THE BASS COLLEGE

September 16, 2010

Kentucky Lake:  Water Level at Ky Dam - 355.90  Surface Temperature - 78

Lake Barkley:  Water Level at Barkley Dam - 355.95  Surface Temperature - 78

Both lakes are three feet below summer pool.  Just as I reported last week that the shad were moving and we were starting to see the fall transition period beginning, so it continues and will for a number of weeks.  This transition as I mentioned last week has spread the Largemouth and we have Largemouth from the ledges to the backs of the creeks and bays as they are following the schools of shad.  The tournament results this past weekend is indicative of this with it taking only 31 lbs to win the FLW BFL two day tournament, only 22 lbs to win a two day club classic and only a little over 12 lbs to win a local club tournament.  Our water temperatures dropped slightly earlier in the week but came back up around mid week with two days of blue skies, sunshine and flat water.  The forecast for tomorrow and the weekend is for post frontal conditions with blue skies and light winds.  The highs for Saturday and Sunday are for the low 90's.  Pack your sunscreen this weekend, you will need it.

As mentioned above, the Largemouth are spread out during this transition and as per usual a myriad of patterns are taking fish.  We are getting fish on the ledges on the main lake and around the mouths of the deeper creeks and bays, some fish are being taken on main lake flats as well as on primary points on the main lakes, fish are being taken on the creek channel banks and associated secondary points in the creeks and bays and fish are being taken on the flats in the backs of the creeks and bays.  Basically, you can take your pick of patterns and any one pattern may be better on any given day.  This week our best catches came on ledges some days and some days back in the shallows, all depending on weather and wind conditions.  Our best ledge technique was by far the Carolina rig fished very slow and back shallow our best technique was lipless crankbaits, spinnerbaits and chatterbaits around the schools of young shad with some early topwater on walking baits.  I had a number of reports of single fish being taken on crankbaits on points and banks as well as a few on ledges.

Largemouth Bass:  Largemouth Bass are being taken on a myriad of patterns.  Largemouth are being taken on the ledges on the main lake and around the mouths of the creeks and bays.  These fish are being taken primarily on Carolina rigged creature baits, slow dragging football head jigs and shaky heads.  Largemouth are being taken on primary points on the main lakes as well as secondary points and creek channel banks in the creeks and bays.  These fish are being taken on deep and medium running crankbaits, Texas rigged large worms, jigs and shaky heads.  Largemouth are being taken on the flats in the coves and in  the backs of the creeks and bays early on topwater lures, lipless crankbaits and spinnerbaits.  Some Largemouth are being taken on the shallow flats on the main lakes as they are schooling on schools of shad.  These fish are being taken on spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits.

Smallmouth:  Some Smallmouth are being taken early and late in the day on main lakes points on topwater lures, shaky heads and finesse jigs.  Some nice fish are being reported on this pattern but not large numbers.

Some of the more productive lures reported this week are:  Lucky Craft Sammy and Gunfish in ghost pearl lemon and chartreuse shad, Strike King Series 5 and 6 crankbaits in sexy shad, Bandit 200 and 300 series crankbaits in rootbeer, Xcite 10" worms in watermelon/candy, Charmer 10.5 " gator tail worms in green pumpkin, Slong's spinnerbaits and chatterbaits in blue glimmer, Charmer Timber Pup in watermelon/purple and green pumpkin, Strike King Rodent in amistad special,  Strike King Red Eye Shad in sexy shad, chrome sexy shad and blue/chrome,  Zoom trick worms in green pumpkin/blue and Charmer shaky head worms in green pumpkin and watermelon/purple on Slong's shaky head jigs.