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I need help from all you bluegrass state crappie masters! Me and a coupla GA crappie fisherman are thinkin of:confused: :confused: heading to the KY lake area the first week of April and were lookin for some advice on where to stay and where to start lookin for fish. Any suggestions ya'll have would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance for all the help!
Paris tn, stay at fish-tale lodge very nice and clean, and fish the big sandy area, good fishin, hope it helps.
I would stay wherever you can get a room. They will book up quick for that time of the year. I like KY Dam Village because they have nice 2 bedroom cabins with cooking stoves for around $79. or so. It is also close to Patties Settlement and you have to eat there if you are going to visit KY Lake. Look for the crappie in Jonathon Creek and Blood River. If the weather is good and you don't catch crappie in those two places....hang it up because they are about the best.
Thanks for the info I will check both spots out. Is there alot of submerged structure in the lake? My fish jigs mostly and don't usually troll, do I need to learn some new tactics before I head up that way?
http://www.kentuckylake.com/klo-members/beespring.htm
Check out the above link. I grew up fishing this area in April and can help you out w/ where to fish. Nice people at Bee Springs and the breakfast is great. Accomodations are not fancy but are clean. Let me know if you end up staying there and I let you know some good spots to fish.
By the time you are gonna be here the Black crappie will probably be spawning & the White crappie won't be far behind. Casting jigs to shallow cover & staging areas in about 8' will probably get you a mess of fish. While Jonathan & Blood River are 2 good bays, they are by no means the "end all." There are several good bays on both sides of the lake. Also don't forget Lake Barkley but be careful she'll eat a boat up if you don't watch where you are go'n.:DQuote:
Originally Posted by Ridgerunner
you might also want to look thru this Crappie Tagging study, especially the time frame and fish location maps : http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigat...vPath=C101C552Quote:
Originally Posted by Ridgerunner
Read thru the entire study, following all the links ... very useful info, and a current insight into the Crappie movement during that timeframe.
...... luck2ya ... cp :cool:
You asked about the submerged cover- the lake and coves are full of it. This is a great lake to fish, it's not always an easy lake but the fish are there. I usually go the 2nd or 3rd week of April and still catch alot of fish that haven't spawned yet. I have fished both ends of the lake and don't think that 1 end is better than the other.
Even though you're fishing the first week of April, I would still look at the deep brush as all crappie don't move shallow at once. Last year most of our best fish came from 16'-18' fow. Good Luck and have a great time.
http://www.kentuckylake.com/accommodations.htm
Good luck to ya!
They may not be the "end all" but if you are from out of state and looking for good starting points, then you can start to look out at other spots. Barkley would be a great place to start out if you want to replace your lower unit. Drive carefully on that lake. You might want to start with a guide or make sure you stay in the channel or your wife will hate your new investment on a new motor. Barkley however is a great lake but I am not on it enought to feel real comfortable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Wiskers
I'm not trying to turn anyone away from Jonathan or Blood River. But every time someone askes about Ky Lake those 2 bays are the first 2 to be reccomended. They are good bays but.... they get a lot, and I mean a lot of fishing pressure. To me there is just too much company in those 2 bays that time of year. I usually fish them early in the season then after everybody starts getting out I move to other bays & catch just as many or more fish.
Barkley is a great lake & in my opinion greatly overlooked for the reasons Jigboy mentioned. He is also right about Patty's. Best porkchop you'll ever eat.
I live here and have fished these lakes for going on 40 years & have never tore anything up. But there again I don't go tearing down the lake like an idiot! If you're gonna fish Barkley 1. get a map. 2. utilize the navagation aids (buoys & dayboards). 3. Use your depth finder! 4. Use the creek channels. 5 Keep your speed under control when not in the main channel. This lake can get you! You can be running along in 30 feet of water & go 20' in the wrong direction and be in 1 foot of water or on a stump or log. It's a good lake if you use your head. :rolleyes:
I'm a towboat pilot & I run the cumberland river (Barkley Lake) all the time. I have seen some Cowboys get bucked off trying to bust up the lake too fast. Don't be scared of it, just respect it. :D
^^^^^^ What he said!, Whiskers is correct. Some of the lake areas do get pounded a lot. There are a good number of places that are underfished. Barkley is a great lake. I fish it almost exclusively, however it will bite you if not careful. Some of the little bays that are not fished a great deal are Tinsley Hollow, McNabb, Denumbers, Buzzard Rock, Little River, etc.......Do get a map and watch the bouys when traveling from spot to spot. out of the channels are fine but go slow. THE BANDIT
Barkley isnt bad if it's at summer pool and you use a little common sense,once you leave the main channel if the bay doesnt have markers (very few are marked) slow down and watch your depth. Poplar Creek and Kuttawa has some good fishing also. Bandit do you fish weekends much because I fish Dryden and Mcnabb alot and in April they are covered up, it is a little better during the weekdays.
