About Steve Welch

Steve Welch has been fishing on Lake Shelbyville since its inception and guiding since 1994. He’s an accomplished writer and has written for Adventure Sports Outdoor, Heartland Magazine, the Decatur Herald & Review and Ilfishing.com. He’s been quoted and written about in the Bloomington Pantagraph, Peoria Journal Star, Effingham Daily News, Illinois Fish & Game Finder Magazine, North American Crappie, and Field & Stream’s ‘Best Fishing Spots in the Midwest’.

Fishing Report April 1-15

I am down on Kentucky Lake until April 18th. I am relying on several of my guide buddies for a fishing report on Shelbyville. The lake should come up to 596ft. above sea level April 1st. This will help because it is as low as you will ever see it right now. Water temps. will still be bouncing all over the place and you will have to search out clearer water just like every spring. The pre-spawn period never gets going until mid to late April or we see consistent water temps. in the mid 50's. All other movements in [...]

By |2024-03-28T07:34:36-05:00March 28, 2024|Fishing Report|

Fishing Report March 17-31 2024

My first fishing report for 2024. The lake is 595.04 or 1.04ft. above winter pool. Very low but normal this time of the year. Summer pool is 599.7. Winter is 594. With all the warm weather we have experienced the water temps. have went up quick. Today I found as high as 54.8. The crappie are up shallow basking in the much warmer water temps than the deep water. With all the wind we are tight lining a 3/32oz. Deep Ledge Jig and a Brushpile Hammer or Dart in either Peppercorn, Wyatt's Blue Magic or Green Goblin. Today the Dart [...]

By |2024-03-15T17:02:43-05:00March 15, 2024|Fishing Report|

Availability for 2024

The show season has finally come to a close for me so these are the dates that I still have available: Kentucky Lake- April booked Shelbyille -April 18,19 May is booked Shelbyville - Crappie/white bass combo trips June 16,18,22,23,25,26,27,28,30 July 1,2,8,9,11-31 August - Prime time for White Bass 1,2,4-31 September - Prime time for White Bass 1-6,8-19,22-30 October 1-11,13-31 Shelbyville - crappie trips October 16-31 Shelbyville - crappie are on fire November 1-30 If enough interest is shown, I will take customers down to Kentucky Lake in November but I need at least a week's worth of trips. This may [...]

By |2024-03-28T10:58:50-05:00December 9, 2023|Fishing Trips|

Winter Show Schedule

Rockford Il. Boat, Vacation and Fishing Show February 2,3,4 Booth and Seminars Tinley Park Il. Tinley Travel & Outdoor Expo February 16,17,18 Sullivan Il. VFW Crappiefest March 9

By |2024-01-31T06:49:39-06:00December 9, 2023|Fishing Trips|

Kentucky Lake Reminder

Spring will be here before you know it and those great Kentucky Lake Crappie spawn trips will be gone. Last year I took Lee Sharp down and went right to a shallow laydown in four-feet of water. Our first six fish were all blackened up males with spawn colors over 14in. long. He was hooked on Kentucky Lake from then on and jumps at it every time I say let's go. Their water temps run about ten degrees or more warmer than Shelbyville in the spring so I get a three to four week jump on the spawn. Love starting [...]

By |2024-01-31T06:52:25-06:00November 30, 2023|Crappie Fishing, Fishing Trips|

Winter Show Schedule

I will be in attendance at the following winter fishing shows in 2024. Collinsville Il. Let's Go Fishing Show January 5,6,7. Booth and Seminars Lawrenceburg Indiana, Tri-State Outdoor Show January 13,14. Booth and Seminars Effingham, Il. Lake Sara Open House January 17. Seminar Schaumburg Il. ChicagoLand Fishing, Travel & Outdoor Expo January 25,26,27,28. Booth and Seminars Tinley Park Il. Tinley Travel & Outdoor Expo February 16,17,18 Sullivan Il. VFW Crappiefest March 9

By |2023-12-09T18:57:53-06:00November 27, 2023|Fishing Report, Fishing Trips|

Fishing Report January 24th 2024

My Calendar for 2024 is up on my website. I am up in Chicago Tinley Park Show February 16-18 for one more fishing show to book spring trips. A lot of good dates still exist but won't for long. Give me a call at 217-840-1221 or go to "Book a Date" on my website and send us an email from the website. I currently have the calendar updated so those trips are available. I currently have these dates open March 11-22, 24-29 April 19,21,22,24,26 May is booked June 5,6,11,12,13,15-20,22-28,30

By |2024-02-04T20:15:29-06:00October 25, 2023|Fishing Report|

Fishing Report October 15-31

Water temps on the north end are bouncing around 60-63. The south end 65-66. The lake is about a foot below summer pool and stained to clear north to south. I have put away the white bass gear to concentrate on crappie for the remainder of the year. Whites really like warm weather so it is hard to put many in the boat. Crappie however love cooler weather and they are really putting on the feed bag. Every fish you catch just has shad poop running out of them they are just gorging. I have the three seat system in [...]

By |2023-10-15T08:18:39-05:00October 15, 2023|Fishing Report|

Fishing Report October 1-15

Fishing Report October 1-15The current lake level is 599.1. Summer pool is 599.7 so down some and the water temps are bouncing around from 68-70. The lake is gin clear especially the south end. I am seeing baitfish very shallow early in the morning, just look where the Pelicans are moving around in the water. They are right on top of them. Wind will bring in white bass and walleye since there is so much bait. I have been stopping and throwing my jigging spoon, hair jig combo or a Big Dude blade bait at these shallow schools. The whites [...]

By |2023-09-28T18:50:29-05:00September 27, 2023|Fishing Report|

Fishing Report September 15-30

The water temps have fallen very quickly from low 80's a couple weeks ago down to 68-70. What this has done is move my white bass big time. They are now on the bank and spread all over the lake on anything slow tapering with wind on it. I have just a couple trips left for them then will be getting rid of the rods and concentrating on crappie only. Hopefully on these last two trips we get a 20 plus wind. That will bunch them up. For those looking for white bass just look for bait. They are up [...]

By |2023-09-14T15:31:06-05:00September 14, 2023|Fishing Report|
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