Is weather really the problem?? I don't know...Do you?

I'm a very inexperienced crappie fisherman and just keep reading report after report about how tough the fishing has been this spring on KY lake (from the top to the bottom). I know the weather has played a major factor in the spring fishing. It seems everytime someone gets a day off to chase the ole slabs you either have 20+ winds, water dropping 1/2 foot a day, muddy muddy water, rain all day...seems it's been something 90% of the time.

So what are you thoughts? Are the fish there, but on lock down due to the weather?
Are we just in a poor year due to a bad spawn several years ago? With the low numbers of fish this year...could this be better for us in the future since nobody's catching fish during the spawn?

Thanks in advance

I can't answer your very good question. But the everning and morning I got skunked the sidescan was polluted with fish around ledge brushpiles, just couldn't buy a bite.

Brook

Great question!!!
And great answer!!!

I seem to agree with brookpe they are there!!! Ky lake we mapped fish on ledges... fished these spots with a fine tooth comb... ONE fish! So not only are these fish but they are crappie. Same situation back home at Brookville Reservior in Indiana. One day we catch a few and then the next we slam em! Crazy weather

Or let me propose this since its earth day... Maybe this weather is the effects of Global warming??? or could be the effects of the Japan Radiation Leak????

If the weather isnt the problem it should be ,the fish don"t know wheather to **** or go blind ,haha

Could the low catch rate help us in next year or down the road?? Where's a biologist when you need one...

I don't know about next year but would think the way the lakes has been rising then falling. You would think that it will affect the spawn big time. Around here in the Eastern part of the state,there was some good fishing back early to mid month of March. Since then water levels has been all out of wack. Haven't been able to fish much at all in the month of April.
LittleJohn

Conditions constantly changing really effects the bite IMO. 'Least that what I blame it on.:o

I'm not sure, but believe it's more conditions than fish numbers myself. What few days I've got to fish when the conditions have been stable, we've done pretty well. Doesn't mean numbers aren't off a little, but pretty hard to judge given the conditions. As for a biologist, Paul Rister(fisheries biologist for the Lakes area) frequents this board at times but hasn't posted in a while. You might try e-mailing him, [email protected] if you have specific questions. He's always got back to my e-mails.

I agree with you pab1981...the 10% chance I did have good conditions I did pretty well. Thats why I beleive next year should be pretty good.

We are really lucky here with the sister lakes of KY and Barkley lakes. I check the weather for wind direction and speed on the morning that I plan to fish and try to pick a bay that is somewhat protected from the wind where there is a good variety of depths. I also try to pick the bay that I can keep my boat pointed into the wind for the wind that does happen to reach where I am fishing.

With the variety of different facing bays that we have here I can generally always pick a bay that has fishable water for any wind direction.

Knowing where the fish should be by the present water temp and then adjusting that fishing depth by what the weather is has been the last few days will give me a good idea of if I need to fish deeper than normal for that water temp or shallower for that water temp.

I agree with most all of ya. I am sidescanning ledges, cover on flats, etc. I see fish on everything but often can't get a bite or I catch dinks. I truely believe crappie are more in tune to changes in weather, lake elevation, etc. than any other fish going. And because of that reason they have been tough this year on Kentucky and Barkley. I have been on the water almost every day since mid March and this has been my toughest year I can remember.

But I am seeing numbers of fish on everything. My catch has been dominated by white crappie which were suppose to be well out numbered by the black crappie this year. I believe one reason is while the blacks were spawning the conditions have been miserable! I have had some good days and overall size this year I believe is bigger than ever. But I have also had days where I went without one keeper. I don't claim to be the best fishermen on the water at all. But I rarely go without one keeper (let alone a decent mess) this time of year.

For those you with sidescan do me a favor. If you have seen this let me know and if you haven't, start watching whether using Humminbird or Lowrance. Tell me if you see fish in and around cover. I have used sidescan since its inception and as a guide, I have been on their field staff program for several years.

