Tuesday’s are overnight days for our boys at my folks in Galesburg so that means Girls’ Night for the ladies and fishing night for me.

Stats
Date: July 11, 2017
Locations: Little John Conservation Club (2 lakes)
Time: 5:50pm-8:25pm (2.75 hours fishing)
Weather: Sunny/calm
Air Temp: mid 80’s but crazy humid
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 10 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 9 bass
Senko weighted wacky rig (electric shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-6 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 5-11 (1-6,1-4,1-2,1-0,0-15)

5:54pm 14″ 1-2 Buzzbait, so humid I ditched my hat at risk of exposing my balding head to the sun, now that’s hot.

6:13pm 14.5″ 1-6 Buzzbait, though only in the mid 80’s the humidity was ugly as seen in the color progression of my shirt.

6:28pm 12″ 0-15 Buzzbait, put the hat back on as I have no hair to stop the sweat, need me a headband like good, old Slick Watts (anybody remember that guy).

Notes & Nonsense

Attempted Plan – I intended to head out from work early at 3:00pm instead of 5:00pm to offset travel time to Victoria (about 70 minutes) versus my usual Lost Grove Lake, IA Tuesday destination (about 25 minutes). Well, got tied up on an issue so didn’t leave the office until about 3:50pm. Part two of a time saver was a shortcut off Route 34. About a half mile into the dirt road portion of said shortcut I found it way too muddy and had to put her in reverse all the way back to some gravel. All told, going back to the normal route cost me another twenty minutes (by the way anybody out there know if the road is open at the tracks in Altona yet). So, my intended 4:30pm first cast wound up being 5:50pm instead.

Calling All Clouds – In order for my buzzbait pattern to really kick into high gear on these lakes, I need some cloud cover, whether complete or intermittent. But every time I have had a chance to go of late there has not been a cloud in the sky. I can still manage to eke out a few bites but the big ones aren’t interested and I really feel like I’m force feeding the bass. Even so, it’s a sacrifice that I am willing to make during these abbreviated outings. As my previous trip demonstrated, it only takes one bite to make your day and I’m content to take my chances. On this day, that big bite didn’t come until the end of the day but that’s another story (see below).

Bad Decision, Bad Outcome – I stopped short of a solid piece of structure consisting of several laydowns bordering a pocket off the main lake. This put the wood between me and any fish taking a liking to my buzzbait, kind of a dumb move in hindsight.  I clearly saw about a four pounder smash the bait roughly ten feet from the boat, right in the middle of the tress and proceed to head into the tangle before I could turn it in the right direction. The bass hit moving from my left to right which proved my doom. Had it been moving the opposite direction I would have stood a good chance of steering it clear of the snag. I could briefly feel the fish pulling amidst the logs but it soon wrapped me beyond hope and my line busted as I tried to free it.

7:24pm 14″ 1-4 Buzzbait, the heat just kept getting nastier as the evening wore on.

8:02pm 12.5″ 1-0 Buzzbait

Premonition – Odd thing is, I had been reminiscing a few days earlier when talking to myself about fishing (which I do nearly daily) and said aloud in my head that I could not recall the last time I lost a good fish. It wasn’t like I was patting myself on the back or anything just pondering some good fortune. Call it karma, the law of averages or just fishing but I will also admit to occasional flashes of superstition crossing my mind. Whatever the case, I guess I’ll do my best to avoid that conversation with myself going forward.

8:29pm Last bass, nothing to boost my total weight but shot the pic to show complete saturation by the end of the evening, crazy heat,
had sweat running off my nose when reaching for tackle in bottom of the boat.

In assessing my decision to make a longer drive for Illinois bass versus some Iowa bass closer to home, I vote that I made the right choice. Definitely bigger bass potential from this side of the river compared to my Lost Grove Lake results and I got my shot, just didn’t work out this time. Maybe next time or the time after that. Two more trips already in the log so stop back later this week for those reports or hit the Facebook page for some previews/spoilers.

Hey, just dawned on me, its Tuesday again, think I’ll go for the shorter drive to Iowa this time around.  Talk to you later. Troy

Here we go with the first “Retro” fishing report since 2009 as introduced yesterday and included among my 2017 Resolutions detailed earlier this year.

