Barkley Early May Please Help

[caseydrew]

I spend all my time on Kentucky Lake and would like to venture over to Barkley in early May this year for some shallow structure bass fishing since there is so much more visible cover on Barkley and Barkley is suppose to have more bass (hard to believe as KY seems loaded). I would prefer to launch somewhere near the 68/80 bridge and head North on the LBL or West side of the lake. Could anyone suggest a few bays that are loaded w/ either wood or yellow flowers that produce well that time of year? I'll probably only go for a couple days on Barkley and could use some tips on a few good bays to spend the majority of my time in. Any tips on what works for you would be appreciated.

I would be glad to answer questions on KY in return for some help.

[SlopFishin]

Sorry, can't help. TVA killed off most of the yellow flowers this year by raising the lake so early. Maybe Dave will see your post and offer some advice. Good luck.

[Todd2]

Sorry, can't help. TVA killed off most of the yellow flowers this year by raising the lake so early. Maybe Dave will see your post and offer some advice. Good luck.

Flowers are gone again this year? Didn't that happen last year too?

[joebw]

You can start in Devils Elbow area. The yellow flowers are up right now, not as may as in the past, but they are there. The water is over them now, so by early May that bite will be over. Honker is a good area, but be careful going in. All the bays south of 68/80 bridge will have a lot of brush in them as well.

[swimjigboy]

Flowers are gone again this year? Didn't that happen last year too?

PLEASE DO NOT SAY THAT!!! I beem waiting for 2 yrs now for our usual spring trip for Barkley the 1st wk of May. Yes 2 yrs. because of last years complete disaster of early high water. I wrote in earlier on the board about my fears of the high water killing off the flowers and other folks said don't worry everything will be fine. Well sounds like here we go again! Save up all year and dream of me and Dad fishing the flowers and bushes , I guess all hope is gone again this year. Don't know if it is even worth going south now. Just keep saving, cancel reservation down there and go north to St. Clair. There you'll get a great spinnerbait bite early season.

[Dave Stewart]

I guess the flowers I am fishing are my imagination.

[swimjigboy]

So you think they'll still be there may 2 - 9. Thank again for the help last year with lead in banks. Still PRAY not to be fishing that way!!!!! But want to try flip and draggin the flowers like you told my dad and me.

[SlopFishin]

I guess the flowers I am fishing are my imagination.

I'd like to try and find them but the bossman has my arse working round the clock these past few weeks. This blows.

[Owskiwoski]

So you think they'll still be there may 2 - 9. Thank again for the help last year with lead in banks. Still PRAY not to be fishing that way!!!!! But want to try flip and draggin the flowers like you told my dad and me.

You don't need the flowers to catch the fish. They are still there and will be shallow.

[joebw]

Dave, I fished the same imaginary flowers you did. Fished Friday and Saturday, there are a lot of yellow flowers in the water.

[swimjigboy]

Dave, I fished the same imaginary flowers you did. Fished Friday and Saturday, there are a lot of yellow flowers in the water.

I know they're in the water right now! Just scared of them being gone come MAY!!! Not decaying/gone along with the fishes security blanket to be in the shallows. Run in spit eggs out, and leave before we can get there. Because they are no flowers for the fish to stay in shallow, eat, do their buisness, rest, and then eat again before they transition again.

[Dave Stewart]

There should still be some flowers when you get here....some will be gone but still should be some.