Fifteen years ago, I had the good fortune of prowling a fantastic batch of Fulton County fishing holes. Collectively, they were referred to as the Buckheart strip mines. It wasn’t the first time that I had prowled these waters, but it would be the next to last visit. Below is an excerpt from the original post detailing a full day on the water with my brother-in-law, David Breuer and my nephew, Dylan Breuer.

David with our Top Bass Runner-Up on the day at 4-1

Originally posted 10-6-2006

On September 24th I had another opportunity to fish the Buckheart strip mines near Canton. The waters had been kind to me on previous outings and my trip with David and Dylan was no exception. We put in a full day as our first casts hit the water a little after 7:00 am and we headed for home around 6:00 pm. In between, we fished nine bodies of water ranging from large-scale strip pits to potholes that you could easily cast a lure across. We began our day in the boat but spent the bulk of the day prowling the banks. Several bass joined the record book and though I felt that I struggled at times, I still wound up catching 32 bass. David was easily the top angler of the day putting on an impressive display both in quantity and quality. Dylan came on strong after a rough start to teach me a thing or two about fishing even though I’ve got a twenty-five-year head start. It’s fun to watch a kid when he gets a good bite going and puts on a show. He’s a good kid, and pretty quiet too, so he doesn’t rub it in too much.

A Tale of Two Days – When we began our day, we launched the boat to overcast skies, strong winds, cool temperatures, and a looming threat of rain. My turtleneck and sweatshirt were a good decision though I did question leaving my rain suit in my truck. By early afternoon, it seemed like a completely different day as I had worked up a sweat under sunny skies and warming temps. We had a smattering of rain mid-morning that led to the decision to trailer the boat in case things got ugly but that was the extent of the precipitation. The changing weather conditions didn’t really seem to have much of an effect on getting bites, as it seemed at least someone was catching fish throughout most of the day. With three anglers pounding the water and frequently changing fishing holes we managed to avoid prolonged dry spells.

Dylan with a 3-14 for his Top Bass of the outing

Results – Between the three of us we easily caught well over a hundred bass on a variety of offerings. The top baits were Rat L Traps, Senkos, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. We added five bass to the record book, but the largest fish of the day was not weighed. David caught one in the five-pound range at our final stop but did not have his scale with him at the time and I was on the opposite side of the lake making it impractical to head his way with my scale and camera. Despite this unfortunate situation, he still managed to claim Top Bass with a 4-1 landed earlier in the day on a Rat L Trap. Dylan later took a shot at the title but fell a few ounces short with a 3-14 on a spinnerbait. Dylan also claimed the third spot with a 3-2 on a Rat L Trap and I added a 2-15 (Rapala Rattlin Rap) and a 2-6 (Senko) to round out or new entries.

Good memories from some classic fishing holes. But as time moved on, parcels of the land were sold off and now reside behind locked gates for which I no longer have a key. I sure wish that I would have taken more advantage of the access I had back in those days, but old fish stories and flashbacks will have to suffice. Talk to you later. Troy

Today’s post takes us back 20 years to an old favorite fishing hole called Emstrom’s Pond. The Friday Flashback has spent a few weeks there since the inception of the series back in 2018. You’d think after that collection of posts about the farm pond that I would have run out of stuff to write about.

Nope, I can always come up with something when it comes to talking fishing.

For today’s post we’ll look at our resemblance to a couple celebrities of yesteryear.

Wilson (Home Improvement 1991-1999) & Jackson (2-6 bass from 9/8/2001)

While I have shown some improvement in striking a pose with my catches, it took me quite a few years to heed Julie’s advice to not hide behind the fish. A valid point, although I never really thought about it back in the day. After all, the fish was the focal point to my way of thinking. Of course, today’s pic pre-dates my use of a cell phone for selfies although I did employ cameras with timers in those days. Those cameras were lacking the do-over feature provided by digital photography, but I didn’t care if my face was in there anyway. Would have liked to have gotten a brighter shot on this catch though.

U L (MLB 1977-1987) & TJ (3-15 bass and toothpick from 9/8/2001)

Dad’s pose with his quality bass from this trip brings to mind a shortstop by the name of U L Washington. Washington’s major league career spanned 1977 through 1987, during which he collected 703 hits, 27 homers and 132 stolen bases while posting a .251 career batting average. However, it was his ever-present toothpick that left as much of an impression as his on the field performance.

One more catch from 9/8/2001, Dad with a 3-1 bass (and a toothpick)

You know, come to think of it, Dad also had a “fro” reminiscent of U L once upon a time. And did you know that U L was U L’s given name and not initials?

Yes, folks, this blog is much more than just pretty fish and rugged outdoors people. Talk to you later. Troy

Among the open water months of the year in my neck of the woods, I would rank August as my least favorite. Several factors come into play beginning with school getting back in session earlier than ever. With it comes a series of priorities that take precedence over fishing as the family gets back in the swing of things.

