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FLW Outdoors Fishing Report 2: Early Angling

WKMS | By Matt Markgraf

Published March 12, 2011 at 2:17 AM CST

By Scott Ellison

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-958527.mp3

Murray, KY – Part 2 of the weekly FLW Outdoors Fishing Report, with Scott Ellison. Fisherman are getting restless, but today we hear about a few anglers getting out there and what they've caught.

SCOTT ELLISON HERE WITH THE WEEKLY FLW OUTDOORS FISHING REPORT

IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COUNTRY AS IT IS, KENTUCKY HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ONE OF THE STATES WITH THE GREATEST DIVERSITY OF FISH. WE'VE GOT SPECIES SUCH AS WALLEYES AND MUSKIES THAT ARE MORE COMMON TO THE UPPER MIDWEST, AND A LOT OF SOUTHERN FAVORITES LIKE BASS, CRAPPIES AND CATFISH. IN THE FOUR RIVERS AREA, WE'RE BLESSED WITH THE MOST ABUNDANT RANGE OF POPULAR FISH. KENTUCKY LAKE, FOR INSTANCE, IS HOME TO LARGEMOUTH AND SMALLMOUTH BASS, TWO KINDS OF CRAPPIES BLACK AND WHITE A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT CATFISH, WHITE BASS, SAUGERS, WALLEYES AND STRIPERS. NO WONDER PEOPLE FROM CHICAGO TO ST. LOUIS, NASHVILLE TO CINCINNATI, HEAD HERE FOR GREAT FISHING EXPERIENCES EVERY YEAR.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT, FISHING ISN'T GOOD NOW, BUT IT'S NOT FAR AWAY.

ERIC BENSON AT BENSON SPORTING GOODS ON SOUTH 12TH AVENUE SAYS "INCONSISTENT" IS THE BEST WORD TO DESCRIBE AREA FISHING. ONE OF HIS CUSTOMERS TOLD HIM THAT HE CAUGHT A GOOD FIVE-BASS LIMIT IN THE MAIN LAKE SOUTH OF AURORA, BUT THEN WENT BACK THERE THE NEXT TWO DAYS AND GOT NADA. THESE UP-AND-DOWN AIR TEMPERATURES AND COLDER-THAN-USUAL WATER TEMPERATURES MEAN INCONSISTENT FISHING.

THERE HAVE BEEN GOOD CATCHES OF BASS AND CRAPPIE IN THE BIG SANDY AREA OF KENTUCKY LAKE BUT THAT'S TO BE EXPECTED BECAUSE IT'S FARTHER SOUTH AND SHALLOWER, SO THE WATER IS WARMING FASTER SOUTH OF THE BORDER. ERIC ALSO HEARD OF A COUPLE OF DECENT CATCHES OF CRAPPIE IN BLOOD RIVER, BUT THOSE GUYS WERE FISHING LEDGES IN 17 TO 22 FEET AND USING TINY TUBE JIGS. SOME CRAPPIE ARE COMING FROM SHALLOWER WATER WITH COVER AND MINNOWS, BUT THESE ARE JUST WADS OF FISH FOLLOWING THE BAITFISH WHEREVER THEY WANDER. THEY MIGHT BE THERE ONE DAY, AND GONE THE NEXT.

JULIE STUBBLEFIELD AT CYPRESS SPRINGS RESORT ECHOED WHAT ERIC BENSON HAD TO SAY. PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO GO OUT FISHING, BUT MAINLY ALL THEY'RE CATCHING ARE A FEW SUNRAYS. STILL, IF YOU CAN'T CATCH FISH OUT OF CYPRESS SPRINGS, YOU CAN ALWAYS GET THEM TO FRY UP A MESS OF CATFISH AND HUSHPUPPIES. THAT'S WORTH THE TRIP, WHETHER THE FISH ARE BITING OR NOT.

BILL TAYLOR, THE FLW OUTDOORS TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR, AND ASSISTANT TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR CHRIS HOOVER WENT BASS FISHING OUT OF BIG BEAR LAST WEEKEND AND REALLY GOT IN TO THE FISH. BILL SAID THEY CAUGHT ABOUT 20 KEEPS AND THE BIGGEST WEIGHED 7 AND A QUARTER POUNDS. THEIR BEST FIVE WENT JUST OVER 25 POUNDS. BILL AND CHRIS WENT BACK MONDAY AFTERNOON AND GOT ANOTHER 16 KEEPERS, WITH A COUPLE OF FIVE-POUND-PLUS FISH IN THE MIX.

BILL FINALLY SPILLED THE BEANS TO ME ABOUT HOW THEY CAUGHT THEIR FISH. HE SAID THE WATER TEMPERATURE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE LAKE IS WARMING UP AND CLOSING IN ON THE 50-DEGREE RANGE. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT SHAD ARE SWARMING THE MAIN-LAKE POINTS AND FEEDING ON THE MOSS AND ALGAE BLOOMING ON THE RIPRAP AND CHUNK ROCK IN THE WARM AFTERNOON SUN. THE SHAD, IN TURN, ARE DRAWING LOTS OF BASS, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY.

BILL AND CHRIS WERE USING RAPALA DEEP ET6 CRANKBAITS IN HOT MUSTARD COLOR, OR ROOT BEER-COLORED RAT-L-TRAPS.

THIS TIME LAST YEAR, KENTUCKY LAKE WAS HIGH, RISING AND MUDDY. THAT'S NOT THE CASE THIS SPRING, THOUGH WE'VE HAD SOME RAIN LATELY. IF THE WEATHER CONTINUES TO STAY FAIRLY STEADY AND WARM GRADUALLY, FISHING IS GOING TO BREAK LOOSE ALL OVER THE LAKE. IN THE MEANTIME, HIT SOME OF THOSE ROCKY MAIN-LAKE POINTS. AND IF YOU SEE BILL TAYLOR AND CHRIS HOOVER, TELL THEM I SAID HI.

Scott Ellison is a lifelong fisherman and FLW Outdoors College Fishing Promotions Manager