Category: Lures

Lure Lunacy-Little John Region Round 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Better late than never, right?

Okay, maybe don’t answer that one.

Anyway, the big, wild world made for a long day at work but I’m in this loony lure thing to win it. I may have to burn a little midnight oil but Round One will conclude tonight. Just in time to consider a look at Round Two.

Jig & Pig (1) vs. Vampire (16)
Matchup: Now, this one just sounds like a cool matchup. A legendary lunker producer with a throwback quality in a pork over plastic trailer. Then you have an obscure spinnerbait that unfortunately never caught on. Would’ve been cool to tell folks at the boat ramp that you were really onto a Vampire bite.
Result: No contest here, after all, the Vampire is certainly no University of Maryland Baltimore County Retriever.

Shadow Rap (8) vs. Dropshot (9)
Matchup: Sleek meets slim in a battle of subtlety. The suspending Shadow Rap and the dropshot rig are both designed to tantalizingly stare bass in the face and barely make a move.
Result: The dropshot edges out the Shadow Rap as while not a fast paced bait it generally outpaces the slowdown jerkbait game. Leaving a lure in place for more than about ten seconds is too much for me to take, I need a shot clock of sorts.

Whopper Plopper (5) vs. Moss Boss (12)
Matchup: The Whopper Plopper has sure caused a commotion over the last years and can definitely be a blast. Same for the Moss Boss although a substantially lower profile and not quite raising as much of a ruckus.
Result: Threes win this game, as in the pair of treble hooks sported by the Whopper Plopper. When a bass hits this one, it’s less likely to get away than striking the single hooked Moss Boss often through surface vegetation.

Shad Rap (4) vs. Smoo (13)
Matchup: One of the best cold water crankbaits in the Shad Rap takes on an interesting fat-lipped, bug-eyed caterpillar?
Result: I caught a bass on the Smoo. Once. Back in 1988. Caught one on the Shad Rap earlier this month and expect to continue to fool a few more. Victory to another classic Rapala design.

Topwater Frogs (6) vs. Ned Rig (11)
Matchup: Topwater explosions on the frog are exciting and frustrating at the same time. Cool blowups but low hooking percentages are the name of the game. Little Ned on the other hand gets his strikes out of sight and often barely noticeable, just kind of heavy.
Result: Ned comes through for his ability to elicit cold and tough bites. Frogs are fun but I can find plenty of other ways to fool my summertime bass.

KVD Squarebill (3) vs. Tornado (14)
Matchup: Squarebills are one of the latest trends in crankbaits, lauded for their ability to bounce off cover and avoid snagging of the treble hooks. This Strike King model is endorsed by perhaps the best tournament angler of all-time, Kevin VanDam. The Tornado, on the other hand, was created by a backyard Louisiana lure maker named Eugene “Shoestring” DuBois.
Result: I have to admit the pull of sentimentality for “Shoestring” who appeared with his Tornado in the old Bass Pro Shops catalogs. A great story but in the end, KVD and his Squarebill come out on top.

Bomber Long A (7) vs. Mann’s Augertail (10)
Matchup: For a couple years I really got into some strip mine bass by ripping a Long A in what I called a “frantic retrieve.” Alas, I couldn’t make it last. The Augertail didn’t last either but left a lasting legacy. I remember using it to catch my first ever Texas rigged worm bass on a pond owned by a fellow named Les Vicary.
Result: How can you argue with the nostalgia of learning how to fish the tried and true Texas rigged worm presentation? You can’t, and the Augertail advances.

Booyah Buzzbait (2) vs. Flies (15)
Matchup: Talk about opposite ends of the spectrum. A buzzbait is about as boisterous and obnoxious as one can get on the water, the polar opposite of the dignified, graceful presentation via fly rod.
Result: Flyfishing looks cool and I actually own a fly rod. I think it is in the rafters of Dad’s garage. Nope, I’m chunking a buzzbait until my arms get tired in search of a big bite.