Date: July 8, 2017
Location: Little John Conservation Club
Time: 6:00am-9:30am
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 71F-81F
Water Temp: forgot to check (not used to electronics)

Catch by Catch

Bass #1 – 6:08am 16” (1-8) Senko wacky rig (electric shad)
On the board eight minutes in with our first “keeper” after two regular spots let us down, spot number three is once again a winner.

 

Bass#2 – 6:27am 11.5” Senko wacky rig (smoke)
No shutout for Dad as bass number one comes on board working his Senko along the dropoff of an extended point.

 

Bass#3 – 6:29am 7” Senko
Wasting no time, Dad grabs the lead, but who’s counting?  And yes, for this project they all count and get their picture taken, even if they aren’t much bigger than the lure (5” Senko).

 

Bass#4 – 6:45am 9” Senko
Another short fish comes off a point featuring a reed patch bordering the dropoff.

 

Bass#5 – 6:55am 9.5” Senko
Bigger than the last one or more accurately, “less small.”

 

Bass#6 & #7 – 7:02am Dad 12” (0-14) and Troy 11” both on Senkos
Dad gets the first of our only double as I hook mine only seconds after he has set the hook.  He gets me by an inch with our second “keeper” boosting our weight to a whopping 2-6 and looking for three more to round out a Top 5.

 

Bass#8 – 7:10am 14” (1-4) Senko
A well placed cast to a spot that Dad said should hold one does indeed produce a bass and takes our weight up to 3-10.  Dad had hit the area seconds earlier from a different angle so this catch demonstrates that if a spot looks good or has produced in the past it is worth working over from a couple directions.

Bass#9 – 7:16am 8” Senko
I dig the take a pic of every bass aspect of this project as it shows that you typically have to wade through a bunch of “dinks” in search of the “keepers” and occasional “lunkers.”  The thing is though, you don’t really want to bother the other guy with one of these so you do the photo honors yourself.  Holding this one close to the camera still doesn’t make it look bigger, however.

 

Bass#10 – 7:19am 14” (1-3)
Now this one was cool as it came from an area that has produced in the past but I was going to skip due to cramped quarters in Dad’s Bass Tracker versus the old eight foot johnboat.  However, Dad got snagged on an underwater limb prompting a rescue mission into the area.  First cast to an overhanging bush after freeing his Senko and we had “keeper” number four, bumping our weight to 4-13.

 

Bass#11 – 7:28am 10.5” Senko
Flicking my Senko out to a submerged tree in about 12’ of water is a winner as this one nabs it after sinking near the wood for only a couple seconds.  A proven spot comes through again but not quite as big as a five-pounder the tree gave up several years ago.

 

Bass#12 – 7:31am 11” Senko
Had to get the dipnet for this one but more so due to weight of the accompanying grass and not the bass.  As Dad reeled in this bunch of salad he actually said, “I don’t know if the bass is still on there.” Took a little digging but there it was.

 

Bass#13 – 7:39am 10.5” Senko
I honestly don’t remember any details about this fish other than the logged time, length and lure.

 

Bass#14 – 8:11am 21.5” (5-0) Buzzbait
I do remember this one though as it ended our longest drought of the day at 32 minutes without a bass.  The buzzbait shutout also ends in a big way after intermittent casting for the first two hours failed to produce.  I had told Dad that it only takes one bite and this was it.  Throw in the fact that it came on the second visit to a spot that is historically productive including a couple other big ones and it really makes you feel like you know what you are doing.  Top 5 complete with a big jump in weight total to 9-13.

 

Bass#15 – 8:39am 20” (3-5) Senko
Dad joins the big fish parade with what he speculated was his “biggest Senko bass ever.”  A great fight featured a dive at the boat that had me poised and ready with the dipnet when the fish surfaced.  Crazy thing was, it surfaced about eighteen feet behind us having swam completely under the boat.  Dad deftly guided the fish back around to our side, dodging our rear trolling motor with his rod tip under water and we had another big boost to our Top 5.  This fish knocked out the earlier 0-14 and brought out total weight to 12-4.

