Thread: Hitting Barkley April 4-7

Well went to Energy Lake area over the weekend. It was BAD....Real BAD! The worst I've seen it on Barkley in over 10 years. We stayed at Energy Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon, and pulled out Tue.

The water was High was an understatement! The Damn at Energy was just about completely under by Mon. You could troll through the whole weekend the south side of the dam's road was already flooded.

Needless to say fishing in Energy and Barkley was very slow. We had 4 boats with 13 guys. Over the 5 days.....17 Crappie TOTAL with all 4 boats. A few largemouth and white perch mixed in. Not a single bluegill or catfish. In the past you'd always seem to catch something on the slow crappie days, but this trip all the fish had lock jaw!

Energy Lake and Crooked Creek Bay where fairly clear considering the high water. But Barkley it's self was very muddy.

These are hard fisherman too! We fished 12 hours plus everyday in all 4 boats and each boat barely caught 1 crappie a day. That is bad slow. We threw every color of the rainbow and every technique known. Nothing worked. Pounding the banks, Spider rigging, drifting, jigs, minnows....you name it we tried it. The water temp was 58 -61 degrees most days.

I believe the spawn could be messed up a bit this year. We were told the water level would crest on Wed. It rose from Fri-Tues everyday.

Oh well, the camping and eating were a hit at least. No work for 5 days is great!! There is always next year. I just hate I took a 5 hour drive for no crappie. In another week it should be better.......ain't it always.

Boy oh boy I got to go back this weekend to get my boat, wish I would have brought it home It does not look good.I will still fish its better than sitting at home wishing I was fishing.Green Turtle Bay here I come

I've got a buddy that is one heck of a crappie fisherman and he is camp'n a Cravens right now. Last I talked to him he was having a terrible time catch'n any fish and he's been camping there & fish'n that area every year for as long as I can remember. If he ain't catch'n fish it's tuff. On the bright side I have some good news. I have some other buddies that have been bust'n their butts at Energy. Look for and ol'boy named Jim and his better half. Tell him Terry told ya to check with him on what the fish are do'n. Believe me he'll know.

Good Luck!

About the only Energy tactic that worked for us, was the same one everyone else was doing. It barely worked. Not well mind you.

Almost every boat out there was drifting about half way back into Energy in the middle of the lake and drifting toward the back. You might drift down with 3 guys fishing and maybe take 1 crappie every 4 drifts. Water was around 15 feet deep and gettin hits around 9 -6 feet. It is VERY SLOW fishing this way. I'm talkin 1 bite every 3 hours....you better be ready!

Anyway that is about the only advice I have from 5 days of pounding that area. It's only got to get better.

Tony:

The wife and I came down from Michigan. Got to Kentucky lake on Sat. 4/5 and fished it 'til Sun. 4/6 mid day when we had to pull over to Barkley SRP which we had reserved over a month in advance. Took one look at Barkley lake and packed up and went back over to Kenlake SRP until Wed. There was no way I was putting my boat in that muddy, debris riddled lake...just asking for troubles, and I run a jet too. I agree with you that it was as bad as I've heard about in years!

Barkley fell 1 ft from 4/11to 4/14,the fish we caught were all full of eggs,Id say a couple of days of good sun and the full moon comeing it will get good,caught all our fish 9-10ft.Good luck Deadeye.