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Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Steve McCadams'
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
July 14th, 2006
SUMMER BASS STILL SIZZLING ON KENTUCKY LAKE
According to some recent stringers of
bass taken on Kentucky Lake, the summer season is still sizzling for
some anglers.
Hefty limits have been caught by
anglers in several local events that paint a picture of a pretty good
fishery out there at a time when hot weather normally slows down the
bite. While some anglers always seem to find the fish, the stringers
taken by several teams further point toward good fishing.
Just last week in the Paul Steele
Memorial Bass Tournament the top three teams averaged catching a
20-pound stringer! That’s more like a weight of early spring events than
early summer and a tip of the hat goes to all those teams who put
together a successful summer pattern.
Even the short hours of the Wednesday
afternoon tournaments by the Tower Sports Center and the Friday morning
events hosted by Sportsman’s Digest Magazine reflect a pattern of
consistency.
Meanwhile, most of the hefty stringers
are coming from main lake ledges where anglers are tossing big deep
diving crankbaits, Carolina rigged worms and lizards, and jig and pig
combos. Some anglers are even slow rolling a one-ounce spinnerbait out
there in the big water where that huge blade attracts attention as it
flashes and throbs over stumps or structure.
Yet Kentucky Lake always has a variety
of patterns for bass anglers. Some fish are always roaming the shallows,
especially when pin minnows and mayflies team up to offer a buffet of
forage.
Casting spinnerbaits, Texas rigged
worms, and floating fluke style baits has fooled some largemouth into
striking lately. Finding the baitfish around shallow structure seems to
pay dividends this time of year too.
Crappie have scattered somewhat
compared to the previous weeks but a lot of small fish maintain an
appetite in midrange structure and along the deep sides of main lake
ledges.
Depths of 16 to 22 feet are giving up
a lot of fish but expect to encounter a lot of small fish and an army of
those feisty and always hungry yellow bass. Other areas such as 13 to 15
foot zones where brushpiles and stakebeds are located have also produced
crappie lately.
Live minnows and jigs are working but
the fish sure seem to favor that live minnow this time of year. The
larger crappie are scattered and a bit harder to come by lately.
Some anglers continue to troll
cankbaits along ledges for a combination creel of white bass, crappie,
bass, and sauger.
Mayfly hatches are still underway and
every week they appear at unknown intervals across the lake. Lots of
panfish are waiting for them along those steep banks where overhanging
willows offer a canopy of shade and food.
Catfish are biting along the main
river and current has entered the picture this week for anglers working
the riverbank. Depths of 25 to 40 feet have produced. Those deep holes
and irregular bends in the submerged riverbank are the summer spots for
catfish.
Nightcrawlers, chicken liver, catalpa
worms, and leeches have been the baits of choice.
A few white bass are showing up in
scattered jumps. Watch for surface activity to improve in the weeks
ahead as the summer doldrums descend. Those hot and calm days are good
for white bass in the jumps.
Some night fishing is underway but
only moderate success has been reported by those fishing for white bass
and crappie beneath the lights.
Lake levels are falling slowly as
TVA’s annual curve for winter drawdown began last week. The reservoir
will continue to fall slowly in the weeks ahead.
Current lake levels are in the 358.3
range at Kentucky Dam and New Johnsonville, which is down a few inches
from last week.
Surface temperatures continue to hang
around the 83 to 86 degree range. Water color is relatively clear
throughout most of the main lake with some stain in secondary bays and
along river islands.
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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