Senko fishing on the strip mines can be a sight to see when the conditions are right. Fifteen years ago this week, the stars were aligned, and the bass dealt me a winning hand. Below is the original report from that outing as posted to family and friends before becoming a blogger.

Original log entry from May 19, 2007

Julie was headed for Jacksonville for a stamping workshop, the girls were in Canton, and I didn’t have to work until 3:00 pm so I decided to give Little John another try. Initially I thought I would try Muskrat Lake but passed the gate and headed for Club Lake instead. Being a Saturday morning, I was not surprised to find a boat already fishing near the ramp, so I opted to head for Skeet Lake. This small lake also had a fisherman, and I didn’t want to share so I continued up the road to Long Lake. A guy was just loading his boat onto the trailer and said luck was fair at best. We talked for a while, and I eventually made my way back to Muskrat Lake where I was intending to start in the first place. As I wished, I had the lake all to myself. My delayed start would prove rather fateful as I had quite a day once my Senko hit the water.

Stats
Date: May 19, 20007
Location: Muskrat Lake – Little John Conservation Club
Time: 8:45am-11:00am
Weather: Sunny/windy
Air Temp: 65-75F
Water Temp: not available
Totals: 15 bass
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad)
Top Bass: 5-3 (Senko)
Top 5 Weight: 15-9 (5-3,4-6,2-1,2-0,1-15)

I began fishing at 8:45am and told myself that I would stay until around 11:00 am before heading home for lunch and to get ready for work. The Senko wacky rig (natural shad) was responsible for all fifteen of my fish and set the lake record, twice. After catching only two bass in the first forty-five minutes, I finally happened upon a successful pattern. The bass were hiding under overhanging bushes on the southern banks of the many chutes and fingers of the lake. Such cover provided a shady ambush point as opposed to the bushes on the northern banks which were exposed to direct sunlight. This stuff is textbook bass fishing and really makes you feel smart when you read the conditions right. At one point, I tried an experiment that boosted my confidence even further. I was sitting in a narrow chute with overhanging bushes on the north exposed to the sun and overhanging bushes on the south creating a shadow on the surface. A cast of the Senko to the northern bushes came up empty. In contrast, a healthy two-pound bass nailed the lure seconds after it splashed under the shady, southern bushes. Man, what I wouldn’t have given for an audience.

9:21am – a new Muskrat Lake Top Bass at 4-6 on the Senko wacky rig

At 9:21am, my pattern produced a 4-6 to best the lake record of 4-0 set by Tim on 4/12/00. This record would be short lived as my final bass of the day proved to be my best ever from the strip pits at Little John. Just southwest of the Fremont Road boat ramp is a tree sitting in 8-10 feet of water just out from the deep edge of a lengthy weed bed. On 7/19/03, Dad had nailed a nice 2-3 on a jig off this piece of structure while we fished together. I intended to make the spot my last stop and fired my second cast to the tree right at 11:00am. As soon as I set the hook, I knew that I had a good fish but was still surprised when the bass broke the surface. Upon landing the fish, I thought that it had a shot at the six-pound mark which would be a new personal best. However, the fish fell well short as it only weighed 5-3. I was not at all disappointed despite my error in judgment. The bass sets the bar pretty high for Top Bass 2007 but there’s a whole lot of year left.

11:00am – a bad pic of a good bass at 5-3 on a Senko to break the Muskrat Lake Top Bass mark again

All told, six bass joined the record book in my best ever outing on Muskrat Lake. The top two bass were the heaviest two fish combo I’ve posted in one day eclipsing a 4-10 and a 4-0 caught at Lake Bracken on 4/14/99. Not only were the conditions right for the particular pattern I was fishing but I’m also convinced that I wouldn’t have caught most of the fish were it not for the Senko wacky rig. The slow, tantalizing fall of the lure continues to produce impressive results. Along with the previous trip on Hopper Lake, the Senko has posted the best results that I’ve ever had on these two lakes and there are still several other lakes at Little John where I have yet to give it a try. I feel it would also be appropriate to pass along a word of thanks to the nameless anglers who beat me to the other lakes that morning.

