Back from Ky Lake....

[elnutsmalljaws]

Nice report. I feel your pain regarding all the idiots on the lakes during the weekend. I fished Barkley today and was miserable the entire time. Probably got cut in front of at least 5 times. Some people are just a$$holes.

I talked to Dave Stewart earlier and he had a 70 year old couple in his boat today and they just wanted to catch a few fish. No tourney preps or serious fishermen in his boat today just pure casual fishing and it got bad for him too. He said he had some surfacing fish and put them on a topwater bait and both of them caught a fish immediately and he said you thought they let loose the flood gates. Boats all came towards his area to join in or barge in on the action. I don't fish tourneys and even if I did, I don't think it is worth cutting in front of or showing dis-respect to other weekend anglers. If the "Pro" needs to do this to find his fish then maybe he should consider getting a 9-5 like the rest of us. Too much water to fish. I don't follow the tourney trail but maybe there needs to be a master schedule of all tourneys - Pro, Amateur and in between, that tourney directors or organizers must report and get a permit or something to and a limit of the number of tourney boats per day allowed on the water at one time. The number of pleasure fisherman, jet skis, water skis and pleasure boaters is on the rise from what I see and add a couple of 100 or 200 boat tourneys to the mix plus all the smaller local and club tourneys and you have a mess, especially with certain wind conditions that puts a lot of boats in the same general areas. Just my opinion

[Moose1am]

There are more and more people who own boats. And with the advent of Jet Skies which cost less than a big bass boat you see more of these Water Fleas all the time.

Yesterday my favorite 190 acre public lake had over 20 boats using the lake on Saturday. I missed most of the traffic by staying home Saturday Morning and planing my garden Squash.

I enjoy fishing during the middle of the week but even then the lake gets a lot of fisherman these days.

With the high price of Gasoline $3.35 gallon (May 19, 2007) people are staying closer to home. That has drastically increase the number of boats on Bluegrass F&W area.

Do small mouth bass hit very good at night most of the time? Or is it a yearly or seasonal thing with smallies?

And what type of light do you use other than the required anchor light? Ultraviolet lights or Black lights.

Saw a black light LED setup at Walmart. The thing has three small led light and it attaches to the bill of a baseball hat. Runs on two or three very thin quarter sized batteries.

I talked to Dave Stewart earlier and he had a 70 year old couple in his boat today and they just wanted to catch a few fish. No tourney preps or serious fishermen in his boat today just pure casual fishing and it got bad for him too. He said he had some surfacing fish and put them on a topwater bait and both of them caught a fish immediately and he said you thought they let loose the flood gates. Boats all came towards his area to join in or barge in on the action. I don't fish tourneys and even if I did, I don't think it is worth cutting in front of or showing dis-respect to other weekend anglers. If the "Pro" needs to do this to find his fish then maybe he should consider getting a 9-5 like the rest of us. Too much water to fish. I don't follow the tourney trail but maybe there needs to be a master schedule of all tourneys - Pro, Amateur and in between, that tourney directors or organizers must report and get a permit or something to and a limit of the number of tourney boats per day allowed on the water at one time. The number of pleasure fisherman, jet skis, water skis and pleasure boaters is on the rise from what I see and add a couple of 100 or 200 boat tourneys to the mix plus all the smaller local and club tourneys and you have a mess, especially with certain wind conditions that puts a lot of boats in the same general areas. Just my opinion

[elnutsmalljaws]

There are more and more people who own boats. And with the advent of Jet Skies which cost less than a big bass boat you see more of these Water Fleas all the time.

Yesterday my favorite 190 acre public lake had over 20 boats using the lake on Saturday. I missed most of the traffic by staying home Saturday Morning and planing my garden Squash.

I enjoy fishing during the middle of the week but even then the lake gets a lot of fisherman these days.

With the high price of Gasoline $3.35 gallon (May 19, 2007) people are staying closer to home. That has drastically increase the number of boats on Bluegrass F&W area.

Do small mouth bass hit very good at night most of the time? Or is it a yearly or seasonal thing with smallies?

And what type of light do you use other than the required anchor light? Ultraviolet lights or Black lights.

Saw a black light LED setup at Walmart. The thing has three small led light and it attaches to the bill of a baseball hat. Runs on two or three very thin quarter sized batteries.

