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Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Steve McCadams'
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
May 11th, 2006
FULL MOON GREETS BEDDING BLUEGILL…BASS AND CRAPPIE BITE GOOD
Kentucky Lake anglers continue to hold on to good fishing conditions
for a variety of species. Overall reports continue to verify a good
spring season here for bass and crappie. Both bluegill and catfish
action has improved this week too.
Observed lake levels show the reservoir residing near the summer
pool mark of 359 at both Kentucky Dam and New Johnsonville as the
weekend approaches. Lake levels were up a few inches earlier this week
but began falling slowly at midweek and will be relatively stable going
into the weekend unless heavy rains occur.
Some thunderstorms have dropped a lot of rain both here and to the
south so there is a possibility the reservoir could rise again early
next week due to runoff. TVA projections are not predicting any
significant changes at this time but that is subject to change.
Surface temperatures have cooled some since last week as a few days
felt like fall had arrived. Cool morning commanded a light jacket. This
week’s water temperatures were in the 69 to 73 degree range.
Water color is sporting some stain in the shallow areas as recent
rains have delivered some runoff. Main lake areas remain clear in both
the Tennessee River and Big Sandy embayment.
Several species have been hitting good but topping the list has been
bluegill and redear sunfish, better known as shellcracker. Both species
have been bedding for about two weeks now and with another full moon
approaching watch for action to remain hot and heavy.
Hefty catches have been taken this week as anglers toss crickets,
night crawlers, wax worms and other plastic imitations in the form of
tiny grubs and beetle spin style lures on light spinning tackle.
The male or bull bluegill are sporting a handsome appearance as
their dark, olive drab ventral side and bright orange belly distinguish
them from the pale yellow tint of the females. A good bream bed will see
mostly male fish guarding the area and hitting a bait that comes
anywhere near their crater shaped spawning zones.
Sometimes the fish hit out of hunger and competition while other
times they hammer anything that invades their space. During active
spawning phases the males are the “keepers of the castle” and quite
competitive for territorial rights.
Don’t let this popular fishing phase pass you by. Watch for good
bream fishing to last another couple of weeks as to bedding phases so
get that future fishermen out there with you and let them feel the fast
bite of aggressive bluegill. It’s prime time to get kids introduced to
the great sport of fishing.
Crappie anglers have scored well this week as a lot of fish are
holding in that midrange depth zone of 9 to 14 feet. Cool and cloudy
days have delivered some ideal fishing conditions that teamed up with
light winds.
Submerged stumps, stakebeds, and brushpiles are giving up a lot of
fish. Several different size crappie are mixed together right now so
you’ll find a few small fish right in there with some dandies at the
same spot.
Baits of choice continue to be live minnows dunked around the
structure, along with small jigs and jigs tipped with minnows. Popular
colors have been unpainted leadheads or light green and black tipped
with minnows.
Other skirt combinations have been black and chartreuse, motor oil
with sparkle, chartreuse glitter, and blue and white, just to name a
few. Tipping jigs with various scent attractants has also helped.
The post-spawn crappie phase here has held up well this year and
several days have seen above average catches.
Bass fishing has remained good for anglers beating the banks where
visible weedbeds, buck bushes, and willow trees have yielded fish for
the last couple of weeks.
A combination of lures and techniques continues to produce. Topwater
lures such as buzzbaits and floating worms have worked as have
spinnerbaits, jig and pig combos, and Texas rigged lizards and worms.
Some anglers are backing off the banks and casting Carolina rigged
lizards or large deep diving crankbaits and finding fish too.
Cooler weather seems to be keeping a lot of bass up shallow and the
lake has been slightly above summer pool, inundating ample shoreline
structure for both the fish and the fishermen.
Catfishing has been fair this week as the rock bluffs continue to
appeal to spawning fish. Some decent stringers were taken off the rock
island adjacent to Sulphur Well Island up Big Sandy. A few reports
indicated fish coming from the rip-rap rock levees at Danville and the
Ned McWherter Bridge approach on the Stewart County side.
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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