At first, Milan’s Rickey Doyle, didn’t know what he had snagged while fishing in the Antioch area of Paris Landing, May 14 – but it didn’t take him long to realize he had something special.
Rickey’s catch was a four-pound, two-ounce crappie, which was two-ounces shy of a record
for the state of Tennessee.
“My first thought was I had a keeper fish,” Rickey said. “Then, I thought it was a catfish … then a big striper.”
The Kentucky Lake black crappie was 18.75 inches long, and Rickey used a Bobby Garland jig for bait.
Rickey Doyle (pictured) is the owner of Ornamental Iron Works in Milan.
Fishing Report
Gibson County Lake
Water temperature: mid to low 80s. Water color: stained.
Bass: “Schooling bass are hitting swim baits out on the main body of the lake,” Trenton’s Brent Smith said. “Big bass have been caught on jigs, pigs and plastics along the creeks.”
Catfish: “Catfish have been on fire back in the flats along the creeks,” Brent said.
Pickwick Lake
Water temperature: Lower 70s.
Bass: As you might imagine, bass fishing continues to pick up.
If you begin your day early – around daylight – we’re told you might want to try a top-water bait. About an hour later, give a Strike King Series 3 Crankbait a try, because the depth and size of the Series 3 seems to be perfect for largemouth and smallmouth bass.
White Bass: No guarantee, but chances are you can load up on white bass.
It’s recommended you use the same Series 3 Strike King crankbait.
Kentucky Lake/Lake Barkley
Water temperature: mid 70s. Water levels: Both lakes in great shape with water at 359.25, summer pool.
White bass: “White bass have finished spawning and are moving to the main lake points and ledges,” Darrell Van Vactor said. “Good numbers are being taken casting a silver or white inline spider or blade bait and letting it sink to the bottom then reeling five-or-six-feet and let it sink again. The bite will come on the fall almost every time.”
Darrell Van Vactor is the Operations Manager for Crappie USA/Cabela’s King Kat Trail in Benton, Kentucky.
“Yellow bass and a few largemouth are being taken while white bass fishing, as well,” Darrell said. “The bite is better when the dams are running good current, so if you start early and they are slow, check them again after about 8 a.m., and see if the current has improved the feed.”
Darrell said largemouth bass are leaving the shallows for main lake ledges and submerged humps at the mouths of the major bays.
“Large worms (10-inches) are working well and deep running pearl/shad color crankbaits are also producing good numbers of fish,” Darrell said. “They are really hot right now when current is moving.”
Crappie: “They are slow, but you can put together a few good sized fish by trolling Jenko crankbaits on the flats of the main lake,” Darrell said. “Use bright color on sunny days and darker colors on cloudy days (and) expect to catch a few largemouth, yellow bass, white bass and even catfish while trolling the cranks.”
Bluegill and redear: Darrell said both bluegill and readear are finishing up their spawn and moving to deeper water on old roadbeds, rocky flats, and stump fields on north Barkley Lake.
“You have to work for them a little harder, but you can still catch a good number by moving around a lot,” Darrell said. “Wax worms and Wendell Sheldon grubs are the ticket on them.”
Catfish: Darrell said catfish continue spawning on the rocky shorelines in three-to-five-feet of water and are really feeding on nightcrawlers fished under a float.
“Tailwaters of both dams remain pretty slow, right now,” Darrell said.
Bass Tournament
The Henderson County Bass Anglers Thursday night Bass Tournament continues from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., today, at Beech Lake.
You do not have to be a club member to participate.
David Thomas, Twitter – @DavidThomasWNWS
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