Novmeber 4th, 2010

The lake level is approximately four feet below summer pool and water clarity ranges from stained in the main river channel to clear in the bays.
 
Water Temperature Forecast – Currently water temps are in the lower 60’s and forecasted to be around 60 degrees by Sunday.
 
Weekend Weather Outlook - Another front pushed through mid week bringing cooler temps to the area.  This weekend the forecast calls for lows in the low 30’s to 40 degree range with highs climbing into the mid to high 50’s to about 60 by Sunday.  Windy conditions are possible. No measurable precipitation is in the forecast.
 
“Modified Spook Can Help You Net More Bass ” …  
 
Think of fall top water bass’in and “Spook Type” baits immediately come to mind.  No doubt one of the best ways to catch fall bass is throwing this type of bait since it’s just the right size to match a lot of shad that are migrating to the shallows.  However, the key to catching fish on this bait is learning the proper way to fish it … and … knowing when and how to set the hook. At times you can be driven crazy fishing these type baits.  Since they have it in their DNA to strike at wounded prey, sometimes bass will slash at the bait even if they’re not hungry.  More times than not, it’s just plain hard to get a hook into them.  Knowing how to work the bait is critical.  Some modifications can be made to the retrieve or even the lure itself to increase your odds of success.  Here are some suggestions …

How to work the lure:  The most important thing to remember when fishing with this bait is you must keep a tight line. Once the cast has been made with the lure resting on the top of the surface give the lure a pull with the rod, not the reel, of about 10-12 inches and the lure will dart to one side or the other.  After it has darted to one side, reel in the slack and then give it another pull with the rod tip and the lure will dart off to the other side.  Repeat the process and the lure will zig-zag on the surface.  Make sure to work the bait all the way back to the boat.  I’ve caught some of my best fish close to the boat.  You’ll have to experiment with the speed of the retrieve to entice a strike. Sometimes a pause between pulls or a very methodical steady retrieve will work.  Often a burning or fast retrieve will create vicious strikes. Try these variations one of them usually matches the mood of the fish.  One thing I have noticed is on very calm days a very slow presentation seems to work best.  How to get the hook in ‘em … Often times a fish will strike this lure so hard that they actually miss it and will come back for a second try.  When this happens the angler’s natural reaction is to go for the hook set which often results in a missed opportunity.  The best way to assure a good hook up is to give it a second before setting the hook.  In other words, once you see the strike reel until you feel the fish or see the lure disappear and then set the hook.  More times than not this is a sure set.  If you jerk the lure out of the strike zone then the chances of catching that fish diminishes greatly.
 
One modification we used this week was to add a stinger hook to the rear treble on the Spook (Photo).  A 4 inch 12 lb mono leader with a treble with a feather should help take care of those short strikers.  It’s best to either size the stinger hook with what’s on the bait itself or go slightly smaller.   When we experimented with this set up initially we found that any leader longer than 4 inches could get wrapped on the other hooks and hinder the action of the bait so be sure to keep the leader about that length. We caught several good fish this week on the spook and the stinger was responsible for several of the hook ups.  Another benefit of using this set up is, when we had fish hooked up initially on the stinger hook, by the time we netted the fish we noticed we had a couple of other hooks in the fish too.  So the stinger hook not only got things started but it helped keep the fish on.  Try a stinger hook on your spook next time … it’ll help you land more fish!

While in the Lakes Area if you’re looking for a good selection of baits there are a couple of great Tackle Shops that have an endless supply of baits &  fishing gear for the novice to the pro.  On the Kentucky Lake side, visit with John Parks at Fisherman’s Headquarters located at the “Y” in Draffenville at the intersection of U.S. 68/U.S. 641 (270-527-5938).  On the Lake Barkley side be sure and visit with Ronnie and Wayne and the friendly folks at The Cabin Bait and Tackle located on U.S. 62 in Kuttawa just west of the I-24/U.S. 62 interchange (270-388-6440).  Two great places to shop with an endless supply of tackle & gear and friendly helpful folks.
 
