October 29th, 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.
 
Current in the lakes continues to be very low due to the moderate drought conditions across the area
 
Water Temperature Forecast - Water temps are running above normal but should drop to the lower 60s by this weekend.
 
Weekend Weather Outlook - Another front pushed through mid week bringing cooler temps to the area.  This weekend the forecast calls for lows in the 40 – 50 degree range with highs climbing into the mid to high 60’s by Sunday.   No measurable precipitation is in the forecast.

“Father and Sons Kick Some Bass” …  Generally speaking, bass fishing has been hot and cold this week but despite some tough fishing conditions the Tappan boys from Henderson, Ky caught some pretty nice bass on Shakey Heads and a Steel Shad blade bait.

Rick and his son Ben (Photo-L) caught these good ones on Kentucky Lake on a windy, post frontal day when most anglers would have called it quits.  The following day Rick and his son Chris (Photo R) caught several good fish including this really nice Largemouth on Lake Barkley.  This time I think that the boys might have gotten lucky and caught a bass or two up on the old man but it didn’t really matter.  Rick, being able to spend time on the water fishing with his sons made him the big winner.  Hey Rick, say you like those blade baits do ‘ya!

While in the Lakes Area if you’re looking for a good selection of baits, especially Blade Baits like the Steel Shad, there are a couple of great Tackle Shops that have them plus an endless supply of other 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 (270-388-6442).  Two great places to shop with an endless supply of tackle & gear and friendly helpful folks.

Fishing Patterns
 
The Deep Water Blade Bait Pattern we’ve been on the last few weeks is still holding up and it would be a heck of a lot better if the winds would allow us to fish where we need to.  The best lure hands down has been the Steel Shad.  We’re finding schools of bass suspending among and feeding on baitfish and both are deep, as in 23 – 26 feet.  Mostly we’re finding that these bass are unmolested and willing to bite once we can get on them.  I guess it makes sense that if bass find a school of baitfish to feed on in deeper water and they’re not being molested, they don’t have any reason to leave.  But they can be caught!  If you use a lure that resembles their food source and you stick it in their face sometimes good things can happen.  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.   I think some of these schools of bass have been tricked into thinking its winter already.  I know the projected low temp for Friday the 29th is 36 degrees so maybe they know something we don’t … they usually do!  Be sure to slow down your early morning presentation.

Finesse Dock Pattern … They say “necessity is the mother of invention” and such was the case a couple days this week. Using our Lowrance structure scan we located a few bass that were suspended under the boat docks and around spud poles.  Spud Poles are the upright poles located on the corners of a boat dock that allow the structure to rise and fall with the changing water levels.  Best docks in the bays were those that had at least 6 feet of water around them with brush.  We did find a couple of docks on the main lake with deeper water, 12’ or so, that held a good group of fish also.  We had to fish several docks before we figured out what type of docks held fish but once we did we had some success.  To catch most of these bass we went to a super finesse presentation of pitching a Texas Rigged 4” Zoom ribbon tail worm and a 1/16 oz tungsten bullet weight around the spud poles and under the dock itself.  The 1/16 oz weight allowed the worm to sink very slowly and enticed some of the non aggressive fish to bite.  For a better bite detection we used an 8 pound braided line with a fluorocarbon leader on spinning gear and even at that, a lot of times the bites were almost undetectable.  Sometimes the fish were “just there”.  Best color was June Bug.  When this method waned we pitched split shot weighted flukes around the same set of docks.   The additional weight allowed us to back off some and make a long cast so we wouldn’t spook the baitfish or bass that were roaming around the docks.  We used a gentle twitch on the fluke, pausing about 10-15 seconds between jerks. Working the bait this way was just enough to provoke a strike.  Several good bass were caught using this method.  Again docks with spud poles on the corners were best. 

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.  Thanks to a tip from Ronnie at the Cabin Bait and Tackle in Kuttawa, one bait in particular that we had some luck on late in the week was the Strike King KVD 2.5 crank bait in TN. Shad.  Most fish were caught on about 4 feet deep while working the bait on a slow to moderate retrieve. 

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 baits have been a Zara Spook and a Rapala Skitter prop 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.  Several short strikers were caught this way including the big fish of the week. (Photo-L Kenny Dement from Sikeston, MO). 
 
To sum it up, bass fishing is still erratic and no one pattern seems to be a sure thing so be prepared and be flexible.  Being prepared means thinking about what you want to accomplish and having a game plan before you hit the water.  Being flexible means you don’t stay with one technique too long and have the mindset to change if what you are doing isn’t working.  

Crappie Fishing has been spotty not because of the unwillingness of the crappie to bite but more so due to the high winds and unstable weather.  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 secondary channels or in the mouth of bays.  The most productive jig colors have been Chartreuse and blue and Chartreuse and red. 
 
The White Bass fishing is still pretty good.  If all species were as accommodating as these fighters we’d really be in good shape. The big whites have been plentiful and fairly easy to catch as they’re feasting on schools of shad.  Most were caught yo-yoing Blade Baits or trolling a Ken’s rig and occasionally we caught them in the jumps.  Concentrate on the mouths of the bays and the deeper flats and you should do okay.  The best depths seem to be 18-25 feet with the fish suspended off the bottom in the deeper water. The Ken’s rig 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 or chartreuse rooster tail spinner is tied to the top leader and a deep diving crank bait on the bottom.  The middle hook on the front treble is removed to reduce hang ups.  This rig gets down deep where the fish are less susceptible to the heat. The Ken’s rig has been a killer and at times we have caught a fish on both baits.  In the lakes area you can get the Ken’s rig at the Fisherman’s Friend in Lake City, Ky. (270)362-4323.
 
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 ….  No Report
 
“So you want to become a better fisherman, right?  Kick’n Bass can help!" 

Randy … Just a note to let you know that
Thom, Jim and I cannot stop talking about the amazing day that we had fishing with you last week.  When we arrived at the dock, we were all impressed with the boat and the emphasis on safety.  It is obvious that you have taken great pains to ensure everyone's comfort. When we arrived at the fishing site, you handed each of us a rod and reel that worked flawlessly all day. No time had to be spent re-rigging, spooling, etc. We spent our whole time having fun fishing! We especially appreciated the time you spent teaching three old coots the Shakey Head technique and the patience you had with us. We really had a great time. 
Bill Gilbert – Evansville, In.

Equipment furnished or bring your own.  If you want to “catch fish and have fun” Email rk@kicknbass.net and book your trip today!
 

Sonar Tip of the Week

 
What do these streaks represent?  If you see this you’d better drop a marker or assign the spot a waypoint because you just found the “mother lode”.  The orange & red streaks represent game fish, in this case bass, that are rapidly chasing and feeding on schools of baitfish (blue). Usually fish schooled up deep like this when feeding are reasonably easy to catch. We vertically fished a Steel Shad blade bait and caught several from this school.  Without the help of our Lowrance electronics no way would we have found the school much less caught anything.

Do your electronics have you baffled?  Do you know what your electronics are telling you?  Kick’n Bass can help you get more out of your electronics and become a better fisherman.  To schedule an on the water tutorial and fishing trip, email Kick’n Bass today! rk@kicknbass.net 
 
Other News …
 
Tournament Prep Packages Available … November is a Big Tournament month here on the twin lakes.  Be sure to ask about our Tournament Prep Packages.   
 
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. 
 
Guide Bookings … I still have just a day or two available in early November open.  So, if you wish to book a crappie or bass fishing trip email Kick’n Bass at rk@kicknbass.net      

Tight Lines,