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Keith from IN
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
SUMMER CONDITIONS ARRIVE EARLY FOR ANGLERS
Above average temperatures have hung around for about week now and
Kentucky Lake anglers have found themselves transitioning toward summer
fishing patterns a bit earlier than anticipated.
Weather was great for the legions of lakers on hand during the Memorial
Day holiday period who flocked to the bays and beeches for fishing,
camping, tubing, swimming and recreational boating of all sorts. Huge
crowds were all over the reservoir and the waterways were buzzing.
Surface temperatures this week reflect the warm days we’ve been having
and climbed to the 78 to 81 degree range. Water color remains clear
across the reservoir.
Jane and Tom TN Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Lake levels have been stable lately and sleeping just a few inches
shy of the normal summer pool elevation. TVA has held the reservoir a
few inches shy of the 359 normal summer pool elevation and readings
projected for the weekend indicate the lake will be stable at 358.9.
With lake levels slightly below normal summer pool it has pulled water
out of the shallow bushes and grassbeds just enough to take away a
flipping and pitching pattern for bass fishermen hoping to beat the
banks.
A few fish are lingering around outside weedbeds and blowdown treelaps
but the shallow bite hasn’t been too productive for bigger fish as of
late.
Some anglers were tossing spinnerbaits and assorted topwater in the
early morning hours and around sunset and finding an occasional fish
rising to the occasion.
Most of the better stringers in weekend tournaments are coming from
summer patterns where anglers are turning their back to the banks and
targeting deeper zones.
Summer patterns are already underway as a lot of fishermen have been
tossing big deep diving crankbaits, swim baits, jig and craw combos,
Carolina rigs and big 10-inch Texas rigged worms.
Despite some 20-pound stringers being caught and winning a few
tournaments, the overall consensus among the ranks is that bass numbers
are down across the reservoir. Most anglers are reporting an absence of
small bass with what appears to be gaps in year classes.
Anglers are catching a few hefty fish in the 4 to 5 pound range but
don’t seem to be able to put together decent numbers of fish. Virtually
no one has reported any schooling fish out on the ledges.
Tom and "OC" from Chicago
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Like the bluegill and redear fishermen, bass anglers are yearning for
the days of abundant weed patches that offered structure as well as
habitat for baitfish.
As May fades away panfish anglers were struggling to compile big numbers
of bedding bluegill. Late May and early June usually produces decent
bluegill fishing but the fish have been quite scattered and reluctant to
fan beds.
Still somewhat of a mystery is the absence of aggressive bedding
bluegill this spring. That’s not to say several fish haven’t been taken
at times but a lot of veteran anglers have had difficulty finding and
catching bluegill consistently.
In the first two to three weeks of May a few nice shellcracker were
taken around shallow buck bushes and outside weed patches. Anglers using
wax worm, redworms and crickets were landing some nice ones but even
then numbers appeared to be a bit below average.
This week a few scattered shellcracker were biting but no aggressive
bedding appeared to be taking place as numbers were down as were
bluegill. Some bluegill were hanging around the 2 to 4 foot depths and a
few had backed out deeper once water levels left shallow shorelines.
Seems the bluegill have played hide and seek this spring, vacating many
old bedding areas for parts unknown. That has a lot of panfishermen
scratching their heads in disbelief, wondering why the fish changed
locales and where exactly did they go?
Roger Binkley and Chase Binkley
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Catfishing has been a bright spot lately. Some nice stringers have been
taken by anglers fishing rock banks with nightcrawlers being the bait of
choice.
Several nice catfish have continued to occupy shallow bays and pockets.
Anglers casting light tackle for bluegill have been tying into pretty
good numbers of catfish the last week or two.
Some boats were also landing good numbers as they drifted with a jug
spreads across the upper ends of bays. Drifting noodles baited with
worms was quite productive and continues to pay dividends.
Dave and Jeff KY Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Crappie anglers haven’t had much to brag about lately. The fish are in
their typical post-spawn phase which can sometimes be challenging. The
fish are still stressed from spawning and often suspended and scattered.
There were a few reports of some anglers vertical fishing live minnows
and jigs over manmade fish attractors in 9 to 12 foot depths. Catches
were somewhat scattered but boaters managed to put a few keeper size
fish in the cooler at times.
Other techniques such as trolling crankbaits and spider rigging have
managed to find a few fish but the overall bite was sluggish.
Crappie should show some improvement soon as they usually acclimate to
submerged structure in midrange depths by early June.
The weatherman says somewhat cooler temps are on the way so perhaps the
first week of June will bring a slight reprieve to the hot days that
descended last week.
Also check out our past:
Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
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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