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Kentucky Lake fishing report — Dave Stewart 3-4-10

admin — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:08:56 +0000

March 4, 2010

Kentucky Lake: Water level at Ky Dam – 354.36 Surface Temperature – 43
Lake Barkley: Water level at Barkley Dam – 354.30 Surface Temperature – 43

Both lakes are at winter pool. The Largemouth continue to be mostly on winter patterns with the water temperatures still about 6 degrees below normal for this time in March. Some good fish are being taken though and it seems it is either feast or famine right now depending on the weather patterns. A fair bite was reported this past weekend but a cold front came through the area early in the week and high pressure took over the past few days. Some fish are still being taken but the bite slowed somewhat. The good news is the weather forecast. Daytime temperatures for tomorrow and the weekend is in the mid 50’s for the next two days and low 60’s by Sunday. Even better, the forecast for next week is for this warming trend to continue with highs in the mid 50’s to low 60’s next week. Of course this can change pretty quick this time of year, but we have our fingers crossed it reigns true…just a little more warming of the water and the bass should begin their early prespawn feeding. Crappie also are still being taken on winter patterns but like the bass, just a few more degrees should start the Crappie into their prespawn feeding, especially the Black Crappie which are the first to come in for spawn.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on main lake points and banks on suspending jerkbaits, slow rolled crankbaits and jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on secondary points and creek channel banks in the creeks and bays on suspending jerkbaits, slow rolled crankbaits, shaky head worms and jigs. Largemouth are also still being reported on shallow ledges on the main lake on blade baits and lipless crankbaits as well as jigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken in shallow water in the backs of some of the creeks and bays on warmer days on shallow running and lipless crankbaits. As one can see, there are a number of patterns that are working, and the consensus is that any of them may or may not be working on any given day right now. Some good fish are being taken but it is a matter of being on the right spot at the right time lately. The better bite has been late in the morning and early in the afternoon during the warmer part of the day.

Smallmouth Bass: Some Smallmouth are being reported on main lake points and channel banks on finesse jigs and curly tail grubs for the most part. One would expect these fish to get more active soon on jerkbaits and crankbaits.

Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft pointer in nishiki (clown), pearl ayu and table rock shad. Rapala shad raps in crawdad. Spro Little John crankbaits in spring craw. Bandit flat sided crankbaits in spring craw. Strike King red eye shad lipless crankbaits in black/red. Zoom finesse worms in green pumpkin and Charmer shaky head worms in green pumpkin blue on D&L shaky head jigs. Cripper black/blue finesse jigs and D&L baby advantage jigs in black/blue with matching trailer.

Crappie: Crappie are still being taken over brush piles along old creek channels on the main lake and in the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken in 15-20 ft zones and 8-12 ft zones by vertically jigging small jigs and by spider rigging small jigs and small minnows.

If you have not made your plans for your spring fishing trips, you need to do so now. If you are in need of a bass guide for some fun catch and release bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction, give me a call or drop me an email to book one of my open dates. I have the following dates available in March, April and May:

March: 25, 27, 30
April: Sorry, I am booked up.
May: 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 26, 27

If I am booked on a date you want, I would be happy to make a referral for you. Of course I am taking bookings for the rest of the season also, so get your summer and fall dates planned and give me a call. Now is a good time to book that trip this summer to learn how to find and fish the ledges.

Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
270-354-5039
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
“Fish With a Professional”

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Getting Organized For Fishing Season

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:27:20 +0000

FRANKFORT, Ky. – It happens every spring. On the first few fishing trips of the year, I’ll start looking for the bait that I invariably left at home. “I know I bought some peanut butter and jelly colored jigs last fall,” I’ll think to myself, “but they aren’t in my jig box. I would love to throw one right now, but I can’t find them.”

While I’m out fishing, I tend to scatter my jigs, soft plastics and other fishing lures in shirt pockets, any open pouch on my soft-sided tackle box, my lunch cooler or just about anywhere other than where they belong. I get too excited to take the time to put lures back in their rightful spot in my tackle bag. I may not find that certain jig until I stick my hand in the pocket of my jacket in June.

This stretch of bleak, dreary winter weather is a good time to make sure the peanut butter and jelly jigs are in your fishing box instead of your jacket pocket. A little organizing now will make for better fishing later.

