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Steve McCadams'
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
October 29th, 2004
Fall fishing continues to hold up this week for Kentucky Lake
anglers, despite some heavy rains.
Warm weather has lingered, offering some nice days for anglers where
light winds have been the norm.
Surface temperatures have climbed to the 66 to 68 degree range this
week, which is a degree or two warmer than last week at this time.
Lake levels have been falling this week, despite some thunderstorms
and torrential rains that delivered a lot of runoff. TVA indicated lake
stages would rise slightly going into the weekend with predictions in
the 355.1 range at Kentucky Dam and New Johnsonville.
The lake was down to 354.8 for a day or so at midweek, exposing
several sandbars and flats in the back of creeks.
Several back-to-back days with rain and cloud cover seemed to
stimulate the bite for crappie as action has held up pretty good. The
fish seemed to back out of shallow areas earlier this week when lake
levels began falling but midrange depths are holding a lot of fish.
Brushpiles, stumps, and stakebeds in the 8 to 12 foot range have
given up some good fish. And, there are still some deeper ledges out on
the main lake holding fish too. Productive depths there have been in the
17 to 19 foot range.
Both live minnows and jigs have worked well in the deep water where
anglers have been using bottom-bumping rigs. Other techniques of slow
trolling jigs and minnows or vertical presentations of 1/8 to ¼-ounce
leadheads have worked well.
Popular colors have been white and chartreuse, black and chartreuse,
and white with clear sparkle.
The fish are in good shape, sporting some bulging stomachs
indicating a good shad forage base is present.
Watercolor remains clear at the mouth of Big Sandy while the upper
Big Sandy basin and West Sandy have some dingy water in the aftermath of
recent rains. The main Tennessee River is dingy but has a good color for
fishing.
Bass continue to run shad along gravel banks and rock points. Shad
colored crankbaits are producing as are spinnerbaits worked slowly over
grass and stumps or logs. Some topwater action has been underway too,
courtesy of the cloud cover each morning and afternoon.
Some anglers are working Carolina rigs around sandbars and points
near deep water. And, Rattle Traps and shallow running crankbaits have
produced along the pea-gravel banks.
The lower lake levels have exposed some visible structure in the
form of crappie beds and various stickups in the backs of bays and large
creeks. Some decent bass have been taken there as well.
A few smallmouth were hitting finesse baits this week as anglers
worked rip-rap and sloping points off the main river channel.
Some white bass were busing shad in the shallow flats this week too.
Tossing a white Rooster Tail or various inline spinners has produced
some action.
Catfish have been taken this week by anglers fishing the main river
channel with tightline rigs but some fish were caught by jugging
techniques as well.
Fall fishing continues to hold up to its reputation of being an
overlooked and underrated fishing season here.
For The Lake Barkley Report
Click Here
Also check out our past:
Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
Steve McCadams
Steve McCadams is one of the nation's best known Crappie Fishermen
and a full time resident of Paris, Tennessee. Steve is also a
professional hunting and fishing guide here in the Paris Landing area.
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