Senko wacky rig in the natural shad pattern, best color ever but they quit making it for some unknown reason

Quite a showing by the bass in the early days of fishing the Senko. No doubt that it revolutionized our bass fishing, particularly on the strip mines. Well, it’s May and high time to see what the Senko can do fifteen years down the road. Talk to you later. Troy

It seems fitting that today’s flashback details a windy day on the water as it seems like it has been windy for all of 2022 as well. But if you are willing to fight the weather, the fish are out there.

Originally posted 4-29-12

My brother, Brent, and I originally were considering a trip to Emiquon amid some recent blogging hype but opted for Plan B instead and stayed closer to home. It proved to be the right decision as we don’t have an Emiquon worthy boat to handle the 15-20 mph winds that rocked us on the water all day. So, Lake McMaster it was, and here’s how it went.

Stats
Date: April 25, 2012
Location: Lake McMaster – Snakeden Hollow
Time: 8:05am-2:20pm
Weather: Partly cloudy to sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 56-83F
Water Temp: 62F
Totals: 13 bass, 1 crappie (Troy – 8 bass, Brent – 5 bass, 1 crappie)
Lures: Frank’s inline spinner (Snakeden Splash) – 3 bass, Mann’s Baby 1- crankbaits – 3 bass, Mann’s 4- crankbait – 2 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 2 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (rainbow trout) – 2 bass, Spinnerbait (Emiquon Special) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 4-1 Troy (5” Yamasenko wacky rig – rainbow trout)
Top 5 Weight: 9-3 (4-1, 1-11, 1-4, 1-2, 1-1)

Top Bass at 4-1 and remains our best from Lake McMaster to this day

Notes & Nonsense

New Top Bass – The 4-1 represents a new lake record for family and friends eclipsing a 3-9 from 9/28/10. It hit my Senko wacky rig seconds after it landed near a flooded bush in about six feet of water. A dark shadow suddenly blazed into view from deeper water and essentially hooked itself as all I did was instinctively lift my rod tip and hold on. The bass quickly dove under the motors on my end of the boat and had me concerned about my eight-pound test holding up. It then briefly hung in some weeds before I applied more pressure, and the bass came roaring alongside the boat where Brent was waiting with the dipnet. The octopus hook was lodged in the roof of the mouth of the bass a couple inches back as it had totally annihilated the lure.

Guessing Game – Whenever we land a decent bass, we throw out our weight estimates prior to hanging the fish on the scale. Over the years we’ve gotten pretty good as evidenced by our “guesstimates” on the 4-1; Brent at 3-13, me at 4-2. Isn’t it strange how the guy who caught it guessed high while the dipper went low? I also pegged my 1-11 right on the money later in the day. Perhaps I’m just better at judging the smaller bass as I get slightly more practice with their kind.

Muskie Report – We did see one of Lake McMaster’s toothy denizens as I spotted a low 30-inch fish appear next to the boat mid-morning. Shortly afterwards there was fair boil on the surface nearby, but we couldn’t raise anything in the spot or elsewhere. However, the wind was once again so bad that we could’ve been surrounded by muskies in some spots and still not seen them even in the incredibly clear water.

Equal Time – When we launched, we agreed to split up motor duties/front versus back of the boat time. Experience says that the guy in the front typically has the advantage but today may have been an exception as running the bow mounted foot control on the trolling motor was a chore. Thus, the guy in the back got in more casts and had first shot at some fishy looking spots which is generally out of the ordinary. For whatever reason, Brent got the short end of the deal as he was on the trolling motor during the portion of the day where we worked areas more exposed to the strong winds. Things remained civil as we’re no longer kids but I did wonder if he was going to tell on me.

A variety of recent weather conditions have been a challenge, and while I’ll never tire of matching wits with the bass, I’ve certainly had about enough of wind, cold fronts, and numb digits. But among the variables in fishing, weather is one you can’t control. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t gripe about it.

Ten years later, the early spring weather has offered more of the same. Talk to you later. Troy

New water is always a dilemma. On one hand, it is exciting to step out of my comfort zone and chase bass in an unfamiliar setting. On the other hand, it is intimidating to chase bass armed with only information gleaned from internet prowling. Of course, decades of experience also come into play. Read on for the report from the original blog entry posted on April 27, 2012, at the Heartland Outdoors website.