 

Bass#16 – 9:00am 8.5” Senko
Dad’s seventh and final fish of the day doesn’t measure up to his previous catch but our day is already made with a couple good ones.  Time is winding down as we head towards the boat launch in preparation to relocate and meet up with my boys, Jayce and Zac, to chase some bluegills in Papa’s “big boat.”

 

Bass#17 – 9:30am 11.5” Senko
Not a keeper but a nice exclamation point on a solid outing and caught within casting distance of the boat launch so I call it a day with a bass on my last cast.

Totals: 17 bass (Troy – 10, Dad – 7)
Lures:
Senko wacky rig (electric shad) – 9 bass
Senko wacky rig (smoke) – 7 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 Buzzbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-4 (5-0,3-5,1-8,1-4,1-3)

Running Totals for this project (8 trips since 2002)
45.25 hours
208 bass
Top Bass: 5-0 this trip tops Dad’s 3-7 from 6/16/08
Daily Top 5 Weight Record: 14-2 Lake Bracken 6/16/08
All-Time Top 5 Weight: 18-4 (5-0,3-7,3-5,3-5,3-3) culls 2-13 and 2-10

Well, there you have it, the reintroduction of old idea, Resolution accomplished and great to get it done with Dad.  Kind of a work in progress from here as not sure whether to keep this feature as a one-time deal each year or toss it out there again as I’ve got a couple ideas floating around upstairs.  Talk to you later.  Troy

Last Sunday I decided to take our youngest girl, Carly, out on a hunt for an early birthday gift (birthday is coming up July 9).  Earlier this year she had mentioned that she thought she could use a new fishing pole to take the place of Hannah Montana which was pole number two of her fishing career, replacing the original, stubby Disney Princess pole she got from her Papa the day she was born.  Certainly sounded like a good thing for the birthday list so off we went for a rig and then some fish with brother, Jayce.

Sweet when your kid wants a fishing pole for her birthday, my kind of shopping.

 

Brothers pitch in to get Carly set up 

Stats

Date: June 25, 2017
Location: Work Pond and Hennepin Canal (Colona, IL)
Time: 6:30pm-8:30pm
Totals: 8 bluegill, 1 golden shiner (C = 6 bluegill, J = 2 bluegill, 1 shiner)
Bait: Waxworms on a jighead hung from a slip bobber

Notes & Nonsense

Like Ike, Sorta – Carly has become fond of one of my ultralight spinning rigs and has also become quite proficient in her casting while leaving the good old spincast model behind.  We hit a local sporting goods joint that features a good selection of rod and reel combos and she immediately found one to her liking, the only one of that particular model left on the rack.  The 6’, medium action Abu Garcia Mike Iaconelli rod looked to be just the ticket and I liked her choice.  I felt that it offered the versatility I foresee her needing as we expand beyond panfish one of these days and she has her eye on reeling in a catfish as well.  I’d also like to hook her up with a Senko wacky rig at some point and see her battle some of those strip pit bass that I’m a little fond of as long as she don’t get to hollering like Ike though, can’t take much of that as I prefer to celebrate a bit more quietly via fist pumps and blog entries.

Work Pond – So, me and the boys got her spooled up with some 8-pound Trilene and she hopped in the truck with Jayce and I to test out the new rig.  First stop was a pond where we’d enjoyed a couple decent days fooling some bass with our customary waxworms hung from a slip bobber.  However, after a half hour and two lost fish (one spit the jighead in the moss and another got snagged and busted off) my crew was ready to hit the road and a bit disappointed along with their dad.

Success amidst some fun scenery on the Hennepin Canal constructed over 100 years ago

Hennepin Canal – On the way home I decided to take a drive by the Hennepin Canal in Colona, IL just to have a look.  Well, a look was all it took and my young anglers’ batteries were recharged to go at it again.  This time around we found some cooperative fish to the tune of eight bluegill and a shiner.  But that was only part of the fun.

Introducing “Old McDeadhead”, catches don’t have to be alive to be enjoyed

First Catch – Our first fish was actually a dead minnow that I fished out of a bit of retaining wall.  Jayce named it “Old McDeadhead” and lugged him around for a while before hooking him up and casting until Old McDeadhead’s body eventually gave out.

