bite doesn’t seem so great. But when looking back at the log, I had a solid morning. Bites were spread out evenly between three lures with five on a spinnerbait, and four each on a Senko wacky rig and a Texas-rigged creature bait.

1:32pm – Top Bass (tie) at 3-2 (19″) on a frog

Private Numbers – For the afternoon portion of the program I headed over to Little John Conservation Club, an area that I have neglected over the last several years. For various reasons, my focus has been on public waters and some new ones at that with The Canal and a couple strip pits. While I have a long history with those Little John bass, and I dig fishing the collection of lakes, I find it more fun to blog about chasing fish on water that everyone can access. The Little John bass haven’t forgotten about me at least, as ten showed up in just under two hours of fishing. A Senko wacky rig was the top producer with seven bass, while a lipless crank fooled one, and a topwater frog got two including my Top Bass. That Top Bass was also a 3-2 and my weight only consisted of two “keepers” totaling 4-4.

Fall Calls – During the morning portion of the outing, I heard several pheasants and saw a couple flush. Those were some welcome sights and sounds as they take me back to the early nineties when we first started roaming the strip mines. Darn near every trip, one of those birds would take flight at our feet as we traversed the grassy expanses. I am no pheasant hunter and that is probably a good thing because those birds flushing always scared me half to death as I plodded along daydreaming about what lay in store at the next fishing hole.

 

A very good outing both in terms of quantity and quality. The twenty-three bass left me fourteen bass shy of landing four hundred this year. With that in mind, I hit a favorite stretch of The Canal the following weekend. Stay tuned to see if I was able to outsmart enough bass to hit the milestone. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 25

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A second shot at the Lake Storey drawdown featured a fishing partner and a water level as low as it would go for the season. Hopes were high but the bass proved to be rather stubborn, more so for one angler than the other. Read on for the results.

Pre-launch predictions for our combined totals

9:22am – First bass only seven minutes into our trip had us feeling optimistic

Stats
Date: September 25
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 9:15am-3:45pm
Totals: 11 bass (Brent – 8, Troy – 3)
Weather: Sunny/calm-breezy, 66-78F
Water temperature: 73F
Lures: Tandem Spinnerbait (green/white) – 6 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Mann’s 1- Crankbait (baby bass crystal glow) – 2 bass, War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-10 Troy (Lipless Crankbait)
Top 5 Weight: 7-8 (2-10,1-5,1-4,1-4,1-1)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Ramp Revamp – From years of observation, we determined that the lake was dropped to the maximum by virtue of the exposed shoreline and structure. Brent was at the ramp prior to my arrival and observed city employees smoothing out the ramp with an end loader. The chunky rutted section of ramp beyond the concrete portion was removed and a fresh batch of loose asphalt was put in place. I would say that four-wheel drive is a must, but the makeshift ramp is a welcome improvement for drawdown launching. And my eyes on the lake (Dad) provided a recent report that the concrete portion of the ramp has been extended with some drawdown construction.

10:28am – Brent Top Bass at 1-4 (14″) on a spinnerbait

Bites and Baits – The bulk of our casting featured spinnerbaits and those lures landed seven of our eleven bass. A crankbait and a lipless crank accounted for the other three catches. We slowed down with a Senko wacky rig and a jig but never even got a nibble. Just a tough day when the bites came on faster power presentations but only enough to keep us interested (and casting them) and never a feeding frenzy to fill the boat.

10:34am – Top Bass at 2-10 (17.5″) on a lipless crankbait

Ones That Got Away – Brent lost three bass that threw his lures on leaps, two on a spinnerbait and one on a crankbait. While none were trophies, at least two of them were in the pound and a half range and would have given our Top 5 Weight a boost. It always stinks when a fish gets loose, but it is particularly disheartening when the bite is tough.

