Kentucky Lake fishing conditions as of 5/26/10

Provided to you by Lyndon Wicker, Fish Tales Guide Service
765-277-0395
email: info@kylakefishtales.com
www.kylakefishtales.com

Hi All,

The lakes are finally back to normal pool levels but fishing is still not quite there. Bass and bluegill fishing has been exceptional throughout the rising and falling water but crappie are another story. For me crappie are one of the toughest fish to pattern. Once you become a good year around crappie fishermen, you will be an all around good fishermen for all species. These slab-sided fish are more affected by rising water, falling water, cold fronts, warm fronts, full moons, new moons, high noon, low light, bright light, calm water, choppy water, etc., etc. etc., (beginning to get the idea?) than any other fish I know.

This spring has been a good example of their pickiness. I can say I have never caught as many big fish as I have this year. However, I just have not been able to pull up on a spot and clean house. I use Humminbird equipment with side scan technology. I have pulled up on cover that had at least three dozen or more crappie holding on it. And I catch one, maybe two on a good day. The crappie set there are watch the bait go by. Bounce it on their nose and you might catch one more. Then just before dark, the spot comes alive for thirty or forty minutes. Then at dark, they stop as quickly as they started. I did catch more undersize fish this spring than I have in recent memory so that should give us good keeper size fish for the next few years anyway.

I guess that is why I enjoy them so much. I can go out bass or bluegill fishing and normally catch a few even when fishing is slow. However, crappie can stump me. If they are not biting, it can be tough to impossible to coax them into hitting. That is how this weekend was for me. I took a great guy and his family from Radcliff, KY out fishing this past Saturday. He had booked a trip with me in April but postponed it due to storms. He wanted to catch some of our great crappie but it wasn’t to be. I tried several spots that work this time of year and although there was crappie there, they would not bite.

We did manage some nice bluegill and a few bass however, so the day was not a total bust. They were great people and I expect to fish with them again this fall. I told him and I will tell all of you Mid-October to early December can be the best time of the year to target crappie in our massive lakes. I really believe some good early summer crappie fishing is ahead the next few weeks. The lakes are just getting back to normal. The bays are still VERY stained. Even the LBL has more color than normal.

I believe the lakes will clear as the rains of spring ease up. The crappie will get back to an aggressive mode soon. I have had reports of a few crappie still being caught this past weekend shallow around stakes and brush, still egg laden.

This really is not unusual either. I have caught spawning crappie shallow into early June. The bad thing is will the fry make it through the year and next winter? They are going into life with a two month disadvantage over fry that came from the late March/early April spawn. I guess time will tell and Mother Nature has a way of correcting things.

I was out fishing Friday with my brother Danny and we were caught in a monsoon. There was no lightning so we stayed out in Blood River and kept fishing. I have been caught in a couple bad storms on Kentucky Lake (once on Jonathan and once on Sledd Creek) and while fishing Reelfoot so I am a little gun-shy when it comes to lightning. I now watch the weather like a hawk. I told Dan if we tried to head back to the ramp we would only get more soaked. I also like fishing in a steady rain. It seems to turn fish on even more. What the heck, the fish are already wet! The harder it rained the more the fish hit. We were using a 1/16 ounce Shelton bluegill bug. All colors worked but they seemed to prefer black bodies with either chartreuse or white legs.

We fished them by simply casting them to and around shoreline cover. Let them drop a few feet then start a medium retrieve. If there is a bluegill within 50 feet of the bug, they will bust it! I know these bugs are available at Benson’s in Murray and Baits and More in Aurora. They are likely available at other area bait shops as well. We ended up catching sixty plus big bluegill. Their bellies looked as if they had been painted copper with a brush. They were beautiful fish. Neither Dan nor I wanted to clean fish (plus it took an hour to wring the water from my socks and underwear) so we practiced catch and release and they are still swimming in Blood River today. (Unless you have caught them already).

Bass are all over soft plastics, spinnerbaits, top-water, etc. Post spawn females are showing up on humps and ledges in the outer 1/3 of bays like Jonathan and Blood. They are also working ledges on the main lake. A variety of baits will catch these fish. 10-inch Carolina rigged worms, deep diving crankbaits, large profile swimbaits, etc. are all working now. The Bassmaster Tennessee Triumph will once again be returning to Paris Landing on Kentucky Lake June 9-12. Expect the lakes to be busy between now and then with competitors trying to target these offshore areas. I was recently fishing Ginger Bay on the LBL when a Skeeter boat came by. I briefly talked to the guy on the trolling motor and am pretty sure it was Mark Davis, one of the Bassmaster Anglers who will likely compete here. The weekend of the tournament can be interesting and fun time to be on the water. I encourage everyone to attend the weigh-in and see it firsthand.

Crappie fishing is going to get a boost as our Fish and Wildlife Department is going to release thousands of white crappie fry into Kentucky and Barkley Lakes this fall. We are lucky to have these professionals looking out for our fishery. For those of you that do not know I am likely the only non-resident guide on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes.

I did live for several years, while guiding, outside of Murray, first close to Jonathan Creek then near New Concord, KY on the south end of the Kentucky end of the lake. In the mid-90’s I was the first guide to offer online fishing reports for lake area web sites when the internet was in it’s infancy. It is hard to believe how it has grown since then. Eighty percent or more of my bookings come from online sources and repeat business I developed online.

At the same time, I also worked for a company in Paris, TN. In 2001, they asked me transfer to a job in Indiana, where I have lived as well, so I took the job. Shortly afterwards the plant closed and the company filed bankruptcy. Now I have a small business in Indiana and I returned to guiding at the urging of friends and clients. I now have homes in both states but I show my residence as Indiana. Due to that fact, I have to buy a non-resident guide license. It is almost three times the cost of a resident guide license but I am truly o.k. with it.

The reason is, Kentucky puts the money to good use, and it shows by the quality of fishing. I would be willing to put Kentucky up against any other state as to the quality of fishing, ramps, marinas, campgrounds, etc. Because of the recession, Kentucky is hurting as are many other states in our nation. I hope this does not hurt the lakes but there have been reports of cuts and possible closings of State Parks, marinas, etc. Please remember the next time you pay for a license you are getting a lot more than just the right to fish. You are getting all the things I mentioned plus the chance to make some memories with your loved ones. You cannot put a price tag on that.

Thanks to the high water of a few weeks ago and with the early heat wave we are experiencing, mosquitoes are out by the thousands. Be sure and bring a good repellant. Even when I have been out mid-day, they have been bad. This is especially true in the backs of the bays close to shore. Once you apply the repellant, especially if it contains DEET, was your hands. Always try not to let bug repellant, sun blocking lotion, etc. stay on your hands while handling baits. The smell and taste can easily transfer to your offering repelling the fish as well as everything else. I have seen this first hand as someone beside me when without a bite while I was catching one after another. The difference was I cleaned my hands with good biodegradable hand soap such as Scent-A-Way.

Also, remember to double check your fuel levels when going out in the evening. I overheard radio traffic on the Calloway County Fire frequency Saturday evening of a boat broke down, out of fuel five miles north of Paris Landing on the main lake. The fire/rescue found them and gave them a tow to Cypress Bay. This can be a problem with strong currents or with the approach of severe storms. Have a cell phone handy. I also carry a Humminbird V55 handheld Marine radio. I can access all marine frequencies so I can contact marinas, barges, etc. It also has a built in weather radio for keeping track of weather conditions.

All I can say is get out and enjoy the lakes when you can. With bluegill this active, it is a great time to teach a child to fish. You can keep their attention much better when the fish are active. Summer is a fantastic time for fishing, especially early and late in the day and at night. Mid-day try packing a lunch and take the wife and kids to the LBL for a picnic. It helps justify the boat payments!

Take care and God bless you all! Be careful on the water.

Lyndon

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John & Susan Dietrich
IRVIN COBB RESORT
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