Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 354.39 Surface Temperature - 60
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 354.35 Surface Temperature - 60
Both lakes are at winter pool. Kentucky Dam has been generating at an average rates of just over 40,000 cfs over the past couple of days. Barkley Dam has been varying generation between 8,500 -17,400 cfs over the past 24 hours. 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.
The weather overall has been fair this past week but we have had a few windy days that has kept us off the water. The bass bite this week has continued to be spotty although we have had a few days where we found some actively feeding schooling Largemouth. We did see more topwater activity this past week back in the shallows on some schooling bass and also some nice single fish. Most of the bass anglers I have talked to this week are either reporting a slow bite or just fair overall which is pretty much what we have seen in my boat also here on the north ends of the lakes. The better bite is still being reported on the south end of Kentucky Lake where there is still some grass which is concentrating the fish. The weather forecast for the weekend looks good with tomorrow showing a high of 60 and low of 42 with wind SSE9. Saturday's forecast is for a high of 66 and low of 43 with wind SSW16. Keep an eye on the wind forecast for Saturday...and plan your trip accordingly. Sunday is showing a high of 61 and low of 36 with wind N7. Monday is currently showing a great day to be on the water with a high of 66 and low of 40 with wind SSW6. A nasty cold front is forecasted to hit the lakes area early in the coming week and the forecasts for Tuesday and Wednesday are showing highs in the 40's and lows in the upper 20's.
Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on primary points at the mouths of the creeks and bays as well as on secondary points and creek channel banks in the creeks and bays. These deeper fish are being taken on medium running crankbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on the flats in the coves and backs of the creeks and bays as well as some fish being taken on shallow flats on the main lake. These fish can be taken on topwater lures, square billed and lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and swim baits. Our most productive lures this week on this pattern was lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits on schooling fish.
Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake gravel and rocky points early and late in the day on topwater lures with some crankbait bite 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 crankbaits, finesse jigs and tube jigs.
Some productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Bag 5 custom painted square billed crankbaits in blue glimmer, Bag 5 custom painted Strike King Red Eye shad in blue glimmer, Strike King Red Eye Shad in chrome sexy shad, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin on Texas rigs, 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 around the mouths of the creeks and bays schooling of gravel banks and over shallow humps. These fish are being taken on inline spinners and small crankbaits. White's are also being taken by trolling inline spinners and small spoons in the creeks and bays. Some larger White Bass are now schooling on active days on the flats in the backs of the creeks and bays. There are some Rockfish and Hybrids feeding in the back halves of the creeks and bays also on active bite days.
Crappie: Crappie are being taken by vertically fishing with jigs tipped with minnows over brush piles in 12-15 ft of water around the mouths and front halves of the creeks and bays. Crappie are also being taken by casting jigs to brush piles in 8-10 ft of water in the creeks and bays.
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 lately 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.
FLASH: Fisherman's Headquarters has a limited number of Abu Garcia Revo MGX reels on sale for 229.00 (regularly priced at 350.00). They also are having a sale on select Lew's Graphite rods and Quantum KVD crankbait rods at 30-50% off.
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 this month. 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.
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.
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