Well Boys, has anyone been to KY lake lately

I'm headed down next Thursday. This will be the earliest/coldest I've been.

I have some ideas, but if someone has been lately, any info would be greatly appreciated.

Later,

Geo

I live on the lake, but haven't been out. A few friends have been fishing. Water temp. is in the low 40's and varying because the temps are up and down so much. Lake is stained and is projected to rise. From what my friends are telling me, everything is fishing tough, esp. on the N end if the lake.

A BFL is going out Kentucky Dam Village Saturday, just so you know.

[QUOTE=GeoFisher;528798]I'm headed down next Thursday. This will be the earliest/coldest I've been.

I have some ideas, but if someone has been lately, any info would be greatly appreciated.

Later,

Geo[/QUOTE]

I went down to check on the place Saturday and put in on Barkley for the afternoon. Water was warmer than I expected but main lake and little river very muddy. Main lake was 48 and I saw low to mid 50s surface temp in a couple of the bays I visited. Fished a few hours and got very few bites. Two small bass and two drum. I ended up trying to catch crappie later in the afternoon and whiffed on them. With this cold winter and ice on parts of the lake just days before I went I think it was too soon for the fish to pattern up in the bays. Saw good numbers of fish on the graph but they were off the banks and suspended which usually means a tough bite as it was. Surely it will get better but ol man winter needs to give it up and let spring do its thing. Good luck this week end. If you see any sunshine check out the deeper sun-drenched rocky banks on KY...

kc

[QUOTE=kc;528805]I went down to check on the place Saturday and put in on Barkley for the afternoon. Water was warmer than I expected but main lake and little river very muddy. Main lake was 48 and I saw low to mid 50s surface temp in a couple of the bays I visited. Fished a few hours and got very few bites. Two small bass and two drum. I ended up trying to catch crappie later in the afternoon and whiffed on them. With this cold winter and ice on parts of the lake just days before I went I think it was too soon for the fish to pattern up in the bays. Saw good numbers of fish on the graph but they were off the banks and suspended which usually means a tough bite as it was. Surely it will get better but ol man winter needs to give it up and let spring do its thing. Good luck this week end. If you see any sunshine check out the deeper sun-drenched rocky banks on KY...

kc[/QUOTE]

Thanks,

I will let ya know........I'm definitely going.

We are still on winter patterns with the water temps. Base water temp has dropped 2 degrees in past two days and down 3 since last Saturday. Jerk baits, A-rigs and jigs with some medium running crankbaits on shallow rocky banks near deep water. I will putting together my first weekly report of the season tonight or early tomorrow. Time to get this season going...just need a little warm weather.

Dave

I'm with ya Dave! I'm ready to fish and especially ready for my trip to Barkley! Looks like weather may start breaking by late nest week.

So good that I'm going to leave EARLY :) .

I just hooked up the boat, and am waiting on my friend Eddie to call when he can leave. I'm PUMPED.

I have a few definite ideas, and will let you guys know.

Later,

Geo

[QUOTE=GeoFisher;529160]So good that I'm going to leave EARLY :) .

I just hooked up the boat, and am waiting on my friend Eddie to call when he can leave. I'm PUMPED.

I have a few definite ideas, and will let you guys know.

Later,

Geo[/QUOTE]

Have a good time! Stay safe.

Catch a hog!

[QUOTE=bigwormy;529194]Catch a hog![/QUOTE]

Caught 3 today........no hogs.

2 on a jig 1 on a shakey. Amazing how much warmer north/shallow banks were. nearly 5 degrees.

I'm headed out tomorrow, but will probably not get out too early.

[QUOTE=GeoFisher;529196]Caught 3 today........no hogs.

2 on a jig 1 on a shakey. Amazing how much warmer north/shallow banks were. nearly 5 degrees.

I'm headed out tomorrow, but will probably not get out too early.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the update! Weather is looking good in the next couple weeks. I will be down there next weekend. Last weekend that the wife will let me go before the baby comes. So hot or cold here I come!

Eddie and I managed to catch a few and had pretty good fish.

We started out on North Barkley on Thursday around 5:00pm only had 2 or so hrs, so we stayed in Champion Springs. 41 degree water. It was COLD. Eddie and I both caught fish on a jig. Ended up with 3 on Thursday.

Friday, we put back in at Champion Springs, and fished north to some sunny spots. On one of those I caught the largest fish for the weekend a 4.5 largemouth in 6 or so ft of water, close to the river channel. Black and Blue hair jig is what I caught it on.

We fished Friday mostly on North Barkley in crappy water. After fishing junky water for most the day, we ran through the channel and headed back into Pisqua. In Pisqua, be both hooked up on fish. We ended up catching 7 fish with 2 keepers. Not bad, but not great either. Water temps on North KY were nearly 5 degrees warmer. Amazing.

Saturday, we put in at Fenton. Threw a lot of crankbaits but didn't end up hooking up on them. I also tried to jerkbait, which also didn't work for me. WE did catch a couple on red eye shad, but most fish came on a tube or jig.

Sunday, after multiple days struggling, and only 18 fish for the previous 3 days, Eddie and I called an audible and fished crazy, CRAZY shallow. We got some information about shad raps from Dave Stewarts Report, and tied on a couple. WE fished 5-6 ft of water on sunny banks and managed 19 fish with 6 keepers. Best 5 going about 12 lbs. We could have definitely caught more, but with a 3hr drive home, we ended up leaving fish around 5:00pm.

Dave told me I was prob fishing too fast, so I paid real close attention to the speed of my retrieve, and specifically pausing.......THAT was the ticket. 10 of the fish came on cranks, 7 on shakey head, and 2 on a jig.

It was fun.

Here are some pictures:

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