• Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Bass Buster Guide Service
    (270) 362-9987 http://www.kentuckylakeguide.com dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
  • "Specializing in Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Familiarization, Tournament Preparation, and Technique Instruction"

  • Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

    Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 360.10 Surface Temperature - 76
    Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 360.00 Surface Temperature - 76

    Both lakes are one foot over summer pool and on a slow rise. Kentucky Dam was generating at an average rate of 35,000 cfs through out the day today. Barkley Dam was generating at an average rate of 16,500 cfs through out the day 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 .

    We had about 6 inches of rain fall in the lakes area last Saturday morning as well as up river from the lakes. This coupled with the fact that the TVA slowed down the discharge rate a couple of days ago because of the near record flooding on the Mississippi River has caused the lake levels to slowly rise over the past couple of days to present levels. The current forecast by the TVA shows the lakes will continue a slow rise over the next couple of days. We also had over an inch of rain early this morning in the lakes area as a cold front tranversed the area. We are forecasted to have post frontal conditions through Saturday. The forecast for tomorrow is for a high of 78 and low of 62 with wind NNW at 10. Saturdays forecast is for a high of 81 and low of 62 with wind WNW at 5. Sunday's forecast is calling for a high of 84 and low of 67 with a 30% chance of isolated thunderstorms and wind SSW at 10. The extended forecast through midweek shows a return to the high 80's by Wednesday with south quadrant winds. Kentucky Lake is clear with some scattered debris floating from the rising waters. Lake Barkley has more floating debris with the water being heavily stained in the main river channel and some of the larger creeks and just stained in some of the creeks and bays.

    We spent this past week fishing the ledges on Kentucky Lake. We fished both main lake ledges and ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays. The ledge bite was good this week with hungry post spawn bass feeding up on the shad schools that have moved out to deep water summer haunts. We caught fish on a variety of techniques and lures including deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, Texas rigged large worms, Carolina rigged creature baits and dragging football head jigs. Our best producing techniques this week were the slower techniques of dragging the jig, Carolina rigging and Texas rigging. Although I did receive some numbers of reports of folks catching bass back in the creeks and bays on secondary points and in the shallows on the flats, the ledge bite was too much fun to not take advantage of it. With the FLW Everstart tournament coming to town next week, I expect we will see some numbers of nice bags of fish weighed in if the ledge bite holds up like it was this week.

    Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old river and creek channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs. Largemouth are also being taken on secondary creek channel points and banks in the creeks and bays. These are post spawn fish working their way out to deep water as the majority of the shad are now moving to deep water summer haunts. These fish are being taken on the same lures as the aforementioned ledge fish. Some Largemouth are also being taken in the backs of the creeks and bays, especially near vegetation. These fish are feeding on schools of fry. Topwater lures, spinnerbaits, square billed crankbaits, Texas rigged creature baits and senko type baits are taking these fish.

    Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake points as well as on old creek and river channel ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the creeks and bays. The fish on the points are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, finesse jigs, tube jigs and Carolina rigged creature baits. The ledge fish are being taken on deep diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs. I had two reports this week (one unconfirmed and one confirmed) of some nice numbers of Smallmouth being taken at night on the east side of Kentucky Lake fishing rocky points and banks. These fish are being taken on large dark skirted spinnerbaits and tube jigs.

    Some productive lures reported this week are: Rebel Pop R in black/silver, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer and white/chartreuse, ABT suspending square bill crankbaits in sexy shad, Bag 5 square bill crankbaits in green gizzard shad, Strike King 5XD, 6XD and 10XD crankbaits in powder blue back with chartreuse side, chartreuse sexy shad and sexy shad, Rapala DT16 in parrot, Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and plum on Carolina rigs, Charmer 10.5" ribbon tail worms in plum on Texas rigs, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland Craw, Perfect Craw and "oops" patterns, and Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw (all with Venom green pumpkin trailers).

    White Bass: White bass are being taken along the old river channel ledges and sunken islands as well as on the humps and ledges around the mouths of the creeks and bays by vertically fishing with inline spinners and small spoons. Whites are also being taken by trolling inline spinners behind deep diving crankbaits in these areas.

    Bluegill/Red Ear: Some of these fish are still being taken in the spawning areas on the flats and on gravel bars in the backs of the creeks and bays but most reports indicate these areas are now producing the smaller females with an occasional large male. These fish are being taken on crickets under bobbers and on split shot rigs slow rolled on bottom baited with small creature jigs tipped with worms.

    Catfish: Channel Catfish are now being taken on the old creek channels in the back halves of the creeks and bays on bottom bouncing rigs baited with leeches and shrimp as well as on bottom rigs baited with night crawlers.

    If you are coming to the big lakes here to enjoy our great summer 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

    FLASH: FLW Tour Professional Brent Ehrler who is the current FLW Tour points leader will be at The Cabin Bait and Tackle on June 10th for photo's and autographs. The Cabin will be running storewide specials all day. Call 270-388-6440 for times and information.

    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.

    FLASH: Don't forget to sign up for the Fisherman's Headquarters 3rd Annual Kentucky Lake Open Bass Tournament to be held on June 29th out of Kentucky Dam Marina. A pretournament meeting complete with BBQ will be held at Fisherman's Headquarters beginning at 5:30 p.m. on June 28th. Phone 270-527-5938 for more information.

    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 many 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 have the following dates available for June, July and August:

    June: Sorry, I am booked up.
    July: 15, 17, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31
    August: A good number of dates still available, call or email me to book your trip.

    Make your reservations now for the fall season. Don't wait too long or you may not be able to get the date(s) you want
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