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Kentucky Lake Fishing Information
Kentucky Lake Information.


 

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  Kentucky Lake Fishing Report

Dave Stewart (below)  
Captain Kirk Report (click here)

Summer Pool is 359
Winter Pool is 354'

Articles
A Fishing Trip with Bass Buster Dave Stewart

Bass Fishing at Kentucky Lake By John Hoffman

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Lake Barkley COE Information

Out On A Ledge An Article By Dave Stewart
(Ledge Fishing on Kentucky Lake)

Kentucky Lake, TVA Lake Levels and Predictions for levels based on weather

Barkley lake levels & outflow:
Yr. to date
Last 10 days
Generation preschedule

Radar Map Updated and Current

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Current KY Lake Records
Yellow Perch*: .47 pounds Caught By Theresa Mazzoli, Louisville, Ky. 5/30/96

Buffalo: 55 lb
Caught By Clint Roby
March 23, 2000

White Bass*: 5lbs. Caught By:
Lorne Eli, Dawson Springs, Ky. 7/11/43

To submit a fish for Lake Record Consideration ..
Submit Picture on a ruler or scale with a weight from a Certified Scale
Signed by someone at the Scale.  + 2 Witnesses
All Lake Records are UNOFFICIAL unless they are State Record Fish submitted to the KYDFWR.

Current Barkley Lake Records
Yellow Bass*: 1 lb 1 oz Caught By: Dewayne West, Hopkinsville Ky. 3/10/91

Report Updated November 19, 2009  Edit
 

November 19, 2009

Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Ky Dam - 355.94 Surface Temperature - 58
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 355.80 Surface Temperature - 58

Both lakes are two feet over winter pool and on a drawdown. The lakes are now dropping about 6 inches a day as the TVA continues to pull the water back down after the lakes flooded two weeks ago. We should see some stability in the water levels as they reach near winter pool sometime early next week barring any more large influxes of water. The Largemouth Bass fishing has been good for numbers but numbers of quality fish are still evading most anglers. The best bite this week has been early in the morning and late in the evening on the flats in the creeks and bays as schools of Largemouth are feeding on schools of baitfish. These fish have been good on topwater walking baits this week along with some on spinnerbaits and flat sided lipless crankbaits. Although not many fish over 3lbs are being taken on this pattern, good numbers are being taken. The bigger Largemouth are being taken on secondary points and lead in channel banks but they seem to be scattered. The pattern for the larger fish I was running before the draw down of ripping spoons and lipless crankbaits in deeper water under schools of shad has slowed this past week with the deeper shad seemingly being scattered due to the draw down. I have yet to run into any schools of 4lbs plus fish this fall back shallow, probably due to the fast dropping waters we have had this past week or so. Hopefully the fish will settle down with more stable water levels in the coming week. The White Bass are also being taken back shallow as they school on the baitfish. We also are continuing to catch some big Channel Catfish on the shallow flats in the creeks and bays while fishing with spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits for Largemouth. Although I have not received any reports on the Catfish this week, I would expect one could do well with some jugs lines in the back halves of the creeks and bays right now. The weather forecast for tomorrow and Saturday look good with highs in the mid 60's and lows in the mid 40's. The Sunday forecast is for highs in the upper 50's with a slight chance of showers. Water temperatures are in the ranges now for some great late fall fishing and the forecast is good so this would be a great weekend to get out and enjoy the good weather while it lasts. Please be aware that the water temperatures are now in the range for hypothermic conditions should you have a mishap on the water. Take precautions to have a survival kit with you in the boat and let someone know where you are going to be fishing and your expected return time as well as have them check to make sure you made it off the lakes safely.

FLASH: I would like to remind all the hunters out there that discharging your firearm toward the water is inviting disaster. There are a lot of folks fishing on the lakes. Last week while in Ginger Bay someone fired two shots, deer hunting I assume. Obviously the first one missed their target and ricocheted off the water about 30 feet from my boat. Remember, it is not worth a chance for a shot at a deer to risk the life of an innocent bystander if you miss. DO NOT SHOOT TOWARD THE WATER PLEASE.

