June 9th, 2011

Lake Conditions
Lake Levels … As of this morning both lakes are at summer pool give or take a few inches.  
Water Clarity … The main river channel on Lake Barkley is slightly stained and the bays are fairly clear.  Overall the water is very fishable.  The water on Kentucky Lake is in great shape 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
Bass Fishing and fishing for White Bass, Red Ear & Bluegill has dominated the week’s action.  Here’s what’s going on in the world of Kick' Bass.

Largemouth Bass … Jesse Davis of Madisonville, KY and Dan Duncan of Newburg, IN. (Photo) and I had a great trip fishing main lake ledges.  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, water temps are soaring and bass are seeking deeper, cooler water.  A lot of our fish were caught 25 feet or deeper and a very slow presentation was required to consistently catch fish.  One of the best baits this week has been a ½ oz. PJ’s Free Style Football Head jig with a EWG Mustad hook and a 10 ½” Zman Blue Flake Saw Tail Worm.  This combination was responsible for several fish over 5 pounds and two close to seven pounds. No doubt this is a BIG FISH bait.  (More on this combination below)  Also Shakey Heads with Z-Man Watermelon / Red Flake and Watermelon finesse worms on a PJ’s 3/16 oz bass extractor jig head caught tons of good fish also including a spawned out 6 pounder.  Crankbaits … Deep Diving crankbaits caught some fish early in the week but as the fish went deeper plastics fished slowly ruled, especially for the bigger fish we caught.  Shallow running crank baits are catching fish but generally speaking they are smaller.  Topwater action is decent early and late fishing areas where the willow flies are hatching.  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 ½ 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!

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

PJ’s Free Style Football Head Jig & ZMan’s Saw Tail Worm a Great Combination!

Every good angler knows that when the bass are on the ledges a big worm is hard to beat.  This week when fishing the deep ledges we used a PJ’s ½ oz. Free Style football head with an Extra Wide Gap worm hook and ZMan 10 ½” Black & Blue Flake Saw Tail Worm.  This combination is a BIG FISH Bait for sure.  What’s unique about this bait is the EWG hook dangles free style from the football shaped head which allows the worm to float straight up.  Little if any movement is needed to impart action.  Big Bass see the worms natural movement and are motivated to investigate the bait.  Often times the strikes are pretty vicious.  The jigs are available in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 & 3/4 oz sizes.  My rod and reel of choice for this bait is a 7’ heavy action rod with a bait casting reel loaded with 15 lb green Power Pro Braid and a 15 lb fluorocarbon leader.  The line set up allows the angler the ultimate in feel, cast ability, durability and helps really drive the hook home.  Dragging the bait slowly and pausing is a good way to entice a strike.  Check this combination out it’s a winner for sure.

Bluegill & Redear …

This was another unbelievable week for Bluegill & Red Ear.  In spite of scorching heat, we put the hurt on some pretty nice Red Ear and Bluegill using a Ken’s Catalpa bug and a Shelton’s bluegill bug.  With the full moon upon us, another spawn is under way and there are enough good fish hanging around the beds and brown gravel banks to make a day of fishing really first-rate.  The bite is still very good and not over by a long shot so plan on a trip to catch these fighters.  Remember, if things slow down try tipping the bug with a cricket or wax or meal worm.

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.  Other species dominated our catch this week so we weren’t able to spend as much time fishing for white bass as I would have liked.  However, 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.

Catfish & Crappie ... We didn’t have the opportunity to fish for these species therefore there is no report. However, while on the lake, I did run in to my good friend Chris Hicks and he had a nice mess of Crappie he caught fishing deep brush piles with minnows.

Sonar Tip of the Week

 
The screen shows bass above, in and around stake beds on a ledge where the depth drops from 15 to 27 feet.  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.  To schedule an on the water fishing trip & instruction send an email to rk@kicknbass.net.

Be sure and check out the new Sonar Tips Page on our website http://www.kicknbass.net/sonar.htm

To Book a trip with Kick’n Bass Guide Service email rk@kicknbass.net  or Call (270)703-6133

** Announcements **

WOW!  There’s a lot going on around the Lakes area this weekend.  A lot of big name FLW Touring pros will be in town visiting the local tackle shops and some big events are planned.
Check out below what happening …

Big Event at Fisherman’s Headquarters

Starting Saturday Morning June 11 at 10 AM, plan on attending the Megabass meet and greet with FLW Tour pros Randy Blaukat and recent FLW Potomac River Winner Luke Clausen.   Learn the tricks to fishing these amazing lures from two of the best. Fisherman's Headquarters has a large stock of Megabass products available. In store specials, refreshments and more.
 
From 1 PM to 4 PM Berkley pros Larry Nixon, Jay Yelas, Kevin Hawk, Cody Meyer and Greg Bohannon will be there.  Don't miss the chance to chat one on one with multiple winners of the biggest titles in bass fishing, The BASSMASTERS Classic and FLW Tour Championship and other veteran Berkley pros!  Come spend the day at FHQ and bring the family for photos and a great chance to visit with these great pros. Door prizes, specials and more! (270) 527-5938. 
 
1st Annual Fisherman's Headquarters KENTUCKY LAKE OPEN Buddy Bass Tournament.  The 1st Annual Fisherman's Headquarters KENTUCKY LAKE OPEN Buddy Bass Tournament is set for June 25, 2011. Entry fee for a team is $95.00 with 100% payback. Entries are now being taken at the store or you can have an entry form emailed to you. Pre tournament meeting and BBQ will be Friday the 24th at the store beginning at 5:30. Call the store (270) 527-5938 for more information or to enter.

Pro Night at The Cabin Bait and Tackle

Meet the pros SATURDAY Evening June 11, 2011 from 5-7PM CST.

Meet Mark Rose, Brent Ehrler, Kevin Hawk, Ramey Colson, Dan Morehead, Terry Bolton, Brandon Hunter, Stetson Blaylock, Bill Smith, Randall Tharp, Vic Valatero, Scott Kannaberry and more. 

In Store Specials … In addition to the many specials Shimano Curados E7 & E5 will be on sale for $139.99 and the smaller E50 for $149.99.  Also Crucial Rods will be 20 % off.

FREE LOWRANCE UPGRADE (4.0) FOR HDS UNITS from 5-7 PM.  Meet tackle representatives and see the latest and greatest new tackle, rods & reels.  For more info call 270-388-6440.

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,