^^^^^Yeah I fish several weekends, Since I own a business time can be hard to come by. I fish whenever the time allows. I do take off through the week when I can. When I fish weekends I try to get there early. What type of craft do you fish? I am currentley fishing a Nitro 170 with a 115 Merc. Until last year I used a 90 Hydro Sport. If you notice me give a shout. We have probably passed each other several times. THE BANDIT
I fish out of a gold colored 492vs ranger with a 225 Yamaha if you see me stop and say hello. One day last fall I seen where you posted fishing Dryden I was sure I seen you but hated to go up to someone and being wrong. I am gradually going to start fishing the LBL side more due to all the traffic this weekend planning on putting out some stake beds on that side.
On Ky don't forget Duncan, Sugar, Smith, and Sledd Creek. All have great spots if you can find them.
I ran Barkley from the mid70s to the mid 80s and what Whiskers says is the gospel. I started out with a 12 footer and a 7.5 and never had issues as long as I respected the lake. Things to watch is if they have a draw down and drop the level (not so much in the spring) because 6" can make a big difference. Couple of highly overlooked bays there are Davenport, Carmack, and Crab. i have also done well in the bay by the dam where the marina used to be (back in the early 70s???) Watch the break wall going in though. Its about underwater when I was there a couple years ago:eek:
If your gonna try Barkley, check out Crooked Creek. Its a little bit of a drive but they have a good ramp at that bay and it still has a very defined creek channel in it. Also, its not as populated as the other bays because its a little futher down the road. Just stay on the creek and you'll catch fish. There is a lot of cover on the creek channel. It runs from the mouth of the bay to the very back up to the riprap road bank. At the road there is a pipe under the road where Energy Lake drains into Crooked. The bay is shallow in comparison with most bays but not too shallow to run. It tends to really turn on during April.
Hey Ridge,
If you have trouble finding lodging around the lake try some of the near by towns. Benton, Grand Rivers, Murray, Paris (TN), Cadiz, etc. All have motels. Both chain and locally owned. Some have spots for parking trailers, charging boat batteries, just ask when you talk to them.
Old Guide
^^^^^Hey guys, watch the fellow called Old Guide, He knows what he is talking about. He is really a guide. His reputation is real good. He does a lot of posting on the Kentucky Lake. com site. He is full of useful info. and is always willing to answer the questions of us lesser fishermen. If you are looking to book a guide in the northern sections of Kentucky Lake or Barkley give him a shot. Old Guide it is good to see you on here. Whiskers is posting here as well. I want to thank you for what you do, I have fished for these little rascals for nearly 30 years. I still don't have the hang of it yet.
THE BANDIT
Yep Old Guide is Da Man on Northern Ky Lake. Good to see ya on here. It's about time you came out of the Bullpen & took the mound! :D
http://www.kentuckylake.com/accommodations.htm
This likk may help you find a place to stay.
Hey guys,
How you'all doing? Thanks for the kind words. I tout the Kentucky Lake site all the time to people because you guys are so ready to help other fishermen. I have checked the forums here from time to time trying to pick up any tips.
A really decent guy that won a fishing trip I gave away at Bass Pro Shops is going out with me in a month or so fishing. He called the other night. He wanted to reply to someone on crappie.com interested in fishing the Blood River area. So I told him sure go ahead.
I got thinking maybe I needed to spread my wings a little and branch out to some other sites. And this one is one of the best for our favorite fish so here I am.
I am always looking for new ideas and willing to share what I know so if I can ever help let me know. I am sure I will do the same!
Thanks,
Old Guide
That Sure Is Neighborly Of You :)
Hey Whiplash,
How's it going brother? The way I look at it is more crappie die from old age every year then are caught in big lakes like Kentucky, Barkley, Dale Hollow, etc. Why not help somebody catch a few for the skillet, ya know.
Old Guide
Hey Lyndon. Glad to see you on here. Like Kentuckylake.com this is also a great site. I have not had the pleasure of ever meeting Lyndon but if you need info on Ky. lake he would be one of several that I would listen to along with the Bandit and Whiskers. They are all very helpful and give out great information. Hope to make it down to Ky. lake this spring.
Thanks for all the great info, ya'll have been great! I don't know how the weather up there is but the fish down here have gotten lock jaw in North GA! I'm beginning to wonder if I need to pack my snow gear for a trip in the first week in April! Ha! Again, thanks for all the good info.