The deep summer heat returned to the lakes area this week with heat indexes around 100 degrees every day. As the lake level continues down to winter pool, please be mindful of the Asian carp nets that are being set in the bays and main lake. While many of us are advocating for some sort of standardized marking system for the nets, we will have to be cautious for any sort of floats in a line that may be marking a net. These nets are being set high in the water column to target the shallow feeding carp. The best solution is to keep a keen eye out and avoid any areas where the nets are present. We must all work together to help lower the population of these foreign invaders. If you see the commercial fishermen at ramps, take time to tell them how much you/we appreciate their efforts. They are our first-line defense and are doing back breaking work for a minimal amount of money.
LARGEMOUTH BASS: The bass fishing has been hit and miss this week with most days being slow although we have not had any days without a few fish in the boat. Largemouth are being taken on the ledges on the main lakes and around the mouths of the deeper creeks and bays. The ledge bite is slow. These fish are being taken with Carolina rigged creature baits, Texas rigged large worms, jigs, drop shots, shaky heads and swim baits. Largemouth are also being taken in the creeks and bays on channel banks and secondary points, especially those with wood cover. These fish are being taken on spinner baits, top water lures, shaky heads, ned rigs, Texas rigged creature baits and finesse jigs.
SMALLMOUTH BASS: Smallmouth are being taken on main lake points and on the ledges. These fish are being taken early in the morning on top water lures and later in the day on Carolina rigged creature baits, jigs and tubes. This bite is slow also.
CRAPPIE: If this oppressive heat breaks and we start to see some cooler weather, we should see the crappie move toward the medium depth flats and bays where there is cover. Find the baitballs, find the crappie. Some limits of small fish being caught spider rigging with jigs and minnows on shallower flats, water 8-12 feet deep.
BLUEGILL/RED EARS: A few anglers have caught some nice gills while fishing with bladebaits. There are reports of some nice bluegill being caught in water 6-10 feet deep. Try worms, crickets or Popeye jigs with wax worms on a drop-shot rig.
CATFISH: Anglers have caught cats casting Steelshads and Ken’s Hybrid spinners. A lot of bluecats in the 3 to 6-pound range along with some channel cats. On Barkley, use shrimp here if you’re fishing on bottom along the channel. Depths of 35 to 40 feet were holding fish pretty good and anglers were using also nightcrawlers and chicken livers.
WHITE & YELLOW BASS: White Bass are being taken by vertically fishing with blade baits and inline spinners along the river channel ledges. We have been catching some White Bass also while bass fishing during the early morning hours on top water baits in the shallows in the backs of the creeks and bays before the sun gets up on the water. The yellow bass have been great this year and both are great at pulling hard on your line. They eat well too. SteelShad bladebaits have been great using a yo-yo style of fishing. Let them sink to the bottom and steadily pull up about 6 feet. Pause there and then tightline the lure back to the bottom. Repeat back to the boat.
