Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Report for February 23rd, 2001
Fishing this past week on Kentucky Lake saw some
dramatic changes in lake levels due to the heavy rains and flooding
upstream. The reservoir went on a tear for several days, rising a foot
or more some days.
By midweek the elevation in the Paris Landing area was above
summer pool and was observed in the 359.2 range while further upstream
at New Johnsonville it was above the 360.4 mark. And, further south at
Perryville, where the reservoir is more like a river system and somewhat
narrow compared to this area, the elevation was in the 364 range!
Normal winter pool elevation for this time of year is 354.
By Wednesday, TVA was predicting the reservoir to crest and begin
falling each day thereafter. Look for a lot of current and a rather fast
drawdown in the days ahead as TVA attempts to get the reservoir back to
winter pool with more storage capacity should additional flooding occur.
What does all this mean for anglers this next week? Right now the
water color in the main portion of the Tennessee River is muddy and Big
Sandy is stained and dingy but sporting a good color for fishing.
Lake levels will be falling all week and that will likely keep
some fish on the deeper sides of the drop-offs and ledges out in the
main lake. Or, look for those deeper brushpiles and stumprows off the
deep side of the break as falling water normally makes the crappie hang
near deep water or stay in deep water.
Surface temperatures are in the 40 to 42 degree range.
Depths of 12 to 14 feet were producing some good stringers in the
West Sandy area near the Springville pumphouse and Britton Ford areas.
Crappie seem to occupy shallow areas there more so than down in the
Paris Landing area. The reason is likely the topography of the areas
being different.
West Sandy and the upper Big Sandy area are relatively shallow
when compared to other areas. There's not as many deep creek channels
and submerged humps where 15 to 20 foot depths exist. Therefore, the
fish in those areas are taken in less water and many crappie anglers
have been slow trolling the multi-pole rigs in that area and having
success.
At the mouth of Big Sandy where a multitude of deep drop-offs are
found will see the crappie moving in and around those irregular depth
changes. Right now it's common to find the fish in the 18 to 25 foot
zones. Sometimes a few fish are found in shallow structure but overall,
the bulk of the fish in that area will school along the deep confines of
the old creek channels, sloughs and river channel itself.
Anglers have been fishing jigs and minnows on bottom bumping rigs
and finding the fish holding around cover. Such colors and
orange/chartreuse, black/chartreuse, pink/pearl and several others have
been appealing and a lot of anglers are using these colors on painted
leadheads that sport a loud color.
The dingy water makes other colors attractive so stock your tackle
box with a variety of colors and let the fish decide which one they like
the best.
Last week, Paris angler Richard Williams found a good bunch of
fish in the 20-foot zones on Big Sandy as did Jim "breezy"
Breeden of Buchanan. They reported catching some big numbers of crappie
and culling several small fish but finding plenty of good ones to add to
the box.
Expect the lake to be falling fast this next week but don't let
that keep you from going fishing. Chances are, those crappie are still
staying deep and maintaining an appetite.
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