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’.

Availability for 2024 & 2025

Lot's of clients have reached out asking "when are you going to start booking for next year?"... Well here goes... Kentucky Lake - Big Sandy March 25-27,31 April 7 Might open up March 20-24 as well. These trips are in the wall-hanger timeframe & a must see Bucket List Opportunity. Lake Shelbyville Pre-Spawn-Spawn Crappie April 19-24 May 1-3,5,8-11 Walleye/Crappie/White Bass - Pulling Spinners May 12-16,22,24-29,31 June 1-5,7-12 Be aware for the later trips in June, if the walleye quit and I can't give you a decent trip then I switch to post-spawn crappie. June 12-28 Crappie/White Bass on slip bobbers [...]

By |2024-11-20T12:10:39-06:00December 9, 2023|Fishing|

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|

Fishing Report September 1-15

Lake Level is 599.62. Normal summer pool is 599.7 so almost normal. Water temps are running around 77 and lake is gin clear due to very little rain fall. I have given the crappie a small break and been concentrating on white bass. I can still catch plenty of crappie but the white bass love the heat and bunch up on points and early in the morning actually bust the surface. I love chasing them since wind directions move them and you must figure out the puzzle every day. Once found you can catch a hundred from an anchored position. [...]

By |2023-08-31T15:00:07-05:00August 31, 2023|Fishing Report|

Fishing Report August 15-31

The lake level is still at summer pool or very near it. 599.81 and the water temps are running around 75. The lake is very clear from one end to the other. The bait has started to migrate into coves with a small feeder creek like Wolfe, Sand, Oppossum. Usually see this in September but everything seams to be ahead of schedule. This has moved a lot of the crappie and since they are gorging on bait optimal times to hit them are daylight and dark. After that they bury down to the bottom since they are in such shallow [...]

By |2023-08-14T09:53:56-05:00August 14, 2023|Fishing Report|
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