Kentucky Lake fishing report — Dave Stewart 3-4-10
March 4, 2010 by admin · Comments Off
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 Read more
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Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley fishing report — Dave Stewart — Sept. 5
September 8, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam – 356.40 Surface Temperature – 79
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam – 356.45 Surface Temperature – 79
Both lakes are two and one half feet below summer pool and on a slow drawdown. Expect the lakes to be drawn down another one half foot over the next couple of days. The lakes area, like most of the country has been under the influence of high pressure all week, with blue skies and beautiful days and cool nights. The forecast for the holiday weekend is for more of the same, with highs Friday and Saturday in the low 80’s and highs Sunday and Monday in the high 70’s. Night time lows are forecasted to be in the mid 60’s through the weekend. Light east winds are forecasted for the entire weekend. In other words, except for the possibility of a shower or two, we are looking at some really nice weather for the lakes area over the Labor Day weekend. Expect the lakes to be crowded this weekend, so please, be careful, be courteous and drive your boat defensively on the water. We have had entirely too many accidents and drownings on the lakes this year so let’s work to make this an accident free holiday.
As I mentioned in last week’s report, some shad are definitely moving and starting to stage around the mouths of the bays signaling the early stages of the transition to the fall fishing patterns. As is normal for this time of year, we have a myriad of bass patterns to choose from each day. We still have plenty of fish on the ledges but I am seeing a definite increase in the ledge activity around the mouths of the bays and on the primary points due to the shad movement. We also have bass being taken in the creeks and bays on secondary points and channel banks as well as bass being taken back on the shallow flats as they are feeding on schools of late shad fry and some early small transitioning shad. The ledge fishing has been somewhat slow in the mornings but is picking up in the afternoons when the current is being generated. The shallow fish are feeding best early and late in the day. Another indication that more shad are moving toward the bays is that some Smallmouth are now being taken early and late in the day on topwater lures fished on primary points and main lake secondary points. White Bass are still active on the main lake creek and river channel ledges but some Whites are also showing up around the mouths of the bays feeding on schools of shad. Some jumps of White Bass are being reported on the flats adjacent to the channel ledges early and late in the day. There also have been some reports of the Blue Catfish starting to school on the old river channels. I received some reports of Crappie now being taken on the old creek channels near the mouths of the bays also.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges as well as on primary points on Carolina rigged small creature baits, dragging football head jigs, shaky head rigs and drop shot rigs. Largemouth are also being taken on the secondary points and associated creek channel banks in the creeks and bays feeding on schools of mature shad fry. These fish are being taken on crankbaits, Carolina rigged small creature baits, shaky head rigs, finesse jigs and tube jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on the shallow flats in the creeks and bays on topwater lures, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, shallow running crankbaits, lipless crankbaits, Texas rigged worms and creature baits and dead stick worms.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth Bass are being taken early and late in the day on primary points and main lake secondary points on topwater lures, Carolina rigged small creature baits, finesse jigs and tube jigs. Smallmouth and Largemouth are also being taken at night on dark colored spinnerbaits and finesse jigs fished on primary points and secondary points on the main lake.
Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Spro bronze eye frog in black and green, Rebel Pop R in black/chrome, Strike King crankbaits in sexy shad, Bandit crankbaits in sexy shad and rootbeer, Strike King red eye shad in sexy shad and blue/chrome, Mann’s baby minus one in shad patterns, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Hook Some Bass vibe (chatterbait) in blue glimmer and chartruese/white, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin, watermelon/purple and purple grass, Charmer shaky head worms in green pumpkin candy and watermelon/purple, Zoom trick worm on shaky head in green pumpkin, Yamamoto senko in green pumpkin/black, Jewel football head jig in gourd/craw and black/blue with matching Nets baits trailer, D&L baby advantage jig in black/blue with matching Net Baits trailer and Hook Some Bass tubes in green pumpkin, chameleon craw and smoke/purple.
Crappie: Crappie are being taken on the old creek channel ledges over brush piles and deep stake beds in 12-20 ft of water on small jigs and minnows on spider rigs.