On top of back to school, throw in the dog days of summer. Granted, the bass are still there but often they get a little tougher for me to fool in the hot, sunny conditions that mark mid-summer.

Of course, there is a saying that “the best time to go fishing is anytime you can.” And for today’s Friday Flashback, I offer up some Snakeden Hollow examples to demonstrate that quality fish can still show up when you take a shot at beating the August heat (particularly at the end of the month).

Talk to you later. Troy

One more visit to the creek for today’s Friday Flashback post as it was a regular summer haunt for a lot of years. An earlier flashback post from the creek was chock full of what I like to think was some practical advice for wading those flowing waters. Today’s post is chock full of the names of areas on what we called “Pat’s Creek.”

The family that farmed the area where we camped, trapped, hunted, and fished were the Wilson’s. The father was Earl who lived a couple miles from the creek. His son, Pat, lived off the gravel road on a lane that was our access to the creek. Thus, it was Pat’s Creek, and the general area was called Wilson’s and included spots like The Waterfall, The Blue Gate, Old Faithful, Eagle’s Point and many more.

To get to Pat’s Creek we had to drive across the cattle guard, up the lane to Pat’s house, past the sheds and grain bins, turn right at the corner post, continue past the trashpile, and stop where the lane ended at the cornfield just west of The Pond. From there it was a fair walk down to Buffalo Head Tree before taking a slight left through the bull nettles and poison ivy before entering the creek.

Where We Get In was a slippery slope that witnessed a tumble or two over the years. First casts were generally in the vicinity of The Brushpile before heading downstream to The Tree Roots. From there it was a walk past The German Torpedo and The Riffle to hit The Culvert and The Deep Hole. As the wade made its way to Where We Get Out there was also a stop at The Bridge (which was gone in my days on the creek).

Of course, each of those spots has a story behind the name. Some are rather self-explanatory; some require a little imagination. Each spot also has a story or two from experiences over the years. Experiences for quite a collection of family and friends who were along for a wade throughout the course of close to 40 years of outdoor fun.

Per my records, this August 2011 trip was the next to last time Dad and I hit the creek together as the land would change hands and we would lose access. The photo album for this outing contains my two carp catches and Dad’s catfish. Since I’m writing this story and I cannot track down a fishing log entry, I guess I’ll offer up that this may represent the only time I outfished Dad in his element. Talk to you later. Troy

There’s a spot at Snakeden Hollow called “Bearclaw Lake” that was a popular stop for me during the early years after the site opened to the public back in 1990. The trio of Bearclaw bass below come from thirty years ago, and while not trophies, I still consider any bass at two pounds or better to be “a good one.” Each of these three fish made that mark and totaled just over seven pounds.

Bearclaw Lake at 2-12 in the days before “selfies”

Bearclaw Lake at 2-6, not really a keen idea for a photo

Bearclaw Lake at 2-4, my apologies to the bass, I’ve learned a thing or two over the years

According to the back of the pics, they were all fooled by a lure called the “Dying Flutter”, something that I classify as a propbait. These wooden lures were somewhat of the predecessor to today’s popular Whopper Plopper. The Dying Flutter was crafted by Heddon Lures and featured props fore and aft on the lure body. From a brief internet search, it appears that these baits are no longer in production. Strange thing is, I also cannot find any in my tackle collection. Instead, I have several other 80s propbaits called the “Devil’s Horse” that are still made by the Smithwick lure company. Perhaps I made an error in identifying the lure on the picture backs all those years ago. And that’s more or less the last time I threw these particular lures.

I suppose these Devil’s Horse baits from the 80s may be considered antiques by now

Now, there’s nothing wrong with these baits and I had a blast fishing them once upon a time as topwater strikes are about as exciting as it gets. But, like many lures and trends, I shift gears and a presentation gets left behind in one of the multitudes of utility boxes in the garage. Thinking back on my experiences with the Dying Flutter/Devil’s Horse, there’s a tale or two to tell, but those are for another day to keep this post concise.

Just as lure trends change, so has the landscape of Snakeden Hollow. Over the last 30-plus years, Bearclaw Lake has seen significant changes in terms of bank accessibility. A lake that once presented ample bank access to hit all the “good spots” has now become quite a challenge for a bank angler due to vegetation, both terrestrial and aquatic. I have hit it a few times in the last five years along with my brother on at least one occasion. While we’ve posted solid numbers, the quality bass of yesteryear have been lacking. Maybe they’re gone, maybe they’re wiser, tough to say. Perhaps some more sampling is needed.

Bearclaw Lake Top Bass at 3-15 from 20 years ago, better job on the photo, too

I’ll close with the pic above of the Bearclaw Lake Top Bass, landed 20 years ago on August 14, 2001. It was also a topwater catch, coming on the legendary Zara Spook. Good times on a good lake and those topwater strikes sure leave a lasting impression. Talk to you later. Troy