My wife has friends in Memphis that she wants to visit next March or April.  I am planning on bringing my boat up there, and spending a couple days fishing either Pickwick or Kentucky Lake.  What would you recommend between the two?  I would like to go for smallmouth as much as possible, as they don't have any where I fish.  

Both are fun and I’ve caught big smallies in both but...Pickwick hands down for me

If you're after smallmouth then you definitely want to go to Pickwick or the tailwater below Pickwick dam.  On Kentucky lake all of the big tournaments and classic ledge fishing happens on the northern half of the lake where smallmouth are rare.  I've fished Pickwick maybe five times in February and caught my two biggest SM there.  I've fished the north end of KY lake my whole life and never caught a SM.  I've never fished Pickwick dam tailwater but I've heard great things about the SM fishing there.

The Pickwick tailwaters are technically Kentucky Lake. That would be my recommendation. 

If you have room in your boat I would be happy to show you around.

 

1 minute ago, roadwarrior said:

The Pickwick tailwaters are technically Kentucky Lake. That would be my recommendation. 

If you have room in your boat I would be happy to show you around.

 

Depending on who ends up coming I very well may have room.  I'll keep that in mind and get back you with when I have a date range planned.  I was planning on staying at the cabins at Pickwick Landing state park.  So I'd have access to Pickwick and the tailwaters.

Sorry, no intention of hi-jacking the thread but have thought of the same trip either next Spring, or more likely late next Fall.  Curious as to average size of smallmouth and where they top out length/weight?

Average weight is about 3 lbs or 2-4 lbs. On one of my best trips I caught 15 smallmouth, 8 over 5 lbs.

Best day overall was at a BassResource Roadtrip, 78 (mixed) in one day. Best year was a combined total

with my friend Speedy Madewell, 52 over 5 lbs. Speedy's best, which I netted and weighed, was 10 lbs in

November of 2004. My PB was caught in January 2005 along with another beauty featured in my avatar,

just over 7 and just over 8 lbs.

 

On 10/25/2018 at 6:17 PM, FryDog62 said:

Sorry, no intention of hi-jacking the thread but have thought of the same trip either next Spring, or more likely late next Fall.  Curious as to average size of smallmouth and where they top out length/weight?

They top out as big as you will find on planet Earth. Problem is, they are smart 

I would definitely recommend having roadwarrior in the boat with you there. It’d be like having a free expert guided trip. He knows his stuff on those waters. By the way RW say hi sometime ?

HI  !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!