Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Report for
February 22nd, 2002
This week's fishing report has had a mixture of
weather conditions. The week started with above normal temperatures and
sunny days where light winds welcomed anglers along Kentucky Lake. By
midweek, cooler conditions sneaked in the picture, escorted by high
winds and some rainy days.
Crappie are hitting fair when conditions allow anglers to work the
main lake areas where open waters are vulnerable to windy conditions.
The bulk of the crappie appear to be relating to the main lake drop-offs
where their winter patterns keep them in deep water.
Depths of 18 to 24 feet continue to produce for anglers who are
tightlining the deep sides of ledges and searching for structure in
those zones. The fish are relating to structure so finding the cover is
the key.
While a few fish have meandered their way to deep brushpiles and
manmade stakebeds inside some of the large bays where 12 to 14 foot
water is found, most fish are staying deep throughout the Paris Landing
sector of the lake. Elsewhere up the Big Sandy and into the West Sandy
arm, some crappie were coming from the 12 to 14 foot depths as water
there is more stained and there are fewer creek channels and ledges
sporting deeper depths.
Most anglers are finding several small fish but not much
concentration of larger fish. I talked with four separate groups fishing
at the mouth of Big Sandy on Monday who were having trouble finding
keeper sized crappie. All seemed to be catching short fish and had
boated 30 to 40 fish but only boxed about 7 or 8 crappie.
Live minnows are working good. Some fish were taking jigs and seemed
to want them tipped with a minnow. Such colors as orange and chartreuse,
grape and chartreuse, white and clear with metal flake, and the pink and
chartreuse combos were accounting for some strikes.
Water colors have been clearing this week in most of the Paris
Landing area. Observed lake elevation was in the 354.4 range and falling
slowly. Surface temperatures were in the upper 30's and low 40's,
although some warming was noticed early in the week when sunny days were
present.
Bass are slow but some fish were hitting jig and pig combos and slow
moving crankbaits worked around rip-rap rock and big chunk rock points.
Some slow moving suspended style crankbaits were also producing
largemouth while a few smallmouth were taking small hair jigs and inline
spinners.
Catfish were still hitting in the New Johnsonville steamplant area
and elsewhere along the Tennessee River channel in deep holes.
Sauger were fair in some areas south of New Johnsonville and around
the mouth of Duck River.
For The Lake Barkley Report
Click Here
For Other Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
Click Here
Steve McCadams
is a professional hunting and fishing guide
here in the
Paris Landing area and host of The Outdoor Channel's television series IN-PURSUIT.
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