FISHING SCENE VICTIM OF WEATHER

Kentucky Lake 1-2-25

Report Contributor - Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

Another visit from the Siberian Express has curtailed the winter fishing scene. Frigid temps for the last week or so kept most anglers at bay, doing the majority of their fishing at the coffee shops or up close to the fire somewhere. Anglers had been catching some pretty good stringers of crappie before the brutal weather descend but several back-to-back days that never eclipsed the freezing mark sort of cooled the spirits of local fishermen. Watch for a rebound as anglers are anxious to get back out and test the water. They’ve been suffering from cabin fever for about a week and shown signs of irritability.

Lake levels have been low and stable. Elevation this past week slept around the 354.5 range. Watercolor has been clear. Surface temperatures were in the low 30’s as some thin sheets of ice were reported in shallow backwater areas recently. Odds are the crappie are waiting for the return of a few fishermen who had been catching them in 9-to-14-foot depths. Some fishermen reported finding them deeper around the 15-to-18-foot depth range around deep brush piles and stake beds. Jigs were producing but some credited their catches to live minnows or jigs tipped with minnows.

After a week of brutal weather watch for both the fish and the fishermen to get back in the grove quickly if the weatherman will cooperate. A few days of rising temps and light winds can see the bite resume quickly.

WINTER FISHING SCENE HAS BEEN A GOOD ONE

 

Kentucky Lake - 12-26-24

Report Contributor - Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

In times past winter fishing across the Kentucky Lake outdoor scene has been mostly an afterthought. When inclement weather dominated the overall picture not many diehard anglers were up to the challenge of bone chilling white caps from north winds or frigid temperatures that resulted in numb hands. A lot of outdoorsmen opted to spend winter days water fowling when the weather turned nasty. That’s changed lately. Mild weather has hurt the duck hunting but worked in favor of fishermen. May be time to park the shotgun in the closet and pick up the fishing pole!

Meanwhile, if the weather turns bad sometimes anglers just come to their senses and realize their limitations, staying on shore and next to the fire waiting for the weather to break in their favor. Not so lately. Ole man winter has been kind to the local fishing scene but short of hurt the feeling of weary duck hunters. Scores of fishermen have been out in force these last few weeks when moderate temperatures and light winds invited them out to the lake.

Kentucky Lake’s recent fishing report from several successful anglers indicates the bite has been good for both crappie and some white bass, smallmouth and even a few stripers. Christmas Day was an unusually warm winter day with stagnant winds. The lake was calm and uncharacteristic for this time of year.

A few anglers seized the opportunity and found the fish cooperating. Some nice stringers of crappie were taken by anglers fishing mostly jigs around deep submerged manmade fish attractors. Their stake beds and brush piles in depths of 13 to 15 feet paid dividends. Some even deeper at times. Some fish were taken in 9 to 11 feet, but most were a bit deeper.

Catfish were on the prowl too as current in the Tennessee River lately has stimulated that bite. Bumping bottom in the 35-foot depth range was giving up some dandy stringers too. Several nice blue catfish were caught. TVA has been pulling water lately as they worked to bring the reservoir back down to the winter pool elevation range of 354. Last week lake levels were hanging around the 354.5 range. Watercolor was clear and TVA was pulling about 45,000 cfs (cubic feet per second) of water through Kentucky Dam. Water temps were in the 45-degree range.

Some bass fishermen scored a few hefty largemouth and smallmouth recently. Some indicated a few bronze backs exceeding the 5-pound range!

Also showing up in the creel were a few stripers. The big boys were nailing a white twister tail jig at times out on the edge of the main river channel.

It’s abundantly clear crappie, catfish and bass anglers this winter---for the most part---have fared much better than weary waterfowlers scanning empty skies around most of the west Tennessee area.

