I think you're probably right ....
Quote:
Originally Posted by
tubejig
As of this writing the surface temp. on S. Ky is 59. I usually look at 60 as the magic temp. Tomorrow is supposed to be warm and will probably push the temp. up to 60. There is going to be a cool down startin Sat. and going through Wed. night. with night temps getting into the 30's, which will cool the surface temp. I know there is alot of info saying that 65 is the magic temp. but my log of several years says that 60 is when I start whacking them. I think some fish will spawn in the next 2 days and some will hold till the next warmup. I hope that's the case since I can't go until late next week. I'd like to hear what some of you guys think.
and I'm counting on it :D
I'm not going to KY Lake ... but, I am going to Watts Bar (East TN) late next week, and the temp dip & recovery should hold them where they currently are ... 10-15ft range. Last week they were still out in 20+ft of water, on WB, and still at the creek mouths/channel ledges. A week of warm weather, and slowly rising water levels, has brought them into these mid depth ranges. The cool spell should affect only those that are already in shallow water, possibly pushing them back out to the mid depths. Those already in the mid depths should probably stay there, and move shallower when the weather turns back warm. That's what I'm hoping for, anyway :D
It also doesn't hurt, that the Moon will be full on April 20th. Solunar predictions are for the hours of 9AM-2PM to be the better timeframe for the days I'll be there. (17th-20th)
As for the "water temp magic number" ... depends on which specie of Crappie we're talking about ;) ... since Black Crappie tend to come shallow a couple of weeks prior to White Crappie (preferring cooler water temps than the White Crappie). A day or two, of cold weather, shouldn't affect matters too much, if followed up by warm days ... but, a week of much cooler temps, will slow their progress towards the shallows.
... luck2ya ... cp :cool:
I think we are ok right now
Quote:
Originally Posted by
BigSandyRookie
What worries me is the high water we have here on the TN river/KY lake. The water is dropping now, is still at about 41/2 ft. over summer pool, but is already at 58-59 degrees. The fear is that the fish will move shallow, spawn, then they drop the water to normal levels leaving the "nests" high and dry. How likely is that? I'm no expert. Of course, we expect the cool down this weekend.
As long as the lake is falling any at all, the crappie will retreat back out over a little deeper water. They may maintain a shallow depth but be suspended over the deeper water. They'll pull back to at least the old summer pool water line. Looks like most of the bad rain went north of us so that will help some. What rain we got in combination with the high winds should stain the water enough to help the crappie that are already shallow maintain that depth or close to it. The coming days are gonna bring some cold weather which will also help hold off the spawn. I hope!
You're asking the wrong dude ...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bgcastreel
Your thoughts on questions ?
if you're asking me about KY Lake :D I haven't fished there in many, many years. And I've never fished Blood River.
All my KY Lake/Barkley Lake experience, has been mostly from 70's & 80's trips ... back when White Crappie ruled :p
I really don't have a clue as to what the Crappie are doing, down there, under the conditions the lakes are in. Best I can do is postulate, based on what worked for me, during the two times I fished those lakes under flooded conditions. Back then (80's ??) ... fishing the flooded live shoreline trees of Barkley Lake, with a minnow/slip float @ 1.5ft deep & right against the tree, was the only thing that consistantly worked. And White Crappie were the species caught. The latest time (90's maybe ??), I fished the LBL bays of KY Lake. All fish were caught drifting minnows along the cliff walls of the rock quarry, out at the mouth of Pisgah Bay, and a few from the flooded campground of Pisgah Bay. Back then ... I never even thought about going to KY/Barkley until after Apr 21st. Earliest I've ever fished KY Lake, was during the first week of April. Light rain, air temps in the 30's & 40's, made for a challenging trip. We were staying at KY Dam Marina ... and all our fish came from the little bay just before you get to Little Bear Creek. All the way in the back of that bay, fishing over flooded field grass, casting Chartreuse marabou Roadrunners overtop the grass, in about 6ft of water. Our buddies, in another boat, fished minnows/tightline, out in slightly deeper water ... and caught just as many.
Since the White Crappie are trying to spawn around flooded shoreline cover, down in the Big Sandy area (Tenn) ... and that's upriver, and South, of the Blood River area ... maybe they haven't started at Blood River, yet.
But, with the yo-yo'ing water levels and temps, I'm inclined to believe that the fish are constantly being forced to relocate ... and that's why there's such a narrow window of opportunity to find/catch them. And since I haven't fished either lake, since the domination switch, I have no experience to go on, about Black Crappie behavior down there.
If you haven't already read thru it, you may want to study this : http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/navigat...vPath=C101C552 ... it may give you some ideas about Black Crappie movements vs weather/water conditions.
Sorry, but that's the best I can offer :o
... luck2ya ... cp :cool:
