Fishing a dropping lake

[walkeraviator]

On Friday most of teh local lakes will start coming down to winter pool. In my experience, catching fish when the lakes are being drawn down is tricky. I have never had goo luck at it. But I would like to give it another wack in two weeks at Barren.

Where do you guys tend to find fish once they start drawing teh lake, and what presentations do you find work?

[Big T @ E.C.]

I've not had much good luck either, but, what i've read, and tried in the past, is go to the next change of structure. Example, if you were catching fish, in standing timber, in 10' - 12', find the next "drop", like from 14' to 20'. If they were off points, say in 15' of water, look for something to hold them in 20'. Like a drop off, stumps, or whatever. I think this is the time you really need good electronics, and know how to use them. Tr

[pointer]

Good question. I'm not sure that I have really figured it out but I tend to approach it like I would if I don't really have a pattern established. I try to fish different types of structure at different depths. I grew up fishing tidal waters and usually your best fishing came during an outgoing tide. Three of the best trips I've had, since moving to Kentucky, happened as they were pulling the lakes back down to summer pool after the big flood this past May.
Granted, it was May but the water was really moving. From those experiences, mostly the ones in the tidal water, I tend to think bass will stage on the down current side of a particular piece of structure, prepared to ambush. Again, this has been my personal experience. There may be several much better approaches than mine.

Mike

[kc]

Generally speaking rising water fish tend to pull up falling water fish tend to pull back. Think small moves. If the fish were up feeding on shallow flats and they drop the water they will tend to fall back to the next level of deeper water. Say the fish were feeding up in the ends of the creeks when the lake starts falling then start looking for them on the next points or lead in banks heading out where the water is slightly deeper.

Another factor I have noted on the lakes in central KY when they drop them to winter pool is crawfish. As it gets colder I think the craws move slower and as the water drops they end up congregated near the water line as the keep moving down to stay in the lake. So you can find the fish really keying on the banks that hold crawfish up shallow near the bank...

kc

[jfw]

You are right about the crawfish ,they are moving looking for a new home and I always do pretty good on a rebel crawdad crankbait when they start dropping Nolin