Kentucky lake first timer

[Toolkid]

Hey guys,
I will be heading out to Kentucky lake the first week in May.We will be staying on the Northern part of the lake. Any info anyone has will help out with the trip.

For the past 7 years we have been going to Reelfoot lake in TN.,decided to try something different this year.Seems to us the fishing has slowed a lot over the 7 years we have been going there.

I do a lot of fishing for gills in South Eastern ,WI.It is always nice to get in a trip or 2 a year to see how the rest of the country is doing.

Think warm thoughts !!!

[jim]

You might try the 1st bay on the left in Malcolm Creek for crappie.
For gills from Kentucky Lake, the very best is the backwaters located behind the levee at the pump house at the end of Big Sandy Creek south of Paris Landing bridge ...no limit on gills anywhere on the lake.Also from every thing I've seen and heardnthe better crappie fishing is from Paris Landing south into the BIG Sandy arm.
Yeah , the reelfoot fishing was very poor for us 2 years running,got into the Kentucky Lake fishing and never will go back..

[Greg Wade]

Toolkid,
That's usually a pretty good time to go if your fishing for Bluegill and Redears. You still have a shot at some Crappies, but the better Crappie fishing is earlier in the year. Of course everything depends on the water temps and amount of rainfall.

If you're going for the first time, you should know that this lake runs from north to south and it is very big! If the wind is blowing 15 miles per hour or more, out of either of these directions, it can get very rough. There is also a lot of barge traffic, submerged islands, etc. So just be careful.

The first places I look for when fishing for Redear, are the pea gravel banks on main lake points. Use a 1/16 oz. jighead and a piece of nightcrawler. Cast it out, let it sink to the bottom, and reel it back to the boat slowly. This is a great way to find bedding fish locations. If there's fish around, they will nail your bait instantly.

Next place I would try is in coves, fishing water five feet deep and shallower.
Fan cast around the area adjusting the depth of your bait. so that it is close to the bottom. You'll find them eventually.

Last year the water was high and we found some nice fish in the very back of a cove. They were making beds in and around a large group of reeds in the water.

We had to switch up and fish these weeds differently. It was more like Crappie fishing, when you sit a jig in between the branches of a fallen tree or brush pile. We used long poles and placed our baits right in between each set of weeds. If we did not get a bite in a few minutes, we sat it next to another weed, and kept moving around, until we covered the entire area.

For this method, we used a slip float, gold aberdeen hook, and a piece of nightcrawler.

Eventually we did find a large group of fish in open water. The redear are very aggressive that time of the year and will waste no time grabbing your bait. And they pull hard. A ultra-lite is fine for the bluegill, but use something with a bit more backbone for the redears.

The bluegill were caught using Wade's Blades and waxworms. Fish can also be caught using light jigs and curly tail grubs.

The population of fish at this lake is incredible. Both in terms of quality and quantity. There was a guy at the cleaning station one night, that had hundreds of Bluegill he was filleting.

Be sure and check the current regulations, as I think this year KY has a 20 fish daily limit on Redear. There is no creel limit on the Bluegill.

Also check out the following website: http://www.captainkirksguideservice.com

I've fished with Kirk before and he is a very good guide, who works very hard for you, and has reasonable pricing. But the main reason I want you to check out his website, is because he posts weekly pictures each year of his clients catch! This is a great way for you to monitor or research the fishing conditions before you go. Look at the pictures from May of last year and see what his catches consisted of. That's what you can expect for May of this year, with exceptions to the weather.

Hope this helps. Send me a PM if you want to talk more. I might be down there at the same time too?

Good Luck and be safe!
Greg

[Jeremy R. Mayo]

I think thats the week that were goin to be up there this year to. Where I have no clue. All I know is when my uncle stops and says get in the truck were on our way! I will find out and keep ya posted.