By Chris Erwin
It’s been a long time getting here this year. Cold snaps, heavy rains causing flooding and high water have all contributed to a slow start. Oh, they have been good days; however, they have been brief as the weather and fishing conditions would return to less than needed to see spring pop into bloom.
Today, I talked to Greg Dowdy and Bob Hill. They have been on Cave Run for a few days now, and they have been catching fish like crazy. These two guys have been faithful friends in helping me report to the readers of this column what they can expect once they get out on the water.
Most of this spring the water has been muddy and high, especially on the Popin Rock end of the lake. The Lake has fallen to just one foot over summer pool and continues to fall at a rate of -.02 feet per day. This along with its clearing to about two feet of visibility in the river and nearly eight feet on the main lake has been really positive factors in improving the fishing.
Dowdy, told me that they had caught bass, musky and crappie, and he has sent me pictures to show just how much success they have had. Four Muskie caught in one day! That’s pretty good fishing.
OK I’m going to share with you how they caught these fish. However, we must set the stage because if you want to understand why fish do what they do you must be able to recognize the conditions that drive them. They are creatures of their environment and the act accordingly.
The water temperature is 67 degrees the fish have spawned or at least tried to spawn. The Muskies are working creeks, flats and the laydown trees. The bait that’s had the most success has been a 1/2oz Buzz-bait; color is not as important as speed. Finding that perfect cadence is a learned experience, but if you put it in the right place, it won’t take long to lock into the speed.
The Bass are in many of the same locations and while Dowdy and Hill caught bass on the buzz-bait. They found in some of these laydown trees a Senko worm, whacky rigged, also drew fish out of some cover too heavy to be effective fishing with a buzz-bait.
This time of the year fishing can be good all day depending on the sun and other factors. Overcast days have produced the most fish. However, when the sun gets high in the sky, it’s time to catch a few crappie.
The Crappie has been in the trees no deeper than 12 feet. Live bait always works, but these guys were fishing jigs. They were using one ¼ ounce and smaller jig using light line. There is no magic to catching these fish you just have to hit the right spot. The tree-tops and heave brush are good places to start.
OK, now it’s your turn get out there and wet a line. I can’t think of a more beautiful place to be than floating along the shore line soaking up nature and catching some hard fighting fish.
Remember to take a kid fishing I will be covering so kid outing as the spring progresses. You are welcome to send you pictures and tell me your stories as we begin this outdoor journey. Chris Erwin is the founder and publisher of Kentucky Angling News an on-line magazine available at www.kentuckyangling.com/magazine Chris can be reached by email chris@ashlandbeacon.com
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