Kentucky Lake need some input please

[lizardsrule]

The last tourney of the year for me in the BFL is the Wild Card on Kentucky Lake. The toruney dates are Oct 28th and 29th. You must make it to the top 20% on the 28th to fish the 29th. I have never fished this Lake before, and would appreciate any ideas on patterns or bait recommendations for late Oct. I will be possibly prefishing this weekend, and a couple more times before the tourney to get a feel for it. I am however going to be a NON-Boater again, so will have no control over where or how we fish. I would like to find some baits and presentations that will work during that timr frame though. Thanks in advance for any info

Lizards

[JB]

Lizards,
KY lake has one side built up slightly with houses, the other side is all wilderness.
Giant coves like big bear, Duncan, smith would be my bet.
Long pea gravel banks are great near points for giant smallmouth and also nice large mouth.
Spinnerbaits and rattling rogues are the ticket
Also almost anywhere in the lake if you have a map are big brush piles, a LARGE white, blue, orange n red rattletrap over these piles will bring up 5 lbers all day long.
Also flipping buckbrush in the back of the coves can produce.
KY lake has a fishing report website that is very good.
We always go over the dam and fish the northern part of the lake in KY.
Blood river is a killer place to, but BIG BEAR would be my first choice, the boy scout camp is good, next door at MOORS is good.
Get out the rogue! (suspending.....and good luck!

[crhye250r]

Good advice above me. I would like to add a couple of things.
First, I fish the Barkely and Kentucky almost weekly. I would consider it my home lake. It is worth the run to Barkely, in several places depending on where the tournament launches from. Im guessing that is KDM (Kentucky Dam Marina).

The rattletrap should produce well, especially later on in the day. First thing in the morning, I would look for the active fish with a chartruse buzzbait or a Lucky Craft Sammy (or the like). This will likely produce at the very least one keeper. Kentucky is notorious for big smallies this time of year. Rattletraps are hot right now for the smallies. I recently fished with a gentlemen from Team Skeeter (James Glover). On our outing he nabbed a 6.3 pound smallie on a shad color (chrome) rattletrap with red hooks.

The bass in Kentucky and Barkely are transitioning right now. They are moving into the backs of the bays. Not neccessarily the biggest either. To put it simply, where there are baitfish, there are bass, so fish accordingly. Power fishing will yield good results this time of year on both lakes, as the bass are quite active. If you find suspended fish, don't even bother. Fish suspended 1-2ft above brushpiles are catchable however, you really have to slow down and work them well. Spinnerbaits are producing respectable fish right now as well, but I have had better luck with crankbaits, rattletraps, and topwater.

If a front comes through before your tournament, the fish around here tend to lock up tight. This is when these lakes get tough. You will need to slow down. Jigs will produce well as well as a carolina rig. Brush Hogs (and baby brush hogs) in the junebug color are working well. You will find bigger fish on the jig. Flip buckbrush (if you can find any. The lakes are very low right now) and tree tops. These will tend to hold fish when conditions are tough.

Good luck, and if you need any more help, hit me up at clay_rhye54@hotmail.com. I can email you my cell number, and we can talk further.

[JB]

Great advise! I figured the lake would be to low for the spring time buck brush pattern...its a hard one to beat...

[Fishie]

Liz,
PM sent

[lizardsrule]

Thanks for the info guys Looks like I will be going down Oct 21st and staying through the tourney.

Fishie I got your PM, thanks.

Clay,

I will send you an email, since I'm gonna be there for about a week I would REALLY LOVE to catch a smallie, especially since I'll have some time to practice when it doesn't count per se. Any special places or advice on those would be GREATLY appreciated.

JB,

Once again thanks for the good pointers. Man you need to start fishing some tourneys again, you know all the lakes I've been fishing pretty well, and after what I've seen this year, you wouldn't have any porblem qualifying for the regionals in the BFL, probably the Everstart too

Lizards

I agree lizards,
after getting both kids through Miami U and paying for the wedding last may, its finally free'd up couple hundred bucks a month...just 'nuff for some entry and GAS money for tournies!
Ky . lake will always be my fav . tho....
We always stay near Benton and go out of big bear lodge 3rd week in april..or stay next door at Moors...if ya see any barges that are permanently stuck in the muck, fish em!

[JB]

Lizards,
If you use the rat-L-traps I'd get a crawdad color one, but my fav that I've had the best luck with is the 1 ounce mag. force size, they sell it at the bass pro store in benton, its white, with a blue strip on the bottom, a small section of orange and small section of red.
I posted above btw, but for some reason must have not been logged in.
I got a few of those big traps if ya need on, I looked in the catalog and they dont list it..it resembles a big shad...

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by JB

Lizards,
If you use the rat-L-traps I'd get a crawdad color one, but my fav that I've had the best luck with is the 1 ounce mag. force size, they sell it at the bass pro store in benton, its white, with a blue strip on the bottom, a small section of orange and small section of red.
I posted above btw, but for some reason must have not been logged in.
I got a few of those big traps if ya need on, I looked in the catalog and they dont list it..it resembles a big shad...

I have 6 ea of the 1 oz traps , and probably about a dozen or so others, plus 6 suspending ones I haven't even used yet. LOL I will be able to fish from Oct 21st thru the tourney which if I make it to day 2 is the 29th, so I will have some time to figure out what they want. I just hope I can hook into smallie while there. And I hope I get a decent draw for a boater. But if not I'll still be fishing I'm mostly concerned with baits and patterns, not specific locations, since the boater will determine that. And if I make it to day 2, then I'm not allowed to divuldge any locations to the boater I draw that day, from the previous day, per tourney rules. So locations are gonna get me started, and possibly help us get my boater buddy on some fish for the tourney, but they don't mean too much to me, since everytime I have prefished these tourneys, and caught fish, I couldn't give away the locations because my boater has the spots. So I have always ended up fishing somewhere other than where we had found fish. I hope to see ya on the water sometime, but since it looks like I'll be moving before too long, not sure if it will happen. If you would like to go fishing before the 21st somewhere, and have time let me know, I'll see about making the arrangements to meet ya. Or after the tourney if the weather keeps up. It's 84 here today, and we're in October I just can't believe the weather anymore. Last year never hit 90, this year it's in the mid eighties in October. No wonder I want to move LOL Planning on going to Monroe this weekend to fish some, and deer hunt also hopefully.

Lizards

[JB]

lizards,
There is a hot suspending rattling rogue they use on Ky lake, its crome and blue top, and then they put a green see through tint over the sides.
The guys at the tackle stores down there used to paint them for ya for free, I think now smithwick makes one with that color...
Also that renegade chartruse and white bladed spinnerbait is a big winner down there.. I presonally have had great luck with black n blue pnj
The black rogue with orange belly is good too.
If ya are there with a cold front ya can target the homes and dock with a downsized crankbait..I like the small bomber crawdad down at ky lake..
look on the maps for those brushpiles , the guides have their own to, so if ya see them with a client, take note to where they are...lots of times they put them in coves so they dont have to run far..

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by JB

lizards,
There is a hot suspending rattling rogue they use on Ky lake, its crome and blue top, and then they put a green see through tint over the sides.
The guys at the tackle stores down there used to paint them for ya for free, I think now smithwick makes one with that color...
Also that renegade chartruse and white bladed spinnerbait is a big winner down there.. I presonally have had great luck with black n blue pnj
The black rogue with orange belly is good too.
If ya are there with a cold front ya can target the homes and dock with a downsized crankbait..I like the small bomber crawdad down at ky lake..
look on the maps for those brushpiles , the guides have their own to, so if ya see them with a client, take note to where they are...lots of times they put them in coves so they dont have to run far..

Any reason the XRAP from Rapala wouldn't work? It's a suspending jerk/slash bait that has become my favorite. Anyway I'll make sure my takle box is loaded up with cranks, and I already have about 6 of the Bomber's in crawdad, that has been a good producer for me. Notice a pattern, I find a bait I like, and catch fish on, and then buy 6-10 of them, so I don't run out LOL. I of couse do have some Smithwick's also, are you talking about the 2 or the three hook version?

Lizards

[JB]

3 hook, but i am sure your brand will work just fine....the water temp may be too warm yet for jerkin'...we used to use the black with orange belly rogue with good results.

[lizardsrule]

Any last minute tips, I'm leaving tommorrow gotta get packed up tonight.

Lizards

[JB]

Lizards ,
with this cold front I'd hit the points , the fish will probably pull back on pts next to deep water..
Let me know what coves your boater takes you too and I'll see if I can tell ya any good spots,
remember, a cove at KY lake is about the size of some lakes around here!
GOOD LUCK

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by JB

Lizards ,
with this cold front I'd hit the points , the fish will probably pull back on pts next to deep water..
Let me know what coves your boater takes you too and I'll see if I can tell ya any good spots,
remember, a cove at KY lake is about the size of some lakes around here!
GOOD LUCK

Sorry but I won't have access to a computer while there. I'll pm ou my cell# so you can call me if you like, since I don't know your #. Any help is appreciated. Just can't pay ya for it, tourney rules ya know LOL

Lizards

[JB]

Lizards dig this..

Kentucky Lake: Water level at Ky Dam - 354.79 Water Temperature - 69
Lake Barkley: Water level at Barkley Dam - 354.80 Water Temperature - 69

Both lakes are one foot over winter pool and fluctuating. This has been a week of feast and famine. The water temperatures and lake levels have been fluctuating up and down daily most of this week. We have another cold front passing through the lakes area this evening and the water temperatures are sure to drop again (hopefully the will stay down this time). There has been a good early morning and late afternoon/evening bite on the bass but during the day it has been either feast of famine depending on how the water is moving (up or down) and what the water temps are doing (up or down). Hopefully the weather will settle into a fall scenario after this passing cold front and the water will quit fluctuating so much (it has been fluctuating all week about 6" sometimes twice in 24 hours). The Crappie folks I have been talking to are saying the same thing about their bite.."feast or famine". I would expect the bass bite to be tough over the weekend with the cold front passage but you never know..sometimes the bass don't read the rules.

Largemouth Bass: The Largemouth are scattered from the backs of the bays to the main lake. There has been a good early morning and late evening shallow water bite on topwater lures as well as a good crankbait bite on main lake points and secondary points near the mouths of the bays early and late. Largemouth are also being taken of drops near the mouths of the bays as the bass seem to be holding there staged to move into the bays in numbers but these fish seem to be reluctant to actively feed. Carolina rigs and jignpig are the best bests on these staging fish. Largemouth are also being taken in the bays on banks that have grass lines with topwater lures, sinking worms and tube jigs. If you find one of these banks holding feeding fish you can expect it to repeat daily at certain times. All this said, the bite has been poor to fair this past week with some moments of excitement during the early morning and late evening hours.

Smallmouth Bass: The Smallmouth Bass fishing has been sporadic this week also with some fair early and late bite on main lake points on crankbaits, tube jigs and jignpig and some Smallmouth being taken near shallow grass on topwater lures early and late in the day.

Some of the productive lures reported this week are: Lucky Craft sammy in ghost pearl lemon, american shad and aurora blue,
Chatterbuzz and Booyah buzzbaits in black and in white, Lewis rattletraps in blue/chrome, Hook Some Bass spinnerbaits in blue glimmer, Yamamoto senko in white, Berkley Power Worm in red shad, Zoom fluke in shad patterns, Hook Some Bass tubes in green pumpkin and Hook Some Bass jigs in black/blue and green pumpkin.

The Crappie as mentioned before have been either feast or famine this week. I have witnessed some good catches this week coming from brush piles in 8-12 ft of water by spider rigging small jigs and minnow/jig combinations and also by fishing over the brush with small minnows under bobbers but there have also been some days this week that have left Crappie anglers shaking their heads and wondering what happened to the Crappie bite...best answer here is that the fluctuating water levels is either turning them on or turning them off depending on the direction of the water level change.

[lizardsrule]

Well thanks again for all the help from everyone. I have to say that the week was really a bust for me. I got down there satuday about 8pm, and met my boater buddy. I ended up fishing all night from the dock, since I couldn't sleep, and caught a decent LM and my first smallie ever about 14". We then went out sunday and were confronted with 40 degree weather and rain and wind, and only fished for about 2 hours, with little success. We then went back out monday for about 7 hours and caught a couple but not much to talk about. We went out again tuesday and caught 4 keepers total, and several dinks. Then wednesday morning my buddy got a call and had to go home, due to some personal stuff. So since I didn't have a boat I sat in the hotel for wednesday and thursday until registration. I met my partner for friday and made arrangements to meet him the next morning, we were lucky # 13 out of 214 boats. We took off in about 38 degree weather and drove about 40-50 miles into Tennessee, fighting fog along the way. After finally getting feeling back in my hands we fished all day and I didn't catch a bass until about 2:00pm. My boater caught a nice Striper, and a couple of short fish. So we both weighed in 0. I then met my partner for the second day, and he had caught 1 keeper that day and had run about as far as we had. We made arrangements for the next day to meet and go fish, and I was expecting to run another 40-50 miles. We were just flipped for our starting # so we were #201 on saturday. After almost falling in from the frost on the dock and boat, we sat around for a 2 hour fog delay. He decided to not make the run, since the time was short. He caught a couple of short fish and I again caught 1 small fish. So again we both ended up with a 0. I can't blame anyone the fishing was tough for most everybody due to the cold weather, but obviously some folks found fish since I believe it was 25lbs + that won it for the boater, not sure about the co-angler. I of course was very, very disappointed in the results, but there was nothing I could do, since no one I fished with could find any fish, and it was my first time on the lake. I will say that I fished with a guy from Alabama, and a guy from Georgia. Both of them were power fishing most all day with a little bit of pitching. After this year of tourney fishing in the BFL as a co-angler, I'm not sure if I will do it again. I don't like not catching fish, and I had more draws with guys who didn't catch any fish then id id guys who did catch any at all. I believe I would have done a lot better fishing from my boat, and I get frustrated having to fish fast when it isn't working. I did learn an awful lot this year, but it really sucks being at someone else's mercy for speed of fishing and locations. During the little bit of prefishing I got in, we caught all of our fish around wood or docks, and neither of the boaters I was paired with fished either of those items. And yes I did say that to both of them, but obviously it was to no avail. Anyway I'm glad I went, it was a nice lake, just didn't have any luck catching any fish.

Lizards

[Fishie]

Man I am going to have to fish one of these things with you and we are going to win. Sounds like these boaters don't know Sh#t. Kentucky lake and Barkley are my favorite lakes and I have caught in a week 400 bass or so from the bank and a bunch of keepers. If you do a ton of running on that lake it seems to screw you up because I had a guide down there that didn't know crap and I caught a 4 pound smallie and two other keepers on worms on his first spot and then he leaves and tries throwing a rattle trap when obiviously the t rig worm is what is working. I caught 8 that day and he had 2.

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by Fishie

Man I am going to have to fish one of these things with you and we are going to win. Sounds like these boaters don't know Sh#t. Kentucky lake and Barkley are my favorite lakes and I have caught in a week 400 bass or so from the bank and a bunch of keepers. If you do a ton of running on that lake it seems to screw you up because I had a guide down there that didn't know crap and I caught a 4 pound smallie and two other keepers on worms on his first spot and then he leaves and tries throwing a rattle trap when obiviously the t rig worm is what is working. I caught 8 that day and he had 2.

Well I could've used you this weekend Funny that you said guide, the first boater I was paired with was a guide from Georgia. I guess they don't know about finesse fishing down south, as both of these guys were just flying around from place to place. I bet I traveled over 120 miles total in 2 days, and froze my butt off. Of course they both had a helmet on Perhaps we will hook up some time. I just have to get a bigger boat so I can fish these bigger lakes. I know there were fish that were catchable, but obvioulsy they didn't want like how we were fishing.

Lizards

[Fishie]

Yeah Guides tend to not fish the moment a lot of times I think they tend to do stuff that worked the other day. Fish will always tell you what they want.

[JB]

LIzards,
How much did that week at the Ky lake cost ya? I am guessing over 700 bucks

[lizardsrule]

Originally Posted by JB

LIzards,
How much did that week at the Ky lake cost ya? I am guessing over 700 bucks

Darn good guess. With gas/hotel/tourney fee/ etc... you are real close
Would've been nice to catch some fish for all that huh

Lizards

[JB]

LIzards,
what town did you stay in and how far was it from the ky dam?
Sounds like your boater cruised down to Big Sandy in tenn..am I close?
I still swear on big bear creek, its bigger than most lakes alone, plus I've seen big bass out of there, and also right next door at the Moors cove.
If you ever want to stay at Ky lake those to resorts/coves are top notch.
We stayed there about 12 times, a cabin will range from 1200 a week on up, but take a dozen ppl or so and its cheap!
also the bass pro shop near the dam in benton has many active tournament fishermen, I met and stayed at big bear lodge a few times with dan moorehead (who I met his first year out of college) and also a few other pros, they were very helpful in lure selection and places to go, as well as strategies.
Scott, check this out
www.kentuckylake.org/lodging/facilities/bigbear.htm

www.moorsresort.com/

[Fishie]

Only reason to go south that far is to get away from the crowd but I would have fished up towards the dam more.

[lizardsrule]

Well I stayed at 2 different places. When my buddy was there he had a small cabin, that I believe was 1 cove North from Moors. I think it was Bear "BAY", but not positive. I then stayed at the Best Western just north of KY Dam in Grand Rivers, which was about a 5-10 minute drive from the Launch ramp. Total for staying Sat-Sat was $450. Which included gas for my buddy's boat too. I then gave $25 a piece to each of the boaters I was paired with. Then I paid $100 for the "OPTIONAL" entry fee, pluse I think it was $18 for a 3 day Tennessee license(I didn't need it for fishing with my buddy but bought it for the tourney only). Then about $100 for gas to get there and back.

Room $450
Gas $100
Entry fee $100
Gas for Boaters $50
Fishing License $18
Not catching any keepers Priceless

Lizards