By Steve McCadams
Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene is anxious for fall’s arrival. The wait will soon be over. Seasons officially transition September 22, which is next Tuesday.
Anglers know that doesn’t automatically mean cooler days will immediately descend. However, just knowing autumn’s arrival is here on the calendar makes it feel better out there on the lake and in the woods.
There’s already that feel in the air. Something special is taking place, one falling leaf at a time.
Lake levels have been hovering around the 356.2 range. Not a lot of change since last week. It has been hot and dry across the TVA valley.
Not much current moving in the main Tennessee River channel lately due to lack of rain. TVA has decreased discharge rates at Kentucky Dam as only 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) were passing through the gates.
Water color remains clear. Surface temperatures was holding in the 85 degree range.
It’s high time we had some cool nights creating those early fall foggy mornings.
Every fisherman is yearning for jacket mornings and shirt sleeve afternoons. Bring on the chill and a few goosebumps.
Sluggish current in the main channel has curtailed the bite for catfish this week. A few are being caught but lack of flow diminishes the movement of baitfish. When the schools of shad quit moving in low flows the catfish go lethargic.
The hot and dry conditions haven’t produced runoff so diminished flow means a diminished bite for catfishermen as of late. That will change whenever the current resumes.
A few crappie have been taken in the 11 to 14 foot depth range in early morning and late afternoons when lowlight conditions aid the bite.
Anglers credit their catches to jigs tipped with live minnows. Some are using live minnows exclusively and scoring a few reluctant crappie to bite.
Whenever cloud cover and perhaps some rainy days return watch for the bite to resume. Cooler days will help lower surface temps too, bringing more fish shallow.
The bass bite has also been sluggish due to slow current and a lack of cloud cover on the hot days. In the early morning hours and perhaps late afternoon the bite has been the best. Those bright sunny days when the sun is bearing down and daytime highs are in the mid 90’s has made it tough out there.
A few bass were on shallow gravel banks in early morning hours and just before dark. Tossing topwater and shallow running shad colored crankbaits have accounted for a few bites.
Still targeting the main lake ledges are some boats seeking smallmouth and some schooling largemouth. At times a few schools of white bass are busting the surface and roaming largemouth and smallmouth were running with them.
The white bass corral the shad schools and push them out over shallow sandbars where they blitz to the surface in a last ditch effort to escape.
Tossing a big spoon or a variety of larger crankbaits can pay dividends on larger bass in that scenario.
Hold on; cooler days are coming!
Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene is anxious for fall’s arrival. The wait will soon be over. Seasons officially transition September 22, which is next Tuesday.
Anglers know that doesn’t automatically mean cooler days will immediately descend. However, just knowing autumn’s arrival is here on the calendar makes it feel better out there on the lake and in the woods.
There’s already that feel in the air. Something special is taking place, one falling leaf at a time.
Lake levels have been hovering around the 356.2 range. Not a lot of change since last week. It has been hot and dry across the TVA valley.
Not much current moving in the main Tennessee River channel lately due to lack of rain. TVA has decreased discharge rates at Kentucky Dam as only 20,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) were passing through the gates.
Water color remains clear. Surface temperatures was holding in the 85 degree range.
It’s high time we had some cool nights creating those early fall foggy mornings.
Every fisherman is yearning for jacket mornings and shirt sleeve afternoons. Bring on the chill and a few goosebumps.
Sluggish current in the main channel has curtailed the bite for catfish this week. A few are being caught but lack of flow diminishes the movement of baitfish. When the schools of shad quit moving in low flows the catfish go lethargic.
The hot and dry conditions haven’t produced runoff so diminished flow means a diminished bite for catfishermen as of late. That will change whenever the current resumes.
A few crappie have been taken in the 11 to 14 foot depth range in early morning and late afternoons when lowlight conditions aid the bite.
Anglers credit their catches to jigs tipped with live minnows. Some are using live minnows exclusively and scoring a few reluctant crappie to bite.
Whenever cloud cover and perhaps some rainy days return watch for the bite to resume. Cooler days will help lower surface temps too, bringing more fish shallow.
The bass bite has also been sluggish due to slow current and a lack of cloud cover on the hot days. In the early morning hours and perhaps late afternoon the bite has been the best. Those bright sunny days when the sun is bearing down and daytime highs are in the mid 90’s has made it tough out there.
A few bass were on shallow gravel banks in early morning hours and just before dark. Tossing topwater and shallow running shad colored crankbaits have accounted for a few bites.
Still targeting the main lake ledges are some boats seeking smallmouth and some schooling largemouth. At times a few schools of white bass are busting the surface and roaming largemouth and smallmouth were running with them.
The white bass corral the shad schools and push them out over shallow sandbars where they blitz to the surface in a last ditch effort to escape.
Tossing a big spoon or a variety of larger crankbaits can pay dividends on larger bass in that scenario.
Hold on; cooler days are coming!
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