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August 5th, 2011
Lake Conditions
Lake Levels … As of this morning both lakes are
about 1 foot below summer pool give or take a few inches and in
the midst of a slow drawdown.
Water Clarity … The water on both Lakes
is in great shape for fishing.
Water Temps … Surface lake temps on both lakes
are in the high 80’s and fluctuating higher in the afternoons
due to the unseasonable heat.
Fishing Report
Bass, Bass & More Bass! Largemouth and White Bass that is
… Here’s what’s going on in the world of Kick' Bass.
 Largemouth
Bass … We had several great trips this week but none
was better than the trip Todd Buckingham of Louisville, KY (Photo)
and I had fishing shell beds on the main lake. We caught
bass all morning long and some pretty good ones too. With
the Kentucky Lake area under a heat advisory most of the week
and water temps soaring, conventional wisdom would be to think
that bass are seeking deeper, cooler water. However, when
it’s time to feed they are going where the bait fish are and
sometimes that can be as shallow as 10-12 feet. So don’t get
hung up on the fact that deeper is necessarily better.
That being said, some fish were caught 25 feet or deeper and a
very slow presentation was required to consistently catch fish.
I think you get the picture … bass are located in several areas
of the lake and being caught using a variety of methods but
right now bass have a one track mind and that is “FEEDING”. With
the warm water bass metabolisms are in high gear and “Find the
bait fish and you’ll find the bass”. The most consistent method
for Kick’n Bass clients has been fishing the Shakey Head.
Experience has shown that you can’t fool Mother Nature or
duplicate it so the Shakey Head is offering the bass an
attractive alternative to baitfish imitating lures. No
doubt some of the strikes are reaction bites but fishing in this
manner has been very, very productive. Several new finesse
worms by ZMan and one color in particular “Coppertruese”
has been real hot followed by “New Money”.
Both worms are fished on a PJ’s 3/16 oz bass extractor jig head
and caught tons of good fish. Crankbaits … Deep
Diving crankbaits caught some fish but in reality plastics
fished slowly ruled, especially for the bigger fish we caught.
Shallow running crank baits are catching some fish but
generally speaking they are smaller. Topwater
action is decent early and late. The best bait is a Rapala
Skitter Prop.
Smallmouth Bass are being caught on the end of
long underwater points that extend out to the mouth of the bays.
The best bait has been a Steel Shad blade bait in Silver and the
best way to work the bait is to let the bait fall to the bottom
and then sweep your rod sideways slowly and let the bait fall on
a semi-tight line. A lot of hookup came on the fall. A
Pj’s ˝ ounce jig in Missouri Craw with a Zman CrawsadZ was a
close second.
Despite the heat no one wanted to cut the trips short. We
had several days of really superb fishing for bass; good numbers
and really good size. Remember to stay hydrated and drink
plenty of water or drinks with electrolytes. Please practice
CPR: Catch, Photo and Release on all bass. Thanks!
White Bass …
(Photos) Tom & Elvin Belangee from Farmer City, Illinois and
Hannah, Ellis & Brandon Hissong also from Illinois, with some
nice white bass caught on Steel Shad Blade baits.
White Bass … The whites are really feeding on
schools of shad. Best locations are the mouths of the bays and
where the creeks meet the river channel. Before sunrise
when the fish are up shallow, they can be caught by casting a
Silver or Gold Steel Shad blade bait or by trolling a Ken’s rig.
While we caught some doing both and at times we caught two at a
time on the Ken’s rig, the bigger fish came on the Steel Shad.
The Ken’s Rig (The Fisherman’s
Friend in Lake City 270-362-4323) resembles a
spinner bait without the hook and blade. Instead, a ball
bearing swivel is attached where the hook and blade would be.
Monofilament leaders of different lengths are attached to the
swivels with the top leader about 30” and the bottom about 18
inches. A white rooster tail spinner (1/16 oz) is tied
to the top leader and a deep diving crank bait on the bottom.
I snip off the middle hook on the front treble to reduce hang
ups and troll at idle speed in the mouth of the bays in 15 - 20
feet of water. Once you locate a school of fish and get a
hook-up mark the spot and make multiple passes and most likely
you’ll catch a bunch.
Catfish, Bluegill & Crappie … We didn’t
have the opportunity to fish for these species therefore there
is no report.
Sonar Tip of the Week
The screen shows a huge school of bass on ledge next to the old
river channel. We used a Steel Shad blade bait to pick off the
aggressive biters and then cleaned up using Shakey Heads.
With out the aid of our electronics, locating these fish would
not have been possible.
