Steve McCadams

Kentucky Lake’s fishing scene has heated up and even before that it was pretty warm! Spring fever is running rampant as the crappie spawn enters its early phases. A few scattered bluegill and shellcracker are being caught too.

Bass are biting as some lunker largemouth tipping the scales at well over 5-pounds are being taken on a regular basis. Like the female slab crappie, big sow bass are egg laden and weighing heavy right now.

It’s a good time to be out on the lake and wetting a hook. Despite the pollen parade and the gale winds, it’s definitely worth planning a trip.

Above average temperatures and relentless winds have challenged anglers lately. Recently fishermen waved goodbye to what was one of the warmest months of March on record. The Ides of March lived up to its reputation this year as whitecaps have beat up on anglers dictating their daily routes.

Unruly winds have fishermen a bit off balance as the peak of the crappie and bass spawning phases enter the picture. Here on Kentucky Lake high winds can often call the shots, pushing boaters to fish in locations they don’t necessarily want to be.

Same goes for techniques. Sometimes boats prefer to fish the wide open areas where slow drifting or trolling over flats using spider rigs or long line techniques. These methods allows fishermen to cover a lot of water and catch scattered and suspended crappie.

Others like to find submerged structure such as treetops and stakebeds using a vertical jigging or live minnow method. The manmade fish attractors require a lot of work but they pay dividends at times.

Unfortunately, big waves prohibit fishermen from getting to their favorite spots and disrupt their methods of fishing. As this update was formulated a nagging cold front was invading the area, accompanied by north winds earlier in the week that dropped temps for a couple of days.

That’s been the story lately for scores of boaters battling the wind. It has literally worn out its welcome!

There are a few bank fishermen having some luck while casting live minnows on slip bobbers and slowly retrieving them. Jigs have worked that way too.

Male crappie have moved up on pea gravel shorelines and whenever bank fishermen find a few shallow stumps or brush they can rack up on numbers.

Just casting jigs toward gravel banks has been producing a few fish too. Crappie anglers love casting ultra-light tackle and right now curly tail grubs and a variety of color combination tube skirted jigs are producing.

Surface temperatures this week have climbed into the 63 degree range. Water color remains clear as very little rain had fallen in the area as of this posting.

Lake levels have been somewhat above normal the last two weeks. Usually the first day of April signals the start of TVA’s curve to implement reservoir filling. Under normal conditions the reservoir sleeps at its low ebb of winter pool (around the 354.5 range) until the first day of April.

This year the reservoir has been holding around the 357.4 range these last few weeks. So the lake is about two feet above its normal starting point already. TVA has a slow fall underway earlier in the week.

Crappie have been taken in a variety of depths this past week ranging from 2 to 5 feet in some spots to 12 to 14 feet zones. That midrange depth of 7 to 12 feet has been the most productive. It and has produced a lot of fish that are residing on the doorstep of spawning territory.

The bite should be good the next week or so as the peak of the spawn arrives. Crappie are already relating tight to structure. Females are ready to drop their eggs. Male crappie are aggressive and sporting a beautiful dark color.

Bass fishermen have been landing some hefty size fish while targeting gravel banks or big chunk rock points. Rip-rap shorelines have paid off too.

Crankbaits have been producing. Tossing everything from Rattle Trap style lures to some suspending jerk baits is paying dividends. Texas rigged craws plus Carolina and Alabama rigs have scored as well. Shallow running crankbaits are very popular right now in shad and crawfish colored variations.

Some bass fishermen are tossing spinnerbaits too with chartreuse and white skirts sporting a gold willow leaf blade and catching largemouth around any stickup they may encounter.

Already showing up are a few scattered bluegill and red ear sunfish. This warm surface temp has triggered them to bite both worms and crickets around shallow gravel banks and boat houses.

There will be more windy days, but it comes with the territory during early spring fishing trips.