 

WINTER CRAPPIE MAKE REBOUND

 

Kentucky Lake 12-12-24

Report Contributor - Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

After last week’s frigid fishing scene across Kentucky Lake that diminished activity for most anglers unwilling to participate in the endurance test, things showed improvement for crappie fishermen. A few nice stringers were taken this week by anglers targeting the 9-to-14-foot depth ranges. Successful anglers sort of cherry picked their days, avoiding the nasty winds when they could. That aided their quest to work main lake areas or pursue open water spots within big bays that gave up some decent stringers.

Fish are holding tight to structure in the midrange depths with a few anglers stalking even deeper water and finding a few holding in brush piles around the 18-to-22-foot depth range. Not unusual to find a few crappies falling back deeper when cold weather is in the picture like it was last week.

It appears temps will moderate by this weekend and even rebound to the upper 50’s and low 60’s by early next week before another cool snap enters the picture by midweek. Rainy days are about to descend as the weather warms. The weather roller coaster seems to be alive and well as late fall fades to winter. Winter officially arrives on December 21.

Lake levels have stayed relative stable lately and hovering around the 354.7 elevation across the reservoir. That’s up a few inches from a week ago but still in the normal range for winter pool levels across the lake. Watercolor remain clear. Surface temps were in the upper 30’s and low 40’s last week but have slowly moderated.

A few bass anglers have been out targeting smallmouth and stalking deep holes where fish are hiding from the current whenever it’s flowing. The recent Bassmaster tournament opened some eyes as to late fall bass fishing. It revealed the bronze backs can be caught even in inclement conditions if you know how to locate them and implement the proper techniques.

Kentucky Lake has pretty much had a good smallmouth fishery for many years, but anglers have become better educated at finding and catching them in recent years. No doubt the advancement of technology with Livescope and Live Image type sonar equipment has enhanced anglers’ knowledge of the illusive deep-water hideouts of smallmouth here.

Santa's Night of Lights Starts Friday

 Starts this Friday.  Come on out to the Lake!

WINTER WEATHER CALLING THE SHOTS FOR FISHING

Kentucky Lake 12-4-24

Report Contributor - Steve McCadams, Professional Guide/Outdoor Writer (stevemc@charter.net)

Bad weather has been the story this week across the Kentucky Lake region as another brutal cold front descended. On Monday the fishing scene saw a gusty beginning of a week full of cold fronts that kicked off with a snowy day reminiscent of a mid-winter weather pattern. Although winter doesn’t officially arrive until December 21 to anglers across the region it feels like it arrived early. Below average temperatures escorted by bone chilling northwest winds have been anything but welcomed by late fall fishermen here.

A stop at Paris Landing State Park by Bass Anglers Sportsmen’s Society (B.A.S.S.) dropped anchor here this week on a rare late season bass tournament but day two of the event on Thursday was postponed due to a nasty weather forecast. Some 250 teams pushed the competition back a day as they hope to complete the fishing here on Saturday, where temperatures are expected to be slightly better, but conditions have been quite challenging all week. Daytime highs on Thursday were forecast to be only 29 degrees; Friday’s high was expected to reach only 35 degrees. Saturday’s high could rebound to a balmy 46 degrees!

Meanwhile, an unforgiving Kentucky Lake was sleeping at a low level of 354.2 range. That’s the low ebb of winter pool elevation and a scenario that can be quite challenging to any anglers, especially those not familiar with the reservoir’s shallow sandbars. Surface temps have dropped to the low 40’s the last few days. Watercolor is clear.

A few bass fishermen were targeting smallmouth spots wherever they could dodge the wind. Crappie anglers managed to catch a few fish the last week or so whenever winds allowed them to move about. Depths of 14 to 14 feet have given up a few fish on main lake ledges whenever anglers found deep brush piles and stake beds.

When the weather gets this bad about the only beneficiaries are duck hunters, deer hunters assuming they’re in a nice, heated stand or a few rabbit hunters following the baying beagles.

Only big dollars in a bass tournament and the chance for the winner to advance to the Bassmaster Classic will pull them away from the fire and comfort zone somewhere indoors and away from the nasty elements of a big cold windy lake.

By early next week temperatures will moderate slightly but rainy days are expected to enter the picture on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.