Back rather soon with the Round One finale the Snakeden Region. Talk to you later tonight. Troy

Lure Lunacy-Emiquon Region Round 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Another region in the books per the rundown below.

Emiquon Region

Rat-L-Trap (1) vs. Flying Lure (16)

Matchup: Perhaps best described as a matchup of “As seen on TV…” versus as proven on the water. Yes, I donated some dollars to the infamous Flying Lure although I can’t recall whether I bought the hype or just had some extra fishing cash lying around. At any rate, I don’t think I ever caught a bass on the marketing sensation

Result: The original Bill Lewis lipless crank wins this one in a blowout. The Flying Lure was quoted after the thrashing that “it was just happy to be here and be remembered.” Of course, how could those of us who viewed those old advertisements ever forget.

Swimbait (8) vs. Quad Shad (9)

Matchup: I’ve seen some monster bass on swimbaits but never on the end of my line. Actually, I rarely ever have a swimbait on the end of the line. Perhaps that explains my lack of success. The Quad Shad did spend time on the end of the line and while a winner wasn’t quite as strong as some other spinnerbaits.

Result: I’m going with the swimbait on this one as the general lure type has many offerings from gaudy and gargantuan to sleek and modest. As such it lives to fish another day.

Triple Ripple Worm (5) vs. Alabama Rig (12)

Matchup: One of the original worm designs to grace the tacklebox, a lot of Triple Ripple worms arrived via mail at my folks’ house shortly after we received the Bass Pro Shops catalog. Many years later, the Alabama Rig took the fishing world by storm. The Emiquon Region is a perfect fit for such a multi bait lure as those Emiquon Preserve bass sometimes went into an absolute feeding frenzy.

Result: Every year it seems that there is a 12 seed upset over a 5 seed and this is it. Sure wish I had ventured into tossing the Alabama rig in the early days of Emiquon but I missed my chance. But today the A-Rig gets its due in a fantasy fishing sort of daydream

Creatures (4) vs. Poe’s Crankbait (13)

Matchup: Not sure what some of those plastic appendaged baits are truly supposed to represent but the bass sure take a liking to them when bounced around some structure. And the Poe’s crankbait, endorsed by the legendary Rick Clunn, promised to bounce off structure with its “coffin” bill and elicit bone jarring strikes.

Result: The creatures take the win as I never have figured out how Rick Clunn made those Poe’s baits into bass fooling machines. Then again, at 73 years old, Rick Clunn is still out there doing a lot of things that the rest of us wannabe Bassmasters will never understand.

Wooly Curltail (6) vs. Tubes (11)

Matchup: A lure that is best fished at a crawl for those tough bites takes on a bait that, well, is fished kinda slowly for those tough bites.

Result: This one plays out like one of those classic Princeton Tiger contests that go down to the wire courtesy of their controlling, methodical pace. In the end, the curltail comes out on top as it just has a little something extra, leaving the tubes (and Ivy Leaguers) “this close” to an upset.

Rapala DT Crankbaits (3) vs. Dancin’ Eel (14)

Matchup: The DT (“Dives To”) series of baits from the early 2000s traces its roots to 1930s Finland and legendary luremaker, Lauri Rapala. The Eel arose in the 80s, taking part of its name from a legendary angler, Bill Dance. Folks, that’s a couple heavy hitters from the fishing world.

Result: Despite the Eel’s famous name, it never really caught on, or caught many bass in my case. A Rapala DT6, on the other hand, is responsible for my largest bass of all-time. No contest.

Swim Jig (7) vs. Power Worm (10)

Matchup: Swim jigs were a hit and a bit of a rage when they hit the scene but seem to have faded in the wake of swimbaits in recent history. The Power Worm entered the market looking to capitalize on a rising interest in a bass’ sense of smell.

Result: Well, I don’t know about the bass but I smell a winner in the Power Worm from this matchup. Recognizable right out of the bag, I also smell an upset as we say so long to the Swim Jig.

