Looking for any and all information for bass fishing the north west end of Kentucky Lake ( I think that is down by the dam area ). Have never been on the lake so any info is good info. Will be fishing April, May June time frame. Baits, techniques, ect.
email: wcastle@sbcglobal.net

Good luck-wife & i fish the big sandy mostly. Watch the fishing report whe they start doing it again-most every body around here fises for crappie. Not to many post about bass. We do pretty good with plastic worms and lizards. Usually black worms. Lizards about 4 inches in spring (watermelon seed mostly) and 6 inches later on. Gonna trythe palstic frogs and crawdads this year. We fish for anything we can cath but always try for bass. Still lookin for thta trophy!

Thanks for the reply. Big Sandy, is that anywhere close to the dam on the north end of the lake? I know nothing about the lake. Is this a pretty new board? don't see a lot of communication taking place. Or is everybody out there just getting info but not giving any? I am willing to guide a Smallmouth bass fishing on the best small mouth waters in the world. ( Really ) for similiar on Kentucky Lake. Anybody out there willing to deal?

basseritis...welcome to the board..and the lake...as you can probably tell by my name i mostly fish for crappie...i live in paris tn now and fish the big sandy(impoundment below paris landing state park)...but i did grow up in kentucky just below the dam..if your gonna be up in that end there are several bays on the west side of the river that i used to catch mounds of bass as a kid...about 2 miles south of the dam is sledd creek..nice bay with a variaty of different types cover and structure..across from it..on the east side of it is the canal..it has alot of rip-rap on both sides of its banks and connects the tennessee river to the cumberland river..below sledd creek about 4.5 miles from the dam is little bear creek(where i grew up)..it is a good size bay..alot of bass in the creek at the back of the bay..at about 7 miles from the dam is big bear...moores resort in in this bay...gas,food,and alot of bass...fish along the old road bed...on down the river on the east side is sugar and duncan and smith bays...all good bays to try...about 10 miles south of the dam..bait selection and techniques will depend on water temp and clarity and elevation at the time..as time gets closer check here and im sure we'll have a pattern layed down...if you want i will try to find some links to navigation maps of that part of the river...i have them on CD but the files are too big to e-mail..kylake hydrografix has them on CD for a good price...if you never been there you really need a good map...otherwise you could waste alot of time searching..and i dont want to think about what those sandbars can do to a boat..one minute your running in 50 foot of water and the next thing you know your on a bar with the transom tore out of your boat...maps are very important on the tennessee river..let me know if i can help any farther...

Dittos to papacrappie's warning about the low water this time a year. YOu can lose a prop in no time. I have seen people do major damage running too fast and not knowing the lake.

Most of my bass fishing is in the Paris Landing, Big Sandy area. I have trouble being good at it because I like to crappie fish so much. Good luck to you though!

We have had good luck with small mouth in the Big Sandy Area-haven't done very well with large mouth. But we only started fishing summer before last. Haven't had the time to get further up toward the dam. Maybe this year-but really the Big Sandy embayment has just about everything.good luck-will post when we get out there.

WOW ! Thanks for all the quick responses. Looking forward to getting all the info I can on the lake. If any of you guys/gals are ever interested in fishing up in Northern Michigan give me a yell. I live in a fishing mecca area in Grand traverse county. We have smallmouth averaging 4 and 5 lbs. with many over 6, still looking for my first 7 plus. Lots of pike, muskie. Our Crappie, and other pan fish are very small compared to what you guys have down there though. Keep the info coming and I'll try to get my hands on a good lake map to follow where you guys keep sending me. All info is greratley appreciated. Thanks

Basseritis,

Happy New Year!

If you are looking for a excellent - detailed map of the Big Sandy area, go to Kentucky Lake Map link on the web site. There you will find electronic maps from HydroGrafx. These guys have re-mapped some of the area's better coves and have contour marks at 1 foot intervals. If you can use a computer and a GPS unit, these are great and will allow you to mark dropoffs - creek channels and other key structure. If you are new to the lake, these maps will be great for you to understand what is out there to fish.

