Thread: Ky lake help

Spawn should get hot and heavy in Big Sandy by the end of next week, according to a buddy of mine that lives down there.

Ditto it should pick up this weekend. I have vacation days and am chomping at the bit to use them. Looks like I will burn some next week. I guide part time...

Just read Steve McAdams fishing report. looks as the spawn is about to break loose. With the warmer nights, I'm sure the water temps will hit 65 in no time

I fished several hours on big sandy today with very little luck then went to tn river with not much luck there either, may have to cancel vacation days.

It's been tough. I don't ever remember it being this tough.

Sounds like most of us are having a real tough time on north ky and Barkley I've seen some. Pab ? Who are catching a lot What the difference? Put out more brush piles or in better places. More experience? Better techinique? All of the above?? U guys who are catching fish right now please respond. Pay it forward!!!!!

Should be getting easier for everyone now that weather has straightened out. Kind of a bad combination this year, poor year classes mixed with bad wind/lake elevation swings/cold fronts has made it tricky. I would love to help but it has changed from trip to trip day to day. It isnt necessarily putting out more stuff, although that can always help, I have mainly been fishing Barkley and have yet to put out the first stitch of wood on Barkley. Lot of natural stuff left in Barkley to fish and have a little bit of wood in the garage to start building again but will be very meticulous about putting it out.

That didn't work, too much to type from my phone and posted without meaning too, will attempt to finish my thoughts from the desktop.

Just my observations from the past year or so since we have really started to feel the affect of the bad year classes, I am not an expert, and not sure I can get across what I am trying to say. In years like we had from 2011-take your pick of what year things started to drop off some, we had a lot of fish and the opportunity to catch a good mess presented itself in a lot of ways and areas. What I have noticed in the last year or so is that to consistently catch fish you really have to be on the areas where the fish want to be, it just hasn't worked to go out and fish bed after bed and grind out a mess one or two fish at a time like it did in years leading up to the last couple. I have been making bigger moves until I find big wads of fish and then trying to duplicate whatever pattern I come up with if I don't catch a limit in one area.

And it doesn't always come off for me either, I have taken a friend out a couple days that we only had I think 8 one trip and 11 another fishing until noon. But even those days those fish came off one small area. I guess in closing to this rambling, if you aren't catching like you want to, don't be afraid to move but study your contour map and try to eliminate water when you do. In general I see guys fishing too shallow, too fast, and too far back but also don't agree with the guy in the other thread that says main lake is best all the time. IMO you are wasting your time out there for the most part out there in periods of really high flow.

I also see a lot of guys just driving over spots and using electronics to check for fish, that really doesn't work a lot of the time. A big percentage of the fish I catch won't show up just scanning over the top of them, when they are in a neutral or negative mood they hold too tight to cover or the bottom to ever show up. I know that statement will drive some of the guys big into the electronics nuts, but that is my opinion. Take it for what it's worth, I am just a dumb union operator that grew up in Carlisle county that loves chasing crappie on Ky/Barkley. I would be glad to help if I can, just shoot me a pm and I will try. I won't tell you bays or waypoints or any other super specific info, but will try to steer you in the right direction if I can.