Category: Lures

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

Around the Horn III

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Today we finish off our lineup with a look at what baseball types refer to as “The Battery.”

Catcher

Lure = Senko wacky rig
Fittingly, this thing just looks “wacky” but it flat out catches fish. I ignored the testimonials from the fishing magazines for a few years before giving it a go and now have one tied on every time out once the water warms in the spring. An all-time great.
17 bass with Top Bass 3-5

1974 & 1985 Before my time so only saw as a manager

Player = Yogi Berra
An undisputable all-time great, Yogi gets the nod on this bait for the humorous and sometimes perplexing collection of quotes that bear his name as “Yogisms.” For a few good laughs give it a search on the internet sometime.

Starting Pitcher

Lure = Booyah Buzz Buzzbait
While not always the best choice if you’re looking for numbers, this noisy contraption can make your day with one, heartstopping strike. Those strikes can be addictive so proceed with caution before tying one on.
5 bass with Top Bass 5-9

1978 Real name was Lee, kinda like the “Yogi” fellow above was actually Lawrence.  Dig the hair, Dad had a ‘fro like that about that time.

Player = Buzz Capra
No doubt on this pick, everything to do with the name and nothing to do with similarities in bait and ballplayer. And get this, while playing with the Atlanta Braves in the 1970’s he teamed up with catcher, Biff Pocaroba. A battery of Buzz and Biff, folks, gotta love baseball, you can’t make this stuff up.

Relief Pitcher

Lure – Underspin
This one is new for me in 2017 and joined my arsenal after some impressive late season success by our 2016 Top 5 Champ, Mark Balbinot.
2 bass with Top Bass 1-9

1974 Strange how some of these obscure players leave a mark and gotta chuckle at the “baffled American League batters” in the description as his stuff was a hit for National League hitters sending him back to the AL in July.

Player = Horacio Pina
This submarining slinger (near underhand pitching delivery) joined the Cubs in 1974, appearing in 34 games before being dealt to the California Angels at mid-season for Rick Stelmaszek. However, that weird underhand delivery made such an indelible impression on the mind of a seven year old Cubs fan and baseball card collector that Pina now achieves yet another few minutes of fame 43 years later.

There you have it, for better or worse. I had fun, hope a few others did as well during a bit of a stretch for an “outdoor” blog. Yogi Berra famously stated that “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over” but this one is. Latest fishing report due up tomorrow. Talk to you later. Troy

Around the Horn II

Posted on by Troy Jackson

Part II of our lineup takes a look at the outfield.

Outfield

Lure = Strike King KVD 2.5 Rattling Squarebill Crankbait
This largish squarebill is built differently than most of its sleeker crankbait counterparts and shines in relatively shallow water and snaggy conditions where other crankbaits just can’t hang.  Well, actually they do, whereas the squarebill deflects, kind of a different animal…
3 bass with Top Bass 0-14


1987 Dig the picture in profile to show that you don’t have to be a physical specimen to succeed in my favorite game (and this is a young Kruk, he filled out later).

Player = John Kruk
Stout in stature, steady in performance and one of the things I dig about baseball is you can look like a little rough around the edges and still be able to just plain get the job done.  Yep, indeed he was an outfielder before that stature likely got him relocated to first base and later, fittingly, designated hitter.

Outfield


Lure = Chatterbait
Also referred to as a bladed jig this bait has a lot going on with a flashy, vibrating blade, an undulating skirt and generally a thumping trailer of some sort.
1 bass with Top Bass 11.5”

1977 How do you fit a batting helmet on that hairdo?  Pretty cool (also see Oscar Gamble of this era).

Player = Jose Cardenal
Growing up as a Cubs fan it just seemed that this guy had a lot going on in an entertaining sort of way and always some chatter and a smile.  Silly stories abound with this fellow and looking back at his baseball cards, his ‘fro still brings me a smile too.

