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Joe and Judy Bernath from Tennessee
Kentucky Lake Crappie fishing
photo courtesy:
Crappie Action Guide Service
SUMMER COOL SNAP SUITS ANGLERS
Is it a fall or summer pattern for Kentucky Lake fishermen? From hot and
humid to cool mornings with north winds and back again, anglers have had
another mixture of weather this week with a thunderstorm thrown in there
for good measure.
A rare but welcomed cool snap surprised anglers again this week but no
complaints from fishermen who donned long sleeve shirts---temps dropped
to 54 degrees two mornings in the Paris Landing area at midweek---and
quickly adapted.
Surface temperatures fell back to the 81 degree range, which is a bit
below the normal range for late July and early August. Water color
remains clear across the reservoir.
Lake levels have been falling slowly this week and are a few inches
below last week at this time. Projections for the weekend will be 357.9
at Kentucky Dam and 357.5 upstream at New Johnsonville.
Summer crappie continue to bite for anglers working main lake ledges in
depths of 18 to 22 feet. However, the cool conditions a midweek have
kept a few fish holding in midrange depths where several scattered fish
have been taken around deeper stakebeds and brushpiles in 12 to 14 feet
at times.
Most anglers are still favoring live minnows or tipping jigs with
minnows. And, a few boats have been night fishing under lights and
scoring some decent stringers.
Bass anglers are still finding some shallow fish chasing shad. Tossing
spinnerbaits, shallow running shad colored crankbaits, and some topwater
plugs have paid dividends. Tossing a Texas rigged worms has worked too
as have some weedless lures around lily pads and other aquatic
vegetation on shallow flats and backs of bays.
Summer patterns are also working for a few boaters that continue to
concentrate on deep ledges in main lake areas. Tossing jig and craw
combos, big Texas rigged worms, deep diving crankbaits, and swim baits
are still catching fish too.
A little current plus lower lake levels should continue to work in favor
of ledge fishing for the next few weeks.
Mayfly hatches were underway earlier this week in the aftermath of
thunderstorms. Seems the sudden changes and low barometric pressure
stimulate the mayfly larva to emerge from the substrate and hatch into
adult flies that swarm in lowlight conditions.
Catfishing perked up a bit this week with slow current helping stimulate
the bite along the main river channel and around bridge piers at Paris
Landing. The fish respond to the current as it stimulates baitfish
activity and that helps the whole fishing scene.
No sightings of white bass, referred to locally as stripes. In times
past the late July and early August time frame were prime for surface
activity from schools of white bass busting the surface. Unfortunately,
the white bass have almost disappeared in much of Kentucky Lake and same
goes for sauger.
For many years trolling for sauger along the sandbars was a popular
technique of late spring and summer fishing. Both the trolling style of
white bass and sauger fishing is almost nonexistent now; not because
anglers don’t want to fish that way but because the fish aren’t there to
catch!
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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