White Bass: White Bass are being taken along the old river and creek channel ledges by fishing vertically with inline spinners and small spoons as well as on minnow rigs. Some White Bass are being taken in jumps early and late in the day on flats adjacent to the channel ledges by casting small crankbaits and inline spinners.
Catfish: Blue Catfish are reportedly being taken along the old river channels in 25-35 ft of water on yellow tails, large minnows and cutbaits fished on bottom.
Bluegill: Bluegills are being taken along rocky creek channel banks and off rocky points by fishing with small jigs tipped with pinched night crawlers and wax worms. Some Bluegill are being reported to be taken on gravel bars early and late in the day on worms and crickets fished on split shot rigs.
We would like to welcome everyone to the lakes to enjoy the Labor Day weekend. While you are here, stop by The Fisherman’s Headquarters located at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 intersection in Draffenville and The Cabin Bait and Tackle located on U.S. 62 just west of Kuttawa. You will find everything you need to make your fishing holiday a success at both these great tackle shops as well as meet some of the friendliest and helpful in the lakes area.
I have received a lot of great feedback from some of my clients that have taken the ledge teaching class this summer. Thanks folks, it makes me feel good to know that I have been able to assist you in becoming more productive. There is still time to take the focused ledge teaching trip that I offer if you have a desire to learn how to find and fish the more productive ledges. I have dates open in September and there will still be fish on the ledges the whole month as well as into early October. If you have any questions about the focused ledge teaching trip, give me a call or drop me an email, I would be happy to talk to you about how to improve not only your ledge fishing but all your bass fishing during the different seasons of the year by taking this class.
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 to book one of my open dates.
The fall fishing is quickly coming and November is prime time for the fall bass fishing. Make your reservations now, remember, I am a full time bass only guide and there is only one of me so make your reservation while I have open dates available.
I have the following dates available in September, October and November:
September: 9, 10, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28
October: 15, 16, 18, 26, 27, 31
November: Still plenty of dates available..give me a call or drop me an email.
Capt Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
“Fish With a Professional”
Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley fishing reports — Dave Stewart — Aug. 27
August 27, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Kentucky Lake:Â Water Level at Ky Dam – 357.16Â Surface Temperature – 82
Lake Barkley:Â Water Level at Barkley Dam – 357.10Â Surface Temperature – 82
Both lakes are two feet below summer pool and on a slow drawdown. The present TVA forecast is for the lakes to drop another 6 inches by midnight tomorrow night. We have had a lot of flat water and blue skies this week and not much in the way of current being generated at the dams except in the late afternoon and early evening hours. The water temperatures had dropped to around 80 earlier this week with the cool nights but came back up to present levels the past two days. We have another cool front coming through the lakes area sometime Friday night and the forecast for a high of 81 on Saturday and mid 70’s from Sunday through mid week. The night time lows are forecasted to be in the mid 50’s starting on Saturday night through midweek. This should bring the water temperatures down again. I have noticed a lot of shad movement this week on the main river channel on Kentucky Lake and a lot of big shad schools are showing up around the mouths of the creeks and bays. This is an indication that the shad are starting to stage around the mouths of the creeks and bays in anticipation cooler temperatures and the transition to fall patterns. We have the water temperatures for this to start happening and I expect we will see the fall transition period begin in the next couple of weeks barring any unforeseen extended hot weather. As per normal during this time of August, a myriad of patterns are now available. There are still plenty of fish on the ledges, although the bite has been somewhat slow during the morning and early afternoon due to a lack of wind and current. You can catch the ledge fish during the day, you just need to fish slow with slow moving baits and be patient. One pattern that has emerged this week, which is normal when some of the shad schools begin to move, is that there has been some reported schooling of Largemouth on the flats just adjacent to the creek and river channels. I myself, saw a large school of keeper sized Largemouth churning the water on a main lake flat this week and had two other reports of folks that encountered these jumps. I would advise anyone fishing the ledges near the shallow flats to keep a topwater lure or a lipless crankbait handy in case you encounter one of these feeding schools. Another indication of staging shad is that the bite on the points around the mouths of the bays is picking up. The bass in the creeks and bays are also active, still feeding on schools of fry on the secondary points and on the flats in the backs of the creeks and bays. As you can see, you can take your pick right now of patterns to fish. The night bite for Smallmouth and Largemouth is still being reported as good on main lake points with spinnerbaits and jigs on Kentucky Lake. The White Bass are still being taken primarily on the main lakes along the channels by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. I did, however, today observe a large White Bass jump in the mouth of one of the bays on the east side of Kentucky Lake.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes by fishing with Carolina rigged small creature baits and worms, jigs, drop shot rigs and shaky head rigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken on the flats on the main lake in jumps as they are feeding on schools of baitfish. These top feeding fish can be taken on topwater lures, lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits. Largemouth are being taken on primary points on the main lake with medium and deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged worms and jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on the secondary points and flats in the creeks and bays as they are feeding on schools of fry. These fish are being taken on topwater lures, crankbaits, chatterbaits, Texas rigged worms and deadstick worms.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth Bass are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes by fishing with Carolina rigged small creature baits and tubes as well as by dragging jigs. Some Smallmouth are also being taken on primary points and the first secondary points in the creeks and bays early and late in the day on jigs and tube jigs. Smallmouth are being taken at night on Kentucky Lake on primary and main lake secondary points with dark colored spinnerbaits and jigs.