 

Worn Out – Six and a half hours in a boat on this trip after six hours the previous day rowing and hiking left me and Brent beat. Upon returning home, I dropped into my boys’ room to chat with my oldest son and see how his day transpired. After about a twenty-minute conversation, I proceeded to nod off in my youngest boy’s bed. Fortunately, it only turned out to be a thirty-minute nap that did little to relieve my fatigue. In fact, one of the ladies in our house, who shall remain unnamed, looked at me and said, “You look terrible.” I couldn’t really take offense as her assessment was on the money.

Final Results

Combined with the previous day’s strip mine success, Brent and I had two enjoyable days on the water. The strip mines exceeded our predictions, while the Lake Storey bass got the better of us. Such is fishing. Either way, it was great to get on the water on back-to-back days with my brother. After the remainder of the week to recuperate, we’ll see what lies in store as we head down the home stretch of 2023 fishing. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 24

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Every fall, most of the Knox County public strip mines go off limits to anglers around the middle of October. That is a discussion for a separate post. For this report, we’ll stick to the home stretch approach of at least “one more visit” before we get locked out. And this visit turned out to be worth our while.

Pre-launch predictions for our combined totals

9:02am – Solid first bass at 2-6 (15.5″) on a spinnerbait and would be the eighth largest bass of the day

Stats
Date: September 24
Location: Knox County public strip mines (5 lakes)
Time: 10:05am-1:30pm (6.00 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 36 bass (Troy – 23 bass, Brent 13 bass in two less hours of fishing)
Weather: Sunny/windy, 62-77F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (assorted colors) – 19 bass, Spinnerbait (green/white or chartreuse/white) – 14 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 2 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 4-4 Spinnerbait (Brent)
Top 5 Weight: 15-11 (4-4,3-2,2-15,2-12,2-10)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Rowing Role – We started our day on a lake where we could fish from our little john boat which means that somebody had to row. Rather than flip a coin or draw straws, I volunteered to provide the horsepower. I keep the boat at my house, so I get more use than Brent, who relies on his kayak when fishing from a small watercraft. As such, it was proper to take that portion of the guide role and sacrifice a few casts along the way. I suspect that it has all evened out on the oars over the years and we always have a good time no matter who is catching.

9:52am – Top Bass at 4-4 (19″), also Brent’s Top 2023 Bass and a new lake record

Lake Record – Brent’s fourth fish was a 4-4 on a spinnerbait that not only set a record for the lake we were fishing but also landed as his Top Bass for 2023 (so far). His 4-4 topped a 4-2 that I had fooled back in early May for the former lake record. Brent also landed a 3-2 (also on a spinnerbait) less than an hour later that would be our Top Bass Runner-Up for the day. Both bass gave the Top 5 all-time totals for the lake a boost. The mark now stands at 18-3 (4-4,4-2,3-7,3-4,3-2).

9:16am – My Top Bass of the day at 2-15 (17″) on a Senko wacky rig

Guide Tip – At one point, I directed Brent to a solid spinnerbait setup as I positioned the boat in the wind for a good casting angle. The spot featured a laydown in a couple of feet of water with one end sitting on the drop into an open water bowl ringed by timber on the deepest section of the lake. I commented that I had caught a couple nice fish on the log in the spring. In eight minutes, Brent proceeded to land three more “keepers” on the spot with a 3-2, 2-7, and 1-7, all on his spinnerbait.

Official Results – Weight exceeded both of our predictions, I was closest on Top Bass while Brent was closest on Total Bass guess

Afternoon Stroll – The walk-in strip mines are no walk in the park, but I was determined to give them a shot to end the day. Brent was on board as well and fished along for just over an hour. I stuck around longer and wound up with a decent quantity of eleven bass, but I could not find any quality bites with a pair at 1-4 being the best.

 

The Knox County strip mines have been our top producers in 2023, both in terms of numbers and size. As we head to October, it is crunch time on these waters and time will tell if we get back for another shot. Following this trip, we were able to get back on the water but opted for another favorite fall fishing destination, Lake Storey. Stay tuned for the report and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 16

Posted on by Troy Jackson

On the heels of a Friday Lake Storey visit, I was able to make it back-to-back days on the water with a Saturday strip mine hike.

