November 25, 2015

Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 355.79 Surface Temperature – 55
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam – 355.50 Surface Temperature – 55

Both lakes are about one and one half feet over winter pool. Kentucky Dam has been generating an average of 59,700 cfs today. Barkley Dam has been generating an average of 44,400 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.

FLASH: This will be my last weekly fishing report for the season with all the nasty weather coming in. I will however periodically publish a report this winter when I have enough verified information to write an accurate report. Now is the time to make reservations to come take my Eliminating Water Class this winter to improve your fishing next season as well as make reservations for guided trips next year!

General Conditions: Lake levels have risen about a foot over the past few days due to runoff from rains here and up the rivers last week. Water temperatures finally dropped with the colder weather we had over the weekend and this has gotten the bass more active. Although the shallow water bite seems to still be somewhat scattered, there has been a marked improvement in the bite on the main lake primary points and the first points inside the bays. The better bite has been on suspending jerk baits and Alabama rigs and jigs. There is some fish being taken shallow on top water lures, lipless crank baits and spinner baits but as I mentioned this bite still seems to be somewhat scattered. The bite on the Smallmouth has especially picked up on the afore mentioned points with some nice fish being taken. Although we are still not seeing much in the way of schooling bass this fall, the bite is better now than it has been over the past few weeks. The down side is the weather is going to take a turn for the worse with heavy rains forecasted over the weekend as another nasty cold front comes through the lakes area.

The best day in the forecast is tomorrow on Thanksgiving Day with a high of 66/ low of 55 with wind SSE at 10. A 90% chance of rain is forecasted for Friday with a high of 61/low of 51 with wind S at 10. The forecast is showing post frontal conditions on Saturday and Sunday with highs in the mid 50’s /low’s in the 40’s with a 100% chance of rain on Saturday and 80% on Sunday. Wind on Saturday is forecasted to be from the NE at 7 and on Sunday from the NNW at 9. It does not get much better next week with day time high’s forecasted to be in the mid 40’s and night time low’s in the low 30’s with a chance of rain each day through mid week with north quadrant winds.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on main lake primary points and the first secondary points in the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on suspending jerk baits, Alabama rigs and jigs. Look for current breaks on the main lake banks also for this bite. Largemouth are also being taken on the shallow flats in coves and in the backs of the creeks and bays on top water lures, lipless crank baits and spinner baits.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken in current breaks and primary points on the main lake as well as on the secondary points inside the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on suspending jerk baits, Alabama rigs and tube jigs.

Productive Lures: Some of the more productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft and custom painted Bag 5 Mega Bass suspending jerk baits in clown, table rock shad and aurora black. Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, Slong’s spinner 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, D&L baby advantage jigs in “oops” pattern and Cumberland Craw, Slong’s football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, 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 4-6 ft of water by spider rigging with minnows and small jigs tipped with minnows in the deeper water and casting curly tail jigs and fishing minnows under bobbers in the shallower water.

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:
November: Sorry, I am booked up for guided trips this month.

FLASH: I am taking reservations for the 2016 season beginning in March. I have already received a number of reservations for next season so if you are planning to book with me next year, especially during the spring months, you should make your reservations now to ensure you can get the date(s) you want.

FLASH: I do offer gift certificates for guided bass fishing trips and my Eliminating Water Class. These certificates make great Christmas and other special occasion gifts for the bass angler in your family. To purchase a gift certificate, just drop me and email or give me a call.

ELIMINATING WATER CLASS: I will be offering my class on how to Eliminate Water again this winter during the months of January and February. These classes are limited to one or two people per class. The classes last approximately 8 hours. The cost of the class is 200.00 which covers one or two people. These classes have been very popular with my clients over the past few years and all the feedback I get is very positive. Here are some examples of that feedback:
**Dave ... Harry and I took your "Eliminating Water" class and it has helped both of us like you wouldn't believe! - J. Harris

**In the past 3 tourney's I have managed to get a limit on 3 separate lakes. Old Hickory, Barkley, and Barren. Managed a 3rd place finish Sunday on Barkley with a 6lb kicker. I have a lot more confidence when I hit the water now. I no longer pull the old "that bank looks good, lets waste a few hours here". Thanks Dave - M. King

**Well worth the money - and probably the most valuable thing I have purchased in the terms of fishing. - K. Stephens

**The eliminating water class is without a doubt the best money I've spent on fishing in my life. - D. Page

Here is a short description of the Eliminating Water Class:

This class is done in a classroom environment. In this class you learn the most important thing that you can learn as a bass fisherman, that is, how eliminate water to find the Bass by finding the highest percentage spots during all the different seasons of the year that will hold more fish, more often. In this class you will learn what information you need to know in order to eliminate water to find these high percentage spots during your preplanning for a trip and how to apply this information as well as current environmental conditions to make decisions on which techniques you should be using when on the water that day and how to adjust to environment changes that can move your fish or change the pattern from day to day, season to season.

Basically, what I teach you in this class is how to use knowledge of mother nature by using scientific knowledge, logic and common sense to develop a system to find your fish as well as make decisions before you get on the water and while you are on the water to be a more consistent bass angler. What I teach you in this class is what I do every day as a bass fishing guide when I am trying to find and catch bass with my clients. What you will learn in this class will apply anywhere you go bass fishing, this is not specific to just Kentucky and Barkley Lakes.

Finding bass and making decisions as how to catch bass is not done solely by looking at electronics, it is accomplished with knowledge. There is no button on your sonar unit or mapping unit that says "Go Find Fish". Sonar units show you fish AFTER you find them. Mapping units show you just that, a topographical map of the body of water you are on. The mapping unit allows you to mark spots on your electronic map where you have found fish and assist you in navigating back to those spots. Just as with a paper topographical map, you can scan over an electronic map and mark "places of interest" or as I call them "looks good" spots to go check out when you get on the water...but finding high percentage spots are not "looks good" spots. High percentage spots are selected by having the knowledge of what type spots have the highest percentage chance of holding bass during the different seasons of the year coupled with how to apply what is going on in the environment that will affect the fish so that you can make educated decisions as to what type techniques and lures you need to employ to be successful.

Call or email me to book your class date while dates are still available!

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

"Fish With A Professional"