Largemouth Bass: Largemouth Bass are being taken on the flats in the backs of the creeks and bays as they are feeding on schools of baitfish. These fish are being taken on topwater lures, spinnerbaits and flat sided crankbaits. Largemouth are also being taken in the creeks and bays on secondary points and lead in channel banks on topwater lures, crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits and shaky head worms. Some Largemouth are also being taken along creek channels in 12-18 ft of water by ripping spoons and lipless crankbaits under the deeper schools of baitfish.

Smallmouth Bass: The Smallmouth Bass fishing has been spotty but some fish are being taken on the main lake points and first secondary points in the creeks and bays on crankbaits, suspending jerkbaits, tube jigs and grubs.

Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft Sammy in ghost pearly lemon and aurora black, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Strike King red eye shad in sexy shad and blue/chrome, Strike King crankbaits in sexy shad, Bandit crankbaits in rootbeer/chartreuse, Lucky Craft pointers in chartreuse shad and aurora black, Charmer shaky head worms in green pumpkin candy, Zoom trick worms on shaky head jigs in green pumpkin.

Crappie: Crappie anglers are reporting the fish to be scattered with the drawdown but some good fish are being taken by vertically fishing with small jigs and minnows over brush piles in 10-15 ft of water along the old creek channels in the creeks and bays. The reports indicate that the best pattern is to move from one spot to another as they are getting one or two fish off one spot and then moving. I would expect the Crappie bite to get better as the water levels settle down.

White Bass: White Bass are being taken on the flats in the creeks and bays as they are schooling on baitfish. These fish are being taken on inline spinners, slow rolling curly tail jigs cast into the feeding schools of fish and also by vertically jigging small spoons and inline spinners under shad schools in 8-15 ft of water.

*************************************************************
ANNOUNCEMENT:

I will be teaching the class on "How to Eliminate Water" again this winter since it was so popular last winter and the feedback from the folks that took the class has been so good. Also I have had a lot of requests to offer this class again so I am now taking bookings for the classes. I will be offering the classes during November, January and February.

Here are the timeframes for class availability:

November: 1 thru 30 (I will also be guiding in November so the number of days available for classes is dependent upon how many guide trip bookings I have for that month, if you want a date in November you should book asap)

January: 4 thru 31

February: 1 thru 24

I teach this class as a "one on one" so I do not do large groups. Classes are limited to one or two people. The price for the class is the same as last year: 100.00 for one person or 150.00 for two people. This class is taught in my home here at the lakes. This class is a 5 hour class. The class normally starts at 8:00 a.m. but times can be adjusted and even taught during the evening hours to accommodate your work or travel schedule.

What you will learn in the class:
How to Eliminate 80% or more of the water before you ever leave the house (trip preplanning) using a topographical map **
How to locate the highest percentage spots to be holding bass anytime of the year.**
How to make adjustments on the water when the weather/water conditions change **
Tips on lures, techniques, alternate patterns **
Questions and Answers: A chance to go one on one with me to answer your questions about these lakes, bass etc....

** This information can be applied to any lake with a shad forage base.

If you would like to book a date for this class, you can do so by calling me at 270-354-5039 or drop me an email. If you have any questions about the class, please feel free to call me. The best time to call me between now and the end of November is between 5:30 and 7:00 p.m. central time as I am on the water every day this month and also will be guiding when not teaching classes in November. If you call and no one answers, leave a message on my answering machine with your name and number and I will call you as soon as I return.

If the response to this class is anywhere near as it was last winter, you should make your reservation asap to ensure you can get the date you want.

FLASH: All persons attending one of the classes mentioned above will have their name entered into a drawing which will be held on February 28th, 2010. The lucky winner of the drawing will receive five (5) custom painted lures from MOAB Custom Baits (www.moabcustombaits.com). Also, anyone attending these classes will also receive a tackle pack which will have some of my favorite lures from Charmer Baits (www.charmerbaits.com) , Hook Some Bass Lures, and D&L Tackle (www.dandltackle.com).

