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Here we are again with another fishing season kicking off here on Kentucky Lake. Bass and Crappie Fishing both are heating up with the spring temperatures finally making way to our area. Everything seems to be greening up and the pollen is flying around everywhere.

When those water temperatures start heating up, fish will start flooding the banks and spawning areas. Some of the best fishing of the year is during the pre-spawn and spawn during the April and May months. I am looking forward to an awesome year in 2025 and we hope to see you here on Kentucky Lake!

Lake Conditions and What's Happening on the Lake

Water Temp: 58-62 degrees
Lake Level: 355.9 and changing by the hour
Water Color: Stained to Dirty with some creeks cleaner than others

As I am writing this, we are currently receiving historical rainfalls with more coming this way. They are predicting anywhere from 10-15” of rain in some areas. We have had some crazy weather this spring with heavy rains and winds. Keep in mind we are coming off of an extra cold winter for this area as well.

This spring everything seems to be a bit behind, and I say its because of the cold temps and cold rains. The water temps have been slow to rise this year and with the dirty to stained water colors, the fishing has been slow to really get going good. There have been some great weights in recent tournaments, but if conditions were normal, it could have been really good in the month of March. With given lake conditions, the bite has overall been pretty slow to start off the year and that’s going to change with warming weather conditions.

If you have followed Kentucky Lake for the last couple of years, you know that it has been a smallmouth dominant lake. The smallmouth are not near as affected by fluctuating water levels because they spawn deeper. The largemouth spawn is affected more because of where they spawn.

That said, we have had some great spawns the last few years and the numbers of smallmouth and largemouth both are incredible. I look for more of that to come in the next few years with quality and quantity increasing. Keep an eye on water levels over the next week or so, a lot is going to change.

Techniques & Where

Shallow Cranking - A shallow crankbait bite can be one of the best bites you get on in the spring months when the pre-spawn is in full swing, especially in the right conditions. Wind is always your friend when throwing a shallow crank. Current breaks on main lake, rock points, or gravel, rock transition banks midway to backs of creeks.

Specifics – 6th Sense Fishing Flat Finesse F4, PD4, Crush 50

Colors - Brown Eye, Ghost Mudbug, Chart Black Back

Lipless or Chatterbait - On those windy days, winding a lipless can be a great bait to toss around. When fish pull up on those mainlake flats or on wind blown banks, it’s a great bait to throw to catch numbers. A chatterbait is a must have this time of year and another bait to cover water with and to just have another option to wind around shallow cover, rock and wood. When the water is dirty or has some stain to it, these are two great options to add to your rotation of baits.

Specifics - 6th Sense Fishing Duke, Snatch, Zman Jack Hammer

Colors- Brown Eye, Tiger Treuse, Gold Reactor, Shad Surge, Fire Craw, Black and Blue

Spinnerbait - When the water is stained like it has been on Kentucky Lake and it’s the spring of the year, a spinnerbait is a bait that will get you bites. Look for dirty water in the creeks with rock or wood and you get some wind, throw it.

Specifics - Nichols Lures Kicker Series, Dirty Jigs Compact Spinnerbait, 1/2 oz

Colors - Spot Killer, Chart Shad, Sexy Guntersville Shad

Swimbait - There are many swimbaits that work on Kentucky Lake, but if you’re looking for a bait to throw here for the next month or two that will get a lot of bites, a simple jighead with a small swimbait is a must. With water levels coming up, fish will likely group up over the flats and points, making them easy targets with a swimbait.

Specifics - 6th Sense Fishing Finesse Swimbait Head 5/16, Ignite Baits Baller Head ¼, 6th Sense Fishing Divine 3.2 or 3.8 Swimbaits, Ignite Frenzy Shad 4”

Colors - Pro Blue, Platinum White, Sexified Shad, Pro Shad, TVA Hitch, Ky Lake Special, Sexy Shad

Jerk Bait - Most people think of cold water when they think jerkbaits. A jerkbait can be deadly on the shallow flats in 4-12’ of water. When the smallmouth and largemouth start spawing on the main lake flats, you can target them with a jerkbait and ffs. This is also a great bait around gravel or rock points when fish are suspended.

Specifics- 6th Sense Fishing Provoke 106 and 97

Colors- Shad Pro, Table Rock Pro, Shad Dawn, Jaint Juice

Minnow Bait - A jighead minnow of your choice and a minnow style bait has been proven on smallmouth and largemouth both. FFS is a great tool and its proven to be dominate today. Shallow flats in 4-12’ of water when fish are spawing and deeper drop offs or ditches are great places to look.

Specifics - 6th Sense Fishing Ozzie, Juggle Minnow, Ignite Baits Nicotine Minnow

Colors - Ghost Ice Minnow, Ghost Minnow, Threadfin Shad, Forty4, GBG, Gizzard

Ned Rig or Dropshot - Both of these baits are great baits to toss around on Kentucky Lake. Probably one of the most consistent patterns is going to be current breaks on the main lake. When TVA starts pulling water, fish will gang up around gravel and rock points. Drifting a ned rig or dropshot in the current will get you a lot of bites. Specifics- 6th Sense Fishing Dome Heads 3/16 oz, Boosa Ned 3.3, Glitch 3.8 Colors- Green Pumpkin, Smallie Snack, Smoke Green Pumpkin, Morning Dawn, Wat Shad

*All of the 6th Sense Fishing Baits mentioned in this report can be purchased at 6thsensefishing.com and use code “BHFISHING10” at checkout and save some money.

For those of you who are not familiar with my service, I competed for eight years on the Major League Fishing Tour. I am a full time, Licensed and Insured Captain, with First Aid and CPR Certification.

I offer one-on-one training, technique-specific trips, fun bass fishing trips, and electronics training in your boat. I would love the opportunity to share a day with you in my Vexus VXS21 or in your own boat to get your electronics dialed in. I am here to help you and to help you become a better angler and to give you confidence in your equipment.

If you plan to visit us on the north end of the lake, I want to invite you to our new business, Sonar Solutions. We are a full service marine electronics retail and install shop. If you are looking at upgrading your marine electronics, needing products installed, or need help learning about your system, give us a call at 270-460-0733 or visit us online at sonar-solutions.com.

Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram @brandonhunterfishing and @bhunterfishing for anything fishing. Make sure you are following along and subscribe to my YouTube Channel BrandonHunterFishing for updated reports and tips. Please visit brandonhunterfishing.com and shoot me an email to book your next trip. See you on the water!