I love to float streams for trout and smallmouth bass. I enjoy wading for them as well and I enjoy fishing from a boat. After a year of doing all three, my lures for wading and floating for smallmouth bass get mixed up with my trout lures and my boat fishing lures. So, when I am enjoying a summer Sunday afternoon floating for smallmouth bass, I often pine for lures that I left in my boat fishing tackle box, fishing vest or stored with my trout lures.

The best way to avoid this situation is to organize your lures by the species of fish that you’re after. Try using a small chest equipped with plastic drawers to separate your crappie, trout and smallmouth bass lures. Grab a marker and some masking tape and label each drawer. You’ll thank yourself later.

Now is a good time to buy a new tackle bag. The tackle bags with several utility boxes inside them are the best organizing system for your lures. The big bulky tackle boxes from the 1970s and 1980s with extending trays for lures and tackle are on their way to extinction. Every time you knock one of those over or it is thrown in the back of a truck, all of the lures in the trays become mixed together. You often don’t realize it happened until the next time you open the box and find your lures in a tangled mess.

Tackle bags with utility boxes keep different style of lures separate from one another. You can take the same masking tape and marker and label each box with the type of lures in it. A couple of my friends label each box for the species of fish the lures in the box would entice.

This system also allows me to travel light if needed. If I know I am going to share a boat with a couple more anglers, bringing just a couple of boxes and two rods saves valuable storage and floor space. I know I’ve often stumbled, kicked and stepped on many tackle bags and boxes when I am fishing three in a boat. Plus, if I know I am going to fish jigs that day for largemouth bass, I just need to grab my jig box and stick a couple of bags of soft plastic trailers in my pocket and I am ready to go. Or, if I am fishing for stripers, I can just grab my box for striped bass and leave the other stuff at home.

I know some anglers who think that it’s fine to fish with the same spool of 6-pound line for the entire year. However, old line is a major source of tangles, fish breaking off and frustration. Take the time this winter to replace the line on all your reels with fresh monofilament or fluorocarbon. Your line is the only connection that you have with a fish. Why would you want to short-change that connection and risk breaking off a trophy fish?

You can put fresh monofilament line on two reels for roughly the cost of one crankbait. If you buy bulk spools of monofilament, you can replace the line on the reel for about the cost of a soft drink. Fluorocarbon is more expensive, but refilling the spool on a reel with it is still one of the cheapest outlays for fishing.

Take the time now while the weather outside is frightful to organize your lures and put new line on your fishing reels. That way, you’ll have your peanut butter and jelly colored jigs in your box, not in the closet.

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Cave Run Lake fishing report — KDFWR — Sept. 9

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 19:38:13 +0000

Lake level: 730.07
Lake temperature: 76 degrees F

The lake level remains stable and the water is clear in the main lake. With the recent heavy rains anglers may find more turbid water conditions in the upper sections of the lake. Largemouth bass anglers are having the best success catching decent size fish after 9 PM on crankbaits, top water, and plastics around structure. It took just a fuzz under 9 pounds to win a bass tournament conducted last Saturday night at the lake and the tournament anglers reported good catches of bass within the slot limit (13-16 inch fish). Muskie fishing is fair using spinner baits at this time and should improve as temperatures get cooler. While at the lake, try fishing for smallmouth bass along the rocks located in Scotts Creek, along Rt. 801 from Scotts Creek boat ramp to the dam, and in the vicinity of the confluence of the Licking River and Beaver Creek. Amazingly, white bass are still in the jumps as anglers are reporting seeing small schools here and there lake wide. These jumps are not lasting long so be prepared. Try casting Silver Buddies or Kastmasters for white bass.

Fred R. Howes
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Recourses

Fred R. Howes
Fishery Biologist
Kentucky Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Res.
Northeastern Fishery District
120 Fish Hatchery Rd.

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Muskies this weekend on Kentucky Afield TV

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 11:41:46 +0000

Frankfort, Kentucky- It’s like Christmas in September for one young lady. We open the box containing an unbelievably big fish on “Kentucky Afield” television this weekend, September 12 and 13.

