By Scott Ellison
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-988640.mp3
Marshall Co. – Marshall County High School's Fishing Club has over a hundred members now.
Scott Ellison here, with the FLW Outdoors Weekly Fishing Report.
The fishing is really starting to get hot in the backends of the big coves and bays like Blood River. Huge schools of threadfin shad are moving into these areas to feed on algae now, and the bass are following them. And when I say bass, I mean largemouths, smallmouths, whites and stripes - everything, it's all there. Basically, you just fish along the shoreline with topwaters or medium-running crankbaits until you see schooling bass busting shad, and you go after them. A variety of lures, including metal blade baits, poppers, lipless crankbaits and spoons are producing. One lure that always produces at this time of year is a soft jerkbait like a pearl white zoom fluke. You just Texas-rig it with a wide-gap hook, cast it out there and twitch it along with pauses every now and then. It's a killer, and most of the time you'll see the bass come up and grab it. Whatever you've got tied to the end of your line, fish in water that ranges from about five to eight feet deep for best results.
Otherwise, the crappie fishing is ok at about 12 to 16 feet deep. Sixteenth-ounce tube jigs or live minnows will work, but don't expect to fill up an ice chest with fish. Crappies are moving in from deeper water, though, and the fishing for them is going to get a lot better as the weather cools. And don't forget the catfish; that bite is still holding up in deeper water on cut shad and prepared baits.
For you younger anglers, mark Saturday, October 22 on your calendar. That's when the Marshall County High School Bass Club will hold its first open bass tournament. It's set to take place from 7 a.m. To 3 p.m. Out of Kentucky Dam Marina. Get your tackle ready, get your fishing buddy fired up and plan to be there. Prizes will include fishing tackle, gas cards, pizzas, clothing and a lot more stuff. There's no entry fee, but you do have to bring some sort of non-perishable food, such as a can of soup or a bag of rice, that will be donated to Marcella's Kitchen. The regular tournament crew of FLW Outdoors, the same ones who conduct the weigh-ins of the major tournaments, will work this one.
Come to think of it, do Murray High School and Calloway County High Schools have their own bass club yet? Marshall County High School's club already boasts 119 members and is quite active. In the coming months they'll have classroom seminars on various fishing techniques and start planning their tournament schedule for 2012.
If you want to start your own high school club. Go to www.highschoolfishing.org for more information.
That's about it for now. Fall is here and it feels like it. You can fish all day without working up a sweat, so get out there and wet a line. This is Scott Ellison, signing off for FLW Outdoors.
Scott Ellison is a lifelong fisherman and FLW Outdoors College Fishing Promotions Manager.