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Me and a few of the guys in my family always head to Reelfoot in the spring for a week of crappie fishing, love the lake, but have been wanting to try something different. How would you guys compare the two? I know the obvious differences, but as far a crappie fishing goes. Do you think its worth the change? I have never been to Kentucy Lake.
It is definately worth going to Kentucky Lake. The problem is.....you might want to hire a guide the first year to the lake. Comparing Reelfoot to Kentucky Lake is like comparing apples and oranges. There is A LOT of water to fish and without a clue where to go it is rough. Another think about Kentucky Lake is hitting it right. You can watch the fishing reports by several guides on kentuckylake.com but if you don't hit it right it can be BRUTAL. We have fished it enough that even if we don't hit it just right we can generally squeak a good amout of fish out. My buddy has a place down there in Aurora. He is there enough that I can make a call to see when they are hitting. If it is on......there is no better fishing. Good pre spawn and spawn fishing will generally be anywhere from the last week in March to the middle of April.
dkb
Locator,
I have fished both lakes and Ky. is a lot harder to find the crappie. I fish the N. Ky. Lake area and if you don't have a lot of waypoints or knowledge of some of the spawning banks it can be very hard to figure anything out. You might want to get a guide the first time and go from there.Do not get me wrong, Ky. lake can be great at times.It took me a few years to figure this lake out. I have put out a lot of stuff and that has been the key.If you come down give me a shout and I might can help you out....Ifish
ifish hit the nail on the head. The big challenge you'll face is the lack of visible cover. Very little to key on. If you spider rig you can do some good but having spots to fish is the key. We all have to put stuff out and freshen up old spots every year. I "hit & run". Once I hav developed a pattern I hit a spot for a few minutes and if I don't get a bite I move to the next.
I have never fished Reelfoot but Kentucky Lake is my favorite lake. Like said before it can be a little hard to figure out but well worth the effort. I go there every year. I may look into a permanent campsite or even move there when I retire.
I have considerable experience fishing both Reelfoot and Kentucky Lake. I would highly recommend Kentucky Lake, though I'll admit it is probably easier to catch fish on Reelfoot. If you are planning a Spring trip, you should really consider fishing the Big Sandy area of Ky Lake. I have fished the lake from Kentucky Dam to Pickwick Dam and can tell you there is no better place to fish on the lake than Big Sandy, especially in the Spring. During Feb and March, I'd concentrate in the area of the Power Lines just out of Mansard Island marina, or the 8 to 16 ft water in the Britton Ford area. As the water warms into late March, early April, I'd move further up into Britton Ford or try Swamp Creek or the New Hope area. Much of the area of New Hope is covered in old stump beds. It's pretty hard "not" to catch crappie in the Big Sandy area provided the weather is agreeable and the wind is not too strong. Many people swear by Jonathan Creek and Blood River---and they are excellent crappie areas on Ky Lake---but nothing beats Big Sandy---and I say that with years of fishing all three places.
Thanks for the advice, we love to fish Reelfoot, but its kind of the same deal, 65 and sunny when we leave, and 35 and snowing at the lake. Only thing about Reelfoot, is once the wind picks up in the spring (and it will) you can't hardly fish. and theres not much else to do. So were stuck drinking beer, and I not complaining but we go to fish.
Don't rule out Ky Lake's sister Lake Barkley...connected by a channel at the north end.....Quote:
Originally Posted by Locator79
No matter which way the wind is blowing...you can always find a bay out of the wind in one of these two sister lakes......and a lot of the bays have ramps that you can drive to easily to keep from having to traverse the big lake when the whitecaps are 5 ft high....
KYMAN is shooting you straight. Big Sandy is the place to fish. I would recommend you try it BUT.....if the weather man says the wind is blowing 10 miles/hour you can hang it up. You may be able to find a place out of the wind in a creek but everbody and thier momma is gonna be trolling that bank too. People come from far and wide with thier yachts to fish Big Sandy in the Spring. So, if you don't mind waiting in lines for an hour to put your boat in and you have a boat that is able to brave the waves if it gets bad, I say do it. I will PM you some info. on how to find some spots to fish when you come.
The Hound
Locator79:
I used to live directly between KY and Reelfoot Lakes. For the past two years I have lived on Lake Barkley, which is KY Lake's sister lake like rnvinc said. Ky Lake is a deeper, clearer lake than Reelfoot and Barkley. While Reelfoot is shallow with a multitude of stumps and trees, Ky Lake is deeper and clearer with less structure. Barkley Lake falls between the two, it has deep ledges and shallow, slightly stained water. My best advice is for you to purchase hydrographic maps and study them before you come down to fish. Ky Lake has some SI and 3D charts while Barley has 3D charts. Study the maps and develop a game plan suited towards your favorite fishing style/ tactics. Good Luck... Hooked
Kentucky HydroGrafx -- Kentucky and Barkley lake maps
Any advice on where to stay? A nice place that will sleep 5 to 10 guys?
Hope this helps
Kentucky Lake Lodging, Lake Barkley Lodging
Locator79,
one place i would check out would be Fishtale Lodge.... "1-731-642-7113"
they have cabins the will meet your needs. and are very nice. I have stayed with them for about four yrs going now! Sharon And David are very nice poeple and are very accomidating.... you can also look the up on the net....
The are very close to the BIG Sandy too..:D
Thanks for the info everybody
Two + year old thread and i stumble across it. LMAO. What's up 79? Nissan doin aiight? Hey man, I've stayed 10 or more different places in Big Sandy over the last 10 yrs. Fishtale Lodge is fine place to stay. Designed well, with boater/fisherman in mind! And, i guess i can let you in on quite a few places to catch fish there. I'll be goin there again (as usual) in April this yr. Aint got week narrowed down, but I will.
Hollar at me when you wanna BS about it.