Beginner’s Luck – 1:32pm, seven minutes after launching I found a good one weighing 3-6

Stats
Date: April 19, 2012
Location: Prairie Lake – Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area
Time: 1:25pm-6:10pm
Weather: Sunny to overcast/very windy
Air Temp: 75F-73F
Water Temp: 64F
Totals: 3 bass, 1 bluegill (accident)
Lures: 5” Yamasenko wacky rig with flickshake weighted jighead (rainbow trout) – 1 bass, 5” Yamasenko wacky rig (natural shad) – 1 bass, Bomber Flat A (baby bass) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-13 (Senko wacky rig)
Weight (2 bass > 12”): 7-3 (3-13, 3-6)

Original Log Entry

Notes & Nonsense

Exploring – New water is always a treat and I enjoy testing my skills armed only with about 30 years of experience and whatever information I can glean from magazines and websites. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t but for me a pair of three plus pounders in about five hours of fishing is a good day. Sure, I only landed three bass and had a couple other odd breakoffs when setting the hook on what looked to be smallish fish but overall, I still considered the outing to be a success thanks to the two quality bass.

5:19pm – took nearly four hours to land bass number two but a 3-13 was worth the wait

No Wake – I’m a big fan of allowing anglers to run “big” motors at “no wake” speeds on bodies of water such as Prairie Lake. It sure made point hopping a breeze in the windy conditions and allowed for some more exploring than would have been afforded by our trolling motor setup. It also provides confidence that I’ll get back to the boat ramp as I’ve had some anxious moments over the years. Of course, the 35-horsepower motor gave out for some reason leaving me pushing out of a thick weedbed with a canoe paddle but fortunately I was within yards of the ramp. I was admittedly a little ticked off but no worse for wear and luckily the stormy looking weather conditions meant that I did not have an audience at the boat launch.

Sinking Feeling – About 5:30pm I decided to troll across a section of the lake, eat a sandwich and relax before finishing up my day with a pass along the dam. I’d taken my hat off to air out a bit and let the stiff wind blow through my thinning hair. Looking down I suddenly realized that the wind had lifted my good old floppy hat which was now bobbing amidst the whitecaps about 100 feet away (a long 100 feet at that back into the wind). The race was on, and I won so my hat simply got a much-needed washing and what more fitting basin than a 210-acre fishing hole.

6:01pm – final bass of the day

Bed Time – I did spy a few bass on beds doing what comes naturally and briefly harassed a couple of them to no avail with the closest taker blowing up a topwater frog. I’ve never been much of a sight/bed fisherman anyway as I don’t have the patience. Besides, with the windy conditions boat control and spotting fish was a hassle and I didn’t feel like anchoring as I’m more of a run and gun guy once the cold-water period passes. I also have occasional reservations regarding messing with the bass as they work on restocking the lake. I mean if the shoe was on the other foot (even though bass don’t have feet, you know what I mean).

“Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad” – Meatloaf (1947-2022), sums up this outing well

The years have passed, and I have never gotten a chance to get back to JEPC’s Prairie Lake. I continue to hear good things about the fishing hole but just too far to invest the time and gas money. And, while I only got three bass in the boat, as Meatloaf would say, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” Talk to you later. Troy

You never know what you will get in terms of weather in early April. From today’s flashback it appears that it was rotten and windy to start April 2017. It seems that the wind did not subside for this outing, but the weather took a turn for the better and hit the comfortable range.

Originally Posted 5-13-17

Stats
Date: April 8, 2017
Locations: Knox County public strip mines (7 lakes)
Time: 10:45am-5:20pm (5.00 hrs. fishing the rest walking)
Weather: Sunny/very windy
Air Temp: 55F-72F
Water Temp: 53-58F
Totals: 20 bass
Lures: Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with twin tail trailer (salt & pepper) – 13 bass, 3/8 oz. Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (black/blue) with #11 pork frog (black) – 5 bass, KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill Crankbait (sexy ghost minnow) – 1 bass, Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 3-6 Jig & Pig
Top 5 Weight: 10-0 (3-6,2-1,1-12,1-8,1-5)

12:58pm – Top Bass at 3-6 on a jig & pig

Notes & Nonsense

Strip Mines – Walk-in only access is a double-edged sword on these waters. On the upside, it offers off the beaten path angling and a stick and jab approach with numerous potholes; no bites in fifteen minutes or so, move on to the next body of water. The downside is the fact that my iPhone Health app recorded a total walking distance of 5.2 miles from 10:19am when I left my truck until 5:50pm when I got back (13,365 steps for any Fitbit fans out there). And this ain’t exactly a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood as undeveloped strip mine terrain pretty much stinks. Last fall I performed a similar stunt and wasn’t sure I wanted to pull it again. However, as I surmised, an early season trip is much more user friendly as the weeds are manageable (both terrestrial and aquatic) and no mosquitoes yet compared to the previous outing where I darn near needed a transfusion.

