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Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Steve McCadams'
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
October 20th, 2006
FALL
CRAPPIE BITE GOOD…ANGLERS ENJOYING SUCCESSFUL SEASON
Fall fishing continues
to hold up well for crappie anglers on Kentucky Lake while bass busters
are finding things a big challenging.
Hardwoods are rapidly
changing colors and it’s a beautiful time to be on the water.
Anglers have had a
variety of weather conditions this week with some beautiful days where
foggy mornings faded into warm sunny days. There have also been a couple
of days where nasty winds mixed with some light rain challenged even the
die-hard anglers among us.
Lake levels were rising
slightly earlier in the week but leveled off quickly and began falling
slowly the last few days.
TVA projects elevation
in the 354.9 range going into the weekend at Kentucky Dam. Upstream at
New Johnsonville Steam Plant lake levels will be slightly lower with
projections of 354.5.
Surface temperatures
have rested in the 62 to 66 degree range this week. A cool front now
underway could see a slight decrease this weekend.
Water color remains
clear throughout most of the Big Sandy while a slight stain is visible
in portions of the Tennessee River channel and main lake flats.
Crappie action remains
good with a lot of fish residing in the 7 to 12 foot zone. Some windy
days made it tough on anglers to maneuver around and negotiate open
water areas but other days where light winds were the norm produced nice
fishing conditions.
The fish are sporting a
hefty appetite and taking jigs and live minnows dunked around submerged
stakebeds and brushpiles. Some fish have been finicky at midday when a
calm lake and bright sun slowed down the bite. However, cloudy days or
lowlight hours of early morning and late afternoon have seen significant
improvement in mood swings as the fish get more aggressive.
Some anglers are finding
scattered fish still relating to deep structure on main lake ledges.
Depths of 15 to 19 feet have given up a few as anglers work jigs and
minnows there.
Popular jig colors have
been florescent red, green, and orange leadheads with a variety of skirt
colors ranging from light chartreuse to blue and pearl. And, unpainted
leadheads with dull colored skirts or just tipped with a live minnow
have produced.
Casting jigs and minnows
under slip bobbers has work for some anglers as that slow retrieve can
be deadly on calm days. Others are casting twister tail grubs on
weedless heads with moderate results.
Some boats are slow
trolling spider rigs and deep diving crankbaits and catching a few
suspended crappie but the fish appear to be in a structure-oriented
mood, which is normal for fall crappie patterns here on Kentucky Lake.
Bass anglers are working
crankbaits on pea gravel banks and rocky points with some scattered
strikes. Popular colors choices have been shad, chrome, and bone while a
few fish have jumped on a black and chartreuse combo.
Jig and pork, Texas and
Carolina rigged worms have worked on some sloping points. Slow rolling
spinnerbaits around shallow wood and grass have also accounted for a
fish or two.
Flipping slow sinking
baits around boat docks and piers has worked too. Not much in the way of
topwater action lately as the fish seem to be stubborn to bust buzzbaits
and other jerk baits.
Some of the grass beds
are decreasing in size as a lot of floating fragments of vegetation can
be seen throughout the reservoir. Cooler surface temperatures, high
winds, and lower lake levels can team up to dislodge some aquatic
vegetation this time of year.
Some smallmouth were
taken this week by anglers working sloping sandbars in bays on the east
side of the Tennessee River. And, spotted bass and some largemouth were
relating to main lake ledges on the down current sides of ledges.
Catfish action was fair
on the main river bank this week as some current helped stimulate bites
from sluggish fish in depths of 25 to 40 feet.
Some scattered schools
of white bass were busting shad on shallow flats too. Tossing rooster
tails and shallow running crankbaits were working well in those
scenarios.
Low lake levels are the
norm this time of year so pay attention to those channel markers as you
navigate unfamiliar areas.
For The Lake Barkley Report
Click Here
Also check out our past:
Kentucky Lake Fishing Reports
Steve McCadams
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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