May 8, 2008

Air Temp: Low 63° High 72°
Water Temp: Low 67° High 69°
Water Elevation: 359.5’ (Summer Pool 359)
Water Clarity: 3’ to 4’ visibility, green stain


Here we are...the 8th day of probably the prettiest weather-month on Kentucky Lake and the fish are biting! Just the other day I came in from a very successful day of fishing and met several familiar faces at the cleaning station, including my clients for the next day’s planned bass fishing trip. It was good to see these other fishermen as I only get to see them a couple times a year and I had a good catch to show them. The other fishermen had that ”just swallowed a mouse” grin on their faces. I soon found out why...not only did I have a cooler full of big brim, 3 other boats did as well. My bass clients saw this and asked me if I could do this again tomorrow and my reply was...”most likely”. We went Bluegill and Red Ear fishing the next day and everyone had a blast!

Don’t get me wrong...I LOVE bass fishing. This month, one of the hardest things for me is to decide what to fish for. I can catch a good number of Crappie, Bass, White Bass, or Catfish, but I can catch a gob of big Bluegill.

If good weather, pretty scenery, lots of scrappy fish on the end of your line, and a great meal of fresh fish is your idea of a good time, then...get Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, the kids, your cousins and anyone you know and come to KY Lake and enjoy our bounty of Brim.


LARGEMOUTH BASS:
Bass fishing is good! Putting together a specific pattern can be a little frustrating at times though. Bass can be caught from top water to 23’ deep right now. Some are finished spawning while others are yet to spawn. I’ve caught fish this past week on spinner baits, tubes, trick worms, Senkos, lizards, 10” worms, 4” worms, deep crank baits, and shallow crank baits. From the mouths of bays, out in the main lake, main lake points, and in the bushes in the backs of bays. Bass are EVERYWHERE! The most consistent pattern for me has been a Carolina rigged lizard, worm, or baby brush hog fished 8’ to 15’ deep on main lake points, or 5’ to 10’ deep on secondary gravel points in the bays (but near the main lake), OR 8’ to 12’ deep on flats with grass in the back 2/3 of bays. Watermelon with chartreuse tail has been effective. I hear some big bags are coming on crank baits on deeper banks.

SMALLMOUTH BASS:
Carolina Rigs on bars at the mouths of bays and pea gravel points on the main lake are producing good fish. The fish seem to be mostly 4’ to 12’ deep, although I’ve caught some as deep as 18’. Tubes are also catching fish on deeper rocky points. Pumpkin-chartreuse is productive.

CRAPPIE:
Still good sized and fair numbers being caught. I’ve done best when fishing brush on 12’ to 16’ flats in bays. Minnows or chartreuse curly tails are productive.

BLUEGILL / RED EARS:
Right now (and for the next week) will probably be the best Bluegill / Red Ear fishing of the entire year. Fish small jigs, crickets, wax worms, or earth worms in 3’ to 8’ of water on pea gravel points from the mouth of bays to 2/3 back for fast action on nice gills and red-eared Sunfish. Catching big numbers of Bluegill and a fair number of big Red Ears.

CATFISH:
Channel cats are starting to show up on the rocks along shore. Fish night crawlers or leeches in 4’ to 10’ of water for good action. Fish large minnows or leeches 20’ to 30’ deep on main lake for Bluecats.

WHITE BASS:
Fish small spoons or minnows 10' to 20' deep on main lake gravel points for good action.

Check out my web site at www.captainkirksguideservice.com for pictures and plenty of past reports.

Hope you catch a bunch!
Capt Kirk, out!