April 30, 2015

Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 359.08 Surface Temperature - 65
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 359.25 Surface Temperature - 64

Both lakes are at summer pool. Kentucky Dam was had closed the gates and was now generating at 64,500 cfs this afternoon. Barkley Dam had closed the gates and was generating at 21,200 cfs this afternoon. 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 . Both lakes are clear. There is some debris floating on both lakes but more on Barkley than Kentucky from the drawdown this past few days.

General Conditions: What a week. Late last week the bass were moving in shallow and the late prespawn bite was on with the lakes reaching levels of almost 3 feet over summer pool. We had a nasty cold front come through the lakes area last Saturday night and we have dealt with below normal temperatures and north winds since. This dropped the water temperatures, especially in the shallows in the creeks and bays. If that was not enough, the TVA pulled the plug on the lakes and dropped the lake levels almost 3 feet over the past 4 days. Of course the vast majority of the fish that were shallow as well as the bait fish pulled back out and are somewhat scattered. For the past 4 days we have been concentrating on the staging creek channel banks and associated points off the spawning areas and fishing slow to put some fish in the boat. Our best producers this week has been Carolina rigs, jigs and shakey heads in these areas. I have received a few reports of some folks getting some on deep diving crankbaits and spinnerbaits but this has not worked well for us.

The good news is that the lakes reached summer pool again today and the TVA has shut the gates and the lakes are stable and forecasted to remain so over the next few days. The weather forecast is looking good with no major cold fronts in the immediate future. Tomorrow is forecasted with a high of 71, low of 47 with wind N7. Saturday's high is forecasted to be 77 with a low of 52 and wind WSW3. Sunday shows a high of 80 with a low of 57 and wind S7. With the lakes now stable and the warming trend, we should start seeing some of the bass moving back shallow again to spawn so over the next few days you need to check the spawning areas for returning fish and if they are not there, move out to the staging areas.


Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on secondary points and channel banks inside the creeks and bays leading into the spawning areas. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits, jigs and shakey heads. There are a few of these fish post spawn but most are still prespawn fish that pulled out of the shallows with the lakes being drawn down. The bite over the past few days has been slow and scattered but should get better with the stable water conditions and warming forecast.
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Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on shallow main lake gravel points and banks near the channels and on gravel secondary points and banks in the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on slow rolled crank baits, Texas and Carolina and creature baits, tube jigs and jigs.

Productive Lures: Some of the more productive lures this week have been: Charmer Timber Pups on Carolina rigs in green pumpkin, Yamamoto Senkos on shakey heads in green pumpkin and Slong's football head jigs Mustang and variations of brown and black with Net Baits Baby Paca Craw trailers.
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Crappie: The Crappie anglers were struggling this week with the fast drawdown. Reports indicate that what fish are being taken are being taken over brush piles by spider rigging jig/minnow combinations in 15-20 ft of water. Reports also indicate that it is one or two fish here and one or two fish there.

Catfish: The Channel Catfish bite that was doing well on rocky banks and points on the main lake and in the creeks suffered from the drawdown also but I observed and have reports of some still being taken with night crawlers under bobbers in these areas. I would expect this bite to pick up again now that that the water has stabilized and will be warming.

Bluegill/Red Ears: These fish are certainly in the creeks and bays and some were being taken back shallow just before the draw down but the draw down pulled these fish out deeper also. The reports I have indicate that the Bluegills, although scattered are being taken on rocky secondary points and banks just off the spawning flats with crickets and worms under bobbers. I have spoken to a number of folks fishing for Red Ears and they are all telling me they are catching some on gravel bars in 8-10 ft of water by dragging split shot rigs with worms but they are scattered. Again, we should start seeing numbers of both these species moving up to the shallow to start bedding next week and these should only get better over the next couple of weeks.


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: Sorry, I am booked up.
June: 12, 24, 25, 29

Call me or drop me an email to book your late summer and fall trips with me now. The sooner you make a reservation, the more likely you are to get the date(s) you want.

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"