Category: Flashbacks

Friday Flashback – September 23, 1997

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

As an avid angler, I remember a lot of fish and a lot of the details of the catches. In the case of my first muskie, I certainly remember the basic details but there was much more beyond the catch.

This fish came from Snakeden Hollow’s Lake McMaster while on a fishing trip with Dad back on September 23, 1997, at 7:50am. The lure that fooled the fish was an old favorite, the Zara Spook in the black shore minnow pattern. Nowhere near what would be considered a “trophy” muskie at thirty-three and a half inches but as my first muskie it sure brought a smile to my face.

And after the previous couple of days of outdoor activities, I needed a smile.

Two days earlier, I had launched the boat on Lake McMaster and never made a cast. I pushed off from the ramp only to discover that there was an issue with the trolling motor. As a result, I was dead in the water having no fuel in the tank for the thirty-five-horsepower outboard motor as the lake had a ten-horsepower limit. Fortunately, the light breeze did not move me far from the ramp and I was able to paddle back with the emergency paddle kept in the boat. I fooled around with the plug on the motor at the front console without any success. Although I had planned on a camping trip, my frustration sent me back home with a broken boat.

The following day, Dad and I were able to determine that the trolling motor issue was a fuse problem and got things back in working order. As such I decided to resume my camping plans at Little John and Dad would meet me the next morning with the boat for another shot at Lake McMaster.

Things continued to go poorly with overnight rain that lasted into the morning as I waited in the tent for Dad to arrive. Once he arrived, I elected to wait in his truck as the rain kept falling and we pondered our plan. Well, we were determined to fish, so we visited in the truck until the rain began to fade. As we were planning on fishing through lunchtime, we needed to make some sandwiches from the provisions that I’d packed in the cooler. We still laugh about sitting in the truck making our lunch.

Eventually, we launched in the light rain, and after only a handful of casts, I had my first muskie in the boat. Proof that even when things aren’t going your way, keep on casting as sooner or later, good things will happen.

I’ve caught more than a dozen muskies since that first catch (mostly all “accidents” while bass fishing like today’s flashback fish), some bigger, some not. I will never be a muskie angler as there are just not enough bites and the pursuit will physically wear you out. But for one morning, I kind of looked like one. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 17, 2012

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Original log entry 9-17-12

Upon hearing of a fall drawdown of Argyle Lake, near Colchester, IL, Dad and I couldn’t resist a look. Read on for the results and notes from our 2012 outing.

Originally Posted 9-25-12

After hearing word of a rare fall drawdown being implemented on McDonough County’s Argyle Lake, I decided that a road trip was in order, and I was happy to have Dad along as a fishing partner. Julie and I had taken the kids down to Argyle for a day trip chasing bluegills from the bank in 2011 but it had been close to twenty years since I’d fished on the lake. That long ago trip was a hot July day chasing bluegill from the very same boat we’re still using all these years later. This time around we were targeting bass and scouting what structure the drawdown would reveal.

Stats
Date: September 17, 2012
Location: Argyle Lake, Argyle Lake State Park
Time: 10:15am-4:00pm
Weather: Overcast/breezy
Air Temp: 65F-72F
Water Temp: 73F
Totals: 9 bass, 2 muskies (Troy – 7 bass & 1 muskie, Dad – 2 bass & 1 muskie)
Lures: Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait – 4 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass & 2 muskie, Rapala DT10 (silver) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-0 (Troy – Rapala DT10)
Top Five Bass Weight: 9-9 (3-0,1-14,1-14,1-8,1-5)