Red Eye Shad (2) vs. Jigging Spoon (15)

Matchup: The largely horizontal commotion of the Red Eye Shad takes on the methodical, vertical lift and drop of a jigging spoon. Relatively shallow versus relatively deep as well, entirely different approaches.

Result: If ever there was a slowdown, milk the clock, Princeton Tiger upset brewing this would be the matchup. Close, but only a moral victory as the Red Eye Shad is just too talented at fooling fish.

Stay tuned as two more opening round regions to go. Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy-Storey Region Round 1

Posted on by Troy Jackson

We kick off “Lure Lunacy” with the early results via the wonder of scheduling blog posts in advance. Yes, I am at work but through the magic of technology and a dose of imagination I am able to share a makeshift substitute for our missing madness.

Storey Region – Round One

Zara Spook (1) vs. Vibratron (16)

Matchup: A classic topwater with origins dating back to the 1940’s takes on a funky spinnerbait that I have no idea when I purchased or if it ever hit the water.

Result: Vast experience and some great catches easily push the Spook to victory over the largely unknown spinnerbait

Sidewinder Worm (8) vs. Rapala Fat Rap (9)

Matchup: An 80s flashback here with both of these baits being mainstays in my meager tackle collection back when I first decided that I would try to be a bass fisherman.

Result: A heated old school battle with the Sidewinder eking out a victory amid memories of learning how to fish a Texas rigged plastic worm.

Mann’s 4- (12) vs. Mepps – (5)

Matchup: An original lure from the 80s tacklebox competes with a precursor to the current batch of squarebilled crankbaits.

Result: Dad made sure I was well-versed in the effectiveness of a Mepps inline spinner and it stills has a spot in the tacklebox. The Mepps moves on to the next round while the 4- moves back into the garage.

Bomber Flat A (4) vs. Lizards (13)

Matchup: A favorite cold water crankbait battles a slow moving bait that has given way to more interesting creatures over the years.

Result: I’m more into cranking and reeling so the Flat A pulls out an easy victory over the flipping and bed fishing presentations often used with lizards.

Chatterbait (6) vs. Rattlin’ Rogue (11)

Matchup: A versatile moving bait in the chatterbait matches up with the slow twitch and suspend profile of the jerkbait.

Result: I know folks swear by the chatterbait and I’ve seen their results but I just haven’t got it to work for me. I’m not a slowdown guy either but we have an upset in this case as the Rogue also sets up well for a more frantic retrieve at times.

Blue Glimmer (3) vs. Dardevle Spoon (14)

Matchup: The Blue Glimmer is no longer in production so I have guarded my last intact model to the point of not taking it out of the package. Some nostalgia on the spoon though as I discovered a couple in a tacklebox of my grandpa’s when he passed away in the 80s and they would fool more than a few farm pond bass along the way.

Result: Despite the longevity of the Dardevle Spoon, it is no match for the good, old Blue Glimmer spinnerbait.

Rat (7) vs. Mann’s 20+ (10)

Matchup: Another pair of 80s baits in a classic battle on completely opposite ends of the spectrum in the water column. Rat explosions on the surface mat are a blast while the pole bending retrieve of the original deep diver made it feel like you already had a fish as the Mann’s 20+ dredged formerly uncharted crankbait territory.

Result: The Mann’s 20+ was a revolution and takes the victory by going where a crankbait had never gone before.

Booyah Spinnerbait (2) vs. Ghost Minnow (15)

Matchup: The Booyah Blade represents my go to spinnerbait over the last decade or so while the Rebel Ghost Minnow was a flash in the pan. The Ghost Minnow just tore up the strip mine bass for me and Dad in 2003 but then completely fell off the radar after its “One Shining Moment.”

Result: Booyah in a runaway victory after the Ghost Minnow darted out to an early lead.

One region in the books courtesy of a couple clicks to launch the previously compiled results during lunch hour. Back to work shortly as lunch hour fades. Tune in later tonight as the Emiquon Region results head your way for a nightcap. Talk to you later. Troy

Lure Lunacy

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Normally, hoops fans and other interested prognosticators would be feverishly filling out brackets right about now in preparation for the madness tipping off next week.

