Lake level, Water Temp & Weather Outlook:  The lake level is hovering right at winter pool or slightly above.  The surface water temp is varying a few degrees depending on what part of the lake you’re on but generally speaking it is in the low to mid 50’s.  The weather this past week has been very good with the high temps ranging from mid 50’s to low 70’s.  The big news is that the lows have been in the mid 40’s to low 50’s which has kept the water temps from dropping.  I’m counting on the warm rain we received Thursday morning to rejuvenate the lake and further improve the fishing.  So get on down here and let’s go fishing!
 
Bass:  Several patterns have emerged this week and some have been more productive than others.  Over the weekend and early in the week both Largemouth and Smallmouth bass were taken primarily by slow rolling crank baits, casting suspending jerk baits or slowly fishing 3” pearl grubs on a 1/8 oz. lead head.  The Keyword being SLOW; paralleling the banks seemed to produce the most fish. Monday the jerk bait bite was really on later in the day with the Rapala XRap Sureset in Purple Albino being particularly effective.  Some fish came out of water as deep as ten feet to strike our lures.  When the jerk bait bite slowed and the bass refused to rise and strike the bait, we switched to our backup plan of sending the grub down to the bass and caught a surprising number 4-5 feet deep.  Some were pretty big too!  The most productive areas have been main lake gravel banks and points with chunk rock.  Chunk rock is defined as rock about the size a coffee can.  Another hot spot has been the mouth of the bays where underwater points or flats meet the creek or river channel.  Other Productive lures have been the Excalibur X50 in Royal Shad, Lucky Craft pointer in clown and table rock shad and Strike King Super finesse worms fished Shakey head style in green pumpkin and Green Pumpkin/red.  Both 7” and 4” sizes caught fish.  Later in the week, we had a couple of days whereby undersize bass bit very well on the Excalibur X50 midway back in the middle of the bays on the flats.  As you can see the bass are on the move and fishing is improving daily.  Get on down here and wet a line …

Crappie: Crappie are being caught at a number of different depths which tells me the rising water temperatures has gotten them on the move.  Fishing brush piles 10-15’ ft deep in the creek channels or in the mouth of the bays has really been paying off for some.   I saw some really nice slabs that were caught on small tube jigs and minnows on spider rigs.  Both White & Black crappie are being caught in this manner.  Later in the week, as the water continued to warm, we did catch a fish or two that had moved shallower, 6’-8’ deep up on the gravel banks.  I’m not ready to commit to that pattern just yet. I still think were several degrees away.  Let’s keep our fingers crossed that the extended warmer weather continues.  If so the crappie will move even shallower and be very aggressive in their feeding.  Most definitely crappie fishing is headed in the right direction.
 
Overview:  I must admit I like what I’m seeing but I am cautiously optimistic.  Mother Nature has fooled me before but if the weather remains warm and we don’t return to the cool days and cold nights, fishing will get a lot better very quickly.  Things are headed in the right direction for sure.

Q & A “Ask the Guide”

While catching fish & having fun is certainly a priority, so is providing my clients with useful information to help them become better anglers.  It’s important to me that at the end of the day the client feels the time spent with me was worthwhile.  I think it helps me to be a better guide.  In the course of a days guiding, customers quiz me about techniques, what rod & reels, lures to use, etc.  Some of the questions are pretty well thought out and the information we discuss is worth sharing.  I hope the following will be of value to you and help you become a better angler.
 
Q.  What rod & reel and line would you use to fish a jerk bait?  John Rollins - Urbana, Illinois
 
A.  My first thought is it really boils down to what you’re most comfortable with and have the greatest confidence in.  While there is some truth in that statement, experience has shown that some rods & reels work better than others.  What works for me might not work for someone else but here is the set up that I favor for this type of fishing.  I use a 6’3” heavy-power rod with a mod-fast action tip.  This type rod features a fast tip that allows the rod to impart the action necessary to entice the fish to hit the bait.  Also it has enough power to get a big one to the boat.  A Loomis rod model CBR 756 is a good example of the type of rod I’m talking about.  This rod is also an excellent choice for top water lures, especially spook type lures.  Your favorite medium size baitcast reel loaded with 10-12 lb clear monofilament or fluorocarbon line should round out the combo nicely.  When fishing a jerk bait, don’t forget to match your lure presentation to the mood of the fish!
 
