• Fishing Report for Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley

    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"

  • Fishing Report for Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley

    April 3, 2015

    Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 356.10 Surface Temperature - 58
    Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 356.15 Surface Temperature - 58

    Both lakes are 3 feet below summer pool and on a slow rise. Kentucky Dam is generating an outflow of 62,500 cfs this morning. Barkley Dam is generating an outflow of 18,000 cfs this morning. The TVA has the lakes on schedule to rise to summer pool by the end of this month, of course this could change if we receive an unforeseen large influx of water. 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 lake levels down, everyone needs to be cautious when navigating the lakes. Use the navigation channels unless you know exactly where you are and if you are not sure, idle your boat until you are sure you are in safe water.

    General Conditions: Kentucky Lake water clarity ranges from clear to slightly stained. Lake Barkley water clarity is stained with some heavy stain in some of the creeks and bays. The water temperatures continue to rise with the warmer weather we have had over the past few days and this rise should continue with the forecasted warm weather over the next week.

    We do have a cold front that will pass through the lakes area today and we can expect some possibly severe thunderstorms and high winds with the frontal passage. We will be post frontal on Saturday with sunny skies, a high of 62/low of 38 and wind N7. Temperatures will begin to rebound on Sunday with a forecasted high of 66/low of 52 and winds shifting to the S12. The forecast has us back in the 70's through next mid week with a chance of scattered thunderstorms each day and south quadrant winds. Boaters should check the latest forecasts before venturing on the lakes as this is the time of year that we get a lot of thunderstorms and changing weather conditions.

    The Largemouth are still on early pre spawn patterns and the Smallmouth are on pre spawn patterns. We should see the Largemouth into full blown prespawn patterns and the Smallmouth on late prespawn and spawning patterns within the next week. The Alabama rig is still producing some good bags of fish as are crank baits, suspending jerk baits and jigs. The Carolina rig and spinner bait are starting to come on now with some of the fish on staging points in the creeks and bays. Largemouth are also being taken on shallow flats in the creeks and bays near deeper water with lipless crank baits, shallow running crank baits and chatterbaits.

    Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on staging ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays, also on main lake points as well as secondary points and channel banks inside the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on Alabama Rigs, Carolina rigged lizards and creature baits, suspending jerk baits, medium running crank baits, spinnerbaits, jigs and shakey heads. Some Largemouth are also being taken on shallow flats in the creeks and bays near deeper water with lipless crank baits, shallow running crank baits and chatterbaits.

    Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake ledges as well as points and banks near the channels on the main lake and on secondary points in the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on Alabama rigs, suspending jerk baits, slow rolled crank baits and jigs. The Smallmouth bite has picked up as these fish are feeding up just before they begin spawning.

    Productive Lures: Some of the more productive lures this week have been: Rapala Shad Raps, DT6 and DT10 crankbaits in Demon and Red Craw, Excite and Strike King medium running crankbaits in black/chartruese, Strike King Red Eye Shad and Excaliber One Knocker lipless crankbaits in red or orange with black crawdad patterns, Smithwick suspending Rogues in chrome with black back, Big Hammer swim baits in pearl, sexy smelt and bay smelt on Alabama rigs, Rapala X-raps in black/silver, Bag 5 custom painted Mega Bass jerk baits in Blue Glimmer, Lucky Craft Pointers and Bag 5 custom painted Mega Bass jerk baits in Aurora Black, D&L jigs in Cumberland Craw and Oops patterns, Charmer lizards and timber pups on Carolina rigs, Charmer shakey head worms as well as Yamamoto senkos on D&L and Slong's shakey head jigs in green pumpkin.

    Crappie: The Crappie bite is being reported as improving with some fish still being taken over brush piles in 15-20 ft of water inside the mouths of the creeks and bays by spider rigging with small jigs dressed with small minnows. The Black Crappie are staging on points and banks in the creeks and bays with wood cover and are being taken by casting curly tail jigs and road runner type baits to the shoreline. There are also some reports of Crappie now being taken around shallow wood cover in the creeks and bays with minnows under bobbers and slow rolled curly tail jigs under bobbers. With the warming water temperatures, the Black Crappie should be spawning actively over the next week.
    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 19 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 Lowrance HDS sonar 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:

    April: Sorry, I am booked up.
    May: 10, 12, 13, 16, 17
    June: 1, 2, 5,12, 16, 23, 24, 25, 29, 30

    As you can see, I have only a few spring dates left so book your trip now wile I still have dates available. I am also taking reservations for the remainder of the summer and fall so now is a good time to make those reservations too so that you can get the date(s) you want.

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