Alas, the climate around the nation and the world has changed considerably in the last several days. Certainly a degree of madness is still in the air, just bit more concerning no matter how you assess or address the current health situation.

So, in an effort to satisfy the need for some sort of March competition I present “Lure Lunacy.”

Mirroring the traditional hoops format (minus “play-in” contests) I have seeded a 64 lure bracket consisting of a batch of bass catching creations. Same as the battles on the hardwood, a pair of lures will go head to head with the victor moving on to the next round. I have attached downloadable regional brackets below in the perhaps unlikely event that anyone would wish to play along with their personal preferences or predictions.

 

 

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Regardless of any active audience participation, the Lure Lunacy tourney will launch on Thursday and move through the upcoming weeks just like the real deal. Winning and losing lures meet their fate solely based on a combination of my experience and imagination as it relates to each bait. Stay tuned for end of day results and commentary Thursday through Sunday.

In addition, I hope to get a chance to relay some other fishing related items along the way. However, I do get to work amidst the ever evolving situation so time may be limited. Kind of weird but even if I was off for a while, I would be unable to fish at some of my stomping grounds. Yep, the doggone outbreak has even closed some of the outdoors per the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website. March Madness, indeed. Talk to you later. Troy

2019 Fishing Recap – Lures Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Part II without further ado.

5. Spinnerbaits
Booyah Blade (largely a white combo of some sort) – 31 bass
Top Bass: 18” 2-11 October 14 Knox County, IL private strip mine
Comments: I’m still a spinnerbait guy even though the lure has kind of fallen out of vogue in the mainstream over the years in favor of some newer presentations. My waters set up about 50/50 in terms of spinnerbait effectiveness. I like to toss these bladed baits in shallower water with some color and cover with Lake Storey and a handful of strip pits being right on target. Even found out that they work just fine on Kansas bass in 2019.

4. Crankbaits
Various (see below) – 42 bass
Top Bass: 15-15.5”” 1-12 Aug 3 (Lake Storey) Aug. 31 (Knox Co, IL public strip pit)
Comments: Success came on a several baits including the Mann’s Baby 1-, Rapala DT10, Strike King Rattling Squarebill and Bomber Deep Flat A. This batch of baits fish fast and cover the surface to ten feet, both aspects that are right in my comfort zone.

3. Lipless Crankbaits (tiebreaker with crankbaits = larger Top Bass)
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad or orange craw) – 42 bass
Top Bass: 17” 2-8 August 31 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: Kind of a weird year for this lure type. Typically a hit early in the year, 2019 didn’t see my first Strike King Red Eye shad catch until the end of June. From there on out it was a top producer right on through October on area strip mines and Lake Storey.

2. Plastic Worms
Senko wacky rig (watermelon/crème laminate or smoke) – 46 bass
Top Bass: 20” 3-14 July 27 Knox County, IL private strip mine
Comments: For several years, the Senko wacky rig has been my top producer and gets a real workout on the water. 2019 saw a bit of a decline in usage as many of my regular spots featured water that was more stained than normal. Just kind of strange conditions that had me focusing on some louder, flashier presentations. It was fun to see the Senko stake a claim to my Top Bass title for the first time since 2011.

1. Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz (snow white shad or bleeding shad) – 63 bass
Top Bass: 17-17.5” 2-4 May 27 & June 21 Knox County, IL strip pits
Comments: I am a sucker for a buzzbait strike and continue to force feed the bass in hopes of a big one getting fooled. Unfortunately, no big bites for the second straight year but plenty of success to insure that I’ll be throwing them again in about three months. Plenty of bites but such can also be a result of plenty of casts as I have been known to keep casting these when I’d probably be better off throwing something else.

