Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 354.73 Surface Temperature - 72
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 354.65 Surface Temperature - 72

Both lakes are about 4 and one half feet below summer pool. Kentucky Dam has been generating average flows between 30,000 - 36,000 over the past couple days. Barkley Dam has been generating a steady flow of 17,000 cfs the past couple of days. The latest lake levels , current flows and forecasts for all the TVA lakes can be found at http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/index.htm . With the water levels now well below summer pool, boaters should be cautious about navigating outside of the marked channels. Just because these are big lakes does not mean they are deep lakes. Certainly, nothing can ruin a fun fishing trip quicker than a damaged lower unit or even worse an injury caused by striking an unseen underwater object.

This has been a week of cold frontal passages with a major one late last weekend and a weaker cold frontal passage this morning. As one would expect, this has made for some up and down fishing this past week. Some days have been slow and some days have been good. We are still in the fall transition pattern for the bass as our water temperatures are still running about 6 degrees above normal for this time in October. Largemouth are still being taken from the main lake ledges and points to the backs of the creeks and bays. We concentrated our efforts in the creeks and bays this week and as has been the norm lately, we had to be versatile with changing patterns daily and many times through out the same day. We took Largemouth in as little as 6 - 8 inches of water on topwater lures and as deep as 15-18 feet on some channel banks and points on jigs. Most of this past week, the better bite was early in the morning and picked up again around mid day each day. Although we did have some exciting moments on schooling bass this week with spinnerbaits and crankbaits, overall I would classify the bite as slow to fair. The forecast looks promising for the near future to bring down the water temperatures a little more to get more fish moving into the shallows. The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 70 and low of 48 with wind WSW at 8. Another cold front is forecasted to come through the area early Saturday with a forecasted high of 63 and low of 42 with wind WNW at 9 and a 30% chance of showers. Sunday's high is forecasted to be 69 with a low of 46 with wind WSW at 8. Monday shows a high of 70 and low of 44 with wind SSW at 9. Another frontal passage is forecasted for early next week with daytime high's in the 50's and low's in the lower 40's with a chance of more rain through mid week.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are still being taken on the river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes as well as around the mouths of the creeks and bays. Some fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits and swim baits but the more productive bite has been on Carolina rigged creature baits and dragging football head jigs. The ledge bite is scattered and it is a matter of finding the right ledge at the right time when there are some schools of baitfish and bass there because the baitfish are moving a lot and the bass are following. Largemouth are also being taken in the back halves of the creeks and bays as they are feeding on schools of young threadfin shad. These fish are being taken on topwater lures early and late in the day with spinnerbaits, lipless and square billed crankbaits and chatterbaits working during the day on deeper flats and working finesse jigs on the lead in banks and points. The better bite has been around schools of small white and yellow bass where the Largemouth are mixing in with these feeding smaller fish. Although we are taking some numbers of fish on this shallow water pattern, most of the fish are small or just over keeper size with an occasional 3 lbs - 6lbs fish or two some days. I have run into a couple of schools of keeper sized and better fish feeding on the flats in the creeks this week. I have also had some reports of some schools of keeper sized and better fish working the shallow main lake flats feeding on schools of baitfish.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake gravel and rocky points early and late in the day on topwater lures and then on finesse jigs and tube jigs during the day. We have also been taking some keeper Smallmouth in the creeks and bays on rocky channel banks on finesse jigs and tube jigs.

Some productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Strike King KVD splash baits in bone, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Bag 5 custom painted square billed crankbaits in blue glimmer pattern, Bag 5 custom painted Strike King Red Eye shad in blue glimmer, Chatterbaits in blue glimmer with twin tail Yamamoto trailer in blue pearl, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs, Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, D&L baby advantage jigs in Cumberland Craw and "oops" patterns as well as Charmer tubes in road kill and green pumpkin.

White Bass: White Bass are being taken on the old river channel ledges where they are feeding on schools of baitfish. These fish can be taken by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. Some fish are also being taken by trolling inline spinners behind deep diving crankbaits along the river ledges and main lake creek channel ledges as well as on old creek channels around the mouths of the creeks and bays. There are some schools of White Bass now feeding in the creeks and bays in cuts and on the flats but most of these are smaller fish. These schooling fish can be taken with inline spinners and small crankbaits.

Crappie: I have had a number of reports of anglers taking Crappie over staging brush piles in the front half's of the creeks and bays by vertically fishing with small jigs and small jigs tipped with minnows over brush piles in 12-15 feet of water. I have also had some few reports of Crappie being taken in the 8-10 ft range during the warm part of the day over brush piles in the creeks by casting small curly tail jigs.

Catfish: Catfish are being taken on the old river channel ledges in 25-35 feet of water using nightcrawlers and cut baits. The best bite is during periods of current. There are a number of Channel Catfish cruising the shallow flats in the backs of the creeks and bays and feeding on schools of baitfish. We have taken a number of these Catfish this past week on crankbaits while fishing for bass.