Kick’n Bass can help you get more out of your
electronics and become a better fisherman. Here’s just
some of what Kick’n Bass can do to make your units more user
friendly and in turn help you become a more productive angler …
- Make sure your HDS unit(s) has the correct
settings for the type of fishing you do. In a lot of
cases the units are set for “general use” not specific.
- Install the overlay data on the screen that you
want. Example: Depth, Water Temp, Time, etc.
- Arrange the screens so they display what you
want them to show and make going from page to page orderly
and non-confusing.
- Eliminate unwanted, non-practical on screen data
that clutters your screen and gets in the way of using your
unit to its maximum potential.
- Demo the unit for you to help you be familiar
with the screens and commands, so you’ll have a good
understanding of how to use the unit and take advantage of
its fish finding capabilities.
- If needed, install the most recent updates.
As a bonus Kick’n Bass will help you learn to read an
electronic topo map and find “places of interest” that could be
potential fishing hot spots.
To schedule an on the water fishing trip with instruction
send an email to
rk@kicknbass.net
July Canadian Trip Recap
First Timers Find Wilderness
Canoe Trip
To Be a High Value Experience!
 Where
else in the world can you go and pick wild blueberries and catch
trophy fish right from camp …
Well, last week our group did just that and more in the
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Northern Minnesota and
the Quetico Provincial Park in Southern Ontario, Canada.
Seeing first timers absorb themselves and connect with the
wilderness was especially satisfying. The fishing,
scenery, wildlife and fellowship was terrific. Our group
witnessed Deer, Eagles, Beaver and many species of ducks
comfortable in their everyday environment. (Be sure
and check out the cool video at the end of the recap of a bald
Eagle swooping down near camp and getting his walleye dinner).
 Our
group base camped on an island campsite in the heart of the
wilderness that was better than anything we could have imagined
with great fishing just a cast away. Smallmouth Bass made
up the bulk of the catch with enough Northern Pike and walleye
to keep things interesting. Top water action, early and
late, produced several monster Smallmouth Bass. (Photo)
Clyde Tackett, of Betsy Layne KY with a trophy smallmouth.
Northern Pike and walleye provided delicious shore lunches.
Fishing was especially good on cloudy days and on an overcast
afternoon all species bit non-stop in the pools below Rebecca
Falls. Another highlight of the trip was the food.
Whether it was the beef filets or pork tenderloin cooked over an
open fire or blueberry pancakes … EVERYTHING tasted better in
the Northwoods!
Fabulous Fishing and Awe Inspiring
Wilderness Abounds!
 No
doubt, you’ve read or heard about the fantastic fishing and
wilderness camping in the Boundary Waters. Now is your chance to
experience this once in a lifetime journey first hand.
With over 25 years of experience exploring and fishing the
Northwoods, we use our angling know-how and wilderness skills to
make your trip to the North Country a memorable one.
(Photo) Tim Fulton of Mayfield, KY with the big fish of the
trip, a monster Pike he caught on a home made lure while fishing
from camp.
Each trip is customized to target your personal angling goals
and experience level. Our complete Wilderness Trip
Outfitting includes the best canoes, camping equipment, shuttle
service, all permits and fishing licenses. No freeze dried
food here! Only fresh real foods!
A safe trip is a good trip! Your guides are First Aid &
CPR Certified and carry a satellite phone for emergencies.
All you really need to bring is your own personal items, fishing
tackle and a positive attitude.
Just so you’ll know, with the growing popularity of the region,
it is imperative that we permit early. Spaces are limited to 6
people (6 anglers plus two guides) so it’s best to plan ahead.
Make your plans now for 2012!
Here’s what a few of our clients had
to say about their trip …
 I
want to thank you for one of the most memorable experiences of
my life, When you combine excellent fishing, delicious and
abundant food, fantastic scenery and a wilderness setting it
would be hard not to have a great time. What I enjoyed the
most would be hard to pick, but the day of top water smallmouth
bass fishing Joe and I had was fantastic. Picking fresh
blueberries in camp for our pancakes and feasting on filet
mignon in the wilderness were hard to beat too. The sounds of
the wilderness were exceptional. The constant call of the loon,
cry of the eagle, raven and osprey, as well as the howl of
wolves at night made for a truly unique experience.
