Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
June 7th, 2002
Fishing is improving this week with some good
reports from crappie, catfish, and bass anglers. There's some white bass
activity too, with a few scattered sauger showing up on the main lake
sandbars.
Anglers are glad to see Kentucky Lake getting back to normal
elevation after three weeks of high water levels. The reservoir has been
falling several inches each day for well over a week.
Observed elevation at Kentucky Dam is expected to be in the 359.3
range this weekend, Upstream at New Johnsonville, TVA predicted that
area to be 358.9 this weekend, which is slightly below summer pool
level.
Surface temperatures have been warming lately as above average
temperatures earlier this week made it feel like late summer. A welcomed
cooling spell arrived Thursday. Water temps have been ranging from the
77 to 81 degree range this week.
Watercolor is very clear in much of the Big Sandy and all its bays.
Some stain is present in the Tennessee River and in a few bays such as
Bennett's Creek, Granny's Branch, and Lick Creek.
Crappie have returned to the large bays and main lake flats, a
normal move for them in the post-spawn, early summer phase. Depths of 12
to 15 feet were producing some good fish this week while action still
exists on the deep sides of main lake sandbars in 20 to 22-foot zones.
Jigs tipped with minnows are producing well and just minnows alone
have worked. The fish are relating to structure in the form of manmade
stakebeds, brushpiles, and natural stump rows.
Overall action has improved over last week and should hold up well
in the weeks ahead.
Some bluegill are still on the bed but appear to be on the backside
of their spawning phases. It has been a good spring for bluegill and
redear (shellcracker) as the fish have stayed concentrated even during
the high water periods.
Crickets and worms are working well on the outside of bushes and
grass beds.
Catfish action has been holding well this week as anglers continue
to find fish along the big rock banks and roadbeds. Several nice
stringers were taken at the Paris Landing Bridge and upstream at
Danville railroad levee this past week. Nightcrawlers, cut shad, and
chicken livers were baits of choice.
Bass anglers are enjoying some pretty decent stringers lately as
some hefty smallmouth and largemouth continue biting. Working outside
bushes with spinnerbaits, worms, and lizards has produced this week, as
have some topwater presentations such as floating worms, flukes, and
various jerk and buzz baits.
I had two pretty good mornings this week on bass and found them
taking a Bagley Bango lure with a tail spinner and a Heddon Torpedo.
Colors of choice were chrome and black. The fish were quite active
around submerged weedbeds and outside bushes.
The shallow fish were chasing pin minnows and larger shad with an
occasional strike as one of the many buzzing cicadas that found it
floundering on the surface. There appears to be a lot of "fry" minnows
out there and these should grow larger in the weeks ahead and make for
some good, shallow water action.
Main lake ledges are starting to hold some fish too as the water
warms. Working Carolina and Texas rigged worms in the red shad, and
fire/ice combos along the sandbars are producing. Also, big deep-diving
crankbaits have worked well lately.
Some sauger are showing up by angles casting the big crankbaits
while bass fishing. A few anglers are also trolling deep diving
crankbaits on the topsides of sandbars in the early morning and late
afternoon periods.
Kentucky Lake is back to normal in terms of water levels so now is
the time to strike a trot. Fishing has improved for several species so
don't wait too long to plan that fishing trip.
# # #
NOTE:( Steve's Third Annual "Casting For A Cure" Kids Fishing Rodeo,
which benefits The American Cancer Society, will be held June 8, 2002.
Location will again be Carroll Lake, located near McKenzie, TN.)
(For news release on Steve's Second Annual "Casting For A Cure" Kids
Fishing Rodeo...click
here)
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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