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September 2, 2011
Lake Conditions
Lake Levels …
As of this morning both lakes are about 2 ½ feet below summer
pool give or take a few inches and in the midst of a slow
drawdown.
Water Clarity … The water on both Lakes
is in great shape for fishing. With the drawdown in progress,
the shoreline is exposed and during times of wind and waves so
expect some color in the water in the back of bays and creeks.
Water Temps … Surface temps on both lakes are
in the mid 80’s and could fluctuate higher in the afternoons due
to the unseasonable heat.
Fishing Report
Basically no different news
is Good News! Bass fishing has been very productive this week
for numbers as well as big fish! The same patterns that we’ve
experienced over the past two weeks are still holding steady.
We’ve had several limits of keeper sized Largemouth and some big
Brown fish to boot. Both Largemouth and Smallmouth are feasting
on schools of shad on main lake points and secondary points in
the front halves of the creeks and bays. Shell beds located on
flats adjacent to the ledges on the main lake are also holding
nice schools of bass. In some cases bass are travelling with
white bass and are feeding under the white bass jumps. Ledge
fishing has been feast or famine but best during times of
current generation. Night Fishing has been
outstanding! At times the fish were so aggressive that as soon
as the lure hit bottom the bass would grab the bait. Other
times it took just a few seconds for the bass to find the lure.
Little or no action was required to get the bass to bite. The
big fish of the week was a brute smallmouth that fell for a
7” ZMan Coppertruese worm.
Best Baits and how to maximize
your fishing time … Bass during the day time are
located in several areas of the lake and being caught using a
variety of methods but the most consistent method for Kick’n
Bass clients has been fishing soft plastics and fishing them
slow. To make the most of the early morning bite, we’ve used a
ZMan swim bait like the Scented
PaddlerZ to catch some schooling fish that were chasing
shad. The best color is one that mimics a shad and we fished
them on ¼ or 3/16 oz 5/0 lead head. This combo has been
absolutely deadly on bass chasing shad on the points as well as
in the jumps. Once the shallow water bite has subsided, we
switch to Shakey Heads and move offshore to fish the ledges and
flats that have shell beds. This time of year the shell beds
are very instrumental in holding schools of baitfish and in turn
lots of bass. Shakey Heads with Zman 7” Finesse WormZ
has allowed us to extend the bite. Several colors of worms have
produced but the degree of success depends on choosing the
optimum color based on the water clarity and amount of
daylight. With the lake drawdown in progress, the water levels
and water clarity is changing daily and you must adjust you lure
choice accordingly. The exposed banks are subject to wind and
waves which can add color to the water. The most consistent
colors this week have been Coppertruese for an
early morning or night bite, ditto that for water that has some
color in it. New Money and Pumpkin Green Flake
has been real good in clearer water and during bright
conditions. Overcast Conditions or Sunny skies seem to increase
the need to have the proper color choice. The best overall
Shakey Head jig is PJ’s Bass Extractor in 3/16 oz.
Deep diving crank baits have been fair at
times but right now the Swim Baits and Shakey Heads are the most
consistent producers.
Experience the Thrill of
Bass Fishing at Night ...
 Our night fishing season is
in full swing. The same lures you use during the day are very
productive and the best spots during the day can be even better
at night. There is just something about catching a really big
bass at night that really turns a fisherman on! For more
information on putting together a night fishing trip send me an
email rk@kicknbass.net or
call 270-703-6133.
White Bass, Catfish, Bluegill & Crappie …
Fishing for bass day and night didn’t leave much time for other
species but I do know that the White Bass fishing has been
outstanding. I’ve ran into several anglers I know that fish for
whites and they had a bunch most every day either trolling or
casting Ken’s Hybrid spinners.
Sonar Tip of
the Week
The screen shows bass feeding on schools of shad
on a ledge located on a secondary channel. We used a Shakey
Head to catch several nice fish before the school got wise and
moved on. 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 your HDS unit(s) has the correct
settings 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.
- Arrange the screens so they display what you
want them to show and make going from page to page orderly
and non-confusing.
- Eliminate unwanted, non-practical on screen data
that clutters your screen and gets in the way of using your
unit to its maximum potential.
- 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.
As a bonus Kick’n Bass will help you
learn to read an electronic topo map and find “places of
interest” that could be potential fishing hot spots.
To schedule an on the water fishing
trip with instruction send an email to
rk@kicknbass.net
FOR SALE - New in Box Lowrance HDS-8m Insight USA
 This
is the Chartplotter (Mapping) version that will show Sonar &
Structure Scan when connected to those devices via an Ethernet
Cord. Ideal for those boats, like the new Rangers, that has a
console that will allow an HDS-8 to be placed above the steering
wheel. Installing the unit in the console will allow you the
ability to watch a full view map on this unit and full Structure
Scan or Sonar on your Ram mounted HDS-8 or HDS-10 or vice versa!
Unfortunately My Z520 has the old style Console and I already
have an HDS-8 on a Ram Mount so this unit has to go. This is a
new unit still in the original box and priced below cost at
$1450 plus shipping. Shipping to lower 48 only. If interested
email rk@kicknbass.net.
HOT New Bait “Ledge Grouser” Kicks Some Bass!
 As
mentioned in last weeks report, some really Big Bass are being
caught on the ledges using this jig. Master lure designer Ken
McGregor at the Fisherman’s Friend in Lake City, Ky. has
developed a deep water jig especially for fishing ledges
appropriately called “The Ledge Grouser”. My clients and I have
been using this jig for several weeks now fishing a ZMan 10 ½
“Saw Tail worm with good results. The bottom of the jig
resembles a mining grouser with a series of cleats that pushes
whatever it comes in contact with and crates a good deal of
sound when drug over rock or shells. This bait is unique and
offers an attractive alternative to the football head jig. The
lure comes in several sizes and your favorite colors and the Big
Bite Hook takes care of business too! Also the keepers are
available in screw lock for traditional soft plastics and a
straight wire for the ZMan ElaZtech baits. The “Ledge Grouser”
is available at several tackle shops in the lakes area; On the
Lake Barkley side at The Fisherman’s Friend (270-362-4323) in
Lake City and at The Cabin Bait and Tackle in Kuttawa
270-388-6440 and on the Kentucky Lake side at Fisherman’s
Headquarters (270-527-5938) at the Y in Draffenville and the
areas newest tackle shop Bass & Gas (270-527-1900) located on
Hwy 68 at the former Judy’s Fishing depot.
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
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