Stats
Date: September 16
Location: Knox County public strip mines (4 lakes)
Time: 10:05am-1:30pm (3.00 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 16 bass
Weather: Overcast/calm, 60-73F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (peanut butter and jelly) – 11 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- (red craw) – 5 bass
Top Bass: 2-5 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 7-12 (2-5,2-2,1-3,1-2,1-0)

Only needed two lures to land my bass on this outing

Notes and Nonsense

Rain – A mid-morning start was later than planned due to inclement weather. As a kid, I always found the Cubs rain delays fun as they would show old World Series or All-Star Game highlight reels. For my version of the rain delay, I took a drive around to several public parking lots and reminisced of past catches and pondered visits for some future catches.

Text – Technology has had a profound effect on how I fish and document my time on the water. Such impact is fodder for a batch of blog posts but for today, text messaging gets a brief shout out. As noted in the texts above, Brent was fishing in the same vicinity doing his exploring via kayak as opposed to hiking. While it is always preferable to fish together, it is cool how texting allows us to keep tabs on each other’s results throughout the day.

11:50am – Keep moving and casting in search of a quality Top Bass

Next – The thing that I probably enjoy the most about hiking the strip mines is the abundance of fishing holes. Typically, I go in with a plan to hit four, five, maybe six different bodies of water. Many are not very large and if a half hour of time investment fails to raise much interest, it’s on to another spot in hopes that the bass will be more cooperative. On this trip, I got a bite (and miss) on my first cast at my first stop and proceeded to land four bass in the first thirty minutes. An hour later on the same lake, I had not fooled another fish. So, on to the next spots to the tune of five bass in forty-five minutes, two bass in fifteen minutes, and five bass in thirty minutes. It is always interesting to observe the mood of the bass from trip to trip on these lakes. Some days the bite is on fire and other days you would swear that a lake is the Dead Sea. That’s fishing.

 

Topwater Bust – My first cast of the morning got a solid, up-close blow up on a frog, but the bass came loose. Near the end of my day, I had strike on a Whopper Plopper, but the bass spit the lure as I was about ready to land it. In between, I had one other missed strike on the frog for the extent of my topwater action. The lack of strikes was disappointing as I had what I thought were solid skies for a topwater bite. I guess I just needed a breeze for a little chop on the surface to convince the bass to go for a lunchtime topwater meal. That’s fishing.

 

A shorter day, although longer on energy expenditure resulted in exactly the same number of bass as the previous day’s Lake Storey outing. Back-to-back totals of sixteen bass during two solid days of fishing on two places that feel like home. And before the fishing year wraps up, I hope to pay each of them at least one more visit. Talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Notes – September 15

Posted on by Troy Jackson

When I put in a full day on an old favorite body of water, one blog entry is often not enough. So, here’s part two to cover the rest of the notes and nonsense from Lake Storey.

Snags – Crankbait Fishing 101 says that you should bang your lure into as much stuff as you can during your retrieve. In doing so, you will inevitably get snagged, and I did several times on this trip. Four of the instances involved my trebles getting hung up in old fishing line left behind by other anglers. Fortunately, I was able to free my crankbaits from these gnarled tangles. In the process, I also gained a fellow angler’s lipless crankbait from one of the snags.

A sample of the Lake Storey menu – bluegill, various minnows, golden shiner, and shad

Forage – The Lake Storey predators sure do not lack options when it comes to prey fish. I stopped by late one evening last week on the way through Galesburg and found the shallows teeming with various minnows, young of the year bluegill, and even a tiny catfish. Golden shiners have shown up occasionally while panfishing and shad are frequently spotted cruising in large schools or getting spooked out of cover by the boat. However, some of the latter must be elusive as I saw a couple on this outing that were scary big and would likely only serve as muskie food.

