Help with Kentucky Lake Strategy

Guys.

I'm headed to KYL sometime in the next 10 days, work permitting. Never been this late in the year. Was looking at a map today and thinking of my prior year mid-October trips and came up with a few strategy questions I'd appreciate help with.

1- Do you care much about location if fish are busting shad? I've been in bay's mid-October and watched the bass gorge themselves for hours. One strategy is just to find the fish on shad and try to stay on that all day. Unfortunately, I have had times when for all the gorging they would not hit anything I was throwing.

2- The bays on West side tend to be shallower amd flatter then East Side of KYL but the river channel on the east side creeks I find easier to follow. Do you have a preference this time of year for shallow bay vs deeper more creek defined cove?

3- Finally, my normal fall strategy is to start in the very back of a bay and work my way out toward secondary points until I find a bite then try to pattern it. If you are not doing one of the above strategies, does this one make sense.

Thanks for any replies. Maybe you can save me 1/2 day of messing around trying to figure out where they might be interested in eating.

I've got rods rigged with buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, Sammy, PopR, Shakey Head, Finesse jigs, lipless cranks, 12ft cranks, 4 foot cranks, and a Pointer 100. Not sure if the water is cold enough for a Pointer but thought I'd try it. If I missed anything, let me know!

You have enough rods rigged up with everything you need and with the exception of the 12' crankbait, all the others will catch fish this time of year. Topwater and Red Eye Shad are the best 2 right now but it won't be long before the jerkbait bite will be in full swing. You thought process of starting in the back and working out is fine, with the majority of the fish from the back half to the back right now. All depends on the weather conditions as to exactly where in the bays, but they are in the bays. East side bays will produce just fine and easier to navigate between them anytime but especially at winter pool. You could probably get away with a Sammy / buzzbait for the early and late topwater action, Red Eye Shad fished in the flats in the backs the majority of the time and a C Rig or Jig fished on the points in the backs. These 3 rods will be used most of the time right now but will depend on the weather conditions of when you actually go. Sounds like you are on the right track to start. Good Luck

Check the water levels, the lake is very high right now, dropping slowly.

[url]http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/op_guides/kentucky.htm[/url]

thanks Guys!

The lipless crank I have tied on one is a a red eye shad in sexy shad pattern. The 12ft crank might be less then 12 foot but it is sey shad pattern as well. Was thinking I would throw that is I came across something of interest in 9 foot of water.

I may swap my finese jig rod out for a rod that would do a C-Rig or Finesse Jig.

Right now if you find them busting use a Sammy to catch the most active fish, when they stop start watching the schools of shad, when you see them balling up on the surface there is a reason for it - the bass are rounding them up, throw your jerkbait past the school and work up under it and hold on! Also if you are privey to sun after the top water bite ends throw your jerkbait alot. I use the pointer 98sp in chartruese shad, and the same color on my sammy. If you can find them pick up some scroungers in 1/4oz medium bill w/ 3/0 hook and rig with a fluke and just cast and retrieve (vary your speeds ever so often) with these 3 baits you'll have a blast anywhere you see the busting fish.

Only thing is to watch the water level. right now it's way up and the TVA will start pulling it to get back to winter pool. That will usually pull the fish back out some till the water stabilizes.

Appreciate the tips. If the water is falling, that will normally bring the fish off the bank and toward the ditch they used to enter in the first place.

My Sammy, pointer and fluke are ready!!!!!!!!

Wish it was a little colder. Fishing in 65 mid-November just does not seem right. Only a couple of days this year we have even seen a Frost.

They are pulling the lakes hard now so definitely watch the levels and current. Also fished Friday/Saturday and caught lots of sub-keeper bass like everyone in the back half of the bays. Tried backing out some and fishing down more looking for better fish with no luck. Also the sammy bite really dropped off this past weekend for me. We did best on spinners and smaller pointers. It really puzzles me where the better fish are this time of year. Are they still out on the ledges or maybe they feed in the bays but off of the banks. That's one reason I'll start fishing Barkley more is I tend to catch better quality in the late fall but the numbers on KY are pretty amazing...

[QUOTE=kc;388997]They are pulling the lakes hard now so definitely watch the levels and current. Also fished Friday/Saturday and caught lots of sub-keeper bass like everyone in the back half of the bays. Tried backing out some and fishing down more looking for better fish with no luck. Also the sammy bite really dropped off this past weekend for me. We did best on spinners and smaller pointers. It really puzzles me where the better fish are this time of year. Are they still out on the ledges or maybe they feed in the bays but off of the banks. That's one reason I'll start fishing Barkley more is I tend to catch better quality in the late fall but the numbers on KY are pretty amazing...[/QUOTE]



If this warm weather continues, I might try little river a day or two while I'm down.