Lyndon Wicker's Fishing Report - 03/29

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March 29, 2012 - by Kentucky Lake Guide Lyndon Wicker

Hi All,

Fishing has been good and will likely get better the next few weeks. Up until Saturday crappie fishing was hot but since then it has cooled for me and several others. People were limiting out and since a frontal passage late Saturday many have been lucky to catch a dozen keepers all day. Good news is everyone is catching and releasing a ton of short fish. Most in the 7-9.999 inch range! The next few years look good here for crappie.

I have been catching some nice blacks and some whites but not like last week. It is amazing how much effect a cold front has on a shallow bite. The weather has stayed warm but a wind shift from the north and northwest was prevalent until late Monday. Late yesterday the wind shifted from the north to the south and the bite improved within a few hours. Some crappie, mainly blacks, are coming off the banks. Whites and some blacks have been caught off stakes and brush in 4 to 12 feet of water. Roadrunner with various bodies have been my choice.

Deeper water fishermen weren’t as affected by the weekend front. I don’t totally see this as a bad thing. We have been on such an upswing the last few weeks things had to slow if even for just a few days. The black crappie are still spawning with some fish showing signs of being empty of eggs while some are still egg laden with ripe eggs. The whites are coming on as well. I believe we will still see crappie in and out of shallow water for two or three weeks to come. Eventually we will have water around stake beds that are dry right now and they should hold fish. Maybe not in the numbers we usually see, as many fish will have already spawned by the time we hit the 357-358 feet above sea level mark.

I was out the last few days with some kids on spring break looking for something to catch. I am also testing out a recent back procedure to see how it will handle the boat, waves, etc. With the crappie slow I checked a bank that normally turns on with big bluegills when the water nears seventy degrees. The lake is still within a foot of winter pool so I wasn’t for sure what to expect.

I pulled up to the bank and equipped me and the kids with Shelton jigs. Two were under a casting bobber and one was just rigged without a bobber. I made a cast that landed a few feet from the bank. I popped the bobber a few times and stopped. I then popped it a few more times and stopped and it went under like a shot. I set the hook and could immediately tell this fish had some shoulders as my rod bent double. I brought the gill in and it was a ten inch chunk. Pound for pound gills and red ears fight harder than any fish going.

We worked this stretch of bank catching and eventually releasing sixty plus fish. We often had two or three hook-ups at a time. And these were some nice bluegills! This really made for a fun afternoon for the kids and us adults as well. It saved what would have been a so-so day. This is what you need to try and do when dealing with younger fishermen. Get them on some fast action regardless of what the fish is. This gives them good memories and will keep them coming back. I didn’t see any gill beds but it won’t be long.

Bass fishing has been strong. I actually caught three smallmouths out of the back of Blood River this week. It is unusual to find them that far back in the west bays. These were smaller males that looked to be guarding nests. Largemouth are back in the bays as well and will likely be spawning within a few weeks. Some likely have already started although I haven’t seen any shallow bass beds yet. Shad type baits have been working. Soft plastics are also coming on as well.

The water temperature is hovering around seventy degrees which is about ten degrees warmer than normal for the end of March. We should see the lake start up in a few days. Be careful as there will be junk floating soon that has been along the banks over the winter. Also follow the marked channels as we are still low.

Good luck and remember there is a lot of good fishing yet to come. If you haven’t been able to make it down the last few weeks you haven’t missed everything. Watch the lake elevation, watch the weather, be careful on the lake, and most of all, have a good time!

God bless,

Lyndon