An old reel, a stubby rod, and a spinnerbait take me back to bass fishing in the 1980s

Vintage Daiwa – Back in May, I noted that I had a 1980s Daiwa reel repaired and was looking to put it into the lineup this year paired with an old school 5’6” Berkley Lightning Rod. While the Lightning Rod was not my original 1980s purchase, the rod and reel mirrored my first baitcasting combo from either 1986 or 1987. The shorter rod with this combo is not suitable for my hiking trips as I need more distance on casts, but it sets up just right for my close quarter spinnerbait approach on Lake Storey or The Canal. Well, I finally put the setup to use on this trip and armed with a spinnerbait just like the old days, it landed eight of my sixteen bass. I suspect these won’t be the last bass this retro combo puts in the log.

Feedback from a bass is important but it also pays to watch and learn from fellow anglers as described below

Always Learning – No matter your experience on a body of water, there is always plenty to learn. As I made my way down a straight stretch of bank, another boat came in behind me to fish the “used” water. The fellow angler proceeded to outfish me at least four to two from what I observed. What I also observed was his approach. While I was fishing fast alternating between a spinnerbait and a crankbait, he was flipping/pitching a creature bait of some sort, methodically picking apart shoreline targets. My rapid-fire approach and focus on making a lot of casts generally serves me well but I do slow down when the bass force my hand. But what about starting with the precision flipping/pitching style? We’ll see as I hope to get back to Lake Storey at least one more time this year. I also made a point to watch where the other angler stopped and made a mental note of one spot that I don’t normally fish as the guy looked like he knew what he was doing.

Prediction vs. Production – When I fish with a partner, I try to solicit some guesses prior to launching in terms of total bass, Top Bass, and Top 5 Weight. These totals are tallied as a combined effort of our catches. However, when I am flying solo, I’m on my own with only one lure in the water as opposed to two or more depending on how many anglers are along for the outing. Regardless, the goals are the same. Don’t get shut out, land five “keepers” (12” or better) and post a double-digit Top 5 Weight. Two out of three weren’t bad on this trip as noted by the prediction and production numbers below.

I have a habit of keeping my fishing buddies updated when I’m on the water.

I dig fishing Lake Storey and I always look forward to an annual drawdown visit or two. With that being said, plans are in the works to do it again before the year is over. And next time, I’ll have some experienced help. But first, there is a strip mine hike to report. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Lake Storey Report – September 15

Posted on by Troy Jackson

It’s that time of year again when the decision is made to pull the plug on Lake Storey for the annual fall drawdown. This fisheries management practice drops the lake level and limits the hiding places for prey fish allowing the predator fish an increased opportunity to thin the herd. It can also reveal some secrets on the lake bottom and give anglers a shot at a quality bite as fall feeding activity kicks into gear. Last Friday, I paid a visit to my old favorite lake and had a solid day.

11:23am – First bass and a running joke with Brent and my son, Jayce (note the water retention structure in the background)

Stats
Date: September 15
Location: Lake Storey, Knox County, IL
Time: 11:15am-6:15pm
Totals: 16 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 56-74F
Water temperature: 74-76F
Lures: War Eagle spinnerbait (chartreuse/white) – 8 bass, Strike King Squarebill Crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (peanut butter and jelly) – 2 bass, Strike King Rattling Pro Model Jig (green pumpkin) with plastic craw trailer – 1 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (red craw) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 2-0 Spinnerbait
Top 5 Weight: 8-11 (2-0,1-13,1-13,1-12,1-5)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The beat up frog was the lone lure of my offerings that failed to land a bass

Six for Seven – Being one to take too much gear, I had seven poles rigged up with what I call my “starting lineup.” I never switched from those lures, simply retying when concerned about line abrasions. Of my starting seven, only the Spro Flappin Frog 65 came up empty and not for lack of effort as I put it to use in several areas. The other six lures all caught at least one bass and made me feel like I knew what I was doing out there. I guess nearly forty years of practice comes in handy.

