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July 15th, 2011
Lake Conditions
Lake Levels - Both lakes are a few inches below
summer pool and in the midst of a slow drawdown in accordance
with the current TVA River Operating Guide.
Water Clarity – Both lakes have ideal water for
fishing.
Water Temps - Lake temps on both lakes are in
the mid to high 80’s with surface temps fluctuating higher in
the afternoons due to the unseasonable heat.
Fishing Report
In some respects this has been a very challenging week to say
the least, mostly due to the unrelenting heat. Fishing is as
hard on the fish as it has been on us anglers. The one
bright spot is the night fishing. Here’s what’s going on
in the world of Kick' Bass.
Largemouth Bass … Bass fishing has improved
with the best results coming early in the morning and late
evening. Ledge Bite … While my clients
and I have managed to catch some
 bass
off shore during the day, fishing has been pretty challenging at
times. To add to the frustration, we’ve found big schools
of bass on our Lowrance HDS but had mediocre success catching
them. We’re talking big schools with better than average
fish in them. With a lot of fish being suspended over humps,
rock piles or out from the ledges and among hordes of baitfish,
the bass are being very selective when it comes to artificial
lures. It seems the primary forage for bass right now is
shad about an inch long. Deep diving crank baits and other
minnow imitators that get down to where they are just don’t
mimic that size bait fish. That’s not to say that you
can’t catch bass on a crank bait just be prepared to throw it A
LOT! What’s old is new, right? In a
desperation move I went thru my old unused tackle to see what I
could come up with to catch some bass. Kastmaster spoons have
been around forever and it seems I’ve had some in my tackle box
for about that long too. So long in fact I had to rub some
scratch remover on them to restore the finish and shine. I
remember liking this bait because its aerodynamic design and
balance produces an action which mimics an injured baitfish …
all without line twist! A 3/8 oz chrome size is what I found.
We located a school of bass on the Lowrance HDS suspended 10 to
15 feet deep over a ledge that was about 23 feet deep.
(See Sonar Tip of the Week Below for Screen Shot)
To get to where the fish were, we lowered our spoons to the
bottom and reeled up about five cranks and then jerked the rod
tip upward, letting the spoon fall on a slack line to mimic an
injured baitfish. The bass either bit right after this jerk or
while the spoon was falling. We caught several this way
and some nice ones too. We stayed on them until the school
got wise and quit biting. Several schools were found and
we used the Kastmaster to land several bass from each school.
Sometimes what’s old is new, right!
 Night
Fishing … is a great way to beat the heat and get in on
some great action. This week we fished three nights and
had some fantastic action fishing main lake points.
Primarily we used Shakey Heads with the best bait of the lot
being a 7” New Money or Coppertruese
finesse worm on a PJ’s Bass Extractor jig. One technique
we used when the bite slowed was to downsize to a 4” Zman
Finesse worm. Some of our bigger fish, which were about as
wide as they were long, were caught this way. (Photo) Steve
Miller from Middletown Ohio and his son Matt with some good ones
caught on Shakey Heads. Points closest to the Tennessee River
channel seemed to produce the best. Smallmouth
Bass are showing up with regularity in our catches at
night too.
Top Water Early & Late … Bass are chasing
bait and the top water bite, while not as reliable as other
patterns still has its place. We caught a few nice fish in
the jumps on shad colored Pop R’s and Rapala Skitter Props in
baitfish pattern. The Skitter prop was especially effective.
When jerked the back prop gives the bait a whoosh sound that is
especially attractive to feeding bass. The Skitter Prop is
not a well known bait here on KY Lake, but none the less it’s a
very effective one. My clients like it because we didn’t
lose many fish after the hook-up.
White Bass … JUMPS! , JUMPS! & MORE JUMPS!
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 Ľ oz. white Rooster
Tail type lure or by trolling a Ken’s rig. While we caught
some doing both, we caught two at a time on the Ken’s rig and
the bigger fish came on the Ken’s Rig too. 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.
Bluegill & Red Ear, Catfish & Crappie ... We
didn’t have the opportunity to fish for these species therefore
there is no report. However, I did speak to my good friend Chris
Hicks who has had some pretty good results on crappie fishing
minnows over brush in about 18-25 feet of water on minnows. Best
locations were the mouth of the bays and near the secondary
channels.
