OUTDOORS NOTEBOOK - Cold weather, muddy water, floating debris present obstacles for fishermen

OUTDOORS NOTEBOOK – Cold weather, muddy water, floating debris present obstacles for fishermen

Fishing Report

Gibson County Lake
Water temperature: mid 50s and climbing. Water color: muddy, with a lot debris

Bass: “Some good fish have already come in shallow and are hitting black and gold lipless cranks or a red craw color,” Trenton’s Brent Smith said. “The water (level) is way up on the lake … no trouble with the boat ramp, but the walkway to the boat dock is under water.”

Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: 50 degrees. Elevation: 411.13 feet

Bass: With the weather changing, it has been hard to pattern bass over the last week. Craw-fish colored Strike King series 3 crank baits are the first choice of baits, although the Strike King jerk baits have also accounted for a good number of quality bass.

Be sure to watch for debris.

Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley
Water temperature: upper 50s

“Lake conditions are improving, and the weather promises a few warmer days, so fishing is finally starting to improve,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Water color has improved from muddy to stained in the shallower bays, and clear on the remainder of the lakes.”

Darrell Van Vactor is the Operations Manager at Crappie USA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky.

Bass: “Largemouth are scattered with a few large fish being caught on secondary points inside the bays and around wood cover in the shallow areas as they move in for the spawn,” Darrell said. “Fish are hitting Jerk baits and lipless cranks on the points and Texas rigging worms, jigs and creature baits in the shallows.”

Darrell said smallmouth bass are being caught on creek channels leading into larger bays on Rouges and jerk baits – numbers are low, but the quality is super.

Crappie: “They are better, but still not normal for this time of the year,” Darrell said. “A few larger fish are being taken in 16-to-20-feet of water on live bait, but the only numbers are the nine-to-11-inch fish that have now moved into the shallows in preparation of the spawn.”

Darrell said the smaller fish are being caught by spider rigging jigs and minnows in two-to-three- feet of water and casting green or chartreuse jigs toward the banks in areas that hold chunk rock or wood.

He recommends you keep the measuring board near, considering most of the fish are below the 10-inch legal limit – and must be returned to the water.

David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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