3:00pm – Top Bass at 3-0 (18″) on a crankbait

Notes and Nonsense

Ramp Chatter – Arriving at the ramp we spotted a boat rigged up for electrofishing attached to an “official” looking vehicle and I gave a wave as we passed. As we readied our boat, a fellow from the survey crew came over and asked, “Are you Troy?” His attire seemed to rule out someone from a collection agency and I didn’t recognize him as a disgruntled former detention home client, so I answered, “Yes.” With a handshake he introduced himself as Blake Bushman, a Western Illinois University graduate student whose Guest Blog on Heartland Outdoors last month detailed his research project on Argyle Lake saugeye. We had an enjoyable conversation about his study, the lake, and other general fishing stuff before he headed off to enter new data and we launched to try our luck. It was nice to meet the pleasant, well-spoken young man who answered all our questions and is pursuing a career that this blogger had in mind many years ago. Probably before Blake was even born (how is that possible?). Dad got a kick out of the encounter stating several times that he couldn’t believe somebody recognized me. I was also entertained as it was before “game time” so I hadn’t even put on my floppy hat yet. I also forgot to introduce Dad but if you’re out there Blake, my fishing partner was my dad, also known as the guy who owns the boat and truck and lets me use them instead of having to row all the time and worry about vehicular breakdown en route to the lake. If anybody happens to follow the blog, he also has a distinctive “#1 Papa” fishing hat.

3:08pm – Dad with our least small muskie

Multiple Muskies – For the second consecutive day a trio of muskies were hooked, and a pair came aboard. In contrast to the previous day’s outing on Lake Storey, however, a couple of the Argyle fish were as small as Storey’s were large. I’d asked Blake about muskies prior to launching and he indicated that his surveys had turned up a few in the thirty-inch range. Even a specimen that size would have looked like a giant compared to a couple of the toothy fish we had hooked. Oh well, a muskie is always a welcome accident and those ones with spots at least provide for a chuckle or good-natured ribbing.

12:54pm – I believe folks refer to these tiny muskies (and pike) as “hammer handles”

Obstacle Course – Argyle Lake’s launch area has always been interesting as you must briefly block the main drag while backing in your trailer. Major construction currently has the main road closed beyond the ramp, but that project now finds work vehicles and equipment scattered about the roadway and parking lot. Leaving the lake was even more interesting as it appeared that the Western Illinois Bass Club was having practice or a tourney resulting in a crowd of boats and trailers in various states of conversation, readying gear and waiting on the last-minute fishing partners to arrive. We waited for a bit to see if the handful of boats waiting at the ramp were going to launch and then went ahead and took our turn whether it was proper boat ramp etiquette or not. Those young guys didn’t even acknowledge our presence, busy checking their phones and talking about fishing and whatever else it is college guys talk about these days. I was a little impatient but did bear in mind that although I’m half my life away from my college days there’s no need to be a grumpy old man, yet. Besides, how cool is that to have a college bass fishing team? Just another instance of, “You know back when I went to college…”

3:47pm – Dad with Top Bass runner-up at 1-14 (15″) on a lipless crankbait

Secrets Revealed – The lake is so loaded with wood structure that it is indeed a bit overwhelming. Countless stumps, laydowns and brush along with several beaver lodge remnants all made inviting targets. Unlike Lake Storey where the drawdown leaves most all the wood structure high and dry, Argyle still had a ton of completely or partially submerged ambush points. Vegetation was sparse as expected during a drawdown but there were a handful of patches close enough to some deeper water that were appealing. Much of the shoreline featured steep dropoffs to depths more than ten feet barely a decent cast from the bank. It also featured enough undulations that the 78-acre lake fished a bit larger and provided ample points, pockets, and coves to take our shot. We came armed with a basic topo map from the Sportsman’s Connection Northern Illinois Fishing Map Guide, a handy resource for info on numerous fishing holes. The map helped to streamline our approach a bit in finding our comfort zone among the rapidly falling shorelines that typically aren’t the best fit for our style.

Kind of a lengthy entry but I just couldn’t find anything that I felt I could eliminate for an abridged report. I have several fishing trips on the horizon with a few partners along for the fun. More anglers mean more casts and thus more chances to land some bass. It also means more chatter and more perspectives for the resulting blog posts. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 16, 2012

Posted on by Troy Jackson

For many years, we have fished the Lake Storey drawdown. The drawdown drops the lake level as a fishery management practice. The benefits of the process are a topic for another time but suffice to say, it can trigger good fishing if you catch it right. Today’s flashback covers a day with the highest high and lowest low in a full day of Lake Storey casting.