Some don't believe me but I can see the fish on sidescan in and around the cover. The crappie look like tiny dark grains of rice. What got me noticing is when I see them on the edge of or working outside stakes, brush, etc. I get hits. If I see them hugging stakes up in cover they rarely hit. Even when I drag a jig like a silder or dangle a minnow in the stakes. I usually find them working outside the stakes in low light conditions like early morning, late evening, or in heavy cloud cover or rain. I believe this is the time they are more comfortable and are moving away from cover hunting for and attacking baitfish. If you have seen this let me know or if you haven't start watching your unit. I am getting a report together for Humminbird.

Thanks,

Lyndon

Old guide, I respect your views and appreciate your honesty when posting reports. I read your reports very often as I'm sure others on this board do as well. Thanks for the feedback. Here's a couple of picks with a Humminbird...is this what you're talking about??


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It is a combination of things, I feel the top of the list is very poor water quality, the water is simply kinda or very muddy or stained. That is the issue in MHO. Water clears a bit, watch em go

Pepper

Great shots deepcover! I love downscan. Any yep, I have seen that as well. The thing I was talking about was on the sidecsan images. Small streaks that appears in or out of cover while sidescanning. I am sure it is fish but want others opinion as well. I wish I had a good screenshot to post but I don't right now. I will try and get one this week. Also, thanks for the comments!

Lyndon

I have a tough time finding them in sidscan...this is on the only picture that I have, but I don't think it's what your talking about. Hope you can get us a pic this week.

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I seem to find more keeper size fish by the amount of baitfish and baitfish balls I see on the SI.....no baitfish around-no crappie...

I see lots of schooling fish on the SI...but the only thing I can catch when I see this is dinks....

The larger fish seem to be more loners this year...rarely am I catching more than 2 on one piece of structure unless I leave the structure for 30 minutes or so and refish...

So I have been starting about 3/4 of the way in the back of the bays and working my way out and I'm not catching fish until I start seeing the baitfish on the SI....I have found no baitfish in less than 9ft of flat bottom water (like in the back of the bays)....then I'm searching different depths around the baitfish until I find the depth where I can find a few...and even then, they are not very aggressive...I have to sit on them to get them to bite...

The females I've been catchin are mostly whites in 14 ft of 65 degree water....

These white females seem to prefer a very large bait package...either a larger minnow or a jig tipped with a minnow...sometimes I even put 2 minnows on 1 hook to get the offering to look bigger.....this seems to help some...(but it may be that I am just more confident in live bait)....

The blacks are probably shallower but I find it difficult to spider rig in less than 7 ft of water without spooking fish...I'll leave these to you guys that like the shallow bite...I'll fish the larger female whites out in the deeper water....

Rickie

Great info guys. I have been seeing a lot of stake beds and trees that look like they have Christmas ornaments on them with down scan.I usually only catch very small crappie when I see this. I have noticed the bite being way off when they have a lot of gates open on KY. & BKLY. Especially with the whites. I think the blacks are done for the most part.If a guy could figure out this pattern and get them to bite you would be on to something.I think it is all related to the water level going up and down and the strong current. Tough bite this spring but we have managed some good fish.

Also, many people here the words "Kentucky Lake" and they think of catching 100 Crappie per day, and they think of 2 pound Crappie everywhere.


Most people think this simply because the fishing media has told them this, also because years ago people could catch 100 or more Crappie per day in many spots around the lake.


Sure you still can get lucky and hit a hot spot and catch a ton of Crappie. But I think most fisherman are lucky to catch a limit of fish in 1 day.


Many years of tens of thousands of fisherman, fishing on KY Lake has simply taken a toll on the Crappie fishing, and it also has added a ton of fishing pressure to many areas of the lake.IMO

However, I agree that the lake levels, and bad weather are probably the main factor for the tough fishing this Spring.