This is why you take four poles for only two fisherkids.  Prepare for the unexpected or inevitable, tough call on the exact designation.

Brush With the Law – Shortly before we called it a night, a police vehicle with lights flashing came zipping down the road and pulled over to where we were trying our luck.  I was about to dig my fishing license out just in case, but instead, the lady officer asked if we had seen some sort of domestic incident with a couple in a red pickup.  Fortunately, we had not as my kids don’t need that kind of adventure on a field trip.  It’s tough enough explaining some of the fascinating “whys” associated with Mother Nature let alone tackling some idiot’s interpretation of human nature.

An exciting evening and some good family time in the great outdoors.  I had not fished the Hennepin Canal prior to this stop but I’d have to say that the location we chose not only saved the day but also bodes well for some future outings.  Certainly looks to have some potential for Carly to wind up with that catfish she’s after…we’ll see.  Talk to you later.  Troy

 

On the heels of a solid Saturday, I had a chance to try my luck again on Father’s Day Sunday. Hey, my day right, so what’s wrong with ditching the family for some “me” time? Actually, nobody hardly missed me as I left before anybody even dreamed of being awake and returned before the girls ever rolled out of bed. A couple hours of solitude, a few bass and another fishing report.

Stats
Date: June 18, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 5:55am-7:55am
Weather: Sunny-overcast/windy-very windy
Air Temp: not sure
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 8 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 7 bass
Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (salt & pepper) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 1-9 Buzzbait
Weight (only 2 at 12″ or better): 2-7 (1-9,0-14)

6:15am First Bass and Top Bass 14.5″ 1-9 Buzzbait

Notes & Nonsense

First Bass – Twenty minutes into casting a buzzbait I had my first catch, tipping the scales at 1-9 equal to my former Iowa personal best. Fortunately, the 1-11 from the previous outing had pushed the mark up a couple ounces. Otherwise I may have had to stoop to weighing the latest catch multiple times or perhaps even holding it up in the wind hoping a gust would boost the scale that needed ounce. Okay, maybe not that desperate just in need of something in the two-pound range to make the record at least a little more respectable.

No Repeat Performance – My hopes to duplicate the positive strides I’d made in figuring out some fish the previous day just never materialized. While this trip was just over an hour shorter, a different day just had a different feel.
June 17 = 3.25 hours, 18 bass, 5 at 12” or >, Top 5 Weight of 6-9, Top Bass = 1-11
June 18 = 2.0 hours, 8 bass, 2 at 12” or >, Top 2 Weight of 2-7, Top Bass = 1-9
That’s fishing as no two days are the same. Reasonable production on day two but my excuse this time around was the couple dozen bass with sore lips from Saturday including a handful that got off the first time around. Rarely discouraged though and was back at it two days later, fishing report to come.

7:23am 12″ 0-14 Buzzbait

Three Days in One – The weather continues to be all over the place like much of the rest of 2017 to date. I launched at 5:55am to sunny skies and temps rapidly climbing to the mid-70’s. By 7:00am a massive cloud bank was rolling in with the winds really beginning to pick up. When those winds finally forced me and my little boat off the lake at 7:55am the skies were dark and the temp had dropped a dozen degrees into the low 60’s. In the ten minutes it took to load and leave, the sun had reappeared, the wind had diminished and the temperature had stabilized. I took a drive around the lake to check out the crowd and by the time I decided to head for home it was back to the conditions like when my morning began. I was tempted to launch again at another spot but thought better of it and hit the road to share the remainder of the day with my family.

Stick around the lake after the front moved through or head home to this bunch? I chose the goofballs over a few more bass.

Crowd Count – In a previous post I mentioned that one news outlet had referred to Lost Grove Lake as “Iowa’s newest jewel” and it sure seems to have the attention of more than a few anglers. Similar to last year, I took a drive around to all of the access points (three ramps and three walk-in areas) to check out the crowd. All told, I counted 34 trailers along with sixteen other vehicles, indeed a popular destination but still enough water for everybody.

