CJ

Here's a couple of pic's I was looking at to maybe show you guys what we hope to be dealing with at the roadtrip. I'm not posting these to look at the fish but, the background. The water and cover the lake can provide this time of year if the water will come up enough. Look at the real thick, viney looking stuff and the cypress trees.

Here's some info that might be interesting: Two generators are down at the Barkley Dam due to a fire. Ky Dam is having to pull extra to make up for it. My thoughts is that this may help both lakes. Put some current in Ky. and help keep Barkley's water less stained. It probably won't factor in if we got a lot of rainfall. Then Barkley would simply open gates.

LOL, we fished Big Sandy last year during the flood. Talk about current where the cove met the main river channel!!! First, you had to watch for freaking huge trees and ISLANDS of floating debris. Next thing you had to contend with was going into the current. If you tried to run under the bridge there coming out of the back waters, it was like hitting a wall in that current. Pretty nuts. ;D LOL! You guys got to experience the most current ever release by Ky. Dam.

Are you talking about the submerged ones? If so, there would be nothing wrong with them in late May or June.

LOL! He'll mess around until he ends up getting popped for something.

That's a nice one Chris. I think if an angler stays after em', hooking up with a giant is inevitable! WTG!

Thanks Roger! I've always been a big fan of Mann's. I'm still saving my last 100 or so of the FLW finesse worm they discontinued. The plastic Mann's used in these worms, which is the same as the jelly worm I think, is just deadly. Another point on vibration is that it's not all in the lures action when it comes to plastics and jigs. Sometimes just a 1/16 of an ounce, more or less, to your weight can make for better results. Also, the shape of a jighead can make a difference. My dad really schooled me one day by using a 1/2 oz. weight with his t-rig while we were fishing fairly shallow. The vibration the heavier weight produced when hitting the bottom and wood cover seemed to be key. Another example was when my friend found football head jigs were catching fish much better around wood cover in the winter. Where the bullet shaped heads were clearing the wood cleaner, the football heads were broadsiding the timber causing more vibration. Both of these examples the water was stained.

That's just amazing! I don't care where you are!!! I gotta get to Texas!

Lure action will make for better results for a pattern. In the hot summer months I have found only a few big worms I prefer for a very slow dragging presentation on deeper structure. The Rage Tail Thumper, BPS Squirmin' Worm, and the Mister Twister Phenom. What these three lures have in common are the amount of water displacement or action while the lure is being drug so slow. Take most ribbontail worms and see how fast they have to move to make the tail go into it's action. Do the same with the smaller C-tail type lures and you can see the results. Action is a big deal cause it is what causes vibration. Vibration is the most important feature for a lure other than running depth and profile or size. Often vibration is the first thing that makes a bass aware that prey is near.

Exactly! There ain't nothing wrong with it. I don't care who you are! Not to speak for Paul but he feels the same way.

LOL! The giants are gonna come. I don't think it's "if" but "when". Paul, nice post and as always it was a great time that really helped these winter blues. Thanks bud!

That's a good un' Chris! You gotta love the pure power a big striper like that can throw at you.

At this time of year those kind of spots would be good for smallmouth.

It will seem more like a slow current. If you are out on the main lake while they are pulling a lot of water, you might would drift toward the dam at about 2 mph. That's what it would be like in the area around the roadtrip sight where the lake is wide, and as long as you don't get to close to the dam.

I'm no longer a company man but I would like to sponsor Big O....

A mixture of hydrilla and pondweed.

ctf58, the water levels hit 363 in March 3 years ago and we had a great bite. We have no way of knowing what the water levels or current flow will be. We will be able to make a good prediction about a week before time. If it were to do what would be considered annual average, it would hit right at summer pool a week before the roadtrip, that would be ideal for a shallow bite. It all depends on the rainfall in the western part of TN. or anywhere along the TN. River and Cumberland.

If the Fat Free Shad and the Fat A were the same running depth then the Fat A would be a slower presentation lure by design. Nice info Frank.

To answer the first part of the question. If I feel like I'm being forced to change a presentation due to the lure, I've got the wrong lure. Lures need to allow for the proper presentation.

Water temps and photo period are what I believe in. The full moon does seem to trigger a lot of fish to actually get it on but I've seen them spawning when there wasn't a full moon as well. I really don't think to much about it though. It really hasn't helped my success any where I fish. I consider it prespawn once the water temps hits 50. This is when fish start to congregate and become very active. I have seen fish on the bed here as early as March and as late as early June. Ever year we have different waves so I don't hardly ever have to fish for spawning bass.

Lund, there is the Everstart that is going to be held 2 weeks before the roadtrip. But that's not a bad thing. I think it goes out of the Moors so the area will get stocked! There are big tournaments here every weekend. It usually doesn't effect fishing that much though. Pisgah Is the party cove of Ky. Lake. I rarely go in there. The launch sites on the LBL side are only used by a few fisherman. Don't let that worry you none. Now Big Bear which is the big bay that is where the Moors is located gets hammered throughout the year but there are still a lot of fish there. Y'all feel free to PM me anytime with any general questions. I've said before though that I would have to write a book to respond as far as lures and patterns right now. Every year seems to change around here. For example, the last roadtrip here Senko77, LBH, and I had a great day. We caught over 100 fish that day with a 5 lb. smallmouth to top it off. The next day I couldn't buy a bite on the same pattern. BTW, I'm not planning on fishing a great deal of tournaments this year. Even if I was I wouldn't care. I'd rather see some BR friends have a great time and experience how great this lake can be.

Hmmmm...I'm going fishing Friday. That gives you 4 days to get down here! LOL

Oh yeah Rhino and Scrutch, I'm totally illiterate to the Navplanner. I don't know when they recorded their data. But last year Ky. and Barkley had record elevations and record water release rates. A lot of laydowns and cover in general that had been there for atleast 10 years are no longer there. But hey, you guys look like you're doing your homework and that's what makes for success! My hat's off to you.

Man there's a lot of good input here. Rolo, I kind of expected any migration in the winter months to be more vertical. I believe they won't stray too far from the deeper water. Nick, I always felt water clarity could factor in. I fish Ky. and Barkley. Ky. has much more hard bottom so it stays more clear when the water starts flowing in. Barkley will stain or even mud up. Just a couple years ago guys on Ky. were catching fish 6-10 ft. deep in late February after a lot of water in flow. The guys on Barkley how ever were catching fish in 1-3 ft. Yet the bass on Ky. usually move back to the shallows first. You throw some conditions in the mix and things will change.