Keith Lusher 07.10.24
Summertime has arrived for fishermen in Kentucky. With the forecast calling for temperatures in the 90s all week, the fishing patterns are changing. Anglers are finding white bass and yellow bass stacked up in the main channels. Popular baits include jigging spoons, casting spoons, and white in-line spinners.
For those chasing crappie, anglers are having success tightlining brush piles in deeper water and also trolling in open water.
The bluegill spawn is still occurring, so expect to be able to catch bream in the shallows for at least another week or so. Wax worms, nightcrawlers, and red worms rigged under a small cork should fetch a healthy box of bream this month.
For rainbow trout anglers, there is a planned stocking scheduled for July 18 in Paintsville Lake.
As for those chasing largemouth bass, it’s all about finding moving water. Robert Welsh, a tournament angler who has fished bass tournaments all over the Southeast, is currently fishing the BFL Tournament Trail in Kentucky. He said he’s seeing bass show up near rivers and creeks with a strong current. Welsh recommends targeting bass differently depending on the time of day. “The largemouth bass are in the shallows early. I’ve been successful using Zara Spooks during the early morning hours,” he said. With the warmer temperatures, vegetation is starting to grow, and shallow water weed beds are starting to fill out, making topwater baits an option.
As the sun rises and temperatures start to heat up, Welsh heads for deeper water. “I’ve been fishing the ledges and brush piles using a drop-shot rig or a Texas rig suspended over brush piles,” he said.
For those looking to catch smallmouth bass, Welsh recommends fishing shallow areas early and late in the day. “The rest of the time, the smallies are around the drop-offs. Try drop-shot rigs, spoons, and tubes,” he suggested.
