KY Lake Advice Needed Late March

Hi All, wondering if any of you would be willing to help me out. I have been a die hard hunter for years and in the past 10 years got into fishing because my father gave me a boat when he upgraded. I have got hooked on crappie fishing a couple of lakes but my experience mostly is just shooting docks with jigs. I have been making a trip to Canada the last 5 years with my son but would like to take a trip with my Dad. I get concerned about taking him too far north far away from medical care as he is getting older and has had some medical issues. My wife is going on a mission trip to Honduras last week in March so I thought it might be good time for Dad and I to take a short trip to KY lake. Son may also come as it's spring break for him. I briefly tried spider rigging last year but haven't mastered it yet. We would probably be just casting and not spider rigging. I have done a little research and I am thinking about the blood river area. I am looking for any suggestions you have for making this trip successful. I don't want a fancy place to stay but I do want one that is clean. Basically just looking for a place to sleep and clean fish. How hard is it going to be to find fish without a guide?

Rigging will work so will casting. It all depends on what your most comfortable doing. Electronics play a big part because all the structure in ky lake is submerged. Blood river is one of many areas to try. Just keep up with the posts leading up to your trip. Ky guys aren't tight lipped they will help you anyway they can. Hopefully the blacks should be up shallow. Casting towards the banks should work. Whites will be away from the bank. Rigging will work if you find the ledges and troll along them or rigging above brush piles you find. Plenty of structure in blood river. Good luck. I will be down 1st week of April.

sent pm

I will be down also starting last couple days in march. We stay at Irvin cobb Resort not fancy but has always been clean. It is located in Blood River you won't have trouble finding fish spider rigging or casting.

Blood is a good area with lots of options.

As a rule the time period that you mentioned, typically lends itself to a variety of techniques. Blacks will be heading to the banks or already spawning and the Whites should be anywhere from 20' of water to males exploring the banks.

This all depends on water temps. and lake levels.

In the past, I've seen temps anywhere from the mid 50's to darn near 70. Just depends on what kinda year the Good Lord decides he wants to throw at us. Lake levels are also unpredictable at that time of year.

Due to a few years of good spawns the numbers of 11" to 13" fish should be good. Like the others said... Just about any way you choose to fish should produce a few. Check any chunk rock bank and you should find some Blacks.

Unless you get a REAL early start in the mornings, be ready for a long walk at the boat ramps.

As for the lodging... Where ever you choose to stay, ya better be making reservation soon or ya won't even be able ta find a place to pitch a tent that time of year. Most of the campgrounds haven't opened at that time and the lodging will be snached up quick!

Note... I reserve the right to be absolutely WRONG! :biggrin

What he said

I use whatever tactic seems to be working in that time frame but my wife is all about watching a bobber. We anchor off the deep side of the chunk rock points and rig casting rods(she uses spincast and I use spinning) with slip bobbers, #1 Aberdeen hooks and just enough weight to cast it well. Get some shiner minnows and hook them thru the eyes. Cast them up into 3-5 feet of water with the minnow set at least a foot above the bottom and sit back. One of the most relaxing ways of fishing and when the blacks are cruising the banks, very productive.

Bring plenty of clothes, one day you may fish in shorts and need columbias the next. This is KY and the weather is subject to change at any moment :biggrin.

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Originally Posted by justinp61

Bring plenty of clothes, one day you may fish in shorts and need columbias the next. This is KY and the weather is subject to change at any moment :biggrin.

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True Dat !! I remember doing exactly that .... in late APRIL !! :Rofl

... cp :kewl

if I could only fish Kentucky Lake one month of the year it would be March. Like Wiskers said mother nature is the determining factor in what time in March.I think this is the best time of year for consistant catches of BIG slabs there. We usually stay in Aurora and put in at Ruff as a COBB!

There was a report on a state board I don't remember which one but they said the caught some blacks that has eggs in em. So the pre spawn and spawn might happen sooner than we all think. Lets keep our fingers crossed. Even then there are still slabs out there to be caught

You can find eggs in crappie in the fall.

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Originally Posted by slabdaddy

iWe usually stay in Aurora and put in at Ruff as a COBB!

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I'm sure it's obvious to most folks but what does put in at ruff as a cobb mean?

Not sure , but there is an Irwin Cobb campground