Good luck on your trip to the area,

Hi Jig man, I did see the maps for the lake but I still don't know which one or one's I should be ordering. I don't know where any of these places are in reference to the north end and they all seem to be related to names like " Big Sandy." Is Big Sandy close to the dam? I'm trying to stay within 10-12 miles of the dam. Thanks, for the heads up.

the big sandy is way south of the dam on the tennessee side..the hydrografix maps are the best...it has a demo version of ozi explorer and it interfaces with your gps..very cool little tool...the charts you need for the upper end are 1101,and 102..they are avalable free on line...but being able to use it with the gps is most valuable...you can set your waypoints at home and hit the lake and your right on the money...you can even pull waypoints,tracks,and routes FROM the gps to the map...i have the complete set from the dam all the way to danville tn...aprox.70 miles..on one CD..and i feel it is THE most important peice of equiptment i own....

pappacrappie, Now that's some valuable info. Thank you very much. Gives me a much better idea what to be looking for. Can't wait to get on those waters. Looking for a 10 lb. large mouth. Any honey holes I'm open to suggestions and directions.

Thanks Everyone that has offered suggestions. Greatley Appreciated.

any time.....they also have a CD called kentucky lake north/west...it is a hybrid type map of the old(VERY accurate belive it or not) navigation charts and some newly maped areas...mostly the secondary channel..from below the dam to just past big bear..the new areas are in high ressolution color...as i said it is mainly the secondary channel...but they did get on into big bear bay pretty good..i would suggest that set of maps for you...the charts i named are only the charts...the other set has 3-D images that are very usefull...both interface with your gps..try this link http://www.kentuckyhydrografx.com/KYLake_Northwest.htm this is what it looks like...

Basseritis,

I would just like to echo what pappacrappie stated, these maps are hard to beat. The neatest thing for me is the ability to look at the maps of and area, find what looks to be key points, dropoffs or humps, create a waypoint and then download all the areas you have marked into your GPS unit. You don't have to study your map once on the water. You can even name the spots you have marked.

Another cool thing is the ability to create waypoints with your GPS and then download your GPS waypoints back into the Hydrografx maps to see exactly where a spot is located on the map. You can combine a map you have created with OzieExplorer, download the waypoints to your GPS, go fishing, mark some other spots and them download both sets of waypoints to your computer. You can then save them for a future trip and never loose where you want to fish. This is especially useful if you travel around and fish several places that are in different parts of the lake.

Also, if you have a laptop or hand held and the necessary wired connection, you can use the Ozie Explorer and your GPS to watch the Hydrografx maps to see where you are and where you are headed.

Again, great tool. It kinda lets you look at the lake with so much more detail that has ever been available and helps you feel like you aren't just fishing blindly in an area you aren't familiar with.

Jigman, whoa, whoa, whoa, I'm just a simple guy this stuff sounds complicated. I do have a small hand held GPS, and I do want to get the suggested maps but I'll have to read my book on the GPS to see if I can even do down loads or uploads. I feel fortunate that I can read a map. I will be getting the maps and have some kind of a plan before I get there, thanks to you guys. Again appreciate all the info. Hope to get down there in March when off for spring break and then again the first part of May. Thanks guys. FISH ON !!!!!!

bassertis...dont let the gps and all the jargon intimidate you..it is not at all complicated..if you can work a remote on your sattilite system you can do it..most gps's are PC friendly...even the older ones..usually any problems will be a buad rate setting..change the setting and your ready to go..if you need any help with it i'm sure i can help a little..

Appreciate that Papp. If I can get some free time I'm going to get busy with that. Maybe we will have a snow day from school so I can get on it. but then if we get a snow day I'll more than likely be out ice fishing. Can't take a chance of them rods rusting up ya know. Later, FISH ON !!!!!