Still more to come on the 2019 recap. As far as the 2020 season, I observed open water just over an hour south last Thursday. However, a local check yesterday showed ice to still be lingering on a Henry County fishing hole. But preparation is underway in hopes of getting on the water during one of these March weekends. Stay tuned and talk to you later. Troy

2019 Fishing Recap – Lures Part I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, you shouldn’t have a fishing recap without a reveal of the fish fooling lures that got it done on the water. 2019 saw me get a little bit more varied in my offerings as a total of ten different lure types came into play in landing 262 bass. And any blogger worth his (or her) salt, knows that a list of ten items is just too good to pass up. Thus, we kick off the 2019 lure recap with the first half of a Top 10 list that works its way to the eventual Top Lure reveal in tomorrow’s post. (Note: lure types are ranked by number of bass caught)

10. Topwater Frogs
Booyah Pad Crasher (cricket frog) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 11” June 11 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: Inspiration for my first frog catch since 2014 came via an email from Top 5 angler, John Kirkemo, as he noted a catch by young Top 5 angler, Landon Hannam. Fun to put the advice to use and always exciting to get one on a frog.

9. Jerkbaits
Bomber Pro 15A (red/yellow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 10” September 15 Lake Storey
Comments: Me and jerkbaits have had an odd, on again, off again relationship going back to 1997. Lately it has been the “off again” cycle as the lone 2019 catch represents only the third bass on the lure type since 2013. Prior to that, there are nearly 500 bass in the database from 1997 to 2013. Anyway, a stretch of riprap on Lake Storey looked like a winning spot and two casts later, I had a bass in the boat. Not a trophy but always cool when intuition calls for a cast and it works out.

8. Jigs
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (green pumpkin) w/ craw trailer – 10 bass
Top Bass: 16.5” 2-10 April 6 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: I ditched my old favorite black and blue color scheme in favor of green pumpkin to fool this batch of bass during a pair of spring trips to some area public strip pits.

7. Creature Baits
Zoom Baby Brush Hog (watermelon) – 11 bass
Top Bass: 17.5” 2-9 October 14 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: When I slow down…actually, I don’t really slow down very much. It’s not that I don’t like bouncing a creature bait around some cover, it’s more like I stubbornly try to find bass that want something fast.

6. Chatterbaits
Z Man Chatterbait (typically darker hues with Zako trailer) – 15 bass
Top Bass: 17” 2-3 April 1 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: I’ve just never been able to get this type of bait dialed in although I know they are successful. Various area reports, including some from spots I fish, definitely show their value while I struggle or shift gears to other baits. My 2019 haul was the most on this lure since 2007 (21 bass) and the 2-3 represented a new personal chatterbait Top Bass. Certainly room for a boost, maybe 2020?

Five lure types down and five to go as tomorrow’s post features a batch of the classic heavy hitters in the bass fishing world. Tune in tomorrow and talk to you later. Troy

Buzzbait Bite Behavior – Part II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

No Top 5 fish to report this week so I’ll run with a final piece from my May 27 outing. Today’s post features some footage of an effective follow up presentation after a missed strike on a buzzbait.

In the video below you can hear the buzzbait skip a beat at roughly the six second mark and see the resulting ripple in the water. Telltale signs of a missed strike and one of those things that you learn to recognize and differentiate from contact with surface debris such as floating vegetation which can also cause a hiccup in the retrieve. In the case of a weed or stick, however, there is no ringed ripple spreading out after a collision.

So what do you do upon finding that you have encountered an interested fish who didn’t quite get the job done?

One option is to fire the lure back out a ways beyond where the missed strike occurred and run it back through the strike zone. This can do the trick although I like this approach more so with a stickbait like a Zara Spook to elicit a second strike as a floating lure allows for a little more variance in retrieve.

With the buzzbait I like to go with a sinking lure pitched into the spot where the strike occurred. My go to lure in this case is usually a wacky rigged worm as I rarely am without one tied on from May through September, a similar timeframe for my buzzbait presentation as well.

