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Roger Binkley and Chase Binkley
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
LAKE LEVELS CONTINUE SLOW DECLINE…TEMPS STAY HIGH
Kentucky Lake’s elevation continues to decline as TVA’s normal drawdown
schedule is underway, which means a slow but gradual lowering of lake
levels in the months ahead.
Jane and Tom TN Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Meanwhile, surface temperatures are staying up there as summer heat
dominates the July weather forecast. Both surface temperatures and air
temperatures are pretty much on schedule for this period of summer.
Kentucky Lake surface temps were hanging around 86 degrees in the early
morning hours and warming to 88 to 89 range by midday. Water color
remains clear across the reservoir.
Summer pool elevation of 359 began receding just after the Fourth of
July holiday as TVA was forecasting lake levels to be in the 357.8 range
at Kentucky Dam by the weekend, which is down several inches from last
week at this time. Readings were expected to be similar upstream around
the New Johnsonville sector.
June 2018
Joe, Judy, and Ryan TN Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Summer crappie continued to be sluggish for most anglers across the
reservoir. A few boats venturing out in the early morning hours were
finding several small fish in the 12 to 14 foot depth range. Working
submerged stakebeds and brushpiles in the 12 to 14 foot depths produced
a few fish but anglers are still having to cull several small fish that
aren’t reaching the 10-inch minimum length limit.
Deeper depths were being probed by anglers slow trolling crankbaits
along the main river channel bank and main lake ledges. Trolling
techniques were producing a few scattered and suspended crappie from
depths of 14 to 18 feet deep at times.
Trolling crankbaits always seems to catch a mixture of species and
boaters using that technique often tie into a few catfish, lost white
bass, largemouth, sauger and a drag tearing drum from time to time.
Other crappie anglers stalking the deep sides of ledges in depths of 18
to 25 feet have not fared well lately. Using bottom bumping rigs armed
with live minnows this time of year normally produces a few fish from
their summer hideouts. Not so lately, however.
Boats drifting slowly along the main river channel ledge are finding a
few catfish biting, especially if current is present. Depths of 30 to 40
feet have been productive. Baits of choice continue to be nightcrawlers
and chicken livers.
The summer bass bite has been fair with most of the decent stringers
taken out on main lake ledges. Baits of choice have been crankbaits,
swim baits, jig and craw combos, big Texas rigged worms and hefty
spoons. Some anglers are also keeping a Carolina rigged worm and Alabama
rig ready to throw too.
A few shallow bass have been taken around boat houses, piers and some
shallow grass by anglers hitting the water at first light. Some mayflies
and small schools of pin minnows were attracting a few fish to shallow
during lowlight hours.
There have been a couple of mayfly hatches lately just before
thunderstorms hit as the low pressure seems to stimulate a hatch.
However, hatches have been scattered and not the magnitude of those from
yesteryear. Veteran anglers can recall when massive hatches of mayflies
once filled the air and covered the water.
Spinnerbaits, topwater and Texas rigged worms were producing for the
shallow water pattern. Once the sun gets up it appears the fish are
retreating to shady structures such as boat docks or treelaps along
river islands.
Also diminishing from the mid-summer fishing scene have been those
aggressive schools of white bass that once busted the surface in hot
pursuit of schooling shad. Once popular during the summer doldrums,
white bass schooling on the surface were about as good as it got for
fishermen casting both topwater lures and submerged spinners such as
Rooster Tails, a Little George or perhaps a Hopkin’s spoon.
Trolling was once a popular summer technique too as those deep diving
Bombers worked well but especially when a short leader attached to a
wobbling Barracuda spoon slivered through deep water. It was a deadly
combination when white bass submerged and suspended.
A few white bass are taken nowadays on the north end of the reservoir
and small numbers show up to the extreme south at times but for the most
part white bass numbers across most of the reservoir have declined
dramatically over the years.
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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