|
This page brought to you by:
Roger Binkley and Chase Binkley
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
RECENT COOL SNAP ALTERS MOOD OF WEARY ANGLERS
Kentucky Lake anglers got a little pep in their step recently after
starting the week off with fall temps that put a chill in the air.
Fall doesn’t officially arrive until September 22 but no one is
complaining about its early arrival. It has been quite some time since
long sleeve shirts and light jackets were needed out on the lake but
that was the case earlier this week.
Jane and Tom TN Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
Temps started out around 67 degrees early Monday morning, escorted by a
cool snap that began on Sunday powered by a north wind. Monday’s high
reached only 73 degrees! A few nights at midweek dropped into the lower
60’s.
Since then a slight warmup has returned but cool nights are still
hanging around and that continues to set the stage for fall’s official
arrival next week.
The cool snap, although offering only a brief hiatus from the soon to be
gone summer, has indeed lowered surface temperatures a bit while raising
the spirits of anglers. For several consecutive weeks hot and humid
conditions have dominated the fishing scene, keeping the bulk of
fishermen off the lake and waiting for autumn conditions to slip in the
door.
June 2018
Joe, Judy, and Ryan TN Crew
Kentucky Lake Crappie Fishing
"1 pole jig fishing"
Crappie Action
Guide Service
During the late August and early September time frame the overall bite
for bass, crappie and catfish has been slower than usual. So, most
anglers just chose to stay off the lake.
Watch for an increase in activity this week and for the weeks ahead as
surface temps are already falling. Surface temps started off the week
around 81 degrees but have fallen back to 79 as midweek days have been
mild.
Anglers and everyone across the TVA valley are watching the backwash of
Hurricane Florence to see what, if any, rain might swing our way. It
appears the Kentucky Lake region is out of harm’s way but we might
received some rain this weekend.
Although some warmer days are in the forecast for this weekend the
recent change will help kick-start the transition toward fall fishing
patterns for all anglers. And, some recent rains that drenched a thirsty
region helped the overall scenario too.
Lake levels this week continued to fall slowly and were forecast to be
around the 355.9 range at Kentucky Dam and upstream around New
Johnsonville at midweek but TVA has revised the projection to a higher
elevation of 356.5. It appears TVA is anticipating some runoff to enter
the watershed from the hurricane, at least to some degree.
Water color is clear across the reservoir despite some thunderstorms and
rains this past weekend. Not much runoff occurred and there hasn’t been
much current for catfishermen stalking the main river channel lately.
The summer catfish bite should rebound a bit this week as a little more
current likely entered the picture at midweek.
Most of the catfish taken lately came from 35 to 40 foot depths by
anglers using nightcrawlers and chicken livers for bait.
Crappie anglers started dusting off their rods and rigs this week when
they felt that chill in the air. The bite has been sluggish the last two
months for summer crappie fishermen yearning to rebound.
Tradition says crappie should begin to transition toward shallow venues
in the weeks ahead as surface temps fall. Cooler conditions not only
make it feel better out on the lake but also help the mood swing of the
fish too!
Shad should respond favorably to the cooler surface temps and begin
phasing toward shallow flats and backwater bays. With them come bass and
crappie who usually follow their forage base.
Areas that have been stagnant should start producing more activity in
the days and weeks ahead. Midrange depths of 8 to 14 feet are the norm
for fall crappie. However, sometimes cloudy days and cool conditions can
see the shallow bite improve quickly.
Other days when warm conditions have lingered the fish might fall back
to deeper sides of main lake ledges where depths of 14 to 18—or even
deeper at times---might be holding the bulk of the crappie. It’s not
unusual for the fish to move around when climatic conditions change or
lake levels fluctuate.
Generally speaking a falling lake will pull fish back a bit deeper while
rising waters will send them roaming toward shallow venues as that’s
what the shad do.
Most crappie anglers are tipping jigs with minnows lately to entice
bites.
Bass action has yet to bounce back from a sluggish summer. Some bass
should start running shad along shallow gravel banks soon, especially
during the early morning and late afternoon hours.
Sightings of schooling shad are down among the ranks of both crappie and
bass anglers. Even catfishmen stalking the main river areas have not
seem as many baitfish schools on their sonar as they’re accustomed to.
Meanwhile, fall bass patterns always seem some fish transitioning toward
shallow flats this time of year. Watching for the gulls can sometimes
lead you to the baitfish and ultimately the bass.
At the same time some bass anglers are beating the banks in hopes of
finding some shallow fish moving up on stakebeds, rock points and the
abundance of gravel banks others are still clinging to the deeper,
offshore patterns of main lake ledges.
Working the ledges with big deep diving crankbaits, jig and craw combos,
Texas rigged worms and mixing it up with some swim baits is still
popular too.
Mid to late September is a month with a little fall and summer mixed in.
The hot weather hasn’t vanished just yet but its days are numbered.
Most all Kentucky Lake fishermen are anxious to see the seasons change.
Fall is a season known for stability as to both lake levels and weather
conditions. Nice weather and light wind is the norm, which usually means
overall improvement in the whole fishing scene.
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.
|
|