Smallies are very light sensitive to the point that I will even target the "Shady" side of the point even in the dead of night. They are different creatures than Greenfish and like it deeper, colder and darker than it's cousin. June, July and August are the best months for night fishing and I was pushing the envelope a bit early but thought the bite would be on for Smallies. I have night fished as late as October and had an outstanding night at Cumberland in October 2004 using a Super Black Zara Spook to catch several nice Smallies and Stripers on the points between Indian and Beaver on the South side of the lake (Thank you onemorecast for the tip on this area) I use a Stan Sloan blacklight and keep it towards the back of the boat when I am by myself and by using Flourescent line in my reels, your line will light up like a christmas tree above water but not seen below water. I mainly use the black light for light to net the fish at nighttime. I fish by feel and never had one rod spooled up with Flourescent Friday night. The fellas that I go with all use Flouro and like to watch their line, I don't. 10-12lb Flourocarbon is what I use and I get a much better feel for the bottom with it and have no problem feeling the bite as well. I look around at the scenery, stars, moon or listen to the nightlife when I am fishing and still stay focused on what is going on under water. Of course, with a drop spinnerbait - Jewel Brand "The Jolt" is the best I have found - it is chunk and wind so the rod bends double and it is a fish or you have ran into some piece of cover. Dale, Laurel and Cumberland deep clear lake I use a 1/4 oz jig with trailer most of the time, Ky and Barkley where it is more of a shad based food source it starts out with Hook Some Bass Chameleon Craw Tube, Chartreuse Dip the tail, rigged Texas Style with a 3/8 oz rattlin sinker. I will use the drop spinnerbait at all lakes but fish it differently. Dale and etc it is a rip and let flutter to the bottom then rip and let flutter sort of imitating a crawfish jumping off the bottom, Ky and Barkley and such it is slow rolling like a shad swimming across the bottom. When a Smallie hits the spinnerbait, be prepared to hold onto your rod. They will absolutely rip the rod out of your hand, especially at Ky Lake since you have constant tension on the bait. I think they focus in on the thump then follow to find it the kill it or they are sitting there as it comes by and kill it. Dave Stewart has told me stories of his client losing rods over the boat and one time I had one hammer it when I was half asleep and I caught the rod in mid air. Night bite is my second favorite kind of fishing next to FNF and I can't tell you how many nights I have spent on Cumberland, Dale or Ky. I love the topwater action after the sun has gone behind the mountain and you get that last 1/2 hour of residual light. Love it when it is around 11pm and all the traffic has stopped long enough for the waves to stop (unless it is night tourney then they are running). Take your raingear to put on around 3am for the dew can be good and wet at times plus a little chilly. Love avoiding the bulk of the fishermen this time of year and all the joyboaters as well. Watch out for the houseboats, pontoons and sail boats tied up in coves and bays at night without their lights on (I have seen this more times than I care too) A few more tips to use, take a good bug spray to Ky for they bite hard. Dave Stewart turned me on to "Skin So Soft" lotion from Avon. It is a girly lotion but the bugs hate it. I might smell pretty but at least there are not bites to contend with. For me it is the best I have found. Take some rubber gloves or put your hands in sandwich bags when applying the bug spray or lotion to keep it off your hands which you will transfer the smell to your bait (same trick for sun screen). Take a good spotlight to navigate and GPS if you are fishing Dale, especially in the new moon. Almost impossible to navigate Dale, until you know it, for it all looks the same and too many turns and islands. LBL side of KY is pretty safe to navigate as is Cumberland without a GPS but I don't leave home to go to Dale without it even know I can draw the map of the lake from memory from Wolfe down to First Island. Good Luck and give it a try.

[davidsa]

Very helpful. I have tried 2 or 3 times to fish at night and have not had luck nor have I enjoyed it. I find myself up in trees, line twisted around the rod tip, etc as I struggle to do the things I take for granted during the day.

I've seen several of your posts about tourney's down on KYL. I could not agree more. I don't tourney fish nor do I mind that others like to do it. What does bother me is when I'm fishing and others invade my space. I fish for the quite nature of the activity not to be in a rat race which I deal with in my daily life most of the time. I find myself wanting to fish 3pm to dark vs. the morning when I know a tourney is underway. Just too many bad tastes from a few bad apples I guess.

Thanks for your Posts!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Very helpful. I have tried 2 or 3 times to fish at night and have not had luck nor have I enjoyed it. I find myself up in trees, line twisted around the rod tip, etc as I struggle to do the things I take for granted during the day.

I've seen several of your posts about tourney's down on KYL. I could not agree more. I don't tourney fish nor do I mind that others like to do it. What does bother me is when I'm fishing and others invade my space. I fish for the quite nature of the activity not to be in a rat race which I deal with in my daily life most of the time. I find myself wanting to fish 3pm to dark vs. the morning when I know a tourney is underway. Just too many bad tastes from a few bad apples I guess.

Thanks for your Posts!

Your blacklight should help "light up the bank" some for casting. I never cast all the way to the bank and have caught very few Smallies all the way up on the bank in a few feet of water and never had any good quality fish. My cast will usually land 10 yards or so from the bank and then I work it from there. The better fish will be cruising a little deeper plus you stay away from the Bluegills and smaller fish that sit in a foot of water that will peck you to death. It took a while to learn but once done, I love night fishing awfully well. The more you do it the better you will like it.

[dcbasser]

hey elwood
Maybe once you get moved back in you and cliff can make a trip down to laurel and get onto some of them brownfish. Is cliff been able to get back down to try his luck?

[elnutsmalljaws]

hey elwood
Maybe once you get moved back in you and cliff can make a trip down to laurel and get onto some of them brownfish. Is cliff been able to get back down to try his luck?

We have plans to lear Laurel together once I am back. He went to Laurel last night and had a tough night. First time on the lake to night fish and navigate plus he is still very new to the lake would make it difficult for anyone. I plan on picking your brain for some inside information when I get back. I don't even have a map of Laurel yet. I looked at the lake on my Fishing Hot Spots on my computer last night and it looks like a smaller version of Cumberland with a little Dale Hollow mixed in. Cliff says it looks just like Dale Hollow and I can't wait to see it. Lot of DEEP water for a smaller surface area lake. Plan on catching some Big Ol Brownfish and also a few Walleye's for the table. Talk to you in a bit.