Some of the productive lures reported this week are:Â Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon and chartreuse shad, Strike King and Norman crankbaits in sexy shad patterns, Baby Minus one crankbaits in shad patterns, Strike King red eye shad in sexy shad and blue/chrome, Hook Some Bass vibe (chatterbait) in blue glimmer, Chatterbaits in white and white/chartreuse, Charmer 7.5 ” ribbon tail worms in electric grape, Zoom 7″ utail worms in plum, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple, Yum and Yamamoto dead stick worms in green pumpkin and green pumpkin/blue and Jewel football head jigs in gourd/craw tipped with matching Net Baits trailer.
White Bass: White Bass are being taken along the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. The better fishing is during periods of current.
Catfish:Â The Catfishing is being reported as slow along the old river channels with yellowtails and cutbaits on bottom.
Bluegill:Â Bluegills are being taken along deep rocky creek channel banks and off rocky points by vertically fishing with small jigs tipped with worms.
FLASH: I mentioned last week that I was having a lot of email problems and a number of my incoming emails was lost in hyperspace last week. My email problems continued until the past two days. Everything seems to be working good now that my website has been moved to a dedicated server. If you emailed me and did not get an answer over the past two weeks, I apologize and invite you to resend your email or give me a call.
If you are in need of a bass guide for some just for fun bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email. I am still offering the focused ledge teaching trip so if you want to learn how to fish the ledges, there is still plenty of time to do this trip as there will be fish on the ledges for the next month or so. On this trip you will learn first, how to eliminate water, this is key in finding the most productive ledges (as a bonus you learn how to eliminate water during the spring, fall and winter also) and second you will learn how to set up on the ledges and the techniques used to catch the ledge fish.
I have the following dates available for booking in August, September and October:
August:Â Sorry, I am booked up.
September:Â 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30
October:Â 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
Remember, November provides some great fall fishing. If you like to throw topwater lures, spinnerbaits and crankbaits on schooling fish, we always have some great days on this fishing in November. Make your reservation now for the November fishing. Also, I am taking reservations for next spring now so if you can plan that far ahead, you can get the date you want by booking now.
Capt Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
“Fish With a Professional”
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley fishing reports — KDFWR — Aug. 20
August 20, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
ummer time fishing patterns should prevail. Ledge fishing along the main river channel and points of secondary channels for catfish, largemouth bass and white bass can be great if there is some current in the lake. Early in the morning and late afternoon may be the best times to fish these deepwater habitats. A great bait for catfish right now large shiners, fresh live shad or leeches. For bass, try big deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged worms, or jigs. The white bass may bite best on inline spinner type baits and shiny spoons. Fishing shallow in the mud flats around structure should yield some fun catching a lot of sublegal size largemouth bass, with an occasional keeper. Look for schools of shad minnows, and fish with top water baits, or Texas rigged worms. Good shoreline places to go fishing; Canal Overlook, at KY Lake Jonathan Creek Bridges (Hwy. 68 and 402), piers at KY Dam and KenLake state parks, at Lake Barkley the State Park, dock at Popular Creek and road bed at Energy and Honker Bays.
