Cave Run Fishing report — KDFWR — Aug. 13
August 13, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Lake level: 730.5
Lake temperature: 82 degrees F
The main lake remains murky and the water level has been falling around 7.5 inches per 24 hour period. The lake is ½ foot about summer pool. Surprisingly enough, muskie fishing has been picking up as anglers are catching nice size fish in the shallows by casting double bladed spinner baits and Bulldogs. If water temperatures remain warmer, look for muskie fishing to slow. A few bass are being caught during the day at depths around 15 feet but the best time to fish continues to be at night. Anglers are catching some nice crappie during the day but most success has been occurring at night under the lights using minnows.
Fred R. Howes
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
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Kentucky Afield’s fishing report
August 10, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Fishing Report #2302 Mid-August from Kentucky Afield on Vimeo.
Meet the new fisheries director on this week’s Kentucky Afield
August 10, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources welcomes a new face to Kentucky fishing on “Kentucky Afield” television, August 15 and 16.
Although Ron Brooks is no stranger to the state’s waters, Kentucky’s new fisheries director enjoyed a warm welcome from a limit of striped bass at Lake Cumberland. On a mid-summer fishing trip, Brooks joins host Tim Farmer to chase the big ones and get an inside look at what’s ahead for anglers and angling in Kentucky.
Also on the show is a new twist on spyware. Morgan County’s Steve Bailey has developed a web-based wildlife surveillance system landowners can use to peek at what’s prowling on their property. Part of the system is already in your pocket – a cell phone. As white-tailed deer season approaches, so does demand for the technology. Farmer gets a demonstration.
Lastly, striper linguini anyone?
“Kentucky Afield” is a production of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. It is the longest continuously running outdoor television show in the nation. The program airs Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern /7:30 p.m. Central and is repeated Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central on KET 1. Show segment also air on the Internet at fw.ky.gov. To see the latest news about “Kentucky Afield” television and view your favorite show segments from the past, sign up today for the electronic newsletter. Visit fw.ky.gov on the Internet and click the Kentucky Afield Newsletter icon.
The NuCanoe: Good for fishing, or…a good book
August 10, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
The NuCanoe allows for an angler to stand. Photo provided.
Recently I became a fisherman.
Not a great angler, but I’ve learned to cast a line and every once in a while I get lucky and pull a crappie or a blue gill out of a neighborhood pond.
I was satisfied on the bank, but my good friend and much more experienced fisherman Elliott Hess had big dreams of a boat.
With limited funds and means of storage but a desire for a motorized boat to take him to hidden away fishing waters, Hess was having a hard time finding the right craft.
Until he discovered the NuCanoe.
Designed by Ocean Kayaks founder Tim Niemier, the NuCanoe is billed as an all-around recreational watercraft.
After falling in love with the canoe-turned-kayak that advertises a flat transom perfect for a trolling motor – a fisherman’s favorite – my friend and I loaded up and drove to the nearest NuCanoe dealer.
At first glance, the NuCanoe is simply a sit-on-top plastic kayak with unusual dimensions. Measuring 12 feet long and 42 inches across at the beam – 32 inches at the water line – it looks more like a really short ocean kayak than a canoe.
When we found it sitting in the store amongst the other kayaks and canoes, it didn’t quite seem to fit in. But that didn’t matter because the Indianapolis dealer told us he could barely keep the canoe-kayak hybrid in stock.
The main selling point: it’s amazing stability.
Since my canoeing experience has been limited to one terrifying ocean kayaking experience in the Atlantic when I was 16, I was skeptical as the salesmen told us with confidence that this canoe simply couldn’t be tipped.
And so on its maiden voyage, it was something similar to awe that I felt as I watched Hess swing his legs over the side of the canoe with ease and surprising balance and cast his line across Mill Creek Lake.
He had bought the boat without testing it and as he loaded the NuCanoe on the top of his Jeep and tightening it down with ratchet straps, I could tell he was skeptical as we climbed in and pushed off into the small lake nestled in Red River Gorge.
But any temporary regrets my friend may have felt about his purchase vanished as we sliced across the lake – too shallow for motorized boats – with a 55-pound thrust trolling motor and navigated the fishing waters at 12 miles per hour.
The boat came with two seats and after adding a pair of rod holders, a trolling motor and battery, a live well, a fish finder and a kayak paddle, the NuCanoe proved to be an excellent fishing vessel.
Fitting both of us, a cooler, a couple of fishing poles and a tackle box in with all of the rest, Hess still had plenty of room to stand up, switch seats with me and continue to fish for almost six hours. Comfortably.