4:01pm – Top Bass at 2-4 (16″) on a crankbait

Excerpts from original 9/20/12 post

Stats
Date: September 16, 2012
Location: Lake Storey
Time: 9:45am-4:30pm
Weather: Sunny/breezy
Air Temp: 70-80F
Water Temp: 71-74F
Totals: 9 bass, 2 muskies (Troy – 3 bass & 1 muskie, Brent – 6 bass & 1 muskie)
Lures: Ninja Spinnerbait (white) – 6 bass & 1 muskie, Strike King Pro Model crankbait (sexy shad) – 2 bass, Strike King KVD Rattling Square Bill crankbait (sexy ghost minnow) – 1 bass, Booyah Counterstrike spinnerbait – 1 muskie
Top Bass: 2-4 (Troy – Strike King KVD Rattling Square Bill crankbait)
Top 5 Bass Weight: 6-10 (2-4, 1-6, 1-2, 0-15, 0-15)

 

Notes and Nonsense

Tough Water – You just never know what hand Lake Storey will deal, even during the drawdown when the predators are more apt to let their guard down. Twenty-five or thirty bass days can happen but realistically, I’m looking for about half that many on a full six- or eight-hour day of casting and I’m usually looking at one to three “good ones” (my term for two pounds or better). Sometimes we win, sometimes the fish do but that’s all part of trying to effectively decipher the puzzle each time out. As such, our nine bass were about what was expected although I anticipated a bit heavier Top Five Weight. I’m always pleased with more, but such is the pursuit and I’ll keep coming back for more when the opportunity arises as I love the challenge of that place.

10:28am – First catch of the day was a toothy fish on a spinnerbait

Teeth – One of the appealing factors of fall fishing at Lake Storey is the chance that a walleye and/or muskie will make a mistake for us bass fishermen. About twenty-five minutes into our outing, Brent let out a “Whoa!” in response to an interested low thirty-inch muskie following his Emiquon Special spinnerbait. When later relating our trip to Dad, he asked, “Did you figure eight?” to which Brent responded, “No, it scared me.” Renowned muskie anglers, we are not. However, a few minutes later Brent landed the muskie pictured above to get us on the board after switching gears to a white spinnerbait.

A Couple Big Mistakes – The first big mistake was made around lunchtime by a fish that was heavy and excitable upon feeling the trebles of a Strike King KVD Rattling Squarebill crankbait. My first inclination was that I’d snagged a big old carp until it surfaced, and we saw that it was incredibly longer, and had teeth. I fought the biggest muskie we’d ever seen for several minutes with Brent having to duck my line and me walking from front to back to front to middle of the boat as the beast made line striping runs and one spectacular water clearing leap while giving my six-foot rod spooled with twelve-pound monofilament all it could handle. The second mistake occurred as the muskie came boatside and I advised my net man to hold off on attempting a dip as the fish certainly exceeded the normal size of catch for our tool. Bad, bad move on my part as a subsequent headshake must have been just enough to cut the line and our fish was gone. I was bummed but occasionally able to still cling to the hope that something good was still to come…and it did.

2:31pm – Got a second chance after a disappointing “one that got away”

The rest of the story has been told before on the blog as “A Tale of Two Muskies” (click here). For today, the abridged version is that it about made me sick to lose that massive fish at boatside. I still think about it to this day. But all you can do is keep on casting. That’s what we did and later in the afternoon I landed what is still my largest muskie. The 43”, near twenty-pound fish certainly eased the heartbreak but I can’t help but think of what might have been as the lost fish was considerably stouter. Ten years later, I can only dream of the day where I nearly caught over forty pounds of muskie.

Releasing the one that didn’t get away so it could grow up

Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 8, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

When my family moved to the Quad Cities eight years ago, a new lake in Scott County, Iowa was set to debut after decades of planning. Back in 2014, Lost Grove Lake was still in the process of filling and finally reached full pool the following year. I made my first trip to the fishing hole in June of 2016 and would make a total of a dozen trips from then through September of 2017. My interest in the site then diminished with only four trips in 2018 and 2019 combined. The lake certainly had potential and from current reports, that potential is being realized several years later.