Weather – Though I wound up a bit sore, bank fishing was definitely the right choice on this day as the wind was howling out of the south and would have been a bear to deal with in a little johnboat. In addition, the recent heavy rains in the area had really pumped up the lakes to a fuller pool than I have ever seen before. Even so, they were not muddied up and with the wind chop on the surface and the windblown banks being riled up it really made for some favorable conditions. If there was anything that was less than optimal it was a lack of cloud cover but after barely seeing the sun in early April, no complaint, I can deal with it.

Textbook Success – Top Bass came in a classic spot on my first cast after relocating to fishing hole number three. This narrow cut/pothole runs north to south meaning that on this day the wind was just pounding a ledge on the north end that drops rapidly from about two feet into ten plus. My jig and pig offering was met with a telltale tick after a couple hops down the drop and the result was a 3-6 bass with an impressive well-fed gut. Pretty cool when it works like that, but I will also admit that during the day there were many similar, can’t miss setups that just didn’t pan out despite considerable effort. Runner up Top Bass at 2-1, however, did show up in a windblown chute on a spinnerbait after the jig and the underspin proved ineffective. Lesson here is that if you think a spot sets up to hold a fish give it a variety of offerings before giving up.

A productive day on the water and what a nice day to be outside. I’d waited all the way since February for this one, kind of a weird year. Between the sun and wind, I even wound up looking like a real bass fisherman with a burnt nose, cheeks and neck combined with pale eyes and forehead. When it was all said and done, my back put up some protest regarding my habit of hauling too much tackle and one knee was a bit stiff but overall, I was pleased with my ability to successfully pull off this stunt one more time. Might just have to do it again…

And that’s the plan, possibly this weekend or next depending on how some factors come into play. As always, there will be a follow-up fishing report here on the blog. Talk to you later. Troy

Original log sheet featuring the March 22, 1987 catch from Downin’s Pond in Warren County

How in the world do you make a fish story out of a lone 8-inch bass?

Well, here we go.

1987 marked my first real year of bass fishing. You know, with real bass lures and stuff. Along with the lures there was also a commitment. Previously, I’d spent a lot of time with Dad, Brent and my buddies casting Beetle Spins and various other ultralights around Lake Bracken for whatever would bite. That almost exclusively consisted of bluegill, crappie, and a steady stream of green sunfish when you cast too near any rocky shoreline. When the panfish didn’t find our offerings first, the bonus bass were few and far between and less than impressive.

By 1987, I’d invested in a couple of bass fishing combos, one Lightning Rod spinning and one Lightning Rod casting, courtesy of an incredible buy one get one free offer at the time. As far as tackle, the fun was just beginning. From the looks of my 1987 log sheets, my early collection featured the classic Rapala Floating Minnow, a few topwater baits (Zara Spook, Pop’R, Uncle Buck’s Buzzer), a handful of plastic worms and several spinnerbaits.

One of my original spinnerbaits and the winner on March 20, 1987, hadn’t seen it for years

Among my meager collection of spinnerbaits was a Strike King model that featured an interesting pairing of a modified willow and Colorado style fluted blades. Just for fun I decided to dig through the tackle archives as I thought that I may still have the old spinnerbait that logged that early bass. Sure enough there it was in an old hip-roof tacklebox amidst what could be called the “Spinnerbait Graveyard”. The skirt was so rotten that pieces broke off if not handled with care.

The “Spinnerbait Graveyard”

The time of year was also a learning experience. Late March can be a challenge as the bass aren’t quite fired up yet in the cold water. In addition, I had rarely fished this early in the year for much of anything, let alone bass. In hindsight, that also signified buying into thinking that I could be a bass fisherman.

And one eight-inch bass from Downin’s Pond near Berwick with Dad was proof that with some practice and a little bit of knowledge, lures built for bass will catch bass, even in March. And so it began.

Thirty-five years later, I’m still learning, and I plan to get some more instruction this weekend.

Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy