Brought to you by: Fishtale Lodge
Kentucky Lake Fishing Report for:
May 24th, 2002
KENTUCKY LAKE LEVELS SLOWLY RECEDING
(TOO HIGH FOR TOO LONG)
This week's fishing report has good news
and bad news. The good news is that water levels are receding on
Kentucky Lake. The bad news is it's going to take quite a spell before
the reservoir gets back to normal summer pool elevation.
Presently, Kentucky Lake is falling a few inches each day. The lake
crested Wednesday with some readings making it up above the 365 mark.
Normal summer pool is 359. To put it in perspective, anglers are fishing
a lake with eleven more feet of water in it than existed back in late
March and early April!
Observed elevation at Kentucky Dam was 365.5 on Wednesday but
falling to 364.5 by Friday at midnight. Upstream at New Johnsonville,
the reading was 364.9 on Wednesday and expected to fall to 364.3 by
Friday night.
Surface temperatures were in the 68 to 72 degree range with a
warming trend expected throughout the upcoming holiday weekend.
What's the high water done to the fishing? Actually, some species
have continued to hit pretty good such as bass, bluegill, and catfish.
Crappie have been slow and very scattered.
Bluegill continue to be on spawning beds in some areas, although
some have moved back up in bushes and shoreline habitat. However,
anglers are fishing light tackle and using slip bobbers or no bobber at
all. Crawling a small leadhead jig and cricket or simply removing the
bobber and slowly retrieving the bait back through the bedding area has
produced well.
Some shellcracker (redear sunfish) are still hitting around
submerged bushes where grass is mixed in. Redworms, mealworms and
crickets are still producing.
Bass wasted no time in moving into the shallow bushes and trees
along flooded shorelines and islands. Anglers are pitching lizards,
worms, and jig and pig combos around the original shoreline where
submerged bushes and grassbeds exist.
Such colors as green pumpkin/pepper, black and blue tail,
pumpkinseed, and red shad have been producing.
Spinnerbaits have been working well too as anglers cover a lot of
water and slow roll it over submerged structure such as bushes, logs,
and grassbeds. Chartreuse and blue skirts, along with sliver/gold combo
skirts have worked well.
Some fish are on deep points and anglers are working Carolina rigged
lizards and worms there and around submerged roadbeds where gravel is
present. A few smallmouth were taking grubs and hair-jigs off rock
bluffs and rip-rap levees.
Catfish have been on the prowl this week with a lot of fish moving
back into bays as waters were rising. Several channel cats were hitting
worms and cut bait in shallow feeder creeks and ditches.
Many catfish are searching for spawning areas in rock banks and
around submerged logs. Rock bluffs and rip-rap levees have been
producing well for bank fishermen.
Several fish have been taken by jug fishermen too as the fish have
really been moving around in the backwater areas.
Some white bass (stripes) have been taken around bridges and main
lake points and sandbars as anglers troll deep diving crankbaits. A few
are taking spinners, rooster tails, and jigging spoons.
Crappie have been slow and scattered. Some fish have been taken on
the deep sides of main lake sandbars in the 25-foot zones where anglers
were tightlining minnows and jigs.
There's been a few scattered fish taking small grubs and twister
tail jigs cast around bushes and visible cover. Although the fish have
already spawned, some have moved into the abundance of cover during the
high water.
Now that waters are receding, look for fish to begin moving and
reacting to current in some areas. Bass will be on outside shoreline
structure and occupy points and sandbars where current is present.
White bass action will likely improve too as current seems to
stimulate baitfish activity for them.
Falling lake levels may stimulate activity this week for all
anglers. While the lake has a long way to go to get back to normal
summer pool elevation, it's headed in the right direction.
Generally speaking, fishing patterns have been the victim of
abnormally high water but look for improvement by the middle of next
week.
# # #
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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