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Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Steve McCadams'
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
June 1st, 2007
POST-SPAWN CRAPPIE ACTION HOLDS UP WELL…BASS BACK OFF THE BANKS
Crappie action continues to hold up well as the fish are hitting in
midrange depths and on some main lake ledges. Bass have backed on the
banks compared to the previous two weeks and a lot of fish are coming
from secondary ledges and main lake drop-offs.
Anglers have enjoyed good fishing conditions lately. Stable weather has
been hanging around with relatively calm winds mixed with some cloud
cover.
Kentucky Lake’s elevation continues to hang below the normal summer pool
mark and has been several inches shy for the last three weeks. TVA’s
curve indicates the reservoir is supposed to stay at 359 throughout May
and June but that has not been the case this spring.
Presently, elevation at Kentucky Dam is 358.5. Upstream at New
Johnsonville the reading of 358.4 is expected to remain throughout the
weekend. Both areas indicated the lake is six inches or more below
normal summer pool, which means a lot of shoreline habitat, is a bit too
shallow to hold decent bass in the visible grass and buck bushes.
Surface temperatures have warmed since last week. The last few days’
surface temps were in the 77 to 81 degree range.
Water
color remains clear throughout most of the reservoir as a lack of rain
and runoff continues to contribute to that scenario.
Crappie have been hitting good in the 12 to 14 foot zones where
submerged stake beds, stumps, and brush piles have really given up some
good stringers lately.
Late
May and the month of June is often overlooked by a lot of crappie
anglers. Most think just because the spawn has passed that fish have
quit biting but that is not the case as Kentucky Lake’s post spawn
crappie action is good.
Some
main lake ledges are also giving up decent numbers of fish. Depths of 17
to 22 feet were holding crappie this week as well.
Working jigs and minnows around the deep structure has produced as
warmer weather, clear water and lower lake levels have pulled good
numbers of fish to the deeper areas out away from shallow shorelines.
It
appears several good year classes of crappie are present. There are
several good size fish being caught and it’s not unusual to find several
small fish mixed in with the larger fish. Bottom line is that a lot of
fish are biting and you get to cull a few on the way to filling the
cooler.
Bass
action has improved on the main lake ledges lately. Some anglers are
still finding bites in shallow shoreline areas and around river islands
and blow-downs as pin minnows are now present. The small “fry” appear to
be abundant so there has been a good hatch of shad or other fish such as
bass, bluegill and crappie as the tiny fish are swimming in schools all
around shallow docks, grass, and anything else that offers them refuge
from predator fish.
It’s
that time of year when the big deep diving crankbaits are working well
on main lake ledges. Popular colors have been pearl, Tennessee shad,
bone, black and chartreuse, chrome and blue, and black and sliver, just
to name a few.
Favorite choices have been the Bill Norman series of big lip deep divers
and the Poe’s 400 series and Mann’s Deep Pig or Bandits, just to mention
a few.
Carolina rigged worms and lizards are working well as have Texas rigged
worms. Favorite color choices have been Zoom and Culprit’s black and
pearl blue, along with red shad and pumpkin with pepper.
Hopping a jig in the black and blue color has worked on some ledges too.
A few smallmouth have also been taking finesse baits and crankbaits
worked in their locale.
There
are still some bass lingering around shallow structure, especially if
you find the deeper banks or deep water close by. However, it’s that
time of the year when the winning stringers in tournaments are coming
from main lake drop-offs.
For
bluegill enthusiast the action seemed to taper off the last week as the
fish have not been aggressive in fanning their beds. A few good bull
bream have been taken but fish were scattered compared the previous two
weeks.
Lower
lake levels have had some affect on the shallow bedding areas too as it
appears many of the shellcracker and bluegill backed out of the
extremely shallow grass and bushes that attracted them during the first
wave of spawning back in early May.
Another full moon is upon us this weekend so the powerful panfish should
see some improvement as they make a late spawning attempt and congregate
for their final ritual of spring. Watch for some improvement around
those grassy shorelines and sandy or gravel bottoms in secondary pockets
out away from the visible shoreline.
Catfish action has been fair but the rock banks have been ho-hum lately
for a lot of anglers who saw action decrease this week.
It
appears some fish are moving back out toward midrange depths as their
spawning phases have come and gone. This week there were several pontoon
and small boats watching over jugs that drifted in the wind so some
anglers are finding them with that method.
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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