first trip to kentucky lake any tips....

my friends and i are planning trip to KY Lake in late sept. we are staying at Moores Resort. going to primarily catfish but looking forward to crappie too. any tips for some first timers? debating on whether to hire a guide for first day (one is based at Moores or close prob use him not sure of name) and then renting a boat for other two days. will also do bank fishing so we can spend as much time with poles in water as possible. are we better off just 'freelancing it" or should we use a guide since the lake is so big. really any tips would be great, types of bait that work well and what not. we are from Illinois and use shrimp quite a bit with moderate success. we are really looking forward to the trip and hope to make it a reaccuring event, especially if we come back with a cooler or 2 full of fish! thanks in advance for any worthwhile info and tips...

Paul

[email][email protected][/email] --- feel free to email if you want

[QUOTE=prw100;535910]my friends and i are planning trip to KY Lake in late sept. we are staying at Moores Resort. going to primarily catfish but looking forward to crappie too. any tips for some first timers? debating on whether to hire a guide for first day (one is based at Moores or close prob use him not sure of name) and then renting a boat for other two days. will also do bank fishing so we can spend as much time with poles in water as possible. are we better off just 'freelancing it" or should we use a guide since the lake is so big. really any tips would be great, types of bait that work well and what not. we are from Illinois and use shrimp quite a bit with moderate success. we are really looking forward to the trip and hope to make it a reaccuring event, especially if we come back with a cooler or 2 full of fish! thanks in advance for any worthwhile info and tips...

Paul

[email][email protected][/email] --- feel free to email if you want[/QUOTE]

I REGULARLY see folks using the the noodles for catfishing on KY lake. I see them consistently in The pays across from Moores.

If you do use the jugs to fish, be sure you mark them correctly and check them regularly. I hear it is a great way to fish.

BEING the nosy sum beotch that I am, I have checked a few in the past, and they always have fish on them. I don't know what they use for bait. Cut Bait, liver, who knows.

I hope this helps.

With regards to Crappie. I also see guys fishing crappie in Sugar and Smith Bay quite a bit. Not too sure myself, but I suspect if you brought some minners and soaked them under a bobber around the brush piles in Sugar you'd do just fine.

I hope this helps.

Later,

Geo

Crappie in Sept can be tough on the big lakes. The only crappie I have seen have been around the mouths of the big bays (sugar for example) on drop offs fairly deep. Occasionally I will catch one fishing for bass around these drops but I don't find them shallower much until later in the fall. Many of the crappie fisherman use a "ky lake rig" (large sinker with a couple of hooks above) and vertical jig these rigs with minnows around the drops.

Catfish are much of the same story. I have not catfished KY but have many times on Barkley which is similar and in the summer most of the action is out on the river channel drops. Same kind of thought as fishing crappie deeper - large sinker fished down on the bottom literally on the side of the drops in 20 to 30 feet of water. On Barkley I would take my trolling motor and move up and down the drop until you key into what depth the fish are holding. I always did best on river channel drops around the creek mouths.

Another angle on catfish is early / late fishing gravel flats near deep water. When the kids were young we used to go out on the pontoon and fish rocky main lake points for bluegill and often I would put out one rod on the bottom out a little deeper and would often catch channels that way...

kc

One thing on Ky you should be aware of is the wind,a south wind can make the main lake really rough.In a rental boat you may have restrictions on where you can go. If your not used to a lake this size the waves will really surprise you. Don't get me wrong it's my favorite lake just be careful and watch the weather.

[url]http://www.kicknbass.net/[/url] I would suggest you hire the pontoon boat for crappie fishing.

[QUOTE=prw100;535910]my friends and i are planning trip to KY Lake in late sept. we are staying at Moores Resort. going to primarily catfish but looking forward to crappie too. any tips for some first timers? debating on whether to hire a guide for first day (one is based at Moores or close prob use him not sure of name) and then renting a boat for other two days. will also do bank fishing so we can spend as much time with poles in water as possible. are we better off just 'freelancing it" or should we use a guide since the lake is so big. really any tips would be great, types of bait that work well and what not. we are from Illinois and use shrimp quite a bit with moderate success. we are really looking forward to the trip and hope to make it a reaccuring event, especially if we come back with a cooler or 2 full of fish! thanks in advance for any worthwhile info and tips...

Paul

[EMAIL="[email protected]"][email protected][/EMAIL] --- feel free to email if you want[/QUOTE]

If you're going to bank fish, and looking for filets to take home, you might consider the tailwaters below KY or Barkley. Catfish, striper, bass, bluegill, you name it.

Late September can be one of the toughest months on the big lakes in my opinion....all depends on weather patterns and water temperatures. I would recommend you contact Capt Kirk's Guide Service for your guide for the catfish and crappie...if he can't put you on them, no one can.

thanks for the info. will keep checking back on here to learn more and more. cannot wait to get down and fish!