Safty Concerns for Nite Fishing KY Lake

[WacoWildcat]

I can definately vouch for wild and dangerous. Made a real dumb move one night trying to get back from Barkley to Dam Village in one of those pop up bad ones and had the wildest 2 mile drive ever. God's grace and GPS allowed me to make it through that one. Just kept my head down and endured. Guys behind us ended up at Bear creek.

I've been through the exact same situation. We were fishing down at Sugar Creek this past May when a big storm blew in fast right at dusk. When those waves are really rocking you can't see a bouy at night at all. The seas were angry that night as we plowed our way back to moors getting soaked.

[artcarney_agr]

There's no telling how many nights I've spent on the water between the months of November and January in the pitch black...with the occasionally high winds, big waves, and ice...navigating Kentucky and Barkley to get to a duck blind. The main thing is to just go slow, stay alert, and always know where you're at. A spotlight is your best friend, and it's always a good idea to take someone along with you...two sets of eyes are better than one!

[elnutsmalljaws]

Night fished Ky Lake for 2 years with some good success. I mainly fished the north LBL side of the lake and pretty easy to navigate, at least for me, put in at Fenton and stay on the right side going north. That being said: I saw a BUNCH of sailboats anchored up in the middle of Duncan and Smith bays without any lights on, a bunch of jet ski's running after dark and the wind is not kind when it gets up. Bad enough trying to run those waves in the daytime much less than night. As you leave a bay and move out to the main lake, stop, turn off your motor and shine the light out into the main lake for it can be ROLLING there and you won't feel it as bad in the bay. Dave Stewart and I enjoyed one certain boat ride from Sugar Bay area to the west side of the lake one night in some enjoyable 6 footers at about 2 in the morning. One of those trips that you tell your great grandchildren about for just surviving. Bug Spray is a must or Avon Skin So Soft (Dave Stewart told me about this and it works great, plus you will smell PRETTY). If you are running the main lake, the barges can and are dangerous. I have seen them beached up against the sand bar between rhodes and higgins bay on the right and you will not see them coming from the south if heading north for you will not see any lights (luckily I was on the water before dark and saw this one beached and knew it was there after dark to avoid it but you can not see it in the dark). Plus if you are running towards the 68/80 bridge from the north to the south and decide to cut across to Ken lake, make sure you see all the green and red lights on the bridge. One night as we were coming that way, there were a few lights in the midle missing, then a green would appear but a red would disappear on the other end, the problem was that a barge was coming towards the dam (towards us) and did not have a light one on. His moving down and us moving up river caused the bridge lights to disappear and appear behind his moving barge. I always stop, turn off my motor, and listen for the barge before crossing the channel. When I am fishing the ledges that are in the main river channel, my lights are kept on (yes I know it is the law but I turn off my running lights when I am fishing up inside the bays closer to the banks or points). I usually fish besides myself and have not had any problems other than those above. I do run full open throttle and if I was to hit something, I want to make sure it is over quick and don't want to limp away. Good Luck

[Downwind]

Don't forget top attach your KILL SWITCH

[offdtop]

Don't forget top attach your KILL SWITCH

TO YOUR LIFE JACKET!!!!!!!

You'll never see me at night without one on, Let me say this - when you go out at night expect the worse, if it doesn't happen great but you will at least be prepared for hitting a rogue wave that comes out of nowhere, Spotlight, spotlight, spotlight, tell someone where your fishing even if it's a note on your truck, watch out for johnboats and pontoons that are sitting and relaxing - THE ANCHOR LIGHT YOU SEE IN THE DISTANCE MAY BE CLOSER THAN IT APPEARS. I have had some great nights and 2 of the 5 worst boat rides I have EVER had was at night because the wind blew up and I was in the back of a cove and when I came out to the main lake to go home and 2 waves later I was airborn doing 30 to 40 mph!! Trot lines, they have spun me 180 degrees almost flinging me out of the boat so use the spolight and keep an eye out for floating things they just may be attached to something.

be safe, and you'll be blessed