Today’s post looks back at a September 2017 outing in the days when I invested in a non-resident license and chased bass across The River.

Originally posted 9-10-17

The three youngest kids took my folks up on an overnight visit and we had nothing going at home, so it was off to Iowa after work to chase bass across the river for the first time since late July.

Stats
Date: September 8, 2017
Location: Lost Grove Lake, IA
Time: 6:16pm-7:46pm
Weather: Sunny/calm to windy
Air Temp: 74-68F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 4 bass
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Weight (two bass at 12” or better): 3-0 (1-14,1-2)

Battered buzzbait

Notes & Nonsense

Plan of Attack – Knowing I only had an hour and a half to fish, there was no exploring or experimenting this time around. Nope, hit all the spots with fast moving baits, a couple crankbait spots, a few Senko pitches at specific targets and otherwise a steady dose of buzzbait on proven areas.

Crankbait Results – I hit my two best crankbait stretches and never got a strike. Weapons of choice were a Mann’s Baby 1- (copper) and Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill (natural pumpkinseed).

Senko Results – I pitched the Senko into a handful of targets along with using it as a follow-up bait on a couple missed buzzbait strikes. My targets produced a pair of hookups, but both threw the bait before reaching the boat, tough break but good to see the spots come through (neither was a “keeper” at least).

Buzzbait Results – Less than thirty minutes in, I had three bass on the buzzbait and was feeling good about my prospects for the rest of the short outing. All three of these bass came from banks that were sheltered from the direct sunlight and my home stretch would feature similar conditions once the sun descended behind a slight ridge. Overall, things were setting up well.

7:12pm – Top Bass at 15″ and 1-14 on a buzzbait

Foiled Again – The 2017 weather on my Lost Grove outings has not fully cooperated ranging from too much sun to a scary storm showing up in a hurry. This time around I plucked a 1-14 from a batch of partially submerged brush on the buzzbait as I began a run through my money spots on the homestretch. The photo shows a light ripple on the water in the background, which was about right for presentation and boat control. By the time I got this bass photographed and logged, the wind kicked up to near whitecap magnitude blowing me in the opposite direction of the ramp. Boat control was shot and buzzbait commotion was negated by the increased wave action. I got a couple missed strikes but no more hookups and wound up with a disappointing stretch run as the darned weather turned on me again.

Even so, it was a decent abbreviated outing, especially as I came awfully close to just staying home for a nap on the couch instead as I’d been beat all week. Can’t catch ‘em at home so glad I went, posting my third largest Lost Grove bass to date with the day’s Top Bass. Also got some GoPro footage as the camera seems to be back in working order after an odd hiccup (or operator error) and a shout out to an unnamed Good Samaritan who helped me lug my boat back to the truck at the end of my day.

 

No big ones but that was par for the course for my Lost Grove outings back then. I could get decent numbers but not many quality bites. Of course, in the early days, the young lake had a bass population whose members had some room to grow. From what I see these days, those bass have grown up over the last five years. Perhaps I will get back over there one of these years but content at present to continue my learning curve on the hundred-year-old Hennepin Canal. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – September 2, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

By this time next week, September will have arrived. That can mean some good fishing, but it also means that it is crunch time as weather, activities and access are all considerations when looking to get on the water. As we look to the home stretch of 2022, today’s flashback looks back on the “fall” kickoff from five years ago this week.

Excerpts below from the original September 4, 2017 blog post.