Paul Rister
Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Fisheries Biologist – Program Coordinator
30 Scenic Acres Drive
Murray, KY 42071
Kentucky Lake/Barkley Lake fishing report — Dave Stewart — August 20
August 20, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
August 20, 2009
Kentucky Lake:Â Water Elevation at Ky Dam – 357.65Â Surface Temperature – 83
Lake Barkley:Â Water Elevation at Barkley Dam – 357.80Â Surface Temperature – 83
Both lakes are about one and one half feet below summer pool and on a slow drawdown. Both lakes are on schedule with the Tennessee River Operating Schedule and the present TVA forecast is for the lakes to be nearing 357 elevation by midnight Saturday. We have a cold front pushing toward the lakes region and according to the forecasts should pass through the area sometime tomorrow evening. The forecast for the weekend is for sunny skies and highs in the upper 70’s on Saturday and low 80’s on Sunday. We have been experiencing pop up thunderstorms the past few days, especially in the afternoon and evening hours and this is forecasted to continue through tomorrow. The Largemouth Bass fishing has been pretty much the same as last week, that is slower moving baits like the Carolina Rig and dragging football head jigs have been the more productive lures on the ledges with little current present during the day. There are some Largemouth still being taken in shallow water in the creeks and bays as they are feeding on schools of fry. Most of these shallow water fish are small fish but there are also some good keeper fish being taken also. The night bite for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass continues to be reported as good on dark colored spinnerbaits and jigs on Kentucky Lake. Main lake points and rocky banks are reportedly producing some good night bass fishing. The White Bass fishing is being reported as fair during the day by fishing the creek and river channel ledges and adjacent flats with inline spinners and small spoons. There are a few jumps being reported on the flats just off the channels but they are short in duration.
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. The main lake ledge bite seems to be the better bite lately. These fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits and dead stick worms, dragging football head jigs and shaky head worms. Largemouth are also being taken on the primary points and secondary points in the creeks and bays, especially early and late in the day. These fish are feeding on schools of baitfish fry and are being taken on topwater lures, spinnerbaits, Texas rigged creature baits, tube jigs and finesse jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on the shallow flats in the creeks and bays, especially near wood cover and vegetation with topwater lures (early and late in the day), chatterbaits, spinnerbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and dead stick worms.
Smallmouth Bass: Some Smallmouth Bass are being taken during the day on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged small creature baits and dragging football head jigs. The better Smallmouth bite is being reported at night on Kentucky Lake by fishing main lake points and rocky banks with dark colored spinnerbaits and jigs. Some good Largemouth are also being reported on this night bite pattern.
Some of the productive lures reported this week are:Â Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Yozuri spash-it with lemon back and ghost body, Storm chug bugs in black/chrome, Rapala DT series deep divers in grey pearl shad, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits and vibe (chatterbait) in blue glimmer, Charmer timber pups in watermelon/purple, watermelon/candy and green pumpkin, Jewel football head jigs in gourd/craw and black/blue with matching Net Baits trailers and Last Cast wooly bug finesse jigs in green pumpkin and peanut butter jelly with matching Net Baits trailers.
White Bass:Â White Bass are being taken along the old river and creek channel ledges and on the adjacent flats with small spoons hopped off bottom and inline spinners fished vertically.
Catfish:Â Catfish are being taken along the old river channel ledges by fishing with yellow tail and cut baits on bottom rigs. The Catfish bite is being reported as slow with little current present on the lakes.
Bluegill: Bluegills are being taken around deeper docks, especially at night under lights by fishing with crickets and worms under bobbers. Some Bluegills are being taken off deep rocky banks and points by fishing with small jigs tipped with worms.
FLASH: If you have emailed me within the past few days and not received an answer it would be because I did not receive your email. The server that provides my email account has been going through and upgrade by Microsoft and there have been periods in which both my website and email have been down. Hopefully this situation is just about finished and my website and email will return to normal working order. In the meantime, if you have not received an answer to any email, please call me and I would be more than happy to answer your questions or book your trip over the phone.
