April 7, 2016


Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 357.37 Surface Temperature - 59
Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 357.50 Surface Temperature - 59


Both lakes are one and one half foot below summer pool. Kentucky Dam was generating at an average rate of 61,000 cfs this afternoon. Barkley Dam was generating at an average rate of 18,000 cfs this afternoon. 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.


General Conditions: Well, it has been another week of cold fronts and wind. We are getting cold fronts about every 48 hours it seems and of course this brings with it some cold nights and windy days. The water temperatures have not improved since last week and the TVA has been playing with the lake levels. This time yesterday the lakes were 6 inches higher than they are at this time today. I mentioned in last week's report we are ahead of schedule on the rise in the lake levels to summer pool and it appears the TVA will be fluctuating the present levels up and down until we get back on schedule with the River Operating System Schedule. According to the TVA River Operating Schedule, we would normally be at winter pool (354) on April 1st and then have a gradual rise over the month to reach summer pool (359) by the end of the month. We can only wait and see how long the TVA will be playing the levels up and down. Of course this fluctuation coupled with all these cold fronts is not doing anything to improve the spotty bass fishing and it is holding off the Crappie from spawning in numbers. It isn't that we are not catching bass, but with so many patterns


LARGEMOUTH BASS: Largemouth are being taken on main lake points and on the main lake channel banks. These fish are being taken on Alabama rigs, suspending jerk baits, slow rolled crank baits, slow rolled lipless crank baits, jigs and shaky heads. Largemouth are being taken on ledges on the main lake and inside the mouths of the deeper creeks and bays on Alabama rigs and jigs. Largemouth are being taken on secondary channel points and banks inside the creeks and bays on Alabama rigs, slow rolled crank baits, slow rolled lipless crank baits, suspending jerk baits, jigs and shaky heads. On warm days there are active fish being taken shallow in the creeks and bays on shallow running crank baits, spinner baits and lipless crank baits as a number of fish are roaming the shallows with the water up.

SMALLMOUTH BASS: Smallmouth are being taken on gravel main lake points and channel banks. Smallmouth are also being taken on gravel secondary channel points and channel banks inside the mouths of the creeks and bays. These fish are now spawning and can be taken on slow rolled crank baits, tube jigs, grubs and jigs.

PRODUCTIVE LURES: Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Picasso bait ball rigs with Keitech swim baits in pro blue and French pearl as well as Big Hammer swim baits in pearl and sexy smelt, Lucky Craft slender pointer suspending jerk baits in pearl ayu and aurora black, Spro suspending jerk baits table rock shad and Rapala xraps in black/silver , Rapala shadraps in demon and red craw, Strike King DT 6 and10 in red crawdad, Strike King red eye shad in red craw and chrome sexy shad, Bill Lewis rattle traps in red crawdad patterns, Spro Little John shallow crankbaits in spring craw and black/chartruese, Strike King 2.5 square bill crankbaits in black/chartreuse, Slong's spinner baits in white/chartreuse, Slong’s football jig in Cumberland craw, D&L baby advantage jig in Cumberland craw, Slong’s shaky head jigs with Charmer shaky head worm in green pumpkin.

CRAPPIE: Crappie are being taken over brush piles in 8-10 ft of water in the creeks and bays by vertically fishing with minnows and jigs tipped with minnows. Crappie are also moving shallow and some are being taken on banks around cover in 4-6 feet of water. The Crappie fishing was reported as slow this week with the wind and fluctuating lake levels but I would expect the Crappie to start moving shallow in large numbers this next week if the water temperatures rise.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON VISITING OUR LAKES I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES FOR ALL YOUR FISHING AND BOATING NEEDS:
Fisherman’s Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle, or the Draffenville "Y". FHQ stocks everything an angler could need, from live bait, hooks and bobbers to top of the line tournament bass tackle. More than a "bait and tackle" store, Fisherman’s Headquarters is a true "pro shop", offering advice, training and special order assistance not found online or at the big box retailers. Services even include custom electronics training and installation. The store offers a wide variety of nationally known brands as well as many regional and hard to find items we use on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. They stock many of the products I rely on daily, such as Charmer Baits, Slong’s lures, Picasso lures, Bag 5 lures, Pro Tungsten weights, and All Pro Rods. From bluegill to bass and catfish to crappie, FHQ has you covered! Stop by and visit or 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 and Stratos bass boats too as well as bulk oil at rock bottom prices for your engine. Phone: 270-395-4030.

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 over 20 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 Lowrance HDS electronics 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.


Available Dates:


April: 19
May: 5, 9, 10, 15, 16, 21
June: 28, 29, 30


Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
www.kentuckylakeguide.com
[email protected]
270-362-9987
"Fish With A Professional"