Stats
Date: September 2, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL public access strip mines (7 lakes)
Time: 7:00am-1:45pm (5.0 hours fishing, the rest walking or driving)
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/calm to breezy
Air Temp: 47F-74F
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 27 bass
Lures:
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin/black flake or green pumpkin) – 10 bass
Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill crankbait (natural pumpkinseed) – 7 bass
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (Snow White shad) – 5 bass
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 4 bass
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-8 KVD 2.5 crankbait
Top 5 Weight: 12-12 (3-8,3-5,2-5,2-1,1-9)

7:02am – First bass and Top Bass at 3-8 on a crankbait

Notes & Nonsense

Great Start – On about the third cast of the morning with a buzzbait I was rewarded with a large blowup. Unfortunately, I was not rewarded with a bass as it had poor aim. Another cast with the buzzbait failed to get a repeat so I fired out my Strike King KVD 2.5 crankbait instead and hooked up with a 3-8 which would set the Top Bass bar pretty high. In fact, that first bass wound up being Top Bass for the day although I had one later that gave it a run for the money. Anyway, a couple casts later I landed a 2-1 and then a 1-9 less than ten minutes later. So, after thirteen minutes of casting I had three of my Top 5 in the log at 7-2 and was excited about the solid start. Things slowed for the next several hours in terms of quality bites but that would eventually take a turn for the better with a 3-5 and 2-5 joining the creel to finish the outing.

Odd catch, a “brokeback bass”

Lure of the Day – It felt good to nail a few on a good, old crankbait for a change. The KVD 2.5 squarebill that did the trick runs to a depth of about five feet. I’m typically a little leery throwing these things from the bank, especially on unfamiliar waters as I am cheap and don’t want to get snagged on any underwater structure when I don’t have the means to get the lure back. On this morning, the bass just wouldn’t commit to a topwater bite, and I was comfortable with the lakes I was fishing being snag-free so this bait was my choice in finding a sub-surface bite without having to slow down my presentation. It was indeed a winner, producing four of my Top 5 bass when worked with an occasional rip and pause in the retrieve.

 

One final note from this trip is that it marked the first Top 10 Trip Tunes feature.

10. “Bad Medicine” – Bon Jovi (1988)
9. “For What It’s Worth” – Buffalo Springfield (1967)
8. “Talk Dirty to Me” – Poison (1987)
7. “Moondance” – Van Morrison (1970)
6. “Goodbye Stranger” – Supertramp (1979)
5. “Hey, Hey, What Can I Do” – Led Zeppelin (1970)
4. “Anyway You Want It” – Journey (1980)
3. “Don’t Look Back” – Boston (1978)
2. “You Ain’t Seen Nothin’ Yet” – Bachman Turner Overdrive (1974)
1. “Burnin’ For You – Blue Oyster Cult (1981)

Hoping to revisit the Top 10 Trip Tunes concept, got another Hennepin Canal report from August, and hopefully one more trip this month. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 20-21, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today’s flashback looks back at an overnight outing coinciding with a solar eclipse that the media billed as the “Great American Eclipse.” I figured that it would be fun to fish during the phenomenon. However, Mother Nature had other plans as detailed in the original blog entry below from August 22, 2017.

Since a couple vacation days in early August wound up returned in favor of work, I thought I’d try it again this week to coincide with the Eclipse. In addition, Julie was still a couple of days away from having any kids at the aftercare program and all of ours were starting their first full week of school, so the stars were aligned. Always a roller coaster ride, however, when it comes to having a “plan.”

Stats
Date: August 20-21, 2017
Locations: Knox County, IL strip mines (2 lakes)
Time: 7:00-8:00pm (8/20) and 6:25-7:25am (8/21)
Weather: Partly cloudy/breezy (8/20) and overcast to mostly ugly (8/21)
Air Temp: 80F (8/20) and 66F (8/21)
Water Temp: no reading
Totals: 9 bass (7 on 8/20 and 2 on 8/21)
Lures:
Booyah Buzz Buzzbait (Snow White shad) – 8 bass
5” Senko wacky rig (pumpkin with black flake) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 5-11 Senko
Top 5 Weight: 9-9 (5-11,1-1,1-1,1-0,0-12)

Notes & Nonsense

The Plan – Three days, two nights flying solo camping and fishing. Leave Sunday afternoon (left home at 5:00pm), camp overnight, fish Monday through Eclipse and return home to meet the kids at 3:00pm after school. Return to campsite that evening after Julie finishes a back-to-school activity at 6:00pm. Overnight again and fish all day Tuesday with an evening return home.