If you are in need of a bass guide for some fun, catch and release bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction, drop me an email or give me a call. I have been doing a lot of the ledge teaching trips over the past couple of months and the feedback I am receiving from my past clients has been very positive. There is still plenty of ledge fishing left before the fish transition to fall patterns so if you would like to learn how to find the better ledges and learn the techniques used to catch the ledge fish, now is a great time to do so. This trip will not only teach you how to eliminate water to find the better ledges but also how to find the highest percentage spots during the other seasons of the year along with a lot of tips on techniques and patterns to increase your catch rate.
I have the following dates available for booking in August, September and October:
August:Â 26
September:Â 1, 3, 4, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
October:Â 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
Of course I am taking reservations for November also as well as next season. November can be some of the best fall fishing as the schools of big fish feed up for the winter and the lakes are void of big tournaments and pleasure boaters. Give me a call now to book your November trips.
If you are now planning your trip down here for the fall fishing tournaments, I suggest you add to your check list a visit to one or both of our best tackle shops in the lakes area. Fisherman’s Headquarters located in Draffenville at the intersection of U.S.68/U.S. 641 and The Cabin Bait and Tackle located on U.S. 62 just west of Kuttawa are fully stocked with not only the latest in rods, reels and nationally known brand lures, but they also sport good selections of custom lures such as the Hook Some Bass, Charmer baits and Xcite lures among others you see mentioned in my weekly reports. You will also find the folks at these shops to be knowledgeable about bass fishing and you will receive the personal attention you can’t get in the big box stores.
Another item to put on your checklist is a visit to Jet-a-Marina located on U.S. 62 in Calvert City, just a couple of miles north of Ky Dam. Here you will find your favorite engine oil at the best bulk oil prices around as well as a service department that is dedicated to keeping you in the tournament if at all possible.
Capt Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
“Fish With a Professional”
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley fishing report — Dave Stewart — Aug. 13
August 13, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
August 13, 2009
Kentucky Lake:Â Water Level at Ky Dam – 357.52Â Surface Temperature – 84
Lake Barkley:Â Water Level at Barkley Dam – 357.60Â Surface Temperature – 84
Both lakes are one and one half feet below summer pool. The lakes should be dropped another one half foot by the end of the month per the TVA River Operating System Schedule barring any unforeseen circumstances such as heavy rains etc. The Largemouth Bass bite on the ledges has slowed some over the past two days since the frontal passage on Tuesday. We are currently under a strong high pressure system which was very evident today with the water being totally flat through most of the day with little or no winds to speak of and blue skies. We also have not had much in the way of current on either lake the past two days. This coupled with blue skies made the ledge fishing somewhat tough today. But, remember, this is deep summer and we do get some of these days this time of year. When you get a day like this, you might want to check out the alternate summer Largemouth pattern back shallow on the flats in the creeks and bays. The shallow fish are still chasing shad fry back shallow and even on days like today you can find some action there. Most of the fish are small, but now and again you can catch a nice fish and the fun part of it is that these fish are actively feeding. The better ledge pattern this week has been fishing slow with Carolina rigs and dragging jigs. Some few fish have been reported on crankbaits during the peak current periods earlier in the week but the slower moving lures have been topping the list. The night fishing for Largemouth and Smallmouth is reported to still be good. The forecast for the upcoming weekend indicates sunny skies and highs in the 90’s with light southerly winds. Take plenty of cold water and/or sports drinks with you and make sure to use that sunscreen if you are going to be out there this weekend. The current forecast is calling for highs in the 80’s next week with a chance of thunderstorms each day.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the deeper bays. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits and dead stick worms, dragging jigs and drop shot rigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken on primary points and secondary points in the creeks and bays, especially early and late in the day. These fish are taking crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged creature baits and worms, shaky head worms and jigs as they are feeding on schools of fry. Largemouth are also being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays on topwater lures, chatterbaits and Texas rigged creature baits as they are feeding on schools of fry.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth Bass are being taken during the day on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits and dragging jigs. The better Smallmouth bite is being reported at night by fishing with large dark colored spinnerbaits and tube jigs on rocky banks and points on the east side of Kentucky Lake. Some nice Largemouth are also being reported on this night pattern.