Back to back trips last weekend to my new area have produced an overall better quality of fish than my previous three stops elsewhere on the lake so why stop now? Stay tuned for another Lost Grove report to see if the trend continues or the well runs dry. Talk to you later. Troy

Took the weekend off from blogging after kicking off the new website with a streak of 40 consecutive days with a posting.  Was hoping for a Top 5 submission or two to resume posting with the standard Monday update but no go.  I even gave it a shot myself with the first trip of the year across The River but came up rather short of the weight I needed.  I did catch some bass though, so today you get a fishing report in place of an update.  Keep in mind, folks, that I provide a report for every trip, for better or worse, as real life fishing ain’t like the magazines, television or even the internet (except for this website, of course).

Stats
Date: June 10, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 5:50am-10:05am
Weather: Sunny/windy-very windy
Air Temp: 67F-82F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 10 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (snow white shad) – 7 bass
Senko wacky rig (electric shad) – 2 bass
Senko Texas rig (electric shad) w/ 1/8 oz. tungsten weight – 1 bass
Top Bass: two at 11.5” (did not qualify to weigh)
Top 5 Weight: none over 12”

If all else fails and the fish aren’t that big, show the lures.  Buzzbait, Senko wacky rig, Senko Texas rig (bottom)

Notes & Nonsense

Record Quest Round One – One of the resolutions I posted last month revolved around the pursuit of a new Iowa largemouth bass personal best.  Going into this outing, that mark stood at 1-9 with a catch from June 19, 2016.  Following this outing, that mark still stands as I never even fooled one that qualified to hang from the scale (my criteria for weighing “keepers” has long stood at a 12” minimum length).  Now for some of the excuses, I mean challenges, on this body or water.

History and Fishery – While Lost Grove Lake has been in the making for several decades, news reports cite the “public grand opening” as August 2014.  My debut was June 19, 2016 and in three visits, including this trip, I have spent a total of 13.75 hours on the lake and landed 35 bass (2.55 bass per hour).  Decent in terms of rate/quantity but severely lacking in quality bites with only 2 bass at 12” or better (weight 1-9 and 1-2).  I have seen several 3 to 4 pound bass in person and in print so I know they are there but just haven’t gotten to grab one of them yet.  Iowa DNR sampling surveys do make me feel better though as electrofishing results back up my logbook with a population dominated by 8-10” fish.  Ideally, they just need some time to grow up.

6:15am First Bass – Buzzbait, less than 12″ just like all that would follow

Structure and Access – In a post that I wrote last year for my previous gig, I described the lake as “messy.”  This reference pertained to an abundance of brushy timber above and below surface along the creek channels and a great deal of surface vegetation clogging the shoreline and much of the standing timber.  I roll with an 8-foot rowboat and a topographic map (water fried a portable depthfinder I used last year just a couple months after purchase) on the 360-acre body of water so a few challenges on the learning curve there as well.  But hey, the equipment upstairs working on thirty five years of experience is catching plenty of fish here, just not big ones.

Buzzbait Bite – Windy conditions, the structure challenges noted above and only a few morning hours to fish had me committed to a buzzbait presentation.  Not a problem, I prefer to fish fast and if a good one is going to let down its guard, a buzzbait is a good tool to fool it.  Seven out of my ten fish came on the lure and I had two others throw the lure after being hooked along with at least half a dozen other fish take a swipe at the bait without getting hooked.  Overall, it was a weird bite though as nearly every strike was barely a ripple on the surface with several instances where it took a second of two for the brain to process that I actually had a fish on, pretty odd on a morning where I had a significant number of hits.

8:56am – Truth hurts, Top Bass 11.5″ Senko wacky rig.  However, I do like this photo as an indication of just how windy it was out there.  You know it’s windy when you can feel your beard moving sideways.  Then again, maybe that’s a sign to pursue a more manageable look…perhaps later this summer.  Ain’t ditching the lucky hat though.

Despite falling short in my quest this time around, I will definitely be back for further field work on getting the place figured out as those fish keep growing up.  The notes in this posting in no way represent complaints or excuses as I definitely like the lake and the challenges it poses.  Apparently, many others do as well as I encountered many other boats including a few just a little fancier than my setup.  Later this week I will post some more info on Lost Grove Lake from some research I did last year.  And later this fishing season I’m going to get back there with a new plan…stay tuned.  Talk to you later.  Troy