Barkley report

[swimjigboy]

Been here two days. Just awful! Everyone we meet can't believe how bad. Why did they have to pull 2.5 feet out and ruin another trip down? Fished bushes all the way to main lake. Flipped, dragged, wacky, topwater, cranked, shakey headed, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits, swimjigs. 5 fish in 2 days.

[redearhoosier]

The Corp of Engineers couldn't care less about how the lakes fish. They care about the lake being navigable AND flood control, that is it.

That said, the pro fishermen are catching decent bags in the two huge tournaments over on Kentucky.

[swimjigboy]

The Corp of Engineers couldn't care less about how the lakes fish. They care about the lake being navigable AND flood control, that is it.

That said, the pro fishermen are catching decent bags in the two huge tournaments over on Kentucky.

Everyone at our hotel is bombing too. Got 6 today, dad 0. South Barkley feels like the Dead Sea. Headed north tomorrow. Hope better.

[kc]

Everyone at our hotel is bombing too. Got 6 today, dad 0. South Barkley feels like the Dead Sea. Headed north tomorrow. Hope better.

I have been down 4 weekends now in the past 6 weeks or so and have yet to have a decent day on the big lakes. Crazy weather and water so I kind of get it but it just seems the fish are beyond not normal over this messed up spring. I fished half days both days on Ky as Barkley was like the dead sea and what blew me away was the void of anything shallow (except carp). I put it at Fenton and walking the cross walk out to the dock I always take a moment to take in what is cruising shallow around the dock and ramp. Other than in cold water there are always minnows and fish of different stripes and types to be had -- both days I couldn't even spot a minnow. I know they dropped the bottom out last week but they had it down Thursday and the lakes were warming nicely over the week end so I just can't begin to explain why nothing was pulled up. The lakes even rose slightly Saturday to Sunday which tends to pull them up. Caught and cleaned several crappie that still had eggs or males still ready to go -- first week of May not April. But finding a biting bass seemed next to impossible. The ones we caught were on 2" curly tails that we were slinging at crappie. Starting to re-think where to put my fishing effort in. Kind of tough when you own property...

kc

[GeoFisher]

The Corp of Engineers couldn't care less about how the lakes fish. They care about the lake being navigable AND flood control, that is it.

That said, the pro fishermen are catching decent bags in the two huge tournaments over on Kentucky.

Decent nothing..........Weights are way , way down...........33lbs over 4 days gets you a 10k check. Hell, just a few short years ago a no nothing Average Joe like myself would put 15lbs a day every spring day.....

It is getting bad folks.........BAD.

While I think the flooding and dropping the water had something to do with it.....the CARP are having a whole lot more to do with it.......IMHO.

[MagikSmallie]

Decent nothing..........Weights are way , way down...........33lbs over 4 days gets you a 10k check. Hell, just a few short years ago a no nothing Average Joe like myself would put 15lbs a day every spring day.....

It is getting bad folks.........BAD.

While I think the flooding and dropping the water had something to do with it.....the CARP are having a whole lot more to do with it.......IMHO.

I think this June will be the tell. If the ledge fishing doesn't happen like it should, if there aren't the big roaming schools of fish we'll know for sure. I'm still holding on to hope that the shallow bite this year is off due to the fluctuation water temps and levels. We'll know shortly once the spawn is over and the water temps get up.

[swimjigboy]

Well Barkley was the worst to date. Been fishing here since 2001 and it was defeating to put it mildly. Only bite was flipping and swimjig. Fri - thurs. left and went home early. Only 2 days that sound good but really were bad tough! 8 to 9 bites on those days tues was best 5 22lb plus change and 18 1/2 on thurs. My dad went 5 days with only 2 bites. Total of 41 bass for 7 days. We backed off, fishing lead in banks from front to back. Cranks, shaky heads, swimbaits, wacky rigs, top water, dragged lizards and baby brush hogs. only bites 3' and less. Biggest bites as shallow as you could get and cover water. Don't know if Dad will ever come back. My favorite place on Earth maybe have to change. Sad...

[redearhoosier]

Sorry to hear about your sucky trip. I was fishing yesterday and ran into one of the FLW bass pros in Moon Bay. I specifically asked him for his opinion on the fishing situation at the two lakes and his main response was that "the lakes are definitely changing the way they fish". What he meant by that is open to interpretation, but I'm assuming what he really meant is that these huge Asian Carp are actually moving the schools of bass, crappie and bluegill into different locations. He said it's a long term problem. I'm catching fewer redear than I did 4 years ago. I think the redear are possibly nesting in much deeper water to avoid the egg and fry eating fish.

As a tax payer/resident of Lyon county, I'm scared that these foreign fish will bomb the local economy out.

[GeoFisher]

Sorry to hear about your sucky trip. I was fishing yesterday and ran into one of the FLW bass pros in Moon Bay. I specifically asked him for his opinion on the fishing situation at the two lakes and his main response was that "the lakes are definitely changing the way they fish". What he meant by that is open to interpretation, but I'm assuming what he really meant is that these huge Asian Carp are actually moving the schools of bass, crappie and bluegill into different locations. He said it's a long term problem. I'm catching fewer redear than I did 4 years ago. I think the redear are possibly nesting in much deeper water to avoid the egg and fry eating fish.

As a tax payer/resident of Lyon county, I'm scared that these foreign fish will bomb the local economy out.

Guaranteed the Asians are causing huge issues.

I've not seen any threadfin in 3years. The years of football field size shad balls in Sugar, Duncan,Higgins, Smith, and every other bignorth bay........Well I think those days are OVER.

Sad too..........I might be too dang old and stubborn to figure out how to fish it.

Cumberland might be my next choice.......or Dale.

Later,

Geo