Lake Conditions:
Barkley – 355.85, 16,800 CFS, stained with water temps in the upper 70’s
Kentucky – 355.70 33,000-37,000CFS, light stain with temps in the upper 70’s
Weather: Wow we have enjoyed some awesome weather this week around the lakes. The mornings have been cool enough for a hoodie or light jacket and by late morning we are back down to our short sleeves. Lots of sun and light breezes overall have made for a fantastic week weather wise to be on the water or just outside. We should expect much of the same for the upcoming weekend and week ahead with lots of sun in store and cool temps as a cold front will push in on Sat. with our only chance of rain for the week.
Bass Fishing: Though still not great, with the dropping water temps things are improving. There is definitely a big movement of shad too the backs of the bays and creeks with bass in hot pursuit. Not only are the largemouth following the whites and yellow bass are mixed and ready to eat also. We’ve caught these fish on a variety of moving baits from topwater popper style baits, lipless crankbaits, Outkast Tackle swim jigs and SPRO squarebills have all done the trick. Rod selection is pretty simple for me as I want a light med. hvy power rod with a fast action like the Powell 733 which is a 7’-3’’ 3 power rod. You want some backbone for power but that soft tip is awesome for casting accuracy and a fish will generally not pull off when using a bait with smaller treble hooks. Since we are fishing super shallow water I run Sunline monofilament line to help give the baits some buoyancy. These are generally smaller fish up to 3lbs but seem to be more active than the ledge and main lake flats fish. For the most part we’ve really had to work slow and methodical to catch the offshore fish with Carolina rigs and shaky heads along main river and secondary ledges. The schools have dwindled down and are so spread out it’s hard to pin them down. We have caught a few fish here and there slow rolling a spinnerbait along some main river ledges which has caught some of our better fish. As the days continue to shorten and the night time temps stay in the low 60’s and 50’s the water temps will continue to fall and will help these fish move into their fall transition to shallow flats and back into the creeks and bays.
White Bass and Yellows: With the lower current in the lakes these guys have become a little harder to track down but when you find them it can be a blast. Most of our fish have come on a Steel Shad blade bait, small spoon or just tight lining a split shot, hook and minnow over the side of the boat along main river ledges.
Crappie: We’ve spent a few hours each day this week looking for some and though they haven’t been jumping in the boat we have ran across a few keepers. One bright side that I’ve seen is the amount of 7-9 inch fish we’ve been catching that tells me we are in for a great crappie season next spring and fall.
DO NOT get left on the dock because you forgot to book a trip. Call us today and setup your next fishing adventure and possibly catch the fish of a lifetime at 612-889-2423. Some awesome fall fishing and weather is just around the corner be sure to get your dates booked today.
Be sure to check us out on Facebook along with our YouTube Channel.
I would also like to give a big shout out the Chris Lasher and Larry at Legacy Marine for keeping me on the water the past couple of weeks with the mechanical issue I’ve had. If anyone needs any work done give them a call as they service all engine makes and will not give you the “we are 2-3 weeks out” line! They will get you in and out back on the water fast. If you’re looking for a new boat checkout the Bass Cat and Skeeter boats in-stock.
Brian Brown
Fishing Hype Guide Service
612-889-2423
www.fishinghype.com