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Hello Guys and Gals, it is time
for another Big Kahuna update from Kentucky Lake.
In our last report we focused almost exclusively
on the crappie. This time, it is more about the
beginning of what we believe will be a fantastic
bluegill season. May is normally the ideal month
to catch bluegill as they congregate in and around
their beds near the shore. May is also still a
good time to experience the last of the crappie
season. The weather has settled a bit and we are
now enjoying temperatures in the 70's to low 80's
with just a nip in the air at night. PERFECT! The
water temperatures are rising and the fishing is
heating up right along with it. We are also
experiencing some high water from recent rains in
the Tennessee River Basin, 2 to 3 feet above
summer pool. This has driven huge numbers of
largemouth bass into the brush around the shore
and the low lying areas that are now under some
water. Great time to catch these fish as they come
into to feed on new food they are finding along
the submerged shores. With the weather turning
super nice and the kids getting out from school,
now is a great time to come out to Moors and enjoy
all the great things this area offers. Boating,
fishing, sightseeing, golf, and other recreational
opportunities are going full blast. This is also a
peak time for bass tournaments on the lake. We
have had 2 major tournaments in the last few days
with some huge fish being caught. Keep a heads up
as you head out onto the lake, particularly on
weekends, as these tournaments may involve large
numbers of boats. Also, be sure and book your
rooms early at Moors Resort as they usually fill
up this time of the year with all of the
tournament fisherman and early vacationers. Now on
to some specifics for catching these fine fish.
BLUEGILL - May is one of my favorite months as it
is the peak bluegill month. I love catching these
fish as they put up a super fight for their size
and you can just catch them all day long. We are
having super success already as these fish are
heading into their beds. We are catching most of
these fish in 6 to 8 feet of water. The preferred
baits seem to be jigs tipped with wax worms or
spikes along with the traditional crickets. You
can bounce crickets along the bottom or just use
the old bobber method. When the bluegill are
biting they are not picky, and the fishing is just
fast and furious. We have also been catching a
number of "red ears" mixed in with the regular
bluegill. They are a larger strain of these fish
and man do they fight. I have actually seen them
come out of the water just like a bass. On a
recent trip, we caught about 1 red ear for every 5
or 6 regular bluegill. The fish are running a nice
size this year, and all the customers have been
thrilled with their catches. If you want to bring
the kids on a trip, this is a good time since
bluegill are relatively easy to catch and you
catch a lot of them.
CRAPPIE - If you read my previous reports, you
know that this year has featured something
different to deal with every day with the
unsettled spring weather. Between huge rains and
rapid water fluctuations, we have had to be much
more creative than in some years. But through it
all, we still had a really nice crappie season. We
had major down pours on a couple of peak weekends
but we managed to still catch some nice fish. The
good thing is that while we may be just past the
peak, we are still catching some nice stringers of
crappie. The method we are using is what has
seemed to work most of the season which is
dropping minnows and jigs directly into submerged
brush. The fish seem to be anywhere between 6 to
20 feet. We still have a few spots open so contact
us if you want to book a date with us for this
last fling of crappie season. Even though you can
catch crappie year-round in this lake, after the
spawning season ends, the crappie spread out and
become more difficult to locate. That is where a
guide comes in very useful. We are very happy to
help you locate these fish. Whenever you come to
the lake, I guarantee you the most fun you have
had on a fishing trip as that is the main goal
here at Big Kahuna's Guide Service.
BASS - Largemouth bass seem to have totally moved
into the shallows for bedding. Baby brush hogs and
crank baits
up in the grassy areas seem to be working great.
With the high water levels we are experiencing,
some of the lower shoreline areas are under a
little water. The bass go up in to these areas for
fresh food and are like sitting ducks to
fisherman. This next month will be one of the best
times of the year for catching largemouth bass,
and the number of large tournaments on the lake
are a reflection of that. I heard a recent report
of a monster largemouth caught. I haven't
confirmed that so I am not going to report the
size until I do but if it is correct, all I can
say is WOW!. And the large total weight of bass
needed to win these tournaments is a reflection on
just how well these fish are biting. Be careful if
you come out with the higher water as some
structures normally not submerged may be just
under the surface. If you are careful and can work
your way into the shallows , you will have great
success right now.
STRIPES / CATFISH - It is still a little early for
these fish but we are starting to catch more and
more of the stripes. The catfish and stripes seem
to hit their stride around June but we usually
catch some in May as well. I will update you on
this in my next report. We have repeatedly talked
about how the stripe fishing has been unreal the
last couple of years. Just day after day of coming
in loaded. Be sure and check out some of our
photos from last season to see just how successful
we were. I do expect another banner year once they
get going.
Well, that about wraps up another report. I did
want to mention a couple of other things. The bird
watching has been great this year. Just yesterday
I was out and saw 4 eagles around the Big Bear
area. It is unusual to see that many at one time
in this part of the lake. I love all of the
different species of wildlife found around the
lake. Just another reason to come out and enjoy
what Kentucky Lake has to offer. Also, as I
mentioned earlier in the report, the water is
higher than normal. It has fluctuated between 2
and 3 feet above summer pool. Just take a little
extra care as there may be some things submerged
that are normally above water. Also keep your eyes
open for some floating debris from the recent
heavy rains in the basin. The gates are open at
the dam so the water should be slowly going down
over the next few days. Until next time, may all
of your fish be keepers!
Don Schnuck, aka "The Big Kahuna"
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