*********************************************************************

As per my normal seasonal schedule, I will be shutting down my guide service until late February next year as of November 30th. I am currently totally booked until November 30th with no available dates. If you are wanting a guided trip for some of the winter fishing here on Ky/Barkley, give me a call and I will be happy to refer you to another service that does guide here during the winter months. We do have some good winter time fishing here on the lakes, I just do not guide in the winter time as I need a break since I do guide 7 days a week from late February thru November. Per the announcement above, I will be teaching classes in January and February and these classes are a great way to prepare you for a more productive bass fishing season next year whether you are a just for fun bass angler or a tournament angler.

Now is the time to make your reservations for next year. I am taking reservations for the new season so do not delay in making your reservation, especially for the spring fishing or you may not be able to get the date(s) you want. Just give me a call or drop me an email and we will get you booked now.

FLASH: A gift certificate for a guided bass fishing trip makes a great Christmas gift for your favorite bass angler. Now is the time to drop those hints to your spouse or friend that you would like to have one of these for Christmas or any other special occasion such as your birthday. Certificates bought now are good through November 30, 2010. If you would like to purchase one of these certificates, give me a call or drop me an email.

Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
270-354-5039
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
www.kentuckylakeguide.com

"Fish With a Professional"




 

"Fish With a Professional"

Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
dave@kentuckylakeguide.com
270-354-5039

 

Scroll down-more Barkley/KY reports follow

"Specializing in Largemouth and Smallmouth Bass, Lake Familiarization, Tournament Preparation, and Technique Instruction"
  Kentucky Lake Report Captain Kirk 
 

Lake Barkley COE Information

Kentucky Lake, TVA Lake Levels and Predictions for levels based on weather

Barkley lake levels & outflow:
Yr. to date
Last 10 days
Generation preschedule

Radar Map Updated 2006

Articles
Bass Fishing at Kentucky Lake By John Hoffman

Advertising Information
peter@fishin.com

 

Report Updated June 27, 2009

June 25, 2009

Air Temp Low 75°  / High 93°

Water Temp  Low 86° /  High 89°

Water Elevation  359.5  (354 Summer Pool)

Water Clarity  Clear (4’ to 5’ visibility)

 Which is the COOLEST?

Before I got my boat in the water this morning, I could see a school of fish in a surface feeding frenzy not far from the ramp.  I got my boat off the trailer, dropped the trolling motor, grabbed a rod with an inline spinner on it and cast into the boiling fish.  BAM! I was rewarded with a 12” Largemouth.  I unhooked and released the fish and cast again.  BAM! Another, BAM! Another, BAM! Another.  After 7 or 8 fish in quick succession I thought to myself, Man this is COOL!  I pulled up my trolling motor, started the big engine and headed upstream along the mainlake shoreline.  I noticed there had been a large Mayfly hatch the night before.  There were Mayflies hanging heavy in several trees that hung out over the water. This reminded me of a “COOL” trick an old timer taught me years ago.  Get yourself a can of pebbles and anchor a good cast from one of these trees, then cast a cricket, small popper, worm, or small jig under the tree and you’ll catch nice Bluegill and an occasional Bass.  When the action slows, throw a few pebbles into the tree, which will knock some Mayflies into the water and the action will start all over again.  COOL!

 Where was I?  Oh yeah, as I cruised up the mainlake bank I saw that each shallow gravel bar at the mouth of a bay had surface feeding schools of fish on them.  I passed several schools up and then stopped on one I knew was an extra good one.  Here I again caught small bass but also some White and Yellow Bass.  I noticed the fish weren’t eating Mayflies, they were eating this year’s fry (baby fish) which are just getting big enough for a little larger fish to eat.  Also, many of the fish that were feeding on them were Skipjack, and bigger fish eat Skipjack! COOL!  By the way, I also noticed lots of surface feeding fish in the back of small bays.  The sun was now getting higher and I knew the surface action would soon “COOL” off, so I motored out to one of the off-shore humps  I’d been catching quality bass on for the past few weeks.  As I motored over the rise that topped out at 20’ I saw a small group of larger arches (fish) on my graph and pitched a marker buoy nearby, but off to the side.  I cast a Texas rigged whacky stick worm to where I’d saw the arches, hopped it a couple times and felt a strong heavy bite.  After setting the hook and getting a pretty strong tussle, I brought a fat, healthy, solid 3.5 Lb bass to the boat.  And guess what?  Swimming right behind and beside him were 3 or 4 more just like him!  Now that’s really COOL!  I quickly released the fish and cast several more times but no more bites.  That’s ok though, because I had their address and today I’m just scouting.  I then fished several more humps and caught 4 or 5 nice fish on one, none on a couple spots 1 or 2 on a couple and called is a day before noon.  The deep bite was slower action but larger fish, and I knew the best deep bite was afternoon when there was more current.