If you are coming to the big lakes here to enjoy our great fishing, make sure you stop by these businesses for all your fishing and boating needs:

The Cabin Bait and Tackle is located in Kuttawa on U.S. 62 about one mile west of the I-24/U.S. 62 interchange. The Cabin Bait and Tackle has a great selection of the latest in rods, reels, lures for you bass anglers and also a great selection of tackle for the panfish anglers to include live bait. You can also find a selection of bows and guns for the hunter as well as personal handguns in the store. The Cabin also hosts the a website where you can order all your fishing needs with free shipping on all orders over 50.00. Be sure to check them out at www.tackleexperts.com . The Cabin has a great delicatessen where you can get that early morning breakfast sandwich or enjoy a delicious lunch. Phone: 270-388-6440
Fisherman's Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle. Fisherman's Headquarters boasts a great selection of the latest in rods, reels and lures for bass anglers that are on the market, not to mention one of the best selection of high end lures and local custom lures we use here on Ky/Barkley lakes. You can find many of the custom lures you see in my fishing reports there including the Bag5 custom painted crank baits and jerk baits. Fisherman's Headquarters also has a really good selection of Crappie and panfish tackle featuring Wally Marshall "Mr Crappie" rods, reels, lures and line as well as live baits. Phone: 270-527-5938.

Jet-A-Marina: If you have a problem with your boat while you are visiting our great fisheries, let me recommend you have the folks in the service department at Jet-a-Marina check it out. These folks have a well known reputation for trying to keep our visitors on the water while they are here if they can possibly do so, especially you tournament anglers. Hopefully you will not need this kind of assistance but if you do, you can find Jet-a-Marina located on U.S. 62 in Calvert City, just a couple of miles north of Kentucky Dam. Jet-a-Marina also has a great showroom for all your boating accessories and check out the new Ranger, Stratos and Triton bass boats too as well as bulk oil at rock bottom prices for your engine. Phone: 270-395-4030 .



ELIMINATING WATER CLASS: I will be offering my class on how to Eliminate Water again this winter during the months of January and February and I will also teach a few classes next month in November. These classes are limited to one or two people per class. The classes last approximately 8 hours. The cost of the class is 200.00 which covers one or two people. These classes have been very popular with my clients over the past few years and all the feedback I get is very positive. Here is some examples of that feedback:

**Dave ... Harry and I took your "Eliminating Water" class and it has helped both of us like you wouldn't believe! - J. Harris

**In the past 3 tourney's I have managed to get a limit on 3 separate lakes. Old Hickory, Barkley, and Barren. Managed a 3rd place finish Sunday on Barkley with a 6lb kicker. I have a lot more confidence when I hit the water now. I no longer pull the old "that bank looks good, lets waste a few hours here". Thanks Dave - M. King

**Well worth the money - and probably the most valuable thing I have purchased in the terms of fishing. - K. Stephens

**The eliminating water class is without a doubt the best money I've spent on fishing in my life. - D. Page

Here is a short description of the Eliminating Water Class:

"How to Eliminate Water": This class is done in a classroom environment. In this class you learn the most important thing that you can learn as a bass fisherman, that is, how eliminate water to find the Bass by finding the highest percentage spots during all the different seasons of the year that will hold more fish, more often. In this class you will learn what information you need to know in order to eliminate water to find these high percentage spots during your preplanning for a trip and how to apply this information as well as current environmental conditions to make decisions on which techniques you should be using when on the water that day and how to adjust to environment changes that can move your fish or change the pattern from day to day, season to season. Basically, what I teach you in this class is how to use knowledge of mother nature by using scientific knowledge, logic and common sense to develop a system to find your fish as well as make decisions before you get on the water and while you are on the water to be a more consistent bass angler. What I teach you in this class is what I do every day as a bass fishing guide when I am trying to find and catch bass with my clients. What you will learn in this class will apply anywhere you go bass fishing, this is not specific to just Ky and Barkley Lakes. Finding bass and making decisions as how to catch bass is not done solely by looking at electronics, it is accomplished with knowledge. There is no button on your sonar unit or mapping unit that says "Go Find Fish". Sonar units show you fish AFTER you find them. Mapping units show you just that, a topographical map of the body of water you are on. The mapping unit allows you to mark spots on your electronic map where you have found fish and assist you in navigating back to those spots. Just as with a paper topographical map, you can scan over an electronic map and mark "places of interest" or as I call them "looks good" spots to go check out when you get on the water...but finding high percentage spots are not "looks good" spots. High percentage spots are selected by having the knowledge of what type spots have the highest percentage chance of holding bass during the different seasons of the year coupled with how to apply what is going on in the environment that will affect the fish.

Call or email me to book your class date while dates are still available!



GUIDE SERVICE:

For those of you that may not be familiar with my service: I am a full time catch and release bass fishing guide. I only guide for bass. I have been guiding for bass full time on these lakes for 17 years and bass fishing the lakes for over 30 years. I do not go out and fish panfish for 4 or 5 days and then try to guide on bass for one or two days. No one knows everything the bass are doing but one thing is for sure, if you only fish for bass day in and day out, you will have a lot better idea of what they are doing and also be familiar with all the different techniques it takes to be a successful bass angler. If you book with my service, you will have me as your guide and you will be guided in the comfort of a late model Z522 Ranger Comanche equipped with 2 Lowrance HDS 10's and top of the line tackle. I provide just for fun bass fishing trips, tournament preparation trips, focused teaching trips and technique instruction. If you are in need of a bass fishing guide give me a call or drop me an email.


Available Dates:

I still have a few days open this month and I have a number of dates available in November. November can be some of the best fishing of the year on fall patterns with topwater, crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim baits. Make your reservations now for the fall fishing before the date(s) you want are taken.

Of course I am taking reservations for next spring's bass fishing so now is a good time to make that reservation to get the date(s) you want. I am already getting a number of bookings for next spring so don't delay too long to make your booking.