2:48pm – Top Bass at 2-0 (16.5″) on a spinnerbait

One That Got Away – As I worked an extended shallow flat, I spotted an upright trash barrel just under the surface. I goofed around tossing a Senko into the barrel thinking that it would make quite a story, but no one took the bait. However, a subsequent cast near the barrel resulted in something hitting my Senko like a freight train and causing the drag to scream. Unfortunately, the suddenness of the strike caught me off guard and I never got much of a hookset before the fish just let go and my Senko flew out of the water from the resultant loss of rod tension. I never saw the fish, so I have no idea what it was. My guess is a catfish as a muskie may have simply sliced the 10-pound test. I am also guessing it was not a bass as the thought of missing one of that caliber would be a bit heartbreaking.

6:11pm – Lake Storey Bass #400 (see explanation below)

Lake Storey 400 – I am a stat freak and try to consult my data prior to each trip to see what sort of milestones or targets to consider. In the case of Lake Storey, I needed sixteen bass to reach four hundred bass during what I call the “computer age” (continuous log/database dating from 1997-present). Of course, I forgot as soon as I got into my Lake Storey focused mindset and did not realize until later that I had landed exactly sixteen bass. Bass #400 came within sight of the ramp and a mere four minutes before I called it quits. In addition, it made my Top 5 for the day meaning it needed to pose for a photo. Luck was on my side all the way around.

 

Seven hours on Lake Storey provided plenty to blog about but I’ll save the additional notes for a separate post. I’ll close this report with a tale from a pair of fellow anglers during a brief evening chat in the ramp parking lot. A mother and young son were returning to their vehicle as I was securing the boat and asked if I had any luck. I replied that I was pleased with the outing and threw a few numbers at them. They offered up “all we caught was a shoe.” I informed them that they had outdone me on that catch as I have landed a glove and a sock over the years, but never a shoe. I told them that it will make for a good story to retell and added, “It didn’t have a foot in it, did it?” All good.

Talk to you later. Troy

“Top Secret” Lake Report-September 10

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I got the above text and picture from Brent on Sunday morning.

“Top secret’ initially had my mind going in a couple of different directions. But having spent much of the previous day with Brent at a band competition, I had a pretty good idea where he landed this fish.

Read on for the results and the reveal.

Top Bass at 1-10 on a Senko wacky rig

Stats
Date: September 10
Location: Top Secret Lake
Time: 9:30am-12:10pm
Totals: 6 bass
Lures: Senko wacky rig – 5 bass, Texas rigged worm – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-10 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 6-0 (1-10,1-5,1-5,0-14,0-14)

This is a favorite time of the year for me as I always look forward to the annual Lake Storey “fall” drawdown. Before Brent sent his initial cryptic text, I had another of my sources report in with a status update. Friend and Top 5 angler, John Kirkemo, sent me a message confirming that the drawdown was underway.

For those not familiar with the Lake Storey fall drawdown, it is a fisheries management practice that involves dropping the lake level. This is done by opening a valve which allows water to drain into the creek below the dam. The lowering of the lake level leaves shoreline structure such a weed beds, rocky banks, and fallen trees high and dry. As a result, smaller forage fish have fewer places to hide, thus allowing the larger predator fish to take advantage and ideally strike a healthy predator-prey balance. For anglers, this can produce a solid bite as some of those predators let their guard down while feeding up in anticipation of the arrival of the cold water period of the calendar. We have taken our shot every September and October for many years and plans are the works to do it again soon. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – September 3

Posted on by Troy Jackson

This past weekend, I was able to get back on the water for the first time in three weeks. My original plan was a sunrise trip but a short, restless night and not feeling well resulted in sleeping late. The upside to a later start was that the morning dew on the weedy terrain had a chance to dry out. The downside was that the late-afternoon outing began amidst ninety-degree air temperatures. Not exactly prime time for a hike but you gotta do what you gotta do as the collection of public strip mines that I fish will shut down in four to six weeks.

