favorite KY lake ledge baits

[Stevens]

Guys-

Can you tell when current is being pulled? Do you know in advance? Or other?

That epsidode of the bassmasters from last year where Shell beds were being worked was interesting but also gave me the impression that I'm looking for a needle in a very big lake.

I know some guys are very good at finding shell beds, so good that they can find them with there electronics.. which i havnt been able to do, so i dont really go out looking for the shells i usually bring one up with a crankbait and thats when i know that spot really has potential. From what i understand, shell beds are going to be where the current hits that piece of structure the hardest, so the front side of a hump or maybe the end of a point where the current is strongest. If your electronics are good enough, theyll usually be on a hard bottom so look for a wider yellow line, and theyre suppose to look like brown fuzzy lines. Its tricky, and you'd really have to concentrate and have good electronics to find them that way.
Generation times are posted on the TVA website, but there not concrete. You can also call 1-800-238-2264 and hit 33 for KY Lake for generation times. I forget which # Barkley is but its on the website too. If theres enough current, you can see it moving.

[barkleyhawggitter]

favorite bait is what they are hitting, you never know when you go out there. i have done well on every kind of bait on the ledges. most of the big fish i have caught have come on a worm, but i have caught them on spinnerbaits on the top of the ledge, cranks on top and the sides, top water, spoons, grubs, etc. hard part is figuring out the position of the fish on the ledge, front, back, sides, on top in the stumps, ditch on the corner, in brush etc. i always have an open mind everyday and try to find what part of the ledge they are on. the fish will tell you what bait they like best.

[Col Forbin]

I know some guys are very good at finding shell beds, so good that they can find them with there electronics.. which i havnt been able to do, so i dont really go out looking for the shells i usually bring one up with a crankbait and thats when i know that spot really has potential. From what i understand, shell beds are going to be where the current hits that piece of structure the hardest, so the front side of a hump or maybe the end of a point where the current is strongest. If your electronics are good enough, theyll usually be on a hard bottom so look for a wider yellow line, and theyre suppose to look like brown fuzzy lines. Its tricky, and you'd really have to concentrate and have good electronics to find them that way.
Generation times are posted on the TVA website, but there not concrete. You can also call 1-800-238-2264 and hit 33 for KY Lake for generation times. I forget which # Barkley is but its on the website too. If theres enough current, you can see it moving.

I have fished with a guy down here that is a wiz at finding shell beds. He gave me a quick lesson on the electronics. At first I thought he was full of it, until I pulled up a couple. You described exactly what I saw, except with a little bit of red on top of the brown. I still have had little luck finding them this way, but I guess I need more practice.

Honestly, the best way to learn about ledges is to take a trip with Dave Stewart. You can read all you want about them, but to really get a grasp of it, you need to experience it. I learned more on one trip with Dave, than all my studying, reading, and time I put in the water by myself combined. What he teaches you, is not only specific to Kentucky lake, but can be applied to any lake where shad is the primary food source. It is well worth the money, and I am looking forward to another trip with him.

[crazyfishinnut]

I love Ky lake ledges, I use the elusive Side kick crankbait if they are pulling water, sometimes a DD22. I rig a 10 inch worm preferrably charmers in watermeon red or plum.
I have used swim bait and caught fish but just not real confident in them. I plan on working them into my fishing more this year. Hot Sunny days with them pulling water I am on a ledge.

[kc]

I appreciate all of the thoughts on ledge fishing. I also did the ledge trip with Dave later in the season (August) last year and it was a great learning experience. I can't say enough of how informational and useful that session was with Dave and I also look forward to doing that again. I didn't get much of a chance after going out with Dave to try out what I had learned on the ledges but since I have put a Lowrance LMS520 and the Navionics chip on my rig and I am raring to go for ledge season this year.

One twist on lures that I am thinking for ledge fishing is tubes. I like to fish tubes on KY rigged on jig heads in which I swim them more than hop or drag like a worm. Smallies at night love tubes fished that way and I am thinking that same technique with slighly heavier heads may be pretty interesting on the drops. Time will tell.

One last thought on equipment. I have not fished the large, super-deep diving crankbaits much like you guys are using and watching that BassMaster show yesterday KVD talked about using a 7'10' graphite composite rod with flourocarbon line and he said that the right rig was crucial for fishing large cranks. I don't have such a rod and I wonder if it truly makes that much difference. I once purchase a "David Fritts" crank bait rod which was kind of like a buggy whip and I did not like the feel. I tend to use MH loomis rods and like the feel much better than the whippy rods. Any thoughts on rods for the big cranks? What type and action do you guys like?

kc

[sflam123]

I've been fortunate enough to fish KY Lake for the last 12 years and have lived here for the last 3. I am by no means an expert. I am however learning every time I get on the lake.

With regard to the equipment, I think you will find that a relatively soft tip rod is vital to throwing a big deep diving crankbait on KY Lake ledges. You are using a bait that is diving to 14-16' and the soft tip not only gives you some "give" when trying to fight the fish, but also is a little less tiring than a stiff MH rod.

As to what bait to use when, current and bait drive the choice for me. If there is current and/or I see baitfish on the graph, I'll try a crankbait first. I'll throw a Texas rigged 10" worm or jig before I throw a C-Rig. I have thrown a relatively large tube (4.5") on a 3/8 oz. jighead and have caught fish on it, but not as reliably as I have on a 10" worm. Good luck.