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Joe and Judy Bernath from Tennessee
Kentucky Lake Crappie fishing
photo courtesy:
Crappie Action Guide Service
MID-AUGUST ANGLING
Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene enjoyed a pretty nice week of weather at a
time when the dog days of summer are usually howling with heat and
humidity. Yet fishermen haven’t had to fight any three-digit
temperatures this month and that suits everyone just fine.
Lake levels this week have been falling slowly but will stabilize
somewhat as the weekend approaches. Projections for the weekend will be
357.1 at both Kentucky Dam and upstream at New Johnsonville. Those
readings are down a few inches from last week at this time.
Water color remains clear across most of the reservoir as only a few
light rains have passed through the region.
Surface temperatures are in the 82 to 84 degree range.
The summer bass bite continues as nice stringers are coming in from
anglers working main lake ledges. There has been a little current this
week as TVA continues its winter drawdown and overall lake levels are
about on schedule.
A slow current works in favor of ledge fishing as it stimulate shad
activity and hot on their trail are bass and other fish that are simply
more active. That’s been the case this week as a few large fish were
taken off the deep sides of drop-offs in depths of 12 to 18 feet at
times.
Popular lure choices have been black/blue and green pumpkin-pepper jig
and craw combos, big 9 to 10-inch Texas rigged worms, deep diving
crankbaits, along with both Carolina and Alabama style rigs.
A few shallow bass are still in the picture too and lower lake levels
continue to expose more aquatic vegetation. Several flats now have
exposed pondweed and spiny leaf type grass mats that are providing cover
for both minnows and bass.
Backs of bays also have quite a bit of grass showing and that’s also
holding bass. Tossing buzzbaits, weedless frogs, floating flukes,
spinnerbaits and various jerk baits around the parameters has produced.
A few boats are tossing crankbaits around boathouses and docks and also
flipping Texas rigged craws and similar style baits where shady areas
are holding a few fish on bright sunny days.
Crappie action has been fair with scattered fish coming from main lake
ledges in the 14 to 18 foot depth range. Tightlining minnows around the
deep drop-offs has paid dividends but fish have been finicky at times
with very light strikes.
There are still a few fish lingering around midrange stakebeds and
brushpiles in the 12 to 14 foot depths but scattered best describes them
too as it takes a lot of stops to accumulate decent numbers. Expect to
encounter quite a few small fish this time of year.
Catfish were still hitting pretty good in midrange depths as crappie
fishermen were tying into them on a regular basis, an indication not all
the fish had moved out to their normal mid-summer river bank hangouts.
A few boats continue to work the main river channel using bottom bumping
rigs armed with nightcrawlers, chicken livers, cut shad, and various
commercial concoctions. Depths of 25 to 35 feet have given up a few fish
lately.
Early morning and late afternoon outings have been pretty good times to
beat the heat lately as the overall summer fishing scene is holding up
well.
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.
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