 

The sinking lure follow-up worked like a charm with immediate results in this instance. Not a big fish by any means but always cool when a tactic works like you intend.

I managed a few hours on the water over The River this past weekend with disappointing results. But, as promised, you get the bad with the good when it comes to fishing reports so stay tuned later this week. I also hope to get a Top 5 stat recap posted to get us up to speed through May. Hope you’ll stop by and talk to you later. Troy

Lures of the Top 5

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Well, every Monday when there’s some new fish to offer, the weekly Top 5 Update gives you their pictures. In addition, the details of the catch accompany the fish and typically include the bait that got the job done. As a bonus Top 5 post we’re going to take a more in depth look at the specific lures that are fooling our fish thus far in 2019. Pictures of all the winning lures along with some notes and stats below, so read on.

A range of color and trailer combinations in chatterbaits have been winners

Chatterbaits: 10 bass – Top Bass 4-2 Jim Junk – Top 5 Weight 18-9
Also referred to as bladed jigs, this lure type is a relative newcomer with origins dating back to 2004 but not experiencing a real sales explosion until a few years later. For our group in 2019 it has had the best start in terms of numbers and is pushing the 20-pound mark for a collective Top 5. Definitely a lure that you should give a go early in the season as a proven producer.

You won’t find the Rapala Clackin’ Rap on the baitshop shelves (read below)

Lipless Crankbaits: 6 bass – Top Bass 4-8 Jim Junk – Top 5 Weight 20-0
Generally a faster moving bait than most other cold water offerings and still makes me scratch my head at times on its early season effectiveness. No need to ponder though, just throw it. An interesting detail here is that Jim Junk’s now not so secret weapon happens to be a bait that is no longer in production (note: Jim gave me permission to reveal). The Rapala Clackin’ Rap is now the denizen of the online auction and there’s plenty of them out there if you are willing to fork over the bucks.

Strike King Pro Model Jig (pumpkin/green flake) with BPS Triple Ripple Craw trailer (pepper frog/hot orange)

Jigs: 3 bass – Top Bass 2-10 Troy Jackson – Top 3 Weight 6-7
Another cold water standby that can fool some big cold water bass, this one has taken a back seat to the faster paced and noisier offerings noted above. Certainly recommend having one of these tied on this time of year and don’t be afraid to throw it into some of the nastiest looking wood and/or rock in the fishing hole.

Booyah Blade spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with twin tail trailer (smoke)

Spinnerbaits: 2bass – Top Bass 0-14 – Top 2 Weight 1-11
Not much to show for this old school lure that has kind of fallen out of vogue in the last 20 years or more. However, I’m a firm believer in them and when given a shot they still get the job done, just not as glamorous as some other baits. I would have to say more of a fall presentation for me but I still keep the faith of that 1980s kid who cut his bass fishing teeth on them and have had one tied on each time out in 2019.

BONUS!
Livebait: 1 bass – Top Bass 4-1 Jim Junk
A perfect example of the allure of “the real thing” along with reinforcing the fact that if you have a bait in the water anything can happen (Jim caught this entry while crappie fishing with a minnow). Jim also provided the pics below of what some of his Fulton County bass are likely eating so it’s no wonder that there are some darn healthy fish swimming down there.

Fulton County, IL forage – I want to catch something that’s eating that!

Such forage takes me back to 2014 and the initial year of the Top 5 as there was a Chicagoland area angler who used to prowl the banks of his local waters armed with large swimbaits. While the bites could be limited on such giant baits, when they came they were quite impressive as seen below.

Top 5 Flashback from 2014,  quality vs. quantity dilemma on large swimbaits. Your choice? 

Okay, all for today and hope that you enjoyed the rundown of these early season baits and perhaps found an addition to your tacklebox. If nothing else, I hope it got some folks a little fired up for some fishing as the local weather really took a turn for the better (may even last a day or two this time). And if you are fortunate enough to enjoy the benefit of a three day weekend, well, send your catches my way and go ahead and include a pic of the lure while you’re at it. Talk to you later. Troy

2018 Fishing Recap -Lures

Posted on by Troy Jackson

I always thought it would be interesting to look back through my fishing logs to see what my personal record is for “Most Different Lures That Fooled a Bass in One Year.”