Folks that bump into Sarah Terry at the grocery store call her the “big fish girl” and for good reason. The 15-year-old Mount Sterling resident does hold the Kentucky state record for muskellunge. Her smiling face and her 47-pound keeper grace the cover of the current issue of the Kentucky Fishing & Boating Guide. This week on “Kentucky Afield” TV, the mount of the fish will now grace her wall at home. She’s been anxiously waiting for host Tim Farmer to help her open the box just delivered from the taxidermist.

Elsewhere, fishing guide David Jones knows crappie fishing at Green River Lake. Oddly, he and Farmer hook a muskie, too.

“Kentucky Afield” is a production of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. 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 segments also air on the Internet atfw.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 onthe Internet and click the Kentucky Afield Newsletter icon.

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The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources manages, regulates, enforces and promotes responsible use of all fish and wildlife species, their habitats, public wildlife areas and waterways for the benefit of those resources and for public enjoyment. Kentucky Fish and Wildlife is an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet. For more information on the department, visit our web site at fw.ky.gov.

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Lake Cumberland fishing report — KDFWR — early September

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:31:27 +0000

Last Updated at: 8:38am on Friday, September 4, 2009

Lake Elevation – 680.4 ft msl
Surface temperature – 79 F

Striped bass are hitting live bait drifted on planer boards or down rods 25-35 ft deep on the mid and lower lake. Also some early morning surface activity as schools of stripers have been in the jumps.

Written by John D.Williams, KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Res

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Cedar Creek Lake fishing report — KDFWR — early September

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:26:10 +0000

Last Updated at: 10:14am on Friday, August 28, 2009

Surface temperature – 80 F
Good numbers of sub-legal bass are being caught on blue or black 10-inch plastic worms around deep water structures. Bass also being caught on shallow diving crankbaits on overcast/cloudy days and deeper diving crankbaits on sunny days. Pop-r’s and frogs are good early in the morning.

Bluegill fishing is fair on crickets, meal worms and wax worms and a few crappie are being caught on minnows.

Catfish fishing remains good on a number of baits including minnows, chicken livers, nightcrawlers, cut bait, and shrimp.

Written by John D.Williams, KY Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Res

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Early fall is a great month for bass fishing in Kentucky

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:17:20 +0000

Frankfort, Ky. – September is some of the best sleeping weather of the year. Open the windows, turn the air conditioning off and wake up to crisp, gorgeous mornings.
This kind of weather gets many outdoors enthusiasts excited about doves and deer, but it can be a confusing time for bass anglers. Typically, rain falls the least in September and October, clearing the water in ponds and lakes – and making largemouth bass jumpy.
It seems this slight chill in the air would get bass in a feeding mode, but that doesn’t happen until the water cools considerably. September is a transitional time for bass fishing. This month, however, may yield some huge largemouth bass if you make the right adjustments.
“The fall changes may happen a little earlier this year because we’ve had such a cool summer,” said Jeff Ross, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “The surface water and the shallows are cooling down already.”
Baitfish location and water depth dictates where bass stage in early fall. “I start looking for schools of shad,” said Frankfort bass tournament angler Dan Bruning. “The fish key on shad in fall. I’ll try a spinnerbait or a medium-running crankbait in shad colors when I find them.”
Bass don’t immediately shove their noses into the bank of a large lake or reservoir when the first few cool days hit in early fall. Many bass anglers make the mistake of pounding the bank when they should be searching for baitfish or fishing intermediate depths on sloping banks in early fall.
Largemouth bass don’t make a move for the shallows until the water temperatures drop into the high 60s. Fish from 8 to 20 feet of water, depending on the lake, in early fall.
A 3/16-ounce jig and trailer combination swum down sloping points is a deadly technique right now. A point that drops into an old channel is a plus. If the point is composed of shale, pea gravel or mud mixed with rock, then all the better.
“As the water clears in fall, I switch to greens and browns with my tubes or jigs,” Bruning said. “Black and blue is universal in summer, but I switch to those colors in fall.”
Browns and greens match crayfish colors. Crayfish move to pea gravel, shale or mud and rock banks in fall because they burrow into them to survive winter. A jig with trailer combination perfectly imitates crayfish.
“Some guys start keying on tree lines on Taylorsville Lake in fall,” Bruning explained. “They throw soft plastic stickbaits like a Senko weightless and let them slowly quiver down the trees.”
Bruning, who fishes Taylorsville, Guist Creek and other central Kentucky lakes weekly, will also search for bass with a buzzbait right now.
If you go to a major reservoir on a bright, shimmering September day and don’t get a strike, then try fishing the same lake at night. Bass anglers associate night fishing with summer, but early fall is a terrific time to fish after dark. Those banks that seem devoid of fish during the day in September often crawl with bass at night. This is best time of year for a shore-bound angler to night-fish.
Another option is to fish smaller bodies of water in early fall. Farm ponds and small lakes cool faster than large reservoirs. The fall bite begins a few weeks earlier than on a lake of several thousand acres.
It is hard to go wrong with a 5-inch soft plastic grub Texas-rigged with a 1/4-ounce weight on a farm pond or small lake. A junebug-colored grub fished along a weedline or probed in brush or a fallen treetop imitates small bluegill. A pumpkin, black or watermelon-colored grub worked slowly on the bottom looks like an unaware crayfish. Largemouth bass in these bodies of water scarf small bluegill and crayfish.
Downsizing your line produces more strikes in fall. Smaller lines give off fewer negative clues to bass in the clearer water of September and October. If you are fishing a bait caster with 12- to 17-pound line and getting no strikes, switch to a spinning outfit spooled with 8-pound line. You may break off a few more fish, but that beats getting no bites at all.
September and early October may perplex bass anglers, but a few changes should get your rod bent over and your drag singing.