Getting there was part of the special experience too. The marine
rail portages with the tow boat and canoeing to our base camp
was not overly difficult and well worth the effort. Around
the camp fire in the evening reliving the great fishing and
telling jokes and stories with newly made friends, was an
enjoyable daily ritual. Time spent star gazing in the
clear Canadian nights and seeing a shooting star in the
reflection of the night sky on the surface of a clear, calm lake
was memorable. There was a number of firsts for me on this
trip; catching a trophy Smallmouth as well as my first Walleye
and Northern Pike. Thanks again for your hard work and
excellent preparation in making for a spectacular immersion into
the wilderness experience. I hope to make the trip again!
David Chiles – Cadiz, KY
 This
was a great trip … for a lot of reasons. Great weather, an
abundance of wildlife including otters, eagles and loons and
feeling the raw power and majesty of the many waterfalls made
for a great experience. Although I hadn’t met any of
the others on the trip previously, we became good friends and a
great group to enjoy God's beauty. We caught plenty of
walleye for shore lunch and certainly more northern pike than we
could ever ask for … or maybe they caught us!
Photographing trophy smallmouth was experienced by everyone on
the trip! I caught my two personal best smallies on
topwater just before dark … you gotta love the anticipation
followed by the explosion. Kick’n Bass’ camping equipment
is top notch which really added to the enjoyment of the trip and
the home cooked meals were the best. The pre-planning and
preparation made this a real relaxing and fun trip for me.
Well Done!
Mark Bell – St. Louis, Mo
 I
just returned from a” Canadian Wilderness Adventure” with Kick’n
Bass Guide service. While this was my third fishing trip to
Canada, it was the most adventurous and consequently the most
fun. This is not your ordinary fishing trip it’s a total
experience. Imagine yourself enjoying a mixture of
adventure, comfortable camping, good food, and fantastic fishing
all wrapped up in a wilderness setting. One day my fishing
buddy, David Chiles from Cadiz, Ky. asked me,” what could be
done to make this trip better”? After thinking for a few
moments I realized that there was really nothing I could think
of or would change. To me this was a real tribute to Randy and
his good friend Clyde Tackett’s expertise, planning and
experience, for which there is no substitute. My most memorable
day of fishing was catching smallmouth bass in the 20” class on
top water baits … simply awesome! My favorite meal; the pancakes
with fresh blueberries picked right from camp with honey smoked
bacon. There is no doubt that Kick’n Bass Guide Service is at
the top of the heap when considering a guide or outfitter for
this type of trip … and yes, Randy and Clyde are really nice
guys to be with.
Joe Kaelin - Owensboro, Ky.
To check out some of the photos of our
trip, including a cool video of an Eagle swooping down near camp
and getting his walleye dinner, click on this link …
https://picasaweb.google.com/103219817976836621562/KickNBassCanadaJuly2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCISziquhz_DNnAE&feat=directlink
If you want to talk Canadian fishing or book a trip
with Randy Kuhens & Kick’n Bass Guide Service call (270)703-6133
or email him at rk@kicknbass.net
Taking care of your Bass! …
Kick’n Bass practices catch and release on all bass. If
clients want their picture taken with their catch we’re happy to
oblige but those bass are released unharmed as well.
Kick’n Bass practices CPR = Catch,
Photo and Release. Since
most hot weather bass are caught deep, there’s a better chance
you’ll need to fizz them. You can tell if fizzing is required
because the fish will have trouble staying upright when
released; it will be on its side because it can’t find its
equilibrium. Fizzing involves inserting a needle to a
bass’ swim bladder to relieve pressure that results from rapid
changes in depth that expand the air inside the fish’s bladder.
Here’s a real good video on how to perform fizzing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElUlJPUoHKM
New Product Helps Keep Your Fish
Healthy!
 Kick’n
Bass uses the Fish Guardian and it really works!
The FISH GUARDIAN is a patent pending
product designed to dispense live release formula in a liquid
form directly into your boat livewell with the push of a button.
It saves precious fishing time and helps protect your catch
instantly. No more time away from casting, no more time
finding the live release formula in your boat no more clumps and
manual dispensing.
Tournament Anglers:
The FISH GUARDIAN assists tournament
anglers with a need to be environmental stewards by making a
process more automatic to dispense live release formula in a
liquid form into their boat livewells without penalizing them by
taking away much needed fishing time or creating a mess in
their boat. By installing this product into a boat, you
can dispense liquid live release formula into the livewell
throughout the day with only the press of a button on the
control console.For more info check out the website
www.fishguardian.com
or call 1-888-544-2035.
Watch the Installation Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EYoFBRL7sw&feature=email
Tight Lines,
If you want to talk fishing
or book a trip with Randy ens call him at (270)
703-6133 or email him at
rk@kicknbass.net
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