Hands down, 2018 wasn’t it.

A project for another time, perhaps.

Instead, for today’s 2018 recap we take a look at the relatively meager collection of baits that boated 216 bass.

Grubs
Yum Wooly Curltail (green pumpkin) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 9.5” September 23 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: I do like this lure but in hindsight I’m not sure of my reason for throwing it this fall other than possibly just to say I did because I had it tied on to one of my poles. A solid cold water bait which is effective when crawled slowly along the bottom…like I said, not really sure but glad to see a less than glamorous lure make an appearance.

Stickbaits
Zara Spook (black shore minnow) – 1 bass
Top Bass: 15” 1-11 September 30 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: I’d worn out my welcome on one of my favorite walk-in spots as the bass were less than interested in my spinnerbait offerings in spite of some pretty good conditions. Looking for a big bite that the fishing hole has been known to produce I went old school. Didn’t fool a lunker but good to get bit. In addition, I had talked Spook fishing with my buddy, Jim Junk, a few days prior so it stoked the fire to revisit an offering that was a 80s favorite and not surprisingly still fools ‘em.

Jigs
Strike King Rattlin’ Jig (green pumpkin) w/ craw trailer – 3 bass
Top Bass: 16” 1-15 November 24 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: When an unanticipated trip materialized and provided a shot a November bass, I was all in with two baits. This was one of them and I stepped out of my normal black/blue jig & pig comfort zone with a different color scheme and a plastic trailer. Seeing a guy catch a 5-9 on the lake the previous month with a similar setup was all the evidence I needed.

Lipless Crankbaits
Strike King Red Eye Shad (sexy shad) – 26 bass
Top Bass: 14.5” 1-13 April 13 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: A solid cool water bait, the lipless crank got it done again, early and late. With the exception of a lone July bass, the rest were near bookends on the year. The first batch came from February through April while the last half dozen came from mid to late October. A true favorite for what I reluctantly refer to as “brainless” bassing. Nothing too fancy here as I used only one color this year when casting it out, cranking it back, covering some water and catching some fish.

Buzzbaits
Booyah Buzz (snow white shad, bleeding shad, sexy shad) – 27 bass
Top Bass: 20” 4-8 September 23 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: I probably invest more time in tossing buzzbaits than I should but they are not only a solid big fish producer, they’re fun and addictive. For big fish proof, my 2018 Top Bass came on a buzzbait. However, that was the only Top 5 fish among those fooled on the buzzer, just kind of a weird year on the water.

Plastic Worms
Senko wacky rig (pumpkin black flake, green pumpkin black flake) – 46 bass
Top Bass: 17” 1-14 Knox County, IL private strip pit
Comments: The Senko wacky rig would probably rank number one among the presentations in my repertoire. And while it sounds like a broken record at this point, I just couldn’t put it in front of any big fish and get them to commit. Don’t for a minute think that those results will discourage this wacky worm devotee though. 2018 was just one of those years.

Spinnerbaits
Booyah Blade (white/chartreuse) – 52 bass
Top Bass: 16” 2-3 April 13 Knox County, IL public strip mine
Comments: My 2017 lure wrap-up piece mentioned that the good old spinnerbait, a mainstay from my formative bassing years in the 80s, was still mired in a bit of a disappearing act. Fortunately, while I still have subscriptions to those who have relegated this lure to the second string, I don’t subscribe to that school of thought. These baits are still a winner in my book and I highly encourage all six of you who read this to pass it on and see if we can bring about a spinnerbait resurgence in 2019.

