BILLY
BLAKELY ON REELFOOT LAKE
Cast And Blast
EDITOR’S NOTE: Blue Bank Resort on Reelfoot Lake
near Tiptonville, Tennessee, is in high gear in the
fall, with anglers catching plenty of crappie, catfish
and bass every day. Billy Blakely is the resort manager/chief
guide and has been guiding on Reelfoot for 23 years.
QUESTION: Yesterday you mentioned a cast-and-blast
trip. Can anyone come to Reelfoot Lake to duck hunt
in the morning and fish in the afternoon?
BLAKELY:
Yes, they can. If we get our limit of ducks early, we’ll
come back to the lodge, eat lunch and go fishing. If
the duck hunting is slow, we can fish in the afternoon.
QUESTION: How well do the crappie bite in the winter?
BLAKELY: They bite very well. Taking a limit of ducks
and crappie back to the lodge is not unusual.
QUESTION: How good is the bass fishing?
BLAKELY: During the winter months, the bass are in
the pre-spawn season. The bass are feeding-up for their
spawn and holding tight to cover. Flipping and pitching
spinner baits are productive tactics at that time of
year. Anyone can catch a limit of bass and take a limit
of ducks in the same day.
QUESTION:
Are there many people who duck hunt in the morning and
fish in the afternoon?
BLAKELY: Yes, we have a lot of folks who wear Mossy
Oak camouflage to duck hunt at daylight and then fish
with Mossy Oak Fishing Line in the afternoon.
QUESTION: How much more does fishing after going duck
hunting cost?
BLAKELY: The lodge doesn’t charge anything extra.
However, the customers usually pay their guides a little
more. If you like hunting and fishing, you can do both
in the same day.
QUESTION: What do you have to bring if you want to
do both?
BLAKELY:
If you want to duck hunt and crappie fish, the boat
is setup already. All you have to do is buy the minnows.
If you want to bass fish, you will need to bring your
own rods and tackle.
QUESTION: How many are in a party when you cast and
blast?
BLAKELY: For duck hunting, we like to take four people.
For fishing, we can take two to four people. When you
go bass fishing, you can only have two people in the
boat along with the guide. Our fish weigh anywhere from
1-to 2-1/2-pounds. There are plenty to be caught.
You can call – 1-877-Blue Bank or visit www.bluebankresort.com/
to learn more.
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