Bass Fishing Forum

*October 19, 2017*

*Kentucky Lake: Water Level at Kentucky Dam - 355.33 Surface Temperature
- 70*
*Lake Barkley: Water Level at Barkley Dam - 355.25 Surface Temperature -
70*

*Both lakes are one foot over winter pool. Kentucky Dam was generating at
an average rate of 46,000 cfs this morning. Barkley Dam was generating at
an average rate of 29,400 cfs this morning. **The latest lake levels ,
current flows and forecasts for all the TVA lakes can be found at
http://www.tva.com/river/lakeinfo/index.htm.*

*Current Conditions: *Water temperatures continue to be on a roller
coaster pattern with water temperatures dropping to the high 60's earlier
this week with a couple of mornings with air temperatures in the 30's and
now on the rise again as another wave of higher than normal air
temperatures for this time of year over the past couple days. The water
temperatures are still running about 5 degrees above normal for this time
in October and this has keep the fish stuck in transitions patterns of
being scattered and the bass bite remains scattered and overall slow.
Tournament results from this past weekend showed again only a few bags
having a tournament limit of 5 fish with a large number of bags only
getting 2 keepers or less. An example would be the Illinois Team Trail
classic held last Friday and Saturday. The tournament winners won a new
Ranger boat with 25lbs total over the 2 days. This is an average of 12.5
lbs per day. There was a team that had a 20lb bag the first day with a
10lb kicker and then they zeroed on day 2.

I have talked to a lot of bass anglers this week that are reporting
catching a few short fish or only one or two keepers in one or two days of
fishing. I have not had any days without bass this week but most of our
catch has been short fish with a keeper now and then. We are still finding
the bite scatted and slow. Our most productive pattern this week has still
be fishing finesse techniques on secondary points and channel banks in the
creeks and bays. We have taken a few fish on the shallow flats in the
creeks and bays on top water and lipless crank baits but almost all these
fish were short fish.

We have another cold front coming through the lakes area on Sunday and the
extended forecast into next week looks good to drop the water temperatures,
lets hope this forecast holds and the water temperatures drop to more
seasonable levels and get the bass more actively feeding. The forecast for
tomorrow is for a high of 78/night time low of 54 with wind S at 10.
Saturday's forecast is showing a high of 79/ night time low of 63 with wind
SSE 10-15, Sunday is showing a high of 75/ night time low of 56 with a 60%
chance of rain with wind from the S early at 15 and then switching to the
west around mid day with the frontal passage. The extended forecast into
next week is showing a day time high by Wednesday in the 50's with night
time low in the 30's. Rain is in forecast for Monday and Tuesday as well
as breezy post frontal winds through Wednesday.

*Largemouth Bass: *Largemouth are being taken on main lake points as well
as secondary points and channel banks in the creeks and bays. These fish
are being taken on medium running crank baits, spinner baits, Carolina
rigged creature baits, shaky heads and tube jigs. A few Largemouth are
being taken in shallow cuts on the main lake as well as on shallow flats in
the creeks and bays on top water lures, lipless crank baits and Senko type
baits near isolated wood cover.

*Smallmouth Bass: *Smallmouth are being taken on rocky main lake points
and rocky secondary points in the creeks and bays. These fish are being
taken on shaky heads and tube jigs. We had a few nice Smallmouth this week
on the tube jigs rigged stupid style.

*Crappie: *I had a few reports of Crappie now being taken around submerged
brush and stake beds in 7-10 feet of water in the creeks and bays by
vertically fishing with tube jigs and tube jigs tipped with minnows. These
reports indicated these fish were being taken on the overcast days we had
this week.