Reality – I got in the anticipated one hour of fishing Sunday as planned after setting up camp. Next, was a peaceful and uneventful overnight with a nice campfire and a few Miller Lites. Then, I managed only one more hour of fishing on Eclipse Day morning before wicked skies sent me packing. I tried to wait out the storm but waved the white flag at 10:30am amidst thunder, lightning, and heavy rains. I scrambled to tear down and pack in a shower and was home by noon. Monday night camping was also called off with more thunderstorms forecast for the bulk of overnight.

An Eclipse Eve bass on a buzzbait

Eclipse Eve Fishing – I was able to cast from 7:00pm to 8:00pm on a lake I haven’t visited for a while with an all-out buzzbait blitz due to limited window until sunset. Conditions were favorable with partly cloudy skies, a little color to the water and light chop. Seven bass came aboard but lacked a lunker with Top Bass at 1-1. It was a solid start; I was happy with the results and looked forward to the next launch in about ten hours.

Eclipse Day Fishing – I thought it would be fun to fish through the partial eclipse just to say I did, if nothing else. The fun started right off the bat with a 5-11 on a Senko wacky rig but it was short lived with only one more fish (11.5” on a buzzbait) before the skies got scary, opened up, and sent me home.

Eclipse Day first of only two bass was a whopping 5-11 on a Senko

Top Bass – I caught my 5-11 less than ten minutes into my outing after my first two proven buzzbait spots failed to produce a strike. Stop number three was a solid Senko wacky rig area amidst a stretch of overhanging bushes so I changed it up from the buzzbait. The Senko came through yet again on the first cast to the tune of my largest Senko bass and my fifth biggest bass ever. Pretty wild as I never felt the hit, just saw the line moving to the right, reeled down and set the hook anticipating the usual pound and a half fish from the spot. A few tense moments with the 10-pound Trilene on my spinning rig before I got a look and knew I had something special. The bass went airborne at one point, and I missed my first attempt with my Boga Grip. The battle had me nervous, but it was meant to be and saved what would be a short day on the water.

Eclipse Day morning got ugly and when it looks like this it is time to get off the water

Casualties – Unfortunately, there was no GoPro footage on the Top Bass as it bit the dust somehow while editing footage around the campfire the previous night. Julie mentioned that the salesperson dropped it at purchase and said to bring it back if any issues so got that on my to-do list. In addition, I thought I knocked my Fuji camera overboard after taking a spill on my tripod and crushing it when I lost my balance as my boat coasted into the bank. It seems that while I had replaced the batteries after shooting pics of the big fish, I fortunately did not re-attach the camera to the tripod. I was kicking myself for the last half hour about losing the camera and all the pics on it before finding it safe and sound in one of my utility boxes. Thank goodness, a strange turn of events. Some days the mind and body let you know that they’ve seen better days.

View during the eclipse from our makeshift viewing box

A series of highs and lows all in the span of about sixteen hours. Better than being at work but several weird and nervous outdoor moments had me wondering if I was better off inside.

Amateur astronomers getting a glimpse of the solar eclipse

So, in the end, I wound up observing the eclipse in our driveway with Julie and Carly. All good, as they both recall the event. That’s even better than landing a big bass in the shadows, right? Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 1987

Posted on by Troy Jackson

 

Twenty years old, a summer job with the Galesburg Park Department and not really a care in the world. Hit the shop at Lincoln Park just before 7:00am, get our marching orders for the day to mow, pick trash, paint, weed trim and refrain from doing anything dumb in front of the public and then head home at 3:00pm. After that, it was often off to the fishing hole. And what a trio of waters that make up today’s “Friday Flashback.”

