The Association of Collegiate Anglers (ACA) and Cabela’s Collegiate Bass Fishing Series have released the latest Cabela’s School of the Year presented by Abu Garcia rankings update for the 2017-2018 season.
With the season winding down to one final double points event, there is little doubt that the 2018 BoatUS Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship will be the most pivotal event of the year in determining who will reign as this year’s Cabela’s School of the Year winner, as well as all the schools that end ranked in the Top 25 for the year – which is no easy feat anymore in college fishing.
According to a press release, the current update shows a move within the Top 5 schools for several top bass fishing school teams – with one very recognizable school standing at No. 1.
Bethel University leads the rankings, and the Bass ‘Cats continue a stranglehold on first place they’ve enjoyed throughout the season.
Auburn University, the University of North Alabama, Murray State University and McKendree University (Lebanon, Illinois) round out the top five.
Bethel’s dominance this season has left many to say it is almost a foregone conclusion that they will win School of the Year unless something unforeseen happens at the season ending Championship.
While many are already congratulating the Bethel team, the chase is still on for which teams will occupy the rest of the Top 5 spots in the nation, and win the prizes associated with those spots, as well as which teams will end the year ranked inside the Top 25.
“Bethel University’s season has been one to watch and marvel at this season,” said Wade Middleton, Director of the ACA. “What has been most impressive to me is the amount of anglers that have earned points for the Bethel team at events all over the nation this season. This dominance hasn’t been seen in college fishing to date and may not be seen again like this for some time.”
Fishing Report
Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: mid- to upper 60s
Bass: The top-water bite continues to produce a good number of bass. Start fishing with a top-water bait in shallow water in the main lake., and you can use the same bait to catch a few bass in the backs of coves.
The “Spit N King” by Strike King is the perfect size bait to start your day on the lake or below the dam for bass, stripers or white bass, so it is a good idea to have one tied on when you start fishing early.
It is recommended you make short jerks with your rod not to disturb the surface with the mouth of the bait. If the bass are active, they with hit it.
Remember, some people like to over jerk their bait, and this simply does not attract the bass as much as the subtle action of the Spit ‘N King.
You might want to use medium action rods for better activity when fishing any top-water bait, which is also more forgiving when a fish hits, and you react too hard with a hook set.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when fishing a top-water bait for active fish is the natural reaction of jerking the bait out of the fishes mouth. It is best to let the fish take it and keep the drag set with a little slack.
After the top-water bite ends, try fishing a football head jig with a plastic crawfish in the same areas.
If you are catching fish on top-water baits in rocky areas, throw the football head jig in the same area and other similar rocky areas. If you are catching fish on top-water baits in grassy areas, fish the same grassy areas with the jigs.
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley
Water temperature: 77-to-79 degrees. Water color: clear to slightly stained.
Bass: “They are scattered with a few fish still in the shallows spawning, but most are moving out making their way towards the summer habitat on the main lake ledges,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Decent numbers are being caught in feeder creeks leading in and out of major bays. Turns and shallow drops on the creek banks are holding fish best and Texas rigged 10-inch worms and lipless cranks are doing the trick.
“Smallies are on the deeper secondary points where chunk rock and pea gravel are present … creature baits and wacky worms are working for them.”
Darrell Van Vactor is the operations manager at Crappie USA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky.
Crappie: “They are continuing their spawning ritual with some fish spawned out and moving back to deeper areas and a few fish are just moving in for the spawn,” Darrell said. “With the full moon coming up in a couple of weeks, we should see the remainder of the crappie finish laying their eggs and also begin moving deeper.”
Darrell said vertical jig fishermen are probably doing the best job targeting cover in 12-to-18-feet of water with Jenko and Big Bite tubes.
He added spider rigging minnows and jigs in the early morning are producing a few fish as well, but be ready to cull 10 for everyone over 10-inches – even then they are very thin.
Bluegill and redear: “They are moving in, and beds are beginning to show up on side imaging,” Darrell said. “Good numbers of redear are being caught, and a few good sized bull bluegill are falling to a redworm or cricket as well.”
Catfish: “Channel catfish are really the success story this week, with good numbers showing up while bluegill fishing, pulling crankbaits for crappie, and fishing nightcrawlers on rocky shoreline under a bobber,” Darrell said. “These fish should continue to improve in the next few days.”
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
https://www.facebook.com/NewsTalk1015/