ZMan Introduces New Products to the
Market …
 One
of the fun things about fishing with Kick’n Bass
is sometimes you get to fish with some new and
innovative products before they ever hit the market. For
several months my clients and I have been field testing two new
finesse worm colors Coppertruese and New Money,
with outstanding results. One of the neat things about
field testing is you get to really see if color makes a
difference and when the bite was slow at times we did resurrect
the fishing by going to these new colors. My clients will
attest that these two colors have been HOT! This week
these colors along with several others were introduced at the
ICAST industry fishing show in Las Vegas. So, does color
make a difference? Yes it can. Look for these new
products at your local tackle retailer.
Sonar Tip of the Week
The screen shows a huge school of bass suspended over a mid lake
ledge and feeding on a school of baitfish. Note that the
majority of the fish are located 10 – 20 feet in the water
column. Locating the exact position of the fish would not
have been possible without the aid of our electronics and most
likely we would have fished below the school. To catch
these fish we used a Kastmaster spoon bait. Note the water
temp and the time of day on the left screen. With the
water temps being what they are the bigger schools of bass are
going deep seeking cooler temps where bait fish are present.
Your electronics can go a long way in helping you find and put
more fish in the boat … Having confidence in using them and
knowing what they are telling you is the key!
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
Imagine … this could be YOU!
That’s right, it could be you! … Have you
ever thought about going fishing in Canada? After all who
wouldn’t want to go, right! Maybe you would like to go but
feel uncertain about putting the trip together or going by
yourself. No problem! Let Kick’n Bass put together a trip
of a lifetime for YOU! With nearly three decades of
experience exploring and fishing the Northwoods, we use our
angling know-how and wilderness skills to make your trip a
memorable one. Don’t take our word for it, here’s what a
couple of anglers had to say about their trip …
 Randy,
I’ve used the phrase "experience of a lifetime" before, but our
BWCA / Quetico wilderness adventure trip redefined this for me.
If someone's idea of a wilderness adventure is meticulous trip
pre-planning and preparation, a beautiful campsite, 5 star menu,
comfortable sleeping accommodations, awe inspiring wilderness
beauty, and throw in great fishing as a kicker, then this is the
trip for them. I want to thank you for providing the opportunity
for me to share this experience with my 74 year old father, and
other good friends, which now includes you and Clyde. The lord
willing, this will not be my last opportunity to express my
appreciating for Kick'n Bass Guide Service.
Jimmy Davis - Sikeston, Mo.
 I
had a feeling that I’d have a great time with my father in BWCA
/ Quetico Provincial Park since we’d been on canoe trips before
and always had a good time. But, this trip was beyond
anything I expected. Breathtaking views, great fishing,
and amazing food are just a few reasons that I can't wait to go
back. This was the best camping experience of my life by a
long shot. In fact, I'm not sure how it could be any
better. Most people go on these trips and their best food
is freeze dried, trail mix or beef jerky. Randy and Clyde
made sure we didn't go hungry. Beef filet mignon, a shore
lunch of fried walleye within 3 hours of being caught, and pork
tenderloin cooked over an open fire were just a few of the top
notch menu items. They also made sure we were comfortable
at all times, even being in the remote wilderness. I joked
around about feeling like I was in a four bedroom condo the
whole week. But, that's just what it felt like. With
the top of the line equipment we were provided I slept better,
if not as well as I do at home. The fishing was also
better than anything I have ever experienced. I caught 3
of the biggest smallmouth bass of my life with two over 20
inches and one right at 21. I knew I would have fun, but
the memories I made with the group are unforgettable. The
best part is that I got to share them with my father. If
you're reading this, you have to find a way to make this trip
happen. Kick N' Bass will take it far and beyond anything
you could ever imagine.
Gabe Dement – Sikeston, Mo.
To check out the recap of our recent trip and all the cool
photos, click on this link
http://www.kicknbass.net/archives/Canadian_Recap_2011.htm
Want more information so you can be part of this
exciting adventure? Contact Kick’n Bass Guide Service by email
rk@kicknbass.net or Call
(270)703-6133.
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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