Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 360.76 Surface Temperature - 84
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 360.75 Surface Temperature - 84

Both lakes are just a few inches short of being two feet over summer pool and rising. Both lakes are currently forecast to reach three feet over summer pool by midnight Saturday night. Kentucky Dam has been spilling water at rates between 115,000-128,000 today. Barkley Dam has been spilling at rates between 60,000-61,000 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 .

Last week I mentioned that the ledge bite had slowed some last Tuesday and Wednesday as all the steady current we had so far this summer had tapered off. This week has been a total different story as the areas up both rivers received continuous heavy rains over the holiday weekend and the runoff from these rains is now coming through the lakes in large quantities. The lakes have risen to their current levels of above summer pool and are still rising. We have had heavy current all week on both lakes. This heavy current in the river channels caused most of the shad and bass that were residing there to move into the creek channels on the main lakes and also into the creek channels around the mouths of the creeks and bays. These creek channel ledges have been producing good catches of bass this week. The bass are still being taken on a number of techniques on the ledges such as deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, slow rolled spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and dragging football head jigs. Our best bite this week overall has been on the football head jig and the Texas rigged large worms. We concentrated our efforts in these areas all week but I have also had a number of reports of an increased bite in the shallow water areas around the buck brush and vegetation where the rising waters have bass there feeding on schools of fry. I have been on Kentucky Lake all week and the water clarity is good. I had reports that the main channel on Barkley has some stain but the creeks and bays on the north end of Barkley have normal clarity.

We had some hot days this week with heat indexes topping 100 degrees in the afternoon but a cool front moved through the area last night and this has lowered the humidity and made that heat of the day fishing somewhat more tolerable. This lower humidity is forecasted to last through Saturday with the humidity levels beginning to rise again on Sunday and through next midweek. The forecast for tomorrow is a high of 87 and low of 64 with post frontal wind NE at 12. Saturday's forecast is showing a high of 88 and low of 68 with post frontal wind NE at 11. Sunday is forecast to have a high of 89, low of 72 with ESE wind at 8. A return to daytime highs in the 90's and night time low's in the 70's with light S winds are in the extended forecast for early next week.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth are being taken on the old 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, slow rolled spinnerbaits, Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms and football head jigs.Some Largemouth are also being taken in current breaks around main lake points and also secondary points in the front halves of the creeks and bays. These fish are being taken on deep and medium diving crankbaits, Texas rigged large worms and jigs. Some Largemouth are also being taken in the backs of the creeks and bays, especially near vegetation and buck brush. These fish are feeding on schools of fry. Topwater lures, spinnerbaits and Texas rigged creature baits and fluke style baits are taking these fish.

Smallmouth Bass: Smallmouth are being taken in current breaks on main lake points as well as on old creek 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. The best bite on the Smallmouth is at night now fishing rocky points with current breaks on the main lakes and inside the mouths of the creeks and bays. These feisty summer night feeders are taking spinnerbaits with dark colored skirts and large single Colorado blades as well as on jigs and tube jigs.

Some productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearl lemon, chug baits in shad patterns, Zoom horny toads in white, popping frogs in white, Slong's spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Strike King 6XD and 10XD crankbaits in powder blue back with chartreuse side and chartreuse sexy shad, Bag 5 custom painted deep diving crankbaits in green gizzard shad and Tennessee shad, Big Hammer swim baits in sexy smelt, Charmer timber pups in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Carolina rigs, Charmer 10.5" ribbon tail worms in plum on Texas rigs, D&L football head jigs in Cumberland Craw and "oops" patterns, and Slong's football head jigs in Cumberland Craw (all with Net Baits green pumpkin trailers).

White Bass: White bass are being taken along the old creek channel ledges on the main lakes 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. Some white bass are also being taken early in the morning around mayfly hatches.

Bluegill: Bluegills are being taken around overhanging trees and also around wooden docks early in the morning after mayfly hatches. These fish are being taken on crickets and worms fished under bobbers.

Catfish: I did not receive any reports on the Catfish this week but with the rising waters I would suspect there are some Catfish roaming the shallows as they are notorious to move and feed shallow when the waters rise over pool like they have the past few days.

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
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.

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. I am currently doing a number of these teaching trips and as usual the feedback I am getting from those that have taken the class is very positive. 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 July, August and September:

July: Sorry, I am booked up.
August: 6, 7, 14, 16, 27, 28, 29
September: A good number of dates are still available, call or email to get the date(s) you want before they are taken.

Of course I am taking reservations for the fall fishing in October and November. Now is the time to make those reservations, especially those that want tournament prep trips for the fall classics.

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

"Fish With a Professional"