AKentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 359.63 Surface Temperature - 62
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 359.70 Surface Temperature - 63

Both lakes are slightly more than one half foot over summer pool and on a slow rise. Kentucky Dam has been generating an average of around 51.500 cfs most of the day today. Barkley Dam has been generating an average of around 30,300 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 .

I mentioned last week that the TVA was pulling the bottom out of the lake after heavy rains had taken lake levels over summer pool. The TVA leveled the lakes earlier this week about one half foot below summer pool. This draw down moved most of the Largemouth out of the shallow spawning areas and sent them back to staging banks and points just off the spawning flats. This is where we were locating our fish at the beginning of this week. The TVA started the lakes on a slow rise around mid week and the Largemouth started moving back into the shallows. We received about an inch of rain earlier this week with the passing of another unseasonably cool cold front which aided in raising the levels some. With the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in flood stage down stream, the TVA has cut the discharge rates and the lakes are now once again over summer pool and still on a slow rise. So, this up and down, raising and lowering and then raising the lake levels has kept us busy following the Largemouth but we have managed to stay on the fish and the bite has been overall good. The weather forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 67 and low of 53 with wind SE at 8. Prepare for some more wet weather on Saturday with a 70% chance of rain, high of 64 and low of 57 with SE winds at 12. Sunday is calling for a high of 69 and low of 52 with wind SE at 4. The extended forecast for early to mid next week is calling for highs in the upper 70' to low 80's and low's in the 50's. Did you notice that there are no 40 degree or 50 degree for high's and temperatures in the 30's for low's? This is the first forecast we have had in a long time without one or two of those nasty cold days. The fishing conditions look good for the shallow late prespawn and spawn patterns for the next number of days. Our best patterns when we fishing the shallow spawning areas this past week was with Texas rigged lizards and whacky rigs. Our best pattern when the fish had backed out to the staging areas was the Texas rigged lizard and finesse jigs with some medium running crankbait bite. I had a number of reports from my network folks of spinnerbaits and chatterbaits working also on the shallow fish as well as jigs and shaky heads.

Largemouth Bass: The Largemouth are primarily on late prespawn and spawning patterns on the shallow flats around brush and vegetation. These fish are being taken on Texas rigged lizards, whacky rigs, spinnerbaits, jigs and shaky heads. We still have Largemouth on the staging bank and points also and these fish are being taken on medium running crankbaits, Texas and Carolina rigged lizards, jigs and shaky heads. Expect more Largemouth to be moving shallow over the next few days as the water levels and water temperatures rise.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are on spawn and post spawn patterns now with fish being taken on gravel banks in cuts on the main lake and on gravel banks in the front halves of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on slow rolled medium running crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, tube jigs and shaky heads. Expect to start seeing some early morning topwater action on the post spawners very soon on the pea gravel points on the main lake and around the front of the creeks and bays.

Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Bandit medium running crankbaits in rootbeer and rootbeer/chartreuse, Bag 5 medium running custom painted crankbaits in green gizzard shad, Charmer lizards in green pumpkin and watermelon/red, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/red, Charmer tubes in green pumpkin and road kill, Charmer shaky head worms in green pumpkin and watermelon purple, Zoom trick worms in green pumpkin, green pumpkin blue, watermelon red and watermelon purple on whacky rigs, Slong's spinnerbaits in white and white/chartreuse and D&L advantage jigs in Cumberland Craw with Net Baits Mini Kickin B trailers in green pumpkin.

Crappie: Just like the bass anglers, the Crappie anglers are having fun chasing the fish with the up and down water levels over the past week or so but just like the bass folks, the Crappie anglers are putting fish in the boat. Most of the reports I have had lean towards catching the Crappie this week in 3-8 ft of water over brush piles and with jigs slow rolled under bobbers or by casting curly tail jigs and road runners to spawning banks in 3-6 ft of water. Most reports indicate that the Black Crappie are pretty much done spawning and the White Crappie are now spawning. Some good catches are coming to the cleaning stations.

Bluegill/Redear: A few reports of these fish being taken by Crappie anglers on small jigs around the stake beds and brush piles but no reports of spawning activity as yet. Most folks and me also, believe these fish will start actively feeding and spawning with in the next week or so. I know I am getting some scattered bluegill and red ear bites on my soft plastics while bass fishing but not nearly as active as it gets when they are spawning.

Catfish: I am still this week getting reports of Channel Catfish being taken on shallow rocky shorelines and on rocky bottoms near deep water by fishing with night crawlers fished on bottom and also under bobbers.

FLASH: Field Test Report - Just like many guides, I am approached numerous times each season by lure companies asking that I try some of their lures. Many times I get so many of these requests that it may be months or longer before I have a chance to actually get a chance to try them as I am in the business of having my clients catch fish, not testing lures that may or may not produce. But every once in a while, I will be sent a lure that catches my fancy and I just have to give it a try. This happened this past week with a box of lures sent to me by the ABT Lures company. This company is marketing a suspending square billed crankbait. Since I was just recently catching a lot of fish on the square billed crankbaits fishing prespawn Largemouth and I know I will be again soon after the spawn, the thought of having a square billed crankbait that would suspend after I bounced if off of wood cover and stopped the lure was so tempting that I could not wait to try this lure out. Today, I had a 5 hour trip with a couple of my favorite clients and we fished the shallows on the late prespawn/spawn bite with lizards and whacky rigs so there was no real opportunity for me to try one of these new square billed lures. But, since I was off early today having only a half day trip, I dropped my clients off at the dock and went back out to check this lure out. Well, let me tell you, this lure indeed does suspend. I actually tied on 3 of them on different rods and line tests to make sure of the suspending capabilities...they all suspended perfectly. So, I found some wood in 4-5 ft of water and started bouncing this lure off the wood and then killing the retrieve and let it suspend for a few seconds and then started the retrieve again. In 45 minutes, under blue skies, flat water and a high pressure day with the sun directly overhead, I caught 3 nice keepers. Needless to say, I am sold on this lure and it will now become a part of the arsenal in my boat. These lures are in the ABT X2 series and are now stocked at both Fisherman's Headquarters in Draffenville and at The Cabin Bait and Tackle in Kuttawa. You can also view the ABT Lures website at www.abtlures.com .

If you are coming to the big lakes here to enjoy our great spring 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 fishing 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 .

LEDGE FISHING:

Now is the time to make your reservations to learn how to fish the ledges. I offer a focused teaching trip on how to fish the ledges. This trip consists of a class on how to eliminate the water on your topo map before you leave home so that you can concentrate your time on only the highest percentage ledges while on the water as well as some time on the water to learn how to use your electronics on the ledges, set up on the ledges and learn the techniques used to fish the ledges. This teaching trip has been very popular over the past few years since I started offering it as it will teach you how to go find and fish the best ledges on your own. To book one of these trips, all you have to do is give me a call or drop me an email to book one of my open dates.

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 16 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 2 Lowrance HDS 10's 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.

I still have the following dates available for booking in April, May and June:

April: Sorry I am booked up
May: 29
June: 3, 4, 5,19, 24