• Kentucky Lake Fishing Report - KY

    Bass Buster Guide Service
    (270) 362-9987 http://www.kentuckylakeguide.com dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
  • "Specializing in Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Familiarization, Tournament Preparation, and Technique Instruction"

  • Kentucky Lake Fishing Report - KY

    Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 359.85 Surface Temperature - 65
    Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 359.75 Surface Temperature - 65

    Both lakes are about one foot over summer pool and on a drawdown. Kentucky Dam has been spilling at an average rate of between 120.000 cfs and 88,000 cfs today. Barkley Dam has been spilling at an average rate of about 85,000 cfs today. 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 . Kentucky Lake clarity ranges from lightly stained on the main lake to stained in many of the creeks and bays with a few creeks heavily stained but fishable. Lake Barkley clarity ranges from heavily stained on the main lake to muddy in most of the creeks and bays.

    FLASH: In last week's report I announced that I would be undergoing surgery this past week to correct an aneurysm in my abdominal aorta and thus would be out of pocket and not publishing a report during May as I would be recovering from my operation. My operation was cancelled at the last minute this past week (actually while I was on the operating table and already under anesthesia). My operation will be rescheduled for later this summer after a new stint is fabricated to address my particular problem...so I am back on the water again and since I cancelled all of my May trips, I will certainly be contacting those folks I had to cancel to offer them a reshedule but I am sure I will have some openings this month if you wish to take a guided bass trip with me give me a call or drop me an email to check my availability. I wish to thank all the great folks that contacted me to let me know they were keeping me and my family in their thoughts and prayers. It is very comforting to know that we have so many good friends.

    A lot has happened not only to me this past week but here in the lakes area. Last weekend the lakes were close to reaching summer pool levels and the Largemouth were starting to move shallow in more numbers for the spawn. We took a number of nice fish moving into the spawning areas last Saturday. Then came the wind and rain from the slow moving cold front that moved across the area early in the week. The heavy rains here in the local area and up the rivers shot the lake levels up rapidly to one foot over pool and the TVA and Corps opened the gates on the both the dams. The lakes are right now on a draw down back to summer pool levels. The Largemouth have moved into the shallows for spawning in big numbers now and the late prespawn/spawn bite is on. The heavy rains and inflow has muddied up Lake Barkley but fish are being taken. Kentucky is stained on the main lake with some heavier stain in the creeks and bays but more than fishable and late prespawn bass are being taken. Crappie anglers are reporting that most of the Crappie have now spawned but there are some late spawners still to be had. Most of the fish being taken the past couple of days are reported to be post spawn fish suspending over brush piles in 8-14 ft of water in the creeks and bays. Some Crappie are still being taken shallow in 3-6 ft of water near wood cover.
    I received a number of reports of the Bluegill now staging in the creeks around flooded bushes in the 3-5 ft range for their up coming spawn. I received some more reports that the Channel Catfish are now moving to the rocky banks on the main lakes and also in the creeks and bays to begin their spawning.

    After a few days of cooler post frontal weather associated with the big cold front, the weather outlook for the weekend and next week is looking good. Friday's forecast is calling for a post frontal high of 66 and low of 46 with wind WSW at 13. Saturday begins the warm up again with a high of 77 and low of 53 with wind WSW at 12. Sunday is showing even warmer with a high of 84 and low of 58 with wind SSW at 12. The extended forecast through mid next week is for high's in the mid 80's and low's in the 60's with a southern flow of wind.


    LARGEMOUTH BASS: Largemouth are being taken in the spawning areas in the backs of the creeks and bays as well as the coves in the creeks and bays. These fish are located around and in the button brush as well as cypress trees and other cover. These late prespawn and spawning fish are being taken on a myriad of lures and techniques. Texas rigged lizards and creature baits, jigs, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, whacky rigged worms, lipless crankbaits and topwater lures are all being reported as catching fish. Our best bite during my last trip out was on Texas rigged lizards, whacky rigged worms and jigs. There are still a number of Largemouth on the final staging points and banks just off the spawning areas especially around wood cover and these fish are being taken on shallow running crankbaits, spinnerbaits, jigs, tube jigs and Texas rigged lizards and creature baits.

    SMALLMOUTH BASS: Smallmouth are being taken on gravel banks and points on the main lakes as well as in the creeks and bays. There are a few of these fish still spawning but the majority of these fish are now on post spawn patterns. Jigs, shaky heads, tube jigs and Carolina rigged creature baits are taking some fish. I expect we will see these fish on an early morning and late evening topwater bite very soon.

    Productive lures: Strike King Red Eye Shad in chrome sexy shad and sexy shad, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer and white/chartreuse, Chatterbaits in shad patterns, D&L baby advantage jigs in Cumberland craw and "oops" patterns. Last Cast Hairy Bug jigs in green pumpkin. Charmer lizards and Timber Pups in green pumpkin, green pumpkin/blue and watermelon/red, Charmer tubes in green pumpkin with orange and purple flake and smoke purple and whacky rigged Zoom trick worms in watermelon/purple and watermelon red.

    CRAPPIE: Crappie reports indicate that most of the Crappie have now spawned and that some are still to spawn. The post spawn fish are being taken by vertically fishing with curly tail jigs and jigs tipped with minnows on spider rigs and by long line trolling in 8-14 ft of water. There are still some spawning Crappie moving to the banks in 4-6 ft of water during the warm part of the day. These spawners are being taken by casting curly tail jigs and by fishing with minnows under bobbers.

    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

    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 18 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:

    May: As mentioned above I have dates available...call or email me to book a trip.
    June: Sorry, I do not have any days available
    July: I have a number of days still available...call me or drop me an email to get the date(s) you want.

    Call me or drop me an email to book your dates now. The sooner you book, the more likely you can get the dates you want. I also will take bookings for the rest of the season. I am also taking bookings for my Ledge Teaching trip. The Ledge Teaching trip consists of both classroom and time on the water. This trip not only teaches you how to find the highest percentage ledges but also what you are looking for on your sonar and how to interpret what you are seeing, how to search the ledges, set up on the ledges as well as making decisions on what type lures you should be throwing depending on enviromental conditions.

    Captain Dave Stewart
    Bass Buster Guide Service
    270-362-9987
    dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
    www.kentuckylakeguide.com
    "Fish With a Professional"
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