Weekly Report For Kentucky Lake and Lake Barkley dated May 3, 2018

[Dave Stewart]

May 3, 2018

Kentucky Lake:  Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 359.21  Surface Temperature - 65
Lake Barkley:  Water Level at Barkley Dam - 358.95  Surface Temperature - 65

Both lakes are at summer pool.  Kentucky Dam was spilling at an average rate of 59,950 cfs this afternoon.  Barkley Dam was spilling at an average rate of 67,800 cfs this afternoon. The latest lake levels , current flows and forecasts for all the TVA lakes can be found at http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/index.htm.

Current Conditions:  The lakes were drawn down 2.5 ft since my report last week.  Water temperatures increased 4 degrees.  We have had sunny blue skies since last Friday until today when some cloud cover and rain moved into the area with an approaching front.  We also had lake wind warnings issued here the past 2 days.  You can tell it is spring now with the ever changing conditions.  Last week I reported the bass bite as good with the water 2.5 ft over pool and heavy cloud cover.  This all changed with the water being drawn down and blue bird skies this past week.  I would classify the bite this week as fair with all these changes.  It is pick your pattern time now with some bass on late prespawn patterns, some bass spawning and some bass now of post spawn.  We caught bass that were still yet to spawn this week as well as bass that had already spawned.  I did see a number of bass on beds this week also but we did not fish them as I do not like to pull bass off their beds.  We took a number of bass on the flats out in front of the brush where they had moved as a result of the dropping water levels.  Numbers of bass can be taken right now but keepers in the 2-3 lb range are more scarce than the past few years.  It seems when we do get a good keeper it is in the 4 plus pound range.  The up side to this is that it is not hard to catch numbers of fish but difficult to catch numbers of good keeper sized bass. 

The weather forecast for tomorrow is calling for a high of 79/morning low of 67 with a 40% chance of thunderstorms.  Wind is forecast to be 15-20 ranging from SW in the morning to NW in the afternoon with frontal passage.  Saturday's forecast is calling for a high of 72/morning low of 60 with an 80% chance of thunderstorms with light and variable winds.  Sunday's forecast is calling for a high of 81/morning low of 55 with a 50% chance of afternoon thunderstorms with wind W at 5-10. 

LARGEMOUTH BASS: Prespawn and post spawn  Largemouth are being taken on creek channel banks and secondary points as well as on flats near the spawning areas in the creeks and bays on lipless crank baits, jigs, Carolina and Texas rigged creature baits, vibrating jigs and whacky rigged worms.  Largemouth are also being taken in the flooded brush and wood in the creeks and bays on  jigs and Texas and Florida rigged creature baits.

SMALLMOUTH BASS:  Smallmouth are being taken on main lake points and secondary points in the mouths of the creeks and bays.  These fish are being taken on jigs, tube jigs, Texas and Carolina rigged creature baits. 

PRODUCTIVE LURES:   Rapala DT 10 and DT 6 crank baits in crawdad patterns and shad patterns, Strike King Red Eye Shad in red craw and chrome "woops"y shad, D&L jigs in Cumberland craw and oops patterns, Slong's jigs in black blue, Slong's spinner baits in white/chartreuse and vibrating jigs in blue glimmer and white with pearl white swim bait trailer and Charmer 6" lizards and timber pups in watermelon/red. green pumpkin/blue and green pumpkin.

Crappie:  Crappie are still being reported as scattered with most of the fish still being taken in the 10-15 ft range over submerged cover by vertically fishing with minnow rigs and small jigs tipped with Crappie nibbles.  These fish are still staging around the mouths of the creeks and bays with some occasional few fish being taken in shallow water on warmer afternoons on bobbers and minnows and bobbers and jigs.

IF YOU ARE PLANNING ON VISITING OUR LAKES I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING BUSINESSES FOR ALL YOUR FISHING AND BOATING NEEDS:

Fisherman's Headquarters is located in Draffenville at the U.S. 68/U.S. 641 triangle, or the Draffenville "Y". FHQ stocks everything an angler could need, from live bait, hooks and bobbers to top of the line tournament bass tackle. More than a "bait and tackle" store, Fisherman's Headquarters is a true "pro shop", offering advice, training and special order assistance not found online or at the big box retailers. Services even include custom electronics training and installation. The store offers a wide variety of nationally known brands as well as many regional and hard to find items we use on Kentucky and Barkley Lakes. They stock many of the products I rely on daily, such as Charmer Baits, Slong's lures and Pro Tungsten weights. From bluegill to bass and catfish to crappie, FHQ has you covered! Stop by and visit or phone 270-527-5938.

Jet-A-Marina: If you have a problem with your boat while you are visiting our great fisheries, let me recommend you have the folks in the service department at Jet-a-Marina check it out. These folks have a well known reputation for trying to keep our visitors on the water while they are here if they can possibly do so, especially you tournament anglers. Hopefully you will not need this kind of assistance but if you do, you can find Jet-a-Marina located on U.S. 62 in Calvert City, just a couple of miles north of Kentucky Dam. Jet-a-Marina also has a great showroom for all your boating accessories and check out the new Ranger bass boats too as well as bulk oil at rock bottom prices for your engine. Phone: 270-395-4030.

GUIDE SERVICE:

For those of you that may not be familiar with my service: I am a full time catch and release bass fishing guide. I only guide for bass. I have been guiding for bass full time on these lakes for over 20 years and bass fishing the lakes for over 30 years. I do not go out and fish panfish for 4 or 5 days and then try to guide on bass for one or two da
No one knows everything the bass are doing but one thing is for sure, if you only fish for bass day in and day out, you will have a lot better idea of what they are doing and also be familiar with all the different techniques it takes to be a successful bass angler.

If you book with my service, you will have me as your guide and you will be guided in the comfort of a late model Z522 Ranger Comanche equipped with Lowrance HDS electronics and top of the line tackle. I provide just for fun bass fishing trips, tournament preparation trips, focused teaching trips and technique instruction. If you are in need of a bass fishing guide give me a call or drop me an email.

Available Dates: 

May: Sorry, I am booked up.
June:  Sorry, I am booked up.
July:  A number of dates still available.

I am also taking reservations also for August, September, October and November.

Captain Dave Stewart
Bass Buster Guide Service
www.kentuckylakeguide.com

270-362-9987
"Fish With A Professional"