Fishing Patterns
 
Overall bass fishing this week has been pretty tough for Kick’n Bass clients. While we’re still catching a decent number of fish we’ve really had to work hard for them, especially good ones.
 
The Blade Bait Pattern we’ve been on, while not as strong as the last few weeks, is still producing fish and it’ll probably get better as the water cools even further and the fish make their way to winter locations.  The best lure hands down has been the Steel Shad.  We’re still finding schools of bass suspended among and feeding on baitfish in 23 – 26 feet.  Mostly we’re finding that these bass are unmolested and willing to bite once we can get on them.  A technique that has worked for us when throwing the Blade Baits is the yoyo retrieve on a tight line. Bringing the lure off the bottom about a foot or less and let it fall on a-tight line.  This allows the lure to drop slowly giving the bass a real good look at it.  Sometimes the sheer weight of the lure on a freefall drops too fast and the fish can’t catch up to it, especially if the bite is waning.  Also, ripping it off the bottom is not necessarily the right thing to do.  More strikes come on a gentle lift.  

Back Bay Pattern … Although few and far between, some big bass are being caught shallow in the very backs of the bays on the flats on lipless crank baits and on wood cover with spinner baits.  On some mornings there is a decent shallow water bite and sometimes not.  When the shallow water bite slowed we went a different route lure-wise and it proved to be a good move.  Instead of using a lipless rattling crank bait we used the Steel Shad with a minor modification to make it run shallower.  Specifically a slight bend was made on the tail end of the lure at the “ee” in Steel and the split ring was moved to the front hole.  The different profile and action and “no rattle” was just enough to catch a few additional fish that we wouldn’t have caught otherwise.

Ledge Fishing has been either feast or famine but when we did catch bass on the ledges they were usually keepers.  Unfortunately the ledge bite has also been hampered by the heavy winds we experienced this week.  Best baits were the Strike King Series 6 crank bait, a Shakey Head and a ½ oz. jig.  

The Top Water Bite has proven to be pretty unpredictable, especially with the fronts moving in and out.  However, if you can find some calm water along chuck rock banks or on the shallow flats in the bays you can find some fish that will bite.  The best surface bait hands down has been a Zara Spook in any kind of shad pattern.  One little adjustment that helped us land some fish on the spook was to attach a 4 inch mono leader with a white feathered treble hook to the back hook of the spook (Photo). Several short strikers were caught this way.  A moderate retrieve that moved the bait about a foot in a jig-zag pattern worked best.  It seemed the fish really wanted to get a good look at the bait before striking it.
 
I wished I could tell you we’ve been loading the boat.  However, that just isn’t the case.  With some pretty darn good fishermen in the boat this week we caught some fish and a few good ones too.  However, the best way to describe bass fishing is, it’s still unpredictable and no one pattern seems to be a sure thing.  So, be prepared to move around and try different lures and methods to catch fish.

Crappie and Stripes …With Bass fishing a little on the tough side we switched some of our focus to other species with some pretty good success. 
 
Crappie Fishing has been pretty good.  We had a one trip where the numbers of fish were good and another one where it was quality over quantity.  The most consistent pattern seems to be fishing over stake beds or brush with jigs or minnows 8-14 feet deep.  Best areas are in the creek channels or in the mouth of bays.  The most productive jig colors have been Chartreuse and blue and Chartreuse and red.   We caught a few casting a 3/32 oz Kentucky Green curly tail along rocky banks but I’m not ready to commit to that pattern just yet but it won’t be long.  As the water is cools the crappie will begin to feed heavily and fishing will improve.  So get on down here and get in on the action.