Crankbaits
Strike King Rattling Squarebill, Mann’s Baby 1-, Rapala Shad Rap/Fat Rap – 60 bass
Top Bass: 18” 3-2 September 23 Knox County, IL public strip pit
Comments: Yet another batch of baits that typically allow me to fish fast and cover a lot of water. The exception in the group would be the Rapala Shad Rap which I have put to good use the last couple years in fooling some cold water bass. Another highlight was landing a bass on a Rapala Fat Rap for the first time in nearly 20 years as part of a tribute to former Major Leaguer, Rusty Staub, who passed away on March 29, 2018 (click here for post).

And there you have it, all of the lures that landed a bass in 2018. You see, who needs a tackle bag stuffed with a hundred lures when about a dozen will take you all the way through the year?

Actually, I do, even if it can be a back breaker lugging that arsenal around the strip mines. Because you just never know when you’re going to need that one lure that your gut tells you is just right. And you’re gonna kick yourself when you realize that its home in the garage. Talk to you later. Troy

The Blue Glimmer Returns

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Yesterday’s Lake Storey report featured a note on the reappearance of an old lure, a 3/8 oz. Stanley “Rainbow” Glimmer Vibra Shaft spinnerbait. Once upon a time a mainstay in my presentations, it was so successful that it came to be known simply by the nickname of “The Blue Glimmer.” In fact, the productivity of the lure garnered it a spot in a batch of 2012 postings detailing what I referred to as “Legendary Lures.” Fooling a few earlier this week got me to reminiscing which typically results in writing as well.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you “The Blue Glimmer.”

I first cast this lure over 20 years ago, but I must say that the heyday of the Blue Glimmer started in 1998 and ran through 2003. It was my number one spinnerbait so, of course, with more time in the water it certainly had ample chance to fool some fish. The good thing is that when called upon for duty, it came through like a champ.

And it wasn’t just successful in terms of quantity as a number of quality fish joined the log book along the way. Here are some of the stats from the log and record book.

It has registered seven of my top ten spinnerbait bass catches of all-time.

At one time, it was responsible for my largest May and October bass of all-time (May record stood from 2000 to 2003 while October record lasted from 1998 to 2015).

It still holds my Top Bass mark for Banner Marsh (3-15 on 5/3/2000, pictured above) and Gladstone Lake (2-4 on 10/2/2001).

4/14/1999 saw two four-pounders in one day on Lake Bracken (4-10 and 4-0, pictured above)

10/29/1998 it produced a pair of three-pounders on Lake Storey (3-10 and 3-1)

It also fooled a couple Lake Storey muskies back in October of 1998 (pictured above).

I really can’t recall exactly how or why The Blue Glimmer faded from use but I suspect that it had to do with the fact that this particular bait and color scheme went out of production sometime back in the 2000’s. Got a couple stories on finding a few of these post-production but those will have to wait for another day, perhaps as a revisit of the Legendary Lures series. I will say, however, that having a pair of these baits in unopened packages stashed away likely led to throwing something else considering I only had a limited supply.

Whatever the reasons for leaving this bait behind, all these years later I finally decided to pack those two “brand new” lures along with me during my visit to Lake Storey earlier this week. Just for old times’ sake, and just in case.


A busted blade on this bait brings back The Blue Glimmer

Well, as fate would have it, hauling an 11.5” bass onboard at 7:58am wound up forcing my hand. The second bass on my Terminator spinnerbait in the firetiger pattern managed to flick the upper blade of the tandem spin off and into the drink. Thus, it was time to bring back the old fishing companion. At 8:29am, The Blue Glimmer came through in its return with a 13” (1-1) bass off some sticks in a typically reliable area. The rest of the day would see the lure be the top producer with a total of seven bass and even a bonus crappie.

Still a winner in 2017, multispecies success to boot, Comeback Lure of the Year?

The notes on the Blue Glimmer package I opened are a tale for some other time. 

All in all, a triumphant return to the lineup and likely a starting role the rest of the way in 2017 as it was a very productive fall bait back in the day. It was also fun to discover some notes jotted down on the package of the lure I used .  But that is a story for another day. Talk to you later. Troy