Kevin Van Dam Forums

Just got back from a week long trip to Southern Kentucky Lake and boy was it tough fishing.  We caught some good ones but not a lot.  We got there and found out that the water level was at the summer level and was that way all week.  At one point the level went down.  We came prepared to fish the buck brush and wood in the backs of the bays but we couldn’t get the boats into the backs since the water level was so low. The buck brush was completely out of the water and unfishable.

My hot bait for bas suspendig and staging off the ledges was a KVD 2.5 in ghost minnow.  I would run the crank from shallow to the 10’ drop off and they would crush it or I would throw parallel to a 7’ drop and get some awesome strikes.

So our conditions were prespawn bass in summer level water with the water temp hovering aound 69 degrees.  Talk about tough.  We threw every thing we had with a ton of different techniques and just had a tough time dialing them in.  They just wouldn’t come up.  Only caught a couple that had some blood to the tails, most others didn’t.

If any one has any tournaments coming up in Southern Kentucky Lake, the TVA said they would be raising the level the first part of May so good luck and catch some.

I just returned last Sunday myself. We fished the north end of the lake and found the fish in the creeks on secondary points. Didnt have much of an oppritunity to fish out on the river due to the howling wind and rough water.
We caught both smallies and LMB on the A-rig, Rapala DT10 (Ike’s new colors) and football head jigs. Had a good trip despite any big fish.
Glad to hear you had a nice trip on the southern end.

We did fish the main lake areas and just couldn’t hook up.  We threw deep divers and jigged with both jigs and 8” lizards but nothing.  We managed a few down by the Tennessee bridge along the 10’ drop by the rocks but nothing in the shallows at all.

thought i might start this thread up again. anyone been to kentucky lake lately? have a school tourney down there next week for the pepsi open. I figured the bass would be out on the ledges by now. any help would be appreciated!

I’d start on the ledges and stay there. Deep cranks, 3/4oz football heads with a brush hawg as a trailer, and C-rig a 10-12 inch worm. May want a 4-5” casting spoon also.

twitch - 21 April 2012 10:11 PM

I just returned last Sunday myself. We fished the north end of the lake and found the fish in the creeks on secondary points. Didnt have much of an oppritunity to fish out on the river due to the howling wind and rough water.
We caught both smallies and LMB on the A-rig, Rapala DT10 (Ike’s new colors) and football head jigs. Had a good trip despite any big fish.
Glad to hear you had a nice trip on the southern end.

You’re really liking that A-rig huh twitch?

all the water levels on the ponds i fish are 3-4’ low. bass should be up under the pads and weeds but it’s only 4-6” of water along the shoreline which is 4 feet low from where it should be. i can walk 10 feet out from where i used to and another 10 feet if i want to walk in mud from that. glad you got some fish. Congrats to both and keep chunking!!!!

CincySid - 13 June 2012 01:22 PM

twitch - 21 April 2012 10:11 PM

I just returned last Sunday myself. We fished the north end of the lake and found the fish in the creeks on secondary points. Didnt have much of an oppritunity to fish out on the river due to the howling wind and rough water.
We caught both smallies and LMB on the A-rig, Rapala DT10 (Ike’s new colors) and football head jigs. Had a good trip despite any big fish.
Glad to hear you had a nice trip on the southern end.

You’re really liking that A-rig huh twitch?

Yea, I like the dang thing. But I see it paying off more in the cooler months.

Thanks Twitch. I made a new post a lil bit ago about ky&tn; fishing licenses. someone told me you need both licenses to fish the tennessee river system that runs thru ky lake and ky lake itself. have you heard of this?

jaredlees - 15 June 2012 06:27 PM

Thanks Twitch. I made a new post a lil bit ago about ky&tn; fishing licenses. someone told me you need both licenses to fish the tennessee river system that runs thru ky lake and ky lake itself. have you heard of this?

If you plan on fishing the river on both sides of the state line, then you do. But if you stay north of the Tn border, then you’ll only need the Ky license. Same goes for having a Tn license.

twitch - 14 June 2012 06:51 AM

CincySid - 13 June 2012 01:22 PM

twitch - 21 April 2012 10:11 PM

I just returned last Sunday myself. We fished the north end of the lake and found the fish in the creeks on secondary points. Didnt have much of an oppritunity to fish out on the river due to the howling wind and rough water.
We caught both smallies and LMB on the A-rig, Rapala DT10 (Ike’s new colors) and football head jigs. Had a good trip despite any big fish.
Glad to hear you had a nice trip on the southern end.

You’re really liking that A-rig huh twitch?

Yea, I like the dang thing. But I see it paying off more in the cooler months.

What size and kind of jighead do you use? What swimbait do you use? on the A-rig. what would you use on the A-rig for night fishing if you would use it at all for night? fishing?

CincySid - 16 June 2012 08:36 AM

What size and kind of jighead do you use? What swimbait do you use? on the A-rig. what would you use on the A-rig for night fishing if you would use it at all for night? fishing?

I use these in a 1/4 and 3/8oz
http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Buckeye_J-Will_Swimbait_Heads_3pk/descpage-BJWSH.html

I use the Basstrix 5” most of the time. If the water is stained Ill use the Strike King Shadalicious.
I havent used it at night yet, but I would use the same 2 baits I mentioned above.