Barren River

[Cardiaccardinal]

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON Mar-06-06 AT 03:18PM (EST)[/font][p]Anyone been to Barren Lake lately? Im goin this weekend, just wondering if anybody has had any luck. Hopin' these warm temps and rains forcasted will bring them up. Any suggestions? Im willing to catch anything that bites.

[crazyfishinnut]

crappie are due but only hitting below the dam right now
Bass are hit and miss depends on the wind i think good luck
Rodney
Tight lines
NEVER DRIVE FASTER THAN YOUR ANGEL CAN FLY !!!

[LH]

Crappie, stripes and catfish have been decent up in the creeks. Find some water that is stained for your catfishing. I have not caught any cats myself, but seen some good ones caught while using the float and fly for crappie and stripes. Using a small floater with a small fly around 4-7ft. deep. Monday, did not have much luck. The cooler temps seemed to shut them down or they moved out. Most of my fish came middle of Feb. through to last Wed. Some of my holes are about out of the water due to pulling the lake over the last several weeks. They are keeping it stable now. With the warm forecast for the next week fishing should improve. Look for baitfish popping the water. They have been present about anywhere I have been catching fish.

[thebassman30]

I stand by my most recent post from my trip this weekend....go to KY lake man! Although temps in the creeks could hit mid 50's by the end of the week....eventually the crappie, bass, hybrids, whatever... are going to need to eat.....I'm guessing it won't be a weekend with 300 other fisherman competing for the same 20 spots.....Here's the deal....the lake is at winter pool or lower. There's hardly any water and by noon on Saturday every fish in that pool of mud has seen 30 different baits and 50 boats buzzing by. It's a Thursday-Friday lake at the moment until April when the the MIGHT ARMY CORP. closes the flood gates.

[crazy4bass]

I went today and caught about 15 largemouth. 5 over 15", 3 or 4 14" and the rest dinks. I did catch on flathead on a jig. All of the lm were on a crankbait.

Here's the biggest on from today. the 5 keepers were about 12.5lbs.

http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/4...108AbN2zJk0cN8

[thebassman30]

That's a pretty good sack for a weekday....how many hours did you hit it? Sun up till sundown? Did you stay in the creeks mostly?

[crazy4bass]

I fished 8 hours and mainly fished main lake point and pockets.

[Cardiaccardinal]

Thanks for the tips, 70s and rain for thursday, friday, and saturday may bring the lake up, there talking about possible flooding by monday. That warm rain will really warm the lake, or so says my past experiences.
I just need my Barren fix. I havent been on the lake all winter, just the spillway. Got a new pole for xmas, and I really started becoming an avid crankbait fisherman last year. I hope to keep that up. Anyways, I hope I dont burn too much of a hole in my pocket this weekend, I plan on hitting Walnut Creek, the main lake (that huge point by Sawyers), the yacth cove (GREAT place), and Beaver. But, there are only so many hours in a day.
But the forecast is looking great, just gona need to pack the ponchos!

[Cardiaccardinal]

Late update!
I just checked NOAA, calling for about 1 1/2 inches of rain on thursday, possibly several inches on the weekend, RAISE THAT LAKE!
Also I just looked at the corps' site, Barren being drug at 966 CFS. Not bad, seeing they usually drag it about 3200.
Im just hopin for a rise of water by saturday, should push em up the bank.

[thebassman30]

Dude...as muddy as it is....I'd try ripping a crankbait up shallow....something with a pretty good wobble like a wiggle wart with good contrast between the top and bottom (i.e. dark back/chartreus belly)... I'd say within 5' of the bank.

Also, I've done really well on white spinnerbaits back in the creeks on secondary points and washes when it comes up like that.

Further...if it's windy....try working some of the above or a carolina rigged offering down the edge of the channel breaks that are next to big flats....stumps are plus......sometimes I've just found them stacked in the 5-10' range on those flats waiting for stuff to blow by.

I hope you stick every last one of them before the weekend....you'd be my hero 8^) Let me know how you do....beware of one of those big hybrids breaking your arm.