5:43pm – Top Bass Runner-Up at 2-3 (17″) on a topwater frog

Stats
Date: September 3
Location: Knox County public strip mines (4 lakes)
Time: 3:35pm-7:50pm (3.75 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 17 bass
Weather: Sunny/breezy, 91-84F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (red flake/chartreuse tail) – 7 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 4 bass, 7” Berkley Power Worm (blue fleck firetail) – 3 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red) – 2 bass, Bass Pro Shops 3” Speed Shad Swimbait (smallmouth magic) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-0 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 8-6 (3-0,2-3,1-6,0-15,0-14)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

Warm, Weedy Walk – It is incredible just how much vegetation covers the terrain of my strip mine hikes. As the uneven ground rises and falls, there are hidden ruts and weedy snags aplenty. Throw in tons of spider webs and their creators along with several nasty patches of thistles and the walk can leave you wondering if this was such a good idea. An added “bonus” on this outing was balmy early September temperatures in the low nineties. But hey, at least I didn’t encounter any ticks this time around.

The Two That Got Away – I have noted before that my top goal of each outing is to post a Top 5 bass weight of double digits. On this trip I fell a bit short at 8-6 but I had the fish on to get the job done. The first of two “keepers” that got away was a fish that I would estimate in the four-pound range. It was briefly hooked on a frog during a lengthy cast and threw the lure on a leap. The second missed opportunity was a bass that I would put in the two-pound range that broke off on a hookset. This one puzzled me as I use thirty-pound braid on my frog setup, and it did not appear that my knot slipped as much as it was just a line break. Either of these bass would have given me the boost needed for double digits but as I often say, “That’s fishing.”

6:25pm – Top Bass at 3-0 (18″) on a Senko wacky rig

Top 5 Boost – I have stats on nearly every lake that I have fished going back as far as 1985 and I get a kick out of tracking the Top 5 all-time weight from each lake. My Top Bass from this outing at 3-0 earned a spot in my Top 5 from what I call Island Lake as it knocked out a 2-7 that previously held the Top Bass #5 entry. 2023 has been a phenomenal year on Island Lake as the current all-time Top 5 comes in at 18-14. That is an amazing leap from the mark of 6-11 to start the year. Top 5 tallies will be the focus of some “off season” posts as 2023 has been a very productive year for me and my fellow anglers.

 

Another successful trip is in the logbook as the strip mines continue to dish out a quality bite. This trip was what I considered the kickoff to fall fishing despite it not really being fall and not resembling fall weather. It also represented the start to the home stretch of the 2023 fishing year. My annual goal is to catch my final bass in November and, believe it or not, it isn’t that far away. In the interim, I hope plenty more bass join the log as plans are being made to get after them a few more times. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Notes – August 12 & 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A recent look at my fishing logs and family record book prompted me to take an August hike. What I found within the data was a mere six bass from the area that I was considering as a target, caught on August 31, 2019. Among those six bass were four “keepers” with a combined weight of 7-14 (2-8,2-1,1-12,1-9). Not having an August Top 5 was the push that I needed to win the internal debate on whether the proposed hike was worth the effort.

And I wasn’t the only one, as my brother, Brent, also headed for the strip mines on back-to-back days with his kayak in tow.

What follows is proof that it was worth the effort to fight the weather, weeds, moisture, spiders, and ticks with our fifty-something aged bodies in search of our favorite fish.

It all started on Friday, August 18, as a plan was coming together.

Note: Some locations are redacted in the following text exchanges, not to be mistaken for profanity

Brent started off the weekend with 13 bass and a Top 5 of 11-10

Sunday began small for both of us but you’ve gotta start somewhere.

My luck on Maiden Lake took a positive turn with a topwater frog bite.

Brent was also getting some good bites.

Hoping cloud cover would materialize and turn on a quality bite.

Clouds picked up and so did the good bites.

It is exciting fishing your way in but you eventually realize that you have to hike back to the truck.

Well, those fish are out there whether it is April or August, you just have to take your shot. The goal was to beef up the August record book and I would have to say that our outings were a rousing success with a combined Top 5 of 14-8 and several new entries for various lakes. Those numbers will have to wait until after the year concludes as there is still plenty of fishing to do before the annual wrap-up posts. For now, these results have served as inspiration to find some further goals in terms of aspects that are lacking in the record book. Some may get a shot in 2023 while others are on an evolving target list for 2024. Talk to you later. Troy

Strip Mine Report – August 13

Posted on by Troy Jackson

“I don’t always drive the minivan to the strip mines, but when I do, I guess the bass better watch out. Stay fishing, my friends.”

