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Thread: Heading to KY Lake for some Bluegilll Fishing

  1. #1
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    Default Heading to KY Lake for some Bluegilll Fishing


    Ok, heading to KY lake on the 17th of May for some panfishing. I'm going after Bluegill and Yellow Bass. I know this is a 'Crappie' site, but if anyone can tell me the status of Bluegill/Shellcracker and Yellow Bass fishing, I would appreciate it. I've looked at a couple reports that state that the 'old bluegill beds' (May be caused by the dang Carp) are empty and I may need to move out to deeper waters to find them. I've done well in the past in the bays fishing in 2-5 ft around the buck bushes, but looks like this pattern is useless due to Carp(or something unexplained) since they were my go to bedding sites to find fish from previous trips. I will be in the Jonathan Creek area. I hope to find some fish, and probably will with some work, but just need some current information on what's happening. Also, plan to use waxworms. If this is not the bait, let me know.

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    My dad and I caught some nice bluegill yesterday on Ky, they were on beds in 3-6ft of water but we didn't find any big beds. With the cold front was worried about not catching any but once we found beds with fish they were active, we used bluegill bugs tipped with waxworms and red worms fished under a bobber. I would try any spots you fished in the past we found beds in the general area where they were in past but maybe a few feet away. You should have a good time.

  3. #3
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    Default Heading to KY Lake for some Bluegilll Fishing

    Don't have any current info. But if you end up with too many yellow bass, drop a few off in Bardstown for me on your way home!!
    Good luck


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  4. #4
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    They're bedding...I've caught a hundred plus bluegill the last two trips out. I have also found new waters where I hadn't fished in years past. I pulled a few nice shellcrackers off of a buck brush last night while bank fishing. They pull like a morning train!
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    redearhoosier, Chaunc, Greenwing, Greenfish, many thanks for the replies. I had looked at some recent 'Guide' fishing reports and it sounded like most the 'old' beds were not being used this year(empty), so I needed to see how bad it was. Sounds like I can still go back to some of my old beds and find some fish. If not, I will have to just go 'looking'.
    I'm going to try some of my 'Sabiki' rigs for the Yellow Bass. If you've never used these, they are very cheap, less than $2 each at Amazon (for 4-6 small feather gigs ringed ready to connect to a leader) I used these to catch Blue Catfish cut bait on Santee Lake in SC. I would have 2-4 small white perch (they remind me of the Yellow Bass here) on the line many times. Works kinda like a drop-shot rig, but with several spaced out feather jigs. The rig has a clip at the bottom to attach a weight. So, this is an Ocean rig, used to catch bait,but it may work for the Yellow Bass. If I don't have much luck with the Bluegill, I'll try this rig in deeper water for the Yellow Perch.
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  6. #6
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    That sabiki rig is a nice salt rig to use in freshwater, I use it a lot below the dam to catch skipjack for trotline bait. If bouncing that sabiki on the ledges doesn't work out, try bouncing a war eagle silver spoon in either 1/2 oz or 7/8 oz depending on wind. You might get into a school of white bass while doing it or even a sauger or largemouth. I like the War Eagle spoons because they come with a great hook already on there right out of the package, and you can get them at about any walmart. Chrome, white, or gold all work - I like the chrome on sunny days best

    For redear, I catch more on red worms than anything else, and they must be as close to the bottom as possible....a lot of times I don't even use a bobber, just a split shot and slowly drag it through the bed area.

    If all else fails and you just want a bunch of meat, the catfish are on the rip rap or rocky banks readily taking a red worm under a bobber. About any marina breakwall with riprap on it should produce for you.

  7. #7
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    All you guys looking for gills need to check the water temps. This morning the surface temp on Barkley was 67. Five feet deeper it may be 63. All the crappie we are catching are still full of eggs. Too many people are worried about the calendar. Gills and crappie will spawn when the water temps are right.


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    Just walked in from a TOUGH day!! Doug is correct, the water temperature bottomed out and they've moved out to deeper water. Today sucked, no since in sugar coating it!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by redearhoosier View Post
    Just walked in from a TOUGH day!! Doug is correct, the water temperature bottomed out and they've moved out to deeper water. Today sucked, no since in sugar coating it!!
    I wondered if that might have happened. The temp at the Hancock Station was down to 68 this morning. My better days for redear are when it's showing 72+ which it was flirting with late last week. Looking ahead at the forecast for Wednesday and on, I like the way this coming weekend is shaping up.
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  10. #10
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    Some crappie are full of eggs but they are mostly off color and already reabsorbing, those fish will not spawn. Even the bass have spawned and moving back out.

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