The Marshall Fishing Cup is just right around the corner from today (November 2nd, 2021) but you won’t be reading this until weeks after The Cup is said and done. More or less this is just another article to help fill the page and get rid of the empty slots and fill them up with goodies.

Over the past two years, The Marshall University Fishing Team has put on a year end championship with qualified competitors at the end of the year at Summersville Lake in the early parts of November. November is typically a prime time of year to hold events on the lake, but this year we might see a little different ball game with some colder temps moving in the week before The Cup.

“It has been tough,” previous Cup winner Kenny McSweeney said who fished the lake last Saturday. “You never know about that lake, you can do really good one day and the next day it can be tough.”

November is definitely a special time on Summersville, it is a time of year when it’s really anyones game throughout the whole field. It can be a time of year that is either feast or famine.

Kenny McSweeney who won the 2020 Cup said “last year it was around noon and we had four fish and they were pretty decent ones, Randall (Randall Fields) started to flip out on me and I told him I wanted five good bites because you are going to win” said the Wayne County Native. “It’s an equal playing field for everybody.”

The Cup has grown tremendously since its creation back in 2019 and is becoming one of the most anticipated bass tournaments of the year. Bringing together the best anglers around the state for a one day shootout for a top prize of $3,000 plus a pretty cool set of Cup trophies awarded to the winners.

“I’d like to put that new Cup up right beside the one from last year.” said McSweeney.

Another team that has been just so close to The Cup in the past two years has been the father and son duo of Brian and Dylan Fitzgerald. The Fitzgerald’s have finished up in third place in the previous two Cups but are looking to seal the deal on the third try.

“At least we’re consistent,” Dylan says. “I’m hoping for first this time around, we are sure going to try.”

This time of the year on Summersville one fish can change your whole tournament and that has been proven in both years The Cup has been there in November. One big fish and high finishes seems to be the theme.

“It was like one o’clock and we didn’t have crap and that largemouth (3.33 Largemouth) saved our day,” Fitzgerald said. “You either have to be consistent with two pounders or you need that one kicker.”

The Fitzgerald’s are no strangers to kicker bites on Summersville, especially Dylan who reeled in a 6.07 Smallmouth just last spring. “If I caught another one that size you’d hear me screaming from the boat ramp.”

I think we would all be a little bit excited if we got to witness a six pounder get laid on the scales next week at the 2021 Cup. If not, I will be more than excited just to be there and crown another Marshall Fishing Cup winner!