Since its maiden voyage, the boat has proved to be worth its bargain $599 sale price. Even at almost 80 pounds, two people easily manage it.
And as it turns out the salesman was right – we’ve all but outright tried to flip the boat over and had no luck.
One of the few drawbacks: we had to drive to Indianapolis to get it. There are no local dealers but boats can be ordered from the NuCanoe Web site, (www.nucanoe.com).
And while I’m still getting the hang of my new hobby, I have just as much fun on the boat reading a book or just relaxing. My guess is the NuCanoe is great for any adventurer – even new ones.
—Blair Thomas
Kentucky River fishing is like a box of chocolates: You never know what you’re going to ….
Photo by David Stephenson
By Chris Poore
As the boat departed from the ramp and made its way under the fog-hidden High Bridge in Jessamine County, Elliott Hess leaned back and looked up at the bluffs above him.
Sun kissed the big rock ledges. Birds departed silently from treetops. Fog danced on the surface of the Kentucky River.
Hess, a 22-year-old photographer and a student at UK, grew up in Lexington and wandered all over Fayette County as a kid to find the next perfect fishing hole: a golf course pond here, a church pond there, a stream behind a city park.
But his experience with the Kentucky River, like that of many Central Kentuckians, had been limited to the vantage point of the I-64 and U.S. 27 bridges.
So given the chance to explore the river up close, Hess didn’t hesitate.
As the boat made its way on this 16-mile trip from High Bridge to below the dam at lock Number 8, Hess was moved by the river’s beauty.
“I almost don’t care if we catch fish today,” he said.
It was an angler’s version of “knocking on wood,” but it was an unneeded sentiment this day.
Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley fishing report — Dave Stewart — 8-6-09
August 9, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
August 6, 2009
Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Ky Dam – 357.93 Surface Temperature – 82
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam – 357.80 Surface Temperature – 83
Both lakes are one foot below summer pool and on a slow draw down. Expect lake levels to drop another foot over the next month in accordance with the TVA River Operating System Guide barring any unforeseen influx of water. We had quite a bit of rain this week in the lakes area with frontal passages but the water clarity is good. The TVA and Corps of Engineers have been pulling water thru the dams on both lakes this week. The best current on Ky Lake continues to be in the afternoon and evening hours. Lake Barkley has seen above average current pretty much around the clock the past few days due to an influx of water from heavy rains up river. The Largemouth Bass bite seems to still be best during the afternoon and early evening hours on the ledges. I had a chance to get out with clients on a late trip yesterday to experience the late afternoon and early evening hour bite on the ledges on Kentucky Lake and we had a very good bite with two limits in the boat in less than 5 hours. The best pattern yesterday was fishing slowly with Carolina rigs and dragging jigs. There are still plenty of shallow Largemouth chasing schools of shad fry in many of the creeks and bays. Most of these fish are small but a lot of fun with an occassional good keeper mixed in. I have seen a couple of short duration jumps of White Bass this week but the jumps are of very short duration. The White Bass anglers have been doing good this week on the river ledges and adjacent flats on inline spinners and small spoons fished vertically. There have been some small mayfly hatches this week but not nearly as many or as big would expect this time of year. The forecast for the weekend is for partly cloudy skies and highs in the low to mid 90’s. Take plenty of water and/or sports drinks to stay hydrated and don’t forget the sunscreen.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the deeper creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits and dead stick worms, Texas rigged large worms, large shaky head worms, drop shot rigs and jigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken on primary points and on secondary points in the creeks and bays on medium running crankbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and finesse jigs as they are feeding on schools of fry. Largemouth are also being taken on the flats on the main lake and in the backs of the creeks and bays on topwater lures, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and Texas rigged small creature baits around wood cover as they are feeding on schools of fry.
Smallmouth Bass: Some Smallmouth are being taken on the river channel ledges on Carolina rigged small creature baits and tubes as well as on jigs during the day. The better Smallmouth bite is being reported by night anglers on Kentucky Lake fishing rocky primary and secondary points with dark colored spinnerbaits and tube jigs. Some good Largemouth are also being taken at night on this pattern.
Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Yozuri splash-it’s with a yellow back and ghost body, Rebel pop r’s in black/chrome and white, Bandit crankbaits in grape and splatterback, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Hook Some Bass vibes (chatterbait) in blue glimmer, Charmer 10.5″ gator tail worms in plum, Xcite maximus shaky head worms in plum, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple, Yum dingers and Yamamoto senkos in green pumpkin, Jewel football head jigs in gourd/craw and black/blue with matching baby paca craw trailers, Last Cast wooly bug finesse jigs in peanut butter jelly with matching trailer, Hoppy spinnerbaits in black/red with gold blades (night fishing) and Hook Some Bass tubes in green pumpkin and chameleon craw.
White Bass: White Bass are being taken along the old river channel ledges and adjacent flats on inline spinners and small jigging spoons fished vertically. Some good catches are being reported this week, especially during periods of current draw.
Catfish: Catfish are being taken along the old river channel ledges during periods of current draw on bottom rigs baited with large minnows and cut baits.
Bluegill: Bluegills are being taken early and late in the day around mayfly hatches near willow trees on crickets and worms fished under bobbers and on small jigs tipped with worms. Bluegill are also being taken around lighted deeper docks at night on crickets and worms fished under bobbers.
If you are in need of a bass guide for some fun, catch and release, bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email. This is a great time to take my focused learning trip to learn how to find and fish the ledges. This trip is designed to teach you how to eliminate water to find the best ledges as well as how to set up on the ledges and use the techniques to catch the ledge fish. As a bonus, in the eliminating water class, you will learn how to eliminate water during the other seasons of the year to find the highest percentage fishing spots as well as receive a lot of good tips on how to put more bass in the boat.
I have the following dates available for booking in August, September and October:
August: 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 27, 30
September: 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
October: 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31
I am of course also taking reservations for November. If you have never fished for the bass here in November, you are missing some of the best bass fishing of the season. The bass are shallow in November, they love topwater lures, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. The lakes receive very little pressure in November, the fish are hungry, the pleasure boaters almost non existent and the big tournaments are gone.
Capt Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
“Fish With a Professional”
Low head dams in Kentucky are much more dangerous than they might seem
A 13-year-old boy died beneath a low-head dam on Elkhorn Creek at Great Crossings in Scott County this weekend. Low-head dams such as this one on South Elkhorn Creek in Franklin County are some of the most dangerous water structures in existence. Just a drop of a few feet creates dangerous water turbulences below the dam that few escape alive. These types of dams are commonly called "drowning machines." Show this picture to your children, and please be overly cautious any time you're fishing near dams on Kentucky's rivers.
Cave Run Lake fishing report — KDFWR — 8-6-09
August 9, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Lake level: 732.6
Lake temperature: 78 degrees F
The lake main lake is murky and the water level has been rising 4.5 inches every 24 hours and is about 2.6 feet above summer pool after recent heavy rains. Fishing remains pretty slow for most species right now though fishing at night for largemouth bass should still prove to be productive around weed beds and structure using plastics and top water baits. As of 06 August, water coloration in the Poppin Rock area is good. Anglers are reporting catching crappie under the lights on minnows in the main lake area. The water discharge rate in the tailwater is 3,135 CFS so please be careful in this area. If you are planning on fishing in the tailwaters, try fishing slack water areas.
Fred R. Howes
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkely fishing report — KDFWR — 8-7-09
August 9, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Catfish – Main channel ledges and creek mouths, using minnows and cut bait fishing vertical and bouncing off of bottom.
White bass – Main channel ledges, bends in the river channel and adjacent flats, using a spoon or inline spinner bait. With the current we have been having, use a heavier size up to one ounce.
Crappie – Larger embayments fish along the creek channel, using minnows fishing vertical. Largemouth bass – Numerous sub-legal size bass chasing minnows up shallow in embayments, use spinner baits, long worms or jigs.
Smallmouth bass and Sauger – Gravel bars and rocky points near embayments on the LBL shoreline use worms, jigs and lizard type baits fishing at night.
The lake level is falling, so beware of shallow areas around the islands south of Blood River, and bars at mouths of some embayments.
Paul Rister
Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Fisheries Biologist – Program Coordinator
30 Scenic Acres Drive
Murray, KY 42071
(270)-753-3886
Rough River Lake report — KDFWR — 8-7-09
August 9, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Fishing activity at Rough River Lake has been very slow the week or so. A few hybrid striped bass are being caught trolling with shad-colored Swim Shads or Shad Raps. Jump fishing activity for hybrid striped bass has slowed but a few may still be found on cloudy days. Fish at dusk or later on long points using Carolina-rigged plastic worms and lizards for largemouth bass.
Rob Rold
Kentucky Dept. Fish and Wildlife
Rob.Rold@ky.gov