With my truck being out of commission, it meant that hauling the little johnboat to the fishing hole was out of the question. It was either setting out via bike or boots from the minivan and I chose the boots. For a destination, I chose some Knox County public strip pits that I usually avoid this time of the year as the terrestrial vegetation makes for tough walking. Turned out to be a good decision.

6:07am – First bass at 7″, don’t want to set the bar too high

Stats
Date: August 13
Location: Knox County strip mines
Time: 6:05am-1:30pm (6.50 hours fishing, the rest walking)
Totals: 37 bass
Weather: Partly cloudy to overcast/calm, 62-79F
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (smoke black/copper flake/lemon tip or natural shad) – 21 bass, Spro Flappin Frog 65 (natural red or killer gill) – 8 bass, Whopper Plopper 110 (bone) – 7 bass, 7.5” Yum Ribbontail Worm (plum) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-10 Frog
Top 5 Weight: 12-12 (3-10,2-6,2-5,2-4,2-3)

Winning Lures

Notes and Nonsense

The Mission – I’ve been logging my catches for a long time and find it fun to sort the database entries by various criteria. In looking over my data, I saw that my August totals for this batch of strip mines consisted of only six bass landed on August 31, 2019. Four of those bass were “keepers” making for a Top 4 of 7-4 (2-8,2-1,1-2,1-9). Along with those numbers, I had recently caught up on some data entry in the family record book to update the lake by lake Top 5 weight totals. Armed with all the above information, I had a goal to boost some numbers.

6:17am – New personal Maiden Lake Top Bass at 3-10 (20″) on a Spro Frog

Maiden Lake – The first lake that I ever fished in this area is what I named Maiden Lake. You know, kind of like a maiden voyage, since it was the site of my initial casts all those years ago. I never do worth a darn on the lake in terms of quality fish while Brent regularly lands some impressive bass including a 5-4 last year and a 4-0 in 2021. Those sort of catches get your attention and prompted me to take another shot at Maiden this morning. Fortune smiled on me with a 3-10 on a frog, smashing my previous best of 1-14 by nearly two pounds.

Keeping updated with Brent who was fishing several miles away, more details in a future post

Here Comes the Clouds – My mind has its own soundtrack featuring tunes that just kind of pop up based on circumstances. In the case of this fishing trip, the weather forecast included cloudy skies although the first few hours of sun had me wondering if those in the know had missed their prediction. But the tunes inside my head changed from a variation of The Supremes with “Where Did Our Clouds (Love) Go” to an altered Beatles cut “Here Comes the Clouds (Sun)” about 10:00am. And along with the increase in cloud cover came an increase in quality bites.

12:54pm – Island Lake Top Bass of the Day at 2-6 (17″) on a new Spro Frog

Island Lake – As none of these lakes have real names, we have made them up over the years. Island Lake has an island or two or three depending on the water level. Prior to this year, Brent had the lake record with a 2-3 landed in April 2021. Incredibly, that fish no longer makes the Island Lake Top 5 as 2023 has seen a big bass boom on the spot. And on this day, I landed a 2-6 and a 2-4, neither of which qualify for the current Top 5 either.

 

Senko Success – Twenty-one of the thirty-seven bass landed on this trip fell for the Senko wacky rig. Further proof of the effectiveness of the presentation as when it turns on, there is nothing better to have tied on when fishing these waters. In fact, I even moved away from using my favorite Senko colors to a mediocre pattern. When the bite gets going, it is more about the action of the lure than the hue, so I figured why risk my good colors getting destroyed.

 

My August mission in the minivan was a resounding success in terms of both numbers and a significant boost to the record book. In addition, Brent was fishing several miles away and having a good day as well. Stay tuned for an additional post and talk to you later. Troy