|
Duck & Goose Hunting
on the
Tennessee River
& Kentucky Lake
"A great
guide and hunting setup" -Tony Accerano, SPORTS AFIELD MAGAZINE
a Ducks
Unlimited
Sponsor
|
 |
Best
Times
The best time to go fishing is whenever you can! However, here's a
month by month summary that will help you plan your trip here to
Tennessee's Kentucky Lake.
(During the months of Nov-Dec-Jan I guide waterfowl hunting so those
months are omitted in the summary below.)
NOTE: For the last few years my most
consistent months of stable weather for catching crappie have been June
and the fall months of Sept/Oct.!!!
MARCH...The first half of the month finds
crappie
still in a winter
pattern and relating to the
deep ledges of the main lake in depths zones of 15 to 25 feet. Bottom
bumping rigs are used to
stalk the submerged stump rows and creek channels where some hefty,
prespawn crappie
reside.
By the middle of the month,
crappie begin moving
into secondary bays in
a prespawn pattern
using depths of 6 to 12 feet. I start out the month fishing deep ledges
and
creek channels but
finish up working my manmade fish attractors such as brushpiles/stakebeds
in 12 foot depths
and less.
Bass activity in March is good, especially in the
last half of the
month when surface temps
warm into the low to mid-50's. Crankbaits, jigs and spinnerbaits are the
normal lure selections
fished around big rock banks and some shallow stumps. Some of the
largest
bass of the year are
taken in late March as the fish put on a feed bag. Bass fishing is good
in
late March.
APRIL....
is the prime month of the year for crappie as spawning
occurs
when water temps reach
the 62-66 degree range. This means fish move up seeking shallow habitat
to
spawn such as 2 to
8 foot zones where cover is found. Casting grubs, vertical presentations
of
jigs in and around
manmade structure, live minnows under slip bobbers and trolling are the
popular methods.
Weather is a factor and spring is always unpredictable so dress warm.
Bass activity in April is good as the fish are in
prespawn and waiting
for warmer weather and
higher lake levels to inundate shoreline grass beds and wooded cover.
The
first half of the month
means crankbaits on gravel and spinnerbaits around wood with some
topwater
action too, if the
weather is warm. The second half of the month sees water beginning to
enter
visible shoreline
cover such as bushes and willows where worms, lizards, surface lures and
others come into
play.
MAY....
is a good month for bass and bluegill activity as both species
are
on the bed. Excellent
action on bass in the weedbeds on topwater as well as pitching and
flipping
jigs/lizards around
buck brush. The water on Kentucky Lake is at summer pool and shoreline
habitat is abundant
where bass spawn.
Bluegill/shellcracker are on the bed and provide
excellent
opportunities to find them in big
numbers as they fan the sandy, gravel areas where they spawn. Fishing
light
tackle with crickets
or artificial grubs means some fast fun.
This is the peak time for bluegill/shellcracker bed fishing with
ultralight.
Crappie are somewhat scattered in May as they are in
the post-spawn
phase but can still be
taken in decent numbers over midrange depths of 8 to 12 feet.
JUNE.... sees crappie begin returning to the deeper ledges and
manmade
fish
attractors in the 8
to 15 foot range. The fish begin to school again after being scattered
back
in May. June is a good time to catch crappie
here. Often overlooked and underrated, it's one of my better months.
Bass fishing is good, especially on the ledges and
submerged creeks
channels. Techniques
such as Texas and Carolina rigged worms worked on the ledges work good
as
do big deep
diving crankbaits and jig/pig combos. It's a good time to find some big
bass in one spot. June is
one of my favorite months for bass.
JULY/AUGUST.... sees the crappie in their summer pattern and
schooled
on
the deep ledges in depths of 15 to 22 feet. Both jigs and live minnows work well when
vertical
presentations with
double hook bottom bumping rigs put the bait right on the stumps and in
front of the fish. This is
a good time to catch summer crappie which school in the deep water.
White bass (stripes) are at a peak in August and some
excellent action
is to be had when
surface feeding frenzies occur. The white bass are in the
"jumps" at this
time of the year and
provide fast action that's second to none. Small spinners and surface
lures
are cast into the
jumps.
Bass fishing is good on the deep ledges much in the
same manner as
June. July is a good
bass month.
Catfishing action is good on the main river channel
using nightcrawlers, catalpa worms and
assorted commercial baits. Depths of 15 to 25 feet are common,
especially when there's existing
current in the river that seems to stimulate baitfish activity and
increases the bite from hefty
catfish. This is an excellent time to catch catfish.
SEPTEMBER....
sees a fall pattern begin for crappie as the fish
migrate
from the deep water
back into the secondary flats and big bays. Depths of 6 to 12 feet are
productive as the crappie
follow their forage (shad) into the cooling waters.
This is a good time
to
catch crappie and the
weather is nice and predictable.
Bass action heats up on the shallow gravel banks in
early morning and
late afternoon when
bass chase the shad. Surface action and crankbaits work good. Also
spinnerbaits tossed around
shallow stumps and exposed cover produce too. This is a good bass month.
OCTOBER....
is a good month for crappie. It's one of the most underrated
months of the year
as stable weather, calm winds and beautiful landscapes make this a great
time to be on the lake.
Cool mornings and warm afternoons. The crappie are aggressive and hit
good
in the 4 to 10 foot
zones on both jigs and live minnows. I highly recommend this month for
crappie.
Bass fishing in October is good as shallow water
action means good
topwater in early morning,
late afternoon. Crankbaits on gravel and around shallow stump rows and
logs
produce some
dandy fish. October is a good bass month here as stable lake levels and
weather mean patterns
hold up good from week to week.
Both September and October are two of the best months
of the year for
both crappie and
bass. Stable weather, calm winds, uncrowded waters, beautiful landscapes
as
trees change
colors.....fall is an excellent time!
(Check out Steve's weekly updated fishing reports by clicking the
icon on your RIGHT)
Steve
McCadams
Professional Guide Service
Crappie and Bass Fishing ~
Duck and Goose Hunting
on Tennessee's Kentucky Lake
655 Anderson Drive
Paris, Tennessee 38242
Phone: (731) 642-0360
E-Mail Steve
|
|
Fishing on
Tennessee's
Kentucky Lake
"America's
Best Known Crappie Fisherman" - Nick Sissley, FISHING WORLD
MAGAZINE
Steve's
Casting for a Cure
Kids Fishing Rodeo
|