*Productive Lures:* Some of the productive lures reported this week are
Lucky Craft Sammy and Lucky Craft Gunfish in ghost pearl lemon, Strike King
spash baits in white, Strike King Red Eye Shad in chrome "woops"y shad and "woops"y
shad, Strike King square billed crank baits in "woops"y shad, Bandit medium
running crank baits in rootbeer/chartreuse, Slong's spinner baits in blue
glimmer, D&L jigs in "oops" and cumberland craw, Slong's jigs in
cumberland craw and mustang, Charmer lizards and timber pups on Texas rigs
and Carolina rigs in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple, Charmer slim
daddy's in blue craw on shaky heads in green pumpkin and Charmer tubes
rigged stupid style in green pumpkin/blue tail and green pumpkin/orange.

*GUIDE SERVICE:*

For those of you that may not be familiar with my service: I am a full time
catch and release bass fishing guide. I only guide for bass. I have been
guiding for bass full time on these lakes for over 20 years and bass
fishing the lakes for over 30 years. I do not go out and fish panfish for 4
or 5 days and then try to guide on bass for one or two days.

No one knows everything the bass are doing but one thing is for sure, if
you only fish for bass day in and day out, you will have a lot better idea
of what they are doing and also be familiar with all the different
techniques it takes to be a successful bass angler.

If you book with my service, you will have me as your guide and you will be
guided in the comfort of a late model Z522 Ranger Commanche equipped with
Lowrance HDS electronics and top of the line tackle. I provide just for fun
bass fishing trips, tournament preparation trips, focused teaching trips
and technique instruction. If you are in need of a bass fishing guide give
me a call or drop me an email.

*ELIMINATING WATER CLASS:* I will be offering my class on how to Eliminate
Water again this winter during the months of January and February and I
will also teach a few classes next month in November. These classes are
limited to one or two people per class. The classes last approximately 8
hours. The cost of the class is 200.00 which covers one or two people.
These classes have been very popular with my clients over the past few
years and all the feedback I get is very positive.

*Here is a short description of the Eliminating Water Class:*

*"How to Eliminate Water":* This class is done in a classroom environment.
In this class you learn the most important thing that you can learn as a
bass fisherman, that is, how eliminate water to find the Bass by finding
the highest percentage spots during all the different seasons of the year
that will hold more fish, more often. In this class you will learn what
information you need to know in order to eliminate water to find these high
percentage spots during your preplanning for a trip and how to apply this
information as well as current environmental conditions to make decisions
on which techniques you should be using when on the water that day and how
to adjust to environment changes that can move your fish or change the
pattern from day to day, season to season.

Basically, what I teach you in this class is how to use knowledge of mother
nature by using scientific knowledge, logic and common sense to develop a
system to find your fish as well as make decisions before you get on the
water and while you are on the water to be a more consistent bass angler.
What I teach you in this class is what I do every day as a bass fishing
guide when I am trying to find and catch bass with my clients. What you
will learn in this class will apply anywhere you go bass fishing, this is
not specific to just Ky and Barkley Lakes.

Finding bass and making decisions as how to catch bass is not done solely
by looking at electronics, it is accomplished with knowledge. There is no
button on your sonar unit or mapping unit that says "Go Find Fish". Sonar
units show you fish AFTER you find them. Mapping units show you just that,
a topographical map of the body of water you are on. The mapping unit
allows you to mark spots on your electronic map where you have found fish
and assist you in navigating back to those spots. Just as with a paper
topographical map, you can scan over an electronic map and mark "places of
interest" or as I call them "looks good" spots to go check out when you get
on the water...but finding high percentage spots are not "looks good"
spots. High percentage spots are selected by having the knowledge of what
type spots have the highest percentage chance of holding bass during the
different seasons of the year coupled with how to apply what is going on in
the environment that will affect the fish.

*Call or email me to book your class date while dates are still available!*


*Available Dates:*

*October: 31st*
*November: A number of dates available. Call or email to book a date for
the fall fishing. I am also now booking dates for next year. Book now to
get the dates(s) you want.*

*Captain Dave Stewart*
*Bass Buster Guide Service*
*www.kentuckylakeguide.com <http://www.kentuckylakeguide.com> *
* <>*
*270-362-9987 <(270)%20362-9987>*
*"Fish With A Professional"*

Dave thanks again for such a great and in depth report. ~c~ ~c~