August 5, 1987 – Steck’s Pond
Located a few miles northwest of Lake Storey, me and Brent fished this farm pond a few times with Bret Bruington who had access to the fishing hole. Bret (or Little Bru) is the son of Gary Bruington (Big Bru), longtime Galesburg High School baseball coach. Big Bru was not only my coach but also took several ball players on fishing trips while in high school, stoking my passion for the pursuit as he was a knowledgeable bass angler. Anyway, my catches for this day are noted in the original and database log entries pictured in this post. However, I must say that my fondest memory from Steck’s Pond was Little Bru, Brent and I landing a few fish on a February day when the line was freezing in the eyes of our poles. Or there was also the time a near four-pound bass spooked out of a weedbed and almost jumped right in the boat. Yep, don’t get me started…

August 8, 1987 – Green Oaks
Weekends were also spent at the fishing hole and weekends were the only days that the Knox College field station was open for casting. Too many stories for a flashback post but a 1988 Green Oaks bass at five pounds eight ounces was my personal best for many years afterwards. I’ve longed to get back to the fishing hole which is right across the highway from my Little John stomping grounds, but access is restricted to current students, faculty, and staff. However, I recently learned from a reliable source that a fish kill had decimated the bass population and rendered the spot a “crappie hole” per the report. Sad news as it once was a premier destination.

August 13, 1987 – Roehlk’s Pond
Like Steck’s Pond, Little Bru was our “in” on this fishing hole on the south edge of Knoxville, IL around Eiker Acres. If I were to rank ponds, this one would likely be number one on my list. It had an incredible variety of structure including a pronounced channel, flats, weedbeds, a duck blind, flooded timber, points, a stump bed and an island. And that was just the stuff we could plainly see. Who knows what else was hidden in the depths. My favorite memory from Roehlk’s was watching Little Bru pull out ten pounds of bass on back-to-back casts, a six-pounder followed by a four-pounder. I don’t know about Brent, but I’m still a bit jealous thirty-five years later.

Original log entries from these outings

It’s hard to say how many bass those of us who fished these spots and more all those years ago have landed in the interim. Guesstimation from my totals combined with the fishing habits of just the three of us mentioned in today’s flashback, I’d say it would easily exceed 20,000 bass. That’s a lot of fish but what is crazy is that to this very day I could walk or row you to the exact spot of all the catches referenced in today’s post. Whether that is passion, obsession, or just plain nuts, that’s fishing. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – August 5, 1997

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Twenty-five years ago, I got to share a boat on the Mississippi River down around Quincy with my girlfriend and her dad. Just over five years later, I would call those fishing partners my wife and father-in-law.

My late father-in-law, Junior Breuer

I don’t specifically recall what species we were targeting but I would suspect catfish. However, my log entry from the day consists of two white bass, a freshwater drum, and a largemouth bass. Apparently, our catches were not particularly impressive as I can only find one photo from the outing.

August 5, 1997 with my all-time Top Mississippi River bass

The bass pictured above still stands as my personal best Mississippi River bass in my limited visits to the mighty waterway. It was caught after we pulled the boat up onto an island to get out and stretch a bit. Part of the island featured a channel running through it with an old, downed tree lining one bank. I tossed my dew worm out along the piece of cover, and it barely hit the bottom before I had a fish on. I anticipated anything but a bass to be on the other end, so the catch was a pleasant surprise. It weighed in at 2-4, besting some of the pound and a half river bass I’d landed in the late 80s and early 90s.

The river has always been an untapped resource for me, but I will never forget a mid-80s visit with a baseball friend and his father, Ted and Fred Harvey. Mr. Harvey knew the river well, both as a fisherman and as an accomplished waterfowler. I remember being fascinated as he guided us to a handful of scrappy river bass. I had never considered such bass potential as my view of the muddy river centered around the usual suspects, catfish, carp, gar, and bowfin. It was a real eye opener, and I will forever be grateful to Mr. Harvey for inviting a nineteen-year-old wannabe bass fisherman along for the ride.

Same goes for my late father-in-law, Junior Breuer, for not only letting me tag along but also for allowing me to marry his daughter. Here we are twenty-five years later just over a month from celebrating twenty years of wedded bliss.