Some of the productive lures reported this week are:Â Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Yozuri splash it in lemon with ghost body, Storm chug bugs in black/chrome, Strike King crankbaits in sexy shad, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin, watermelon/purple and watermelon candy, Charmer shaky head worms in watermelon/purple, Jewel football head jigs in gourd/craw and black/blue with matching baby paca craw trailers, Hook Some Bass vibe (chatterbait) in blue glimmer with Yamamoto twin tail blue pearl trailer.
White Bass: White Bass are being taken along the old river and creek channel ledges and on adjacent flats by vertically fishing with small spoons and inline spinners. White Bass are also being taken by trolling deep diving crankbaits along the old river channels with a trailing small spinner or spoon.
Catfish: Catfish are being taken along the old river channels on bottom rigs baited with yellow tails and cut baits. The Catfish bite has been reported as slow the past few days with little current.
Bluegill:Â Bluegill are being taken around deeper docks, especially at night under lights, by fishing with worms and crickets under bobbers.
Now is the time to get ready for the coming fall fishing season. If you have not yet made your reservations for lodging and guides you should do so soon.
If you are in the market for a bass fishing guide for some fun bass fishing, tournament preparation, lake familiarization or technique instruction don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop me an email. Now is a great time to learn how to find and fish the ledges. I offer a focused learning trip in which you will learn how to eliminate water with your topo map to find the highest percentage fishing spots any time of the year, including ledges and also you will learn how to find the best ledges, set up on them and the techniques used to catch the ledge fish.
I have the following dates available for booking in August, September and October:
August:Â 17, 18, 19, 21, 26, 27, 30
September:Â 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
October:Â 14, 15, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 26, 27, 30, 31
November can be some of the most fun bass fishing of the year. This is the time of year for schools of feeding fall bass. There are many days in November when you can catch bass on topwater lures all day as well as spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Make your reservations now to get in on some of this great bass fishing.
Capt Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039
“Fish With a Professional”
Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley fishing report — Dave Stewart — 8-6-09
August 9, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
August 6, 2009
Kentucky Lake:Â Water Level at Ky Dam – 357.93Â Surface Temperature – 82
Lake Barkley:Â Water Level at Barkley Dam – 357.80Â 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:Â 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:Â 14, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 26, 27, 30
September:Â 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
October:Â 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”
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
Kentucky/Barkley fishing reports — Dave Stewart — July 30
July 30, 2009
Both lakes are one foot below summer pool. The bass fishing on the ledges continues to be better in the afternoon and late evening hours on Kentucky Lake. This is due to the fact that the TVA has been an afternoon draw schedule for the past couple of weeks and the ledge fish have gotten conditioned to the current draw times. This does not mean you cannot catch some fish on the ledges during the morning hours but the early fishing has been spotty. Reports indicate that more big fish are being taken during the current draw periods. On Lake Barkley, some days the current is being generated through out the day and on some days there is not much current at all during the day. Savvy bass anglers should watch the TVA draw schedules and plan their trips accordingly if possible. On the other hand, there are numbers of Largemouth being taken shallow in the creeks and bays during the morning and though out the day as these fish are feeding on schools of shad fry from the spring spawns. Most of these fish are small but some good keeper sized fish are also being taken, just not good numbers of them. We continue to have below normal temperatures for this time of year due to cold frontal passages in the lakes area about every three or four days. Another cold front is passing through the area this evening. This cooler weather is also keeping our water temperatures about 4 or 5 degrees below normal for this time of year. The forecast for the weekend is for fair weather with highs in the mid 80’s and lows in the mid 60’s. Reports continue to indicate the night bass fishing on Kentucky Lake is good. I have noticed some good catches of White Bass coming in to the cleaning stations this week also, especially those folks fishing during the late morning and afternoon hours.
Kentucky Lake fishing report — KDFWR — 7-30
July 30, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
On Kentucky Lake we are hearing reports of blue catfish being caught fishing cut bait under jugs near the mouths of embayments. The jug line does not need to reach deep water, but these should be fished near channel ledges or deeper water (15-20 feet). Largemouth are starting to move into shallower water near the backs of bays where fishing spinnerbaits and jigs around KDFWR stake beds can yield exciting results.
