March 10, 2025
Finally, open water and warm weather! It’s been a cold winter and I am ready to be on the lake with sunny skies and warm breezes. I’ve been out on the lakes for about a week now scouting out areas and getting the lay of the land on what these fish are doing.
Lake Shelbyville’s water level is currently at winter pool and sits at 594.27. If you’re not familiar with the lake it is a flood control reservoir and can be dangerous at any water level and especially at winter pool. There are a lot of shallow flats and points that run way out into the lake that are not marked with hazard buoys and are easily ran up on if you’re not careful. As for the fishing, it’s been good. We are targeting depths anywhere from 5-20 feet targeting structure like stumps, laydowns, and brushpiles. I have been pulling up to structure and scanning it with the Livescope to see if anyone is home and if there is, we fish, if not it’s on the next spot. There’s no sense in getting the lines wet if there isn’t any fish. As for baits, we have been using 1/8 or 3/16 jig heads with a black/chartreuse or minnow colored plastic attached. I have found the farther away from the fish I can stay the more they hang around, the water is still pretty cold and clear and they are a little spooky if you get too close. We have been playing around with the fall rate of the jig to trigger bites, some fish want it faster and we use the 3/16 and some want it slower so we use a 1/8 jig head but usually it’s the 1/8 that is getting most of our bites.
I still have a little bit of availability left this spring if you want to get out and catch some fish give me a call, text, or email to get your next fishing trip booked!
Dan Lange
Tight Lines Guide Service
(217)475-1499