Summer 1997 with my girlfriend and fishing partner, still going strong

Sadly, Junior passed away in 2007 but his memory still goes fishing with me every time I hit the water. After his passing, we inherited his truck, and it has racked up many miles and many bass over the years.

Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – July 18, 2012

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Ever get your camels confused? Read on for an explanation

Today’s flashback focuses on a Snakeden Hollow lake that did not exist back in 1990 when the site opened for public access. Although I roamed and fished Snakeden before it became public, I do not recall what the lake area looked like all those years ago. Perhaps it was just a depression hidden amongst the abundant weed growth before upkeep took an upswing. Construction of a series of earthen dams on the site have converted several of these marshes and potholes into viable fisheries over the years.

I first fished the spot on June 11, 2010, as curiosity and the heat got the best of me on one of my hikes. Looking back on a June 13, 2010, blog entry, my initial visit started as follows:

“The temperature and hauling half a dozen rods (in a handy rod holder) along with way too much tackle worked up a sweat in a hurry. Therefore, I stopped earlier than planned at a lake I hadn’t fished before. A bass blew up my Zara Spook twice on the first cast without eating it and I landed my largest fish of the day on my third cast with the Spook.”

July 18, 2012 original log entry

Since I caught a bass on that June 2010 day, the lake needed a name. As it had a visible hump, I elected to incorrectly call it “Bactrian Lake” as I got my camels mixed up (Dromedary is the one-humped ungulate). By the time that I fished it on this 2012 trip, I had realized my error and renamed it “Dromedary Lake.”

Dromedary Lake winning lure

The lake has been a productive spot over the years, but today’s flashback outing was the best overall day I’ve had on the body of water.

Date: July 18, 2012
Time: 7:15am-10:15am
Totals: 13 bass
Weather: Sunny/windy
Lures: Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 9 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- Crankbait (rainbow) – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass
Top Bass: 2-13 Zara Spook
Top 5 Weight: 11-1 (2-13,2-9,2-6,1-13,1-8)

 

Turns out that several years later I would drag a boat to the lake and discover that there was a second hump after all. Too late to change names again at that point, so the lake will forever be known as Dromedary Lake. Talk to you later. Troy

Friday Flashback – July 8, 2017

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Fun to look back at an adventure with Dad and my boys via the original post from 2017.

 

After three and a half hours of “high impact” bass fishing last Saturday, Dad and I relocated, regrouped, and reloaded our tackle in preparation of playing fishing guide to the pair of wild anglers in the shots that follow. Gramaw brought my boys, Jayce, and Zac, out to Little John Conservation Club for a ride in Papa’s “big boat” looking for a few panfish. Of course, the fish they reel in are only part of the big adventure when these two guys show up.

It took a little time and a little distance on the lake before both boys get on the board with a couple decent bluegill on good old waxworms hung from a bobber.

With the formality of landing a handful of fish out of the way, it was time to get a little closer to the world that those fish call home. The back of Dad’s bass boat rides much closer to the surface than our little johnboat and, well, the proximity of the water quickly proved to be too much to resist.

After a bit over an hour of trolling, splashing around and roughly double digits for the bluegill haul, we proceeded to spend nearly as much time out of the boat while fooling around at the boat launch. I’ve always shook my head and chuckled as it never fails that when you are ready to trailer your boat, somebody or several somebodies show up to make things more interesting. I’m a bank angler too, so I get it, but sometimes it gets a little dicey dodging bodies and attempting to show some courtesy while sharing space on those specific spots on the water. On this day, we were those folks and luckily no one else showed up to launch a boat.

I shot a few final pics and video while removing our catch from the livewell in the parking area. Lots of excited fish splashing and three generations of Jackson boys laughing and admiring the results of an enjoyable couple of hours at the lake before we released our catch to be caught again.

And finally, do you think fifteen poles are suitable for a morning on the water? It’s how this bunch rolls.

P.S. Dad and I got a couple good ones as well.

8:39am Dad’s Top Bass at 3-5 (20″) on a Senko wacky rig

8:11am My Top Bass at 5-0 (21.5″) on a buzzbait

Talk to you later. Troy