  

This week the White Bass fishing has taken a back seat to the Hybrids.  With favorable current generation early in the week we found shad running along the riprap in the canal and the Hybrids were in hot pursuit.  The most productive areas were the eddies behind the bridge supports and the flats area just east of the canal on the Lake Barkley side.  Several fish were caught by casting a Steel Shad blade Bait along the riprap and retrieving it thru the eddies.  Others were caught drifting live shad on the flats.  We caught one Hybrid in particular that I thought was going to strip off all the line before we got it under control and in the net.  So make sure you have plenty of line and your drag is set loose or you’ll end up with nothing to show for it.  These fish are brutes!
 
Catfish are fair on main lake flats and along the old river channel on live shad and cut bait.  Best depths are 12- 25 feet. 
 
Bluegill & Redear ….  Try gravel points in 6’-10’ deep and use night crawlers.

Sonar Tip of the Week …
New Products Keep Your Sonar Units Safe From Thieves!  

Universal Bracket Knob Lock	Ram Mount Replacement Knob Lock

When my Lowrance HDS-8 and Structure Scan was installed I quickly realized that I was uncomfortable leaving my HDS-8 on the boat unattended.  Not anymore!  Here are two really great products from Dura Safe that will keep unwanted thieves from stealing your expensive Sonar Units.  

With theft and burglary of boat equipment on the rise we anglers are having to rethink our” usual” hiding spots.  Marine electronics are an expensive investment and an easy target for thieves – just unscrew the knobs, unplug the cords and walk away. In a matter of seconds the electronics are gone.  The Universal Electronics Locks from Dura Safe www.durasafe-usa.com secures bracket-mounted electronics leaving a thief no other alternative but to move on.  No longer do you need to rush around inside a gas station, worried your fish finder will be gone before you get back. No need to reconsider docking your boat to grab a bite to eat.  And for those who travel to unfamiliar destinations there is peace of mind knowing the electronics are secure. The Dura Safe Electronics Locks are products boating and fishing enthusiasts have needed for years.

The Universal electronics lock (Bracket Knob Lock) replaces the factory bracket knobs on either side of an electronics unit.  Once installed the locking mechanism is engaged and the knob spins freely and will not come off.  The GPS Depth Finder lock (Ram Mount Replacement Knob Lock) replaces the Large Adjustment knob on a Ram Mount.  Once you position the Ram Mount where you want it, just simply tighten the knob and then turn the key to lock the mechanism.  The knob is then locked in position and will spin freely.

To further make my set up further thief-proof, I added a drop of Lock Tite to both the bracket mounting bolts and the base mounting bolts and then tightened the stop nuts.  This secured the mounting bracket to the Ram Mount and the Ram Mount base to the gunnel of the boat. Now I don’t have to worry about the hassle of unplugging the unit and hiding it from would be thieves and I can still unlock the unit and remove it when I want to.

Dura Safe locks come in several models to fit the different thread sizes of the most popular marine electronics brands on the market.  These are really great products and the best news is … you can get set up like this for less than $100! Check out my Video Fishing Tip on Dura Safe Locks.
 
Other News …

WOW!!!  Attention Tournament Anglers!  This is really a great deal!  Never leave the water when you stay on a Houseboat at Kentucky Dam Marina. Kentucky Dam Marina is now offering a great deal with on the water lodging to fishermen during their stay. Rent a 4 or 6 bedroom Houseboat that has a fully equipped kitchen and is fully furnished down to the linens and things. 4 free bass boat slips with rental of a 58' Houseboat and 6 free slips with rental of a 80' Houseboat.  Check this out for sure ... In most cases it's cheaper than renting a motel. Split the cost with your fishing buddies.  Contact Brenda Simpson at 270-362-8386 for the details and tell’em Kick’n Bass asked you to call. 

Kick’n Bass Gift Certificates make people happy … Don’t know what to get that special someone? A day on the water catching fish and having fun with Kick’n Bass makes a great birthday or Christmas gift!  For more info send an email to rk@kicknbass.net and we’ll take care of the rest. 

Tight Lines,