By Dave Washburn
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-985570.mp3
Murray, KY – Kentucky Lake fish are adjusting to the weather like we are - hear the FLW Outdoors Fishing Report.
Dave Washburn here, with the FLW Outdoors Weekly Fishing Report.
Bass fishing was good up until a couple of days ago, though more for quantity than quality. Lots of bass - huge numbers of them - in the 13- to 17-inch size range are stacked up along the drops. Last weekend they were hitting plastic worms fished on the bottom, or on topwater poppers and spoons when schoolers were coming up to hit shad. I say fishing was good up until a couple of days ago because since the wind picked up and the lake got so rough starting Sunday afternoon, there hasn't been too much fishing activity. Once the wind lays and you can get out there again, you should be able to catch some fish, but probably not as many as were biting Saturday ahead of the front. Expect the bass and crappies to go through a bit of a slowdown for a while until they re-acclimate themselves to this big weather change.
Eventually, gradual cooler weather will help the fishing. Cooler water temperatures are always a plus in the fall. The fish go shallower and are easier to locate in shoreline cover, in the backends of coves, under docks, off secondary points and on the flats where the old creek channels and river channel swing closer to the bank.
As is the case in the spring, however, big weather fronts this time of year that cause the temperature and the barometric pressure to change rapidly will put fish off their feed for a while. If the weatherman says that a drastic change is coming, try to fish just ahead of the front's arrival, if possible.
I wanted to give you a heads up on the National Guard FLW High School Fishing Central Regional Tournament coming up October 8 on Lake Kinkaid near Carbondale, Illinois. You might recall that last spring the Kentucky High School Championship Tournament took place on Kentucky Lake out of Kenlake State Park. The winners of that tournament, Stephen Compton and Donavan Jones of Meade County High School, will represent the bluegrass state in the central regional. Compton, of Brandenburg, and Jones, of Vine Grove, will compete against the teams from 10 other states, including Illinois, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio.
Incidentally, a couple of kids from Virginia won the Northern Regional last weekend. This was the first regional tournament ever held. So now, the winners of the central regional in Carbondale, plus the winners of three other regionals to be held around the country later, will join the Virginia team in the first-ever high school national championship next year.
This new program is really generating a lot of excitement, and new high school teams are joining each week. If you want to learn more about the high school fishing program and how to form a team, go to www.highschoolfishing.org.
That's it for now. Remember, the fishing is going to be a lot better after the weather settles out and the wind lays, maybe even by this weekend, so give it a try. Bass and crappies will be ready to put on the feed bags and fatten up for winter.
This is Dave Washburn for FLW Outdoors, signing off.
Dave Washburn is a lifelong fisherman and FLW Outdoors Operations Director.