Author and photographer Lee McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.

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New rules for flathead catfish at A.J. Jolly Lake in Campbell County

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:13:53 +0000

Frankfort, Ky. – Anglers fishing 175-acre A.J. Jolly Lake in Campbell County must immediately release any flathead catfish caught.
“We stocked flatheads last fall as part of an effort to improve fishing in the lake,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “It appears that many of the fish were removed before they could do what we hoped.”
Prior to this regulation, no size or creel limits existed on flathead catfish. Flathead catfish feed primarily on sunfish, small bullhead catfish and shad.
“Everything in the lake is stunted,” said Dane Balsman, urban fisheries biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “The overall goal of stocking the flathead catfish is to improve fishing for sunfish, largemouth bass and other catfish. We don’t want any additional flathead catfish removed. The blue and channel catfish are still fair game.”
Buynak reminds anglers that limb lines, trotlines or jug lines are not legal on A.J. Jolly Lake or any other lake in the state less than 500 acres.
—Lee McClellan

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Nolin River Lake — KDFWR — Sept. 5

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:08:58 +0000

Nolin River Lake

Walleye are active in the upper lake from Sportsman’s Paradise upstream. Fish at night under lights with a jigging spoon or lead head jig tipped with a night crawler or large leech. Several 20-inch plus fish have been caught. Crappie are also active and anglers are catching them in the creeks with standing timber fishing minnows 12-15 ft deep with slip corks.

Robert E. Rold
Fisheries Biologist – Prog. Coord.
Northwestern Fishery District
Kentucky Dept. Fish & Wildlife
1398 Hwy 81 N
Calhoun, KY 42327

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Cave Run Lake fishing report — KDFWR — Sept. 5

admin — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 01:07:25 +0000

Lake level: 730.01
Lake temperature: 77 degrees F

The lake level remains stable and the outflow below the dam has been reduced to 50 cfs. Water temperatures range from 77 degrees at the surface down to 74.0 degrees at 25 feet. Dissolved oxygen levels are good down to 15 feet. Largemouth bass continue being caught on plastics near weed beds in the late evening or during the night. Look for the weed beds to start dying back as we approach fall. Water temperatures are cooling off somewhat a head of what would normally be expected during this time of year so bass fishermen may want to start planning for their fall fishing earlier than normal. Muskie fishing is once again starting to pick up some as anglers are having success using spinnerbaits. If muskie fishing follows the trends seen during the fall of 2008 and spring/summer of 2009, look for some exceptional fishing coming this fall. Now is a good time to jug fish for channel and flathead catfish at the lake. Try using stink baits, chicken livers, or live bluegill.

Fred R. Howes
Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Recourses

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