October 22, 2015

Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam – 354.79 Surface Temperature – 66
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam – 354.85 Surface Temperature – 66

Both lakes are a couple of inches short of being one foot over winter pool. Kentucky Dam was generating at an average rate of 37,000 cfs today. Barkley Dam was generating at an average rate of 17,000 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. With the lake levels down, boaters need to be cautious when navigating the lakes. These are big lakes, but they are shallow river lakes. If you are not familiar with the lakes, make sure you use the navigation lanes and if you are not sure of the depths and locations of obstructions where you are, idle your boat until you are in safe water.

General Conditions: A nasty cold front came through the lakes area last weekend bring with it a couple of cold mornings with our first frost of the season. This cold front managed to drop the water temperatures down to the lower 60’s but a warming trend the past few days with temperatures above average brought the water temperatures back up to the present levels. The bite on the bass is still slow and scattered. Earlier in the week we were taking fish on reaction baits such as topwater, lipless crank baits and spinner baits but the blue skies and high pressure of the past few days slowed that bite down and we took most of our fish the past few days on finesse jigs, tube jigs and shakey heads. We have another front moving through the area on Saturday which should at least keep the water temperatures from rising more. Another nasty cold front is forecasted in the area next mid week and if the forecast is right, we will be seeing more cold weather with high’s in the 50’s and low’s in the 30’s for a few days. This should bring the water temperatures down some more and hopefully get the fish more actively feeding on the fall patterns.

The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 79/low of 64 with wind SSE 8. Saturday’s forecast is calling for a high of 70/low of 55 with a 90% chance of rain. Sunday is showing post frontal with a high of 64/low of 49 with a 40% chance of rain with wind NNE 8. The extended forecast into early next week is showing post frontal with high’s in the 60’s and low’s in the 50’s with north and east quadrant wind. The next front is forecasted for next Wednesday at this time and the big cool down following that front later in the week.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on ledges around the mouths of deeper creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on Carolina rigged creature baits, dragging large football head jigs, shaky heads and drop shot rigs. Largemouth are also being taken on primary points and channel banks of the main lake using the same techniques as mentioned above. One can also catch fish on secondary points and on the flats in the creeks and bays where some bass are feeding on schools of baitfish. These fish are being taken on top water lures, medium running crank baits, lipless crank baits, spinner baits, finesse jigs, tube jigs and shaky heads. Largemouth are being taken around grass beds in the creeks and bays south of Blood River early in the morning on top water lures and senko type baits. Overall the fish are scattered and bite is slow.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on rocky main lake primary points and secondary points in the front halves of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on jigs and tube jigs. The bite on these fish has been overall slow.

Productive Lures: Some of the more productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy and Lucky Craft Gunfish in ghost pearl lemon, Slong’s spinner baits in blue glimmer, Bag 5 square bill crank baits in blue glimmer, Strike King Red Eye Shad in chrome sexy shad and sexy shad, Bag 5 custom painted Red Eye Shad lipless crank baits in blue glimmer, Charmer Timber Pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs , Charmer shaky head worms on drop shot rigs in bama bug and watermelon/purple as well as Robo worms in green pumpkin variations, Slong’s trokar football head jigs in possum and Cumberland craw and D&L football head jigs in Oops and Cumberland Craw patterns, D&L baby advantage jigs in “oops” pattern and Cumberland Craw, Slong's shaky head jigs with Charmer shaky head worms in watermelon candy and bama bug as well as Yamamoto Senko’s in green pumpkin/black and Charmer tubes green pumpkin/orange and their newest color – Big Easy- on tube jigs.

Crappie: Crappie are being taken over brush piles and sunken stake beds on the main lake flats in 8-12 feet of water as well as over brush piles and sunken stake beds in the creeks and bays in 8-12 ft of water by spider rigging with small jigs tipped with minnows. The numbers of keeper fish are not great but there some action being reported on these staging fall fish.

White Bass: Whites are being taken by vertically fishing inline spinners, blade baits and small spoons over schools on ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays. Schools of smaller Whites and Yellow Bass are being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays where they are feeding on schools of small baitfish. These fish can be taken on inline spinners and blade baits.

Catfish: Catfish are being taken in the old river channels now in 20-30 ft of water on bottom rigs with cut baits,night crawlers. shrimp and leach combinations and yellow tails. Some catfish are also being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays now as they are feeding on schools of baitfish.

If you are planning a visit to the lakes area, I highly recommend these local businesses for all your fishing and boating needs:
Fisherman’s Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle, or the Draffenville "Y". FHQ stocks everything an angler could need, from live bait, hooks and bobbers to top of the line tournament bass tackle. More than a "bait and tackle" store, Fisherman’s Headquarters is a true "pro shop", offering advice, training and special order assistance not found online or at the big box retailers. Services even include custom electronics training and installation. The store offers a wide variety of nationally known brands as well as many regional and hard to find items we use on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. They stock many of the products I rely on daily, such as Charmer Baits, Slong’s lures and All Pro Rods. From bluegill to bass and catfish to crappie, FHQ has you covered! Stop by and visit or 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 and Stratos 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 20 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 electronics 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:
October: 27, 28
November: I still have quite a few dates available in November. November can be some of the best shallow water fishing of the year, especially early in the month on schools of feeding Largemouth. Call me or drop me an email to fall trips with me now. The sooner you make a reservation, the more likely you are to get the date(s) you want.

Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
270-362-9987

"Fish With A Professional"