June 30, 2011

Lake Conditions
Lake Levels - Both lakes are approximately 2 feet over summer pool give or take a few inches.
Water Clarity – The main Channel at Lake Barkley has a light stain to it and the main tributaries are clear.  The bays on the east side are in good shape.  On Kentucky Lake the water is ideal for fishing.
Water Temps - Lake temps on both lakes are in the low 80’s with surface temps fluctuating higher in the afternoons due to the unseasonable heat.
 
Fishing Report
Fishing is very good for a several species, especially bass, bluegill and white bass. Here’s what’s going on in the world of Kick' Bass.
 
Largemouth Bass … To say that bass fishing is good would be an understatement!  There are several patterns that are producing good fishing, so pick the one you like the best.  Bushes vs. Banks … This week with all the extra water from the rain, the fry moved to the banks and bushes and so did the bluegill and the bass were hot on their tails.  Casting un-weighted Senkos and flukes has produced some really nice fish.  (Photo) Kick’n Bass with a couple of rainy day bass caught on an un-weighted Senko.
Boat Dock Pattern … A lot of fry and shad are milling around boat docks and a good number of bass are being caught flipping and pitching plastics.  Another technique that worked especially well was to skip a weightless pearl colored tube under docks and let if fall on a slack line.  We caught several nice fish doing this.  The Boat Dock pattern is a good back up plan when the main lake is rough.  Ledge Bite … WOW!  Find a school of unmolested fish and it’s game on.  We used Strike King 6XD Sexy Shad crank baits to catch the aggressive biters and then cleaned up on ZMan finesse worms and 3’16 oz. PJ’s Bass Extractor jigs.  No one color of worm seemed to work better than the other; rather it was the natural action of the bait that did it.  We let the bait sit motionless and the natural movement of the worm lured the fish in.  Shaking the lure was actually counter productive.  Bass are being caught on top of the ledge early in the day and as deep as 25 feet late in the afternoon.  Main lake ledges along the Tennessee River channel are holding some pretty fair numbers of quality bass.
Top Water Early & Late … Bass are chasing shad and the top water bite, while not as reliable as other patterns still has its place.  If you at the right place at the right time you can get well.  We caught several 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.
 
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 ½ ounce jig in Missouri Craw with a Zman CrawsadZ was a close second.
 
Take 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.   I don’t see how bass fishing could hardly get much better.  We caught good numbers and some good sized bass too. Some clients even caught them two at a time! (Photo) John Rollins of Champaign, IL. with a “double” caught on a red eye shad.  With several patterns producing good fishing an angler has his or her choice of methods to catch fish.  Choose one or all it really doesn’t matter.  Now is the time to be bass fishing on Kentucky Lake.  By the way, here’s a real good video on how to perform fizzing.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElUlJPUoHKM 

Young Guns Kick’n Some Bass! …

Caleb Ray of West Virginia, Austin Sampson of Ohio and Stephen Strickland from Georgia all caught their first ever Kentucky Lake bass this week fishing with Kick’n Bass Guide Service! Caleb, grandson of John & Kathy Ray from Parkersburg, Wva., caught the big one, a four pound largemouth on a prototype not yet introduced to the public ZMan Elaztech bait.  Congratulations guys, on Kick’n some Bass!

White Bass … this year is shaping up rather nicely for white bass as they appear to be plentiful, good size and relatively easy to catch.  While we weren’t able to spend as much time fishing for white bass as I would have liked but when we did fish for them we had some pretty good catches in a short period of time.  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.

Bluegill & Red Ear … Although we didn’t spend much time fishing for ‘bluegill & red ear when we did fishing was very good and some are really good size.  The heavy rains we experienced this week and the following higher water level washed a lot of bugs and worms into the lake.  The bluegill & red ear are on a feeding frenzy and close to the bank. Best areas are flooded backwaters, gravel bars and grassy yards.   Best artificial lures are a Ken’s Cricket (The Fisherman’s Friend) and a Shelton’s bluegill bug fished either with or without a cricket or meal or wax worm.  Another very productive method is to fish a cricket or red worm under a slip bobber.  If you have all the baits you can alternate between them and catch a good mess.  The recent rains & high water have revitalized the Bluegill and Red Ear fishing for sure.

Catfish & 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 deep diving crank 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 that you have the proper settings on your unit 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. 
• Eliminate unwanted, non-practical on screen data that clutters your screen and gets in the way of using your unit to its maximum potential.
• Arrange the screens to show what you want them to show, making those fishing hot spots easier to find. 
• 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.

To schedule an on the water fishing trip with instruction send an email to rk@kicknbass.net         

Wow! Check out the recap of our Wilderness Canoe trip Adventure and all the cool photos.  Click on this link
http://www.kicknbass.net/archives/Canadian_Recap_2011.htm
 
To Book a trip with Kick’n Bass Guide Service email rk@kicknbass.net  or Call (270)703-6133

Tight Lines,