Night-fisher needs help

[Y-SLABS]

My netman is planning a trip to Laurel Lake in KY. with his famly HE NEEDS HELP!!!! He can't long line troll, been trying to teach him:D He can't pitch jigs, MINNERS IS HIS GAME TBONE/YATES/HILLBILLY??? please help:D:D

[Yates]

My netman is planning a trip to Laurel Lake in KY. with his famly HE NEEDS HELP!!!! He can't long line troll, been trying to teach him:D He can't pitch jigs, MINNERS IS HIS GAME TBONE/YATES/HILLBILLY??? please help:D:D

try the KY site... Laurel Lake

[Tbone72]

never been there so i don't know what kind of lake it is . good luck.

[Hillbilly910]

have minners, will travel.

HB

[crappiemax]

It's been a long time, but last time I was there the thing to fish for were trout under lights at night. After a few hours and not much success, I gave up on the trout and switched to bass fishing at daylight. I caught a few nice smallies.
The lake also has a decent walleye population. They did some radio tracking and found the walleyes were relating to the standing timber during the daylight hours and would only venture out in low light or overcast days. We had limited success with jigging spoons on points very early.
I have no idea where I was on that lake.
It's not much, hope this helps.

[FalconSmitty]

What works for summer nights? Try something different.

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The past month we have been doing better each week. I started by conventional nightstalking as per rango instuctions. It is in the article section of this site if you have not read it. It is pretty much the way I started as a teen back in the 70s. When anchored over a favorite spot with lights in the water, the bite seems to come and go as the fish school in and out of the area. The fish are moving so why stay in one spot. The last 2 weeks I have kept the anchors in storage. Last week I started just using the trolling motor to control the boat. I have learned that if we drop lights as usual for night fishing and drift/slowtroll instead of being teathered to one spot the bite is better. I tried plain trolling pullin jigs at .5-1.5mph last week with only an overhead light to light the poles and boat. I did fair with a steady bite. But not great. Not many big fish. Plus it was sure different keeping those lines straight in the dark.
The night before jafacman and I did better with the lights in the water with minnows. We started anchored then we pulled them and started floating. We did better moving. So tuesday night we just put out the lights and never dropped anchors. We tightlined minnows with 1/4oz lead moving at .1-.3mph.
the magic depth seems to be 16' in 25'-40'FOW. We caught near 100 crappie. We kept 47 that were a pound or better. the cooler and fish weighed 64 pounds without ice or water on a digital bathroom scale. That was the best catch in a few years for a nightslalk on my boat.
Concentrate your efforts on the lower end of your reservoir. Not floating in front of the dam. Well I haven't tried it but my lake has huge stripers that love the dam during summer. I am working the large feeder creeks with deep channels of 60' to 80'. Try the smaller creeks feeding those. I use the ones with a good inflow. Just keep moving until you find the right depth and follow that line. Use your gps to stay on the breakline. Crappie stay on those night and day. I guess what I am saying is, most of us troll during the day. Well it works at night too. The same rule applies. The more water you cover the more crappie that see your bait. So keep that boat moving. I haven't given up on just plain trolling at night. I know it will work just fine but is more dangerous at night. be sure to know the lake well and it sure helps to have a high def GPS map to follow. But for now I will stick to the lights in the water moving slow. I use a Q beam off the front and one off the back. I also drop the 4' green monster light right in the center of the boat. I light up the water and it is working..
Good luck yall
cya at Slabfest or on the water.
Smitty

[crappiemax]

Nice Report

[SpeckWick]

Hey crappiemax, was that you leaving the dam ramp entrance last night around 9:00 or so? If so, did ya do any good? John and I passed a boat that looked like you on our way down to the ramp. Just curious.

[crappiemax]

No, it wasn't me. I went down to see my dad in Florida last week and I drove home yesterday and got home around 9:15. I see another guy with a boat like mine, but his boat is way cleaner.
I was there tonite for a few hours. I didn't really do any good. We caught a few crappie (maybe 10), one catfish and some stripes.
I did find some fish on some brush piles but my wife hates fishing cover she can't see. I had bouys all around one pile and she still has trouble figuring how to fish it. I was hoping to see you or John tonite, I haven't got a clue where the fish are.
I was going to go to Hogans this weekend but that 15 1/2 hour drive wore me out.
I'll see ya out there one day.

[Y-SLABS]

Thanks For The Help Guys. Night-fisher Is Following The Info. Only Guy I Know That Can Tangle Is Line In The Trolling Motor While Long Line Trolling!!!! He's Telling The Ky Boys A Different Story, Maybe They Will Bite.