Q.  What knot do you primarily use when tying on your lures and is there a website that shows a step by step illustration on how to tie these knots?   Bobby Stevens – Livermore, KY
 
A.  I use a Palomer knot most of the time, especially when fishing plastics and jigs.  I like a knot that is easy to tie, has great knot strength and will work on a variety of lures and the Palomer knot fits the bill.  For top water lures and jerk baits I use is a Rapala knot.  The Rapala knot has an open loop where the lines passes thru the eye of the lure and allows for great lure action. The other knot I use is a double uni-knot which is used to join two lines together.  I use this not when joining braid & fluorocarbon.  Check out this website by Alan Grogono, www.animatedknots.com/indexfishing.php  It features the most popular fishing knots and animated illustrations showing the step by step process to tie them, so learning’s easy.  It’s really a cool site and has more than just fishing knots.
 
Q.  Why do you use a fluorocarbon leader on braided line and how do you join the two lines together?  John Stanley – Champaign, Illinois
 
A.  Braided line is popular choice because it casts like a rocket and is very durable.  However, the one drawback with braid is fish can see it down under and it could spook them.  Adding a fluorocarbon leader eliminates the visibility issue.  The two lines are joined using a double uni-knot.  Check out this website http://videofishingknots.com/double-uni-knot.html  it shows in detail how to tie a double uni-knot. To feel those light strikes when casting a crappie jig, you Crappie anglers might want to consider using a braided line in 8 lb test and match it up with a 6-8 lb fluorocarbon leader.

WOW! … A Fishing Boat for Everyone …

In preparation for my Canadian Wilderness Canoe trips this summer I visited Hooper’s Outdoor Center in Paducah, Ky. for some camping upgrades.  It was there I met Matt Cherry, store manager for Hooper’s.  In the course of our conversation, Matt kept going on about this new Kayak from Wilderness systems, the Commander 120 Angler edition.  I’m always up for something new and exciting, especially when it concerns fishing, so I decided to check it out. I drooled when I saw this baby. Wilderness Systems has thought of everything and taken Kayak fishing to a whole new level!  The Commander 120 comes LOADED with fisherman friendly features such as rod holders, an anchor trolley which allows you to deploy an anchor line anywhere alongside the boat and a built-in dashboard to house your favorite fish locator or GPS.  The hull design makes for a very stable fishing platform whether you’re on a river or lake.  One feature I especially like is the Chair-like Freedom Elite Seating System which offers a supportive, breathable backrest and seat that feels especially good on your rear end!  A really cool feature is the chair itself, it’s removable for beach or campsite use.  As good as this boat is the best thing about it is the Price!  Fully loaded for less than $1500!  A Pretty awesome Value!  Check it out by giving Matt a call at Hooper’s Outdoor Center (270)443-0019 or visit their website www.hoopers.net  or Wilderness Systems website www.wildernesssystems.com.

Guide Service Bookings.   I still have a few days available in March thru May so if you want to Catch Fish & Have Fun, contact me as soon as possible.  Thanks to those of you who booked a trip this week.  Bookings came in from Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin & Tennessee.  Whether you fish with me or one of the other guides, it’s best to book your trip as far in advance as possible.  Doing so guarantees a date that best suits you and finding a place to stay won’t be an issue either. I’ll be glad to recommend a place to stay that is a good value for the dollar and fisherman friendly.  Just send me an email rk@kicknbass.net or call me at 270-703-6133. Tight Lines …

If you want to talk fishing or book a trip with Randy Kuhens call him at (270)703-6133 or email him at rk@kicknbass.net/span>