Outfield


Lure = Alabama Rig
This wild concoction was all the rage several years ago to the point that it was banned in tournaments and regulated in some states (including Illinois).  Being a creature of habit, I have caught one fish on the lure.  However, it is on my list of 2017 resolutions (likely another catch up series of postings later this month).
No bass in 2017 but needed another outfielder

1971 “Sweet Swinging” Billy Williams, the all-time Williams hits leader (2711 to Ted Williams 2654 due to military serice) 

Player = Billy Williams
As a blogger with a Cubs bias, I gotta go with this legend and Hall of Famer who hailed from Whistler, Alabama.

One more round tomorrow to round out the lineup. Talk to you later.  Troy

Around the Horn I

Posted on by Troy Jackson

A couple months ago on my previous blogging gig I submitted a posting entitled “Starting Lineup.”  The premise was to combine two of my favorite pastimes, fishing and baseball.  For that posting I offered up a starting lineup of the lures I had tied on for my March 4 outing and provided a baseball player comp for each bait based on the qualities, appeal and success of the lure.

Well, I’m at it again as we go “Around the Horn” with a look at the lures that have reeled in my catches this year paired up with some diamond greats (and otherwise) from yesteryear.  Three parts over the next three days, beginning with the infield.

(Note: 22 hours of fishing for 59 bass and all lures and cards are from my collections)


First Base
Lure = 3/8 oz. Booyah Blade Spinnerbait (white/chartreuse) with twin tail trailer (salt & pepper)
The dual blades on this bait provide plenty of thump and just enough flash to get a reaction.
15 bass with Top Bass 2-1

A little carried away with George Scott cards but hard to find a better mix for a player as these samples cover 1973-1977 Topps and feature action shots, killer facial hair and a crazy necklace Scott desribed as “second baseman’s teeth.”

Player = George “Boomer” Scott
The bulk of this spinnerbait combined with the added thump of the blade combo just got me to thinking of the fellow they called “Boomer.”

Second Base

Lure = Strike King Red Eye Shad
3 bass with Top Bass 1-15
A favorite that can hold its own throughout the year tangling with bass of all sizes, an ingenious mix of attention grabbing flash and noise that works quite well with what I call a “brainless’ retrieve; cast it out and crank it in.

1972 Always something to say as evidenced by his grip on the bat.

Player = Billy Martin
A second baseman before I came around, I only knew the stories and saw him as a feisty manager.  Comparison arises from slight frame, plenty of commotion, “Red Eye” lifestyle and ready (no, eager) to take on anybody (see George Brett below as well as Reggie Jackson, Bert Campaneris…); brash and noisy, ingenious and brainless at the drop of a hat.

Third Base


Lure = Strike King 3/8 oz. Rattling’ Jig (black/blue) with pork frog trailer (black/blue)
12 bass with Top Bass 6-2
My go to bait in cold water and sticky situations (beaver lodges, laydowns, brushpiles), reliable and can produce some big hits.

1975 Rookie Card for future Hall of Famer and 3,000 hit club member

Player = George Brett
On the short list of guys who I would want at the plate when the chips are down, willing to get dirty and seemed to always come through, quite memorably in a sticky situation as well with good old Billy Martin (google “Pine Tar Incident” if unfamiliar, Brett’s reaction is one of my all-time favorite baseball highlights).

Shortstop


Lure = Ned Rig
This unassuming bait can get them when nothing else seems to fool them and is also effective in pulling another bass or two out of a spot that’s already been worked over.
1 bass with Top Bass 11” (kind of fitting)

1973 Another of the action cards in landscape orientation that were always a favorite

Player = Freddie Patek
Short in stature (5’5”) but long on heart, Patek was a mainstay at short for some successful Kansas City Royals clubs of the 1970’s covering the left side with our third base choice, George Brett.

There you have it, first to third and as with anything baseball, always up for debate.  Feel free to offer up any suggested changes to the lineup and tune in tomorrow as we take a look at our outfield.  Talk to you later.  Troy