Bill Dance Talks About Kentucky Lake

Glenn: Hi, everybody, I'm Glenn May, and I'm here with Bill Dance. Bill we're going to be here in Kentucky Lake, in early April, how would you fish it, to catch more bass?

Bill Dance: Well, April is, it really depends on our winter. If we have an early winter, April can be a sensational time. Our nighttime temperatures will govern, what happens in early April. If we have cold nights, it's going to be a little bit later. Normally the first week of April, in that part of the country is an ideal time.

What I would look for is, the warmest water. If we have a lot of rain, and they're moving a lot of water through the TVA system, I'm going to look for murky water. Because murky water, or off colored water, is going to warm much quicker then the clear water.

I'm going to probably look for the protected areas; they're going to warm much quicker, the backend of coves, the backend of creeks. You could find at that time of year, some vegetation starting to sprout up.

Again, it depends on the water temperature, if the water is up, the water is back in the butt brush, spinnerbaits could be a good choice. Jigs with plastic attractors, could be a good choice, but look for the warmest areas, that's going to be the key. And two or three degrees can make a major difference.

The main lake again, depending on the water temperature, but the pockets, the coves, off of the main lake, will normally produce the most active fish.

Glenn: Now we're going to be fishing out of Kenlake State Park, does anybody have to make a real long run, to get to the bass?

Bill: Well, you've got coves, and runs, all up and down the lake. I have gone as far as Barkley. Make that run, go through the Land Between The Lakes, and over into Barkley, and find fish. Even in late March, early April, mid April, and still find those fish, in the flooded flats, if the water is up.

Now we could get a lot of rain, at that time of year, it could push water way back in the flats. And these fish will move back in there. I've caught a lot of fish, on plastic lizards, throwing a real light slip sinker, at that time of the year. A slow presentation type bait, again, it depends on what Mother Nature, dishes out. If she dishes out cold nights, cold nights dictate.

We have more cooling hours at that time of the year, then we do warming hours. You know, people say, well tomorrow it's going up to 70 degrees. Well, that 70 degrees normally, doesn't get here until around two, three or four o'clock, and by five o'clock, it's starting to cool down again. And we have a lot of dark hours, so it's the nighttime temperatures that really govern the daytime temperatures. And cold water is heavier, then warm water. It's thicker, it's denser, and it falls right through.

So what the afternoon temperatures warmed up, the nighttime temperatures chill right back down. And a bass, being a cold-blooded creature, his or her body temperature is the same, as the surrounding water. So they move in, they try it, they move out. They move in, and they move out.

Even with temperature changes where you find, what I call good housekeeping banks, good areas. If you've located fish, and you find good areas like that and you get changes like that in the water temperature, many times those fish will just move out just a little bit. So just back out a little bit, and fish slower. Slower presentation type baits, like lighter weight jigs, with plastic combinations, plastic lizards.

Lizards, don't live in water I don't know why, they call them lizards, but salamander type baits, with light slip sinkers. Light slip sinkers, give the bait a much, slower fall.

Glenn: What would be your favorite color choices?

Bill: I like darker baits, because they hold their identity, so much better that's just, personal choice.

Glenn: Exactly.

Bill: But, April is a great time, on Kentucky Lake, and it's a tremendous reservoir. Our fishery there has come back so strong in the last few years. And we have a great small mouth population there too. We welcome you there, and I think you're going to have a great time. And it's the type of place if you fish it once, you'll want to come back again.

Glenn: All right. Well thank you so much Bill. . .

Bill: Thank you, Buddy.

Glenn: I appreciate your time.

Bill: Thank you.