 Last Sunday I had two 14 yr olds in my boat and Mom & Dad followed in a pontoon boat.  We went to a deep ledge on the main river channel and cast 3/8 oz white inline spinners into 30ft of water and reeled them quickly uphill into 18ft of water and then to the boat.  It took the boys just a little while to get the knack of it but once they did, we were catching White Bass 1Lb to 1.5 Lb nearly every cast.  Mom and Dad weren’t catching as well, but once we caught our limit we gave Mom & Dad our spot and with a little instruction, they caught them pretty good also.  At the end of 5 hours we had 53 White Bass, plus caught and released several Largemouth, and kept one 3 Lb Striper.  Lots of fun and Mom & Dad and the kids have several good fish dinners ahead of them.  COOL!

 This past Monday I fished with Bret (Dad) and Brandon (son).  Brandon is going to be in a high school bass fishing class!  COOL!  Some high schools in Illinois are offering a bass fishing class with credit towards graduating.  Super COOL!  We had a good day fishing ledges and off-shore humps.  Brandon said he thought he caught 18 bass (tournament quality), Dad held his own, and so did I.  Brandon is well on his way to becoming an avid fisherman.  The day was warm but we drank plenty of liquids, put on our sunscreen and moved frequently to get some air flow.  One particular ledge I came across had an unusually large amount of fish showing on the graph.  I hadn’t fished this ledge (hump) this year so I wasn’t sure if we’d catch bass or not.  After repeated casts to the area and no bites I was wondering what all those fish were, when out of the water came about 50 big shad.  Something big was trying to eat them.  COOL!  We all got excited and cast where the fish came out of the water.  I even switched to a big spoon and still no takers.  I was a little perplexed at this point.  Then several big splashes came in the area and I saw the tail of a big catfish.  That explained why they refused our bass baits.  A school of big cats were feeding on these large threadfin shad.  Upon further investigation, I realized that a large tree had drifted into and hung on this main river ledge and a school of cats had made it home.  I bet if a guy vertically fished some large minnows or leaches around this tree in 25ft of water, he’d probably hang into some behemoth catfish.  COOL!  Also, if a guy vertically fished smaller minnows around this tree, he’d probably catch some nice Crappie.  COOL!

Last Saturday there was a BFL Tournament on the lake ,so to stay out of their way, my friend and sometimes client, Jeff, decided he wanted to go bass fishing below the KY Dam in the TN River.  We had a very enjoyable learning experience.  We caught quite a few small Largemouths, one nearly 5 Lbs, one Smallmouth nearly 4 Lbs, one Striper about 10 Lbs and I hung into probably a big Striper that burnt my thumbs as I tried to slow his run, but he won!  COOL!  We caught fish on a shaky head worm, a green pumpkin jig, and a crankbait.  There’s lots of fish in that river!  COOL!

 The only other thing I can think of that may be as COOL or COOLER than these other forms of summer fishing would be catching a big Smallmouth on a spinnerbait in the COOL of the night under the millions of stars in the sky.  Maybe I’ll do that this next week!

 So, if you’ve read all of this you now know there are lots of COOL ways to spend your time on KY Lake.  Which is the COOLEST?  You decide.

 See you on the water!

 Capt Kirk, out! 

Captain Kirk's Guide Service
877-354-6017 or 270-354-6017
11442 Hwy 68 East
Benton, KY 42025

info@captainkirksguideservice.com
 

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