GILBERSTVILLE, Ky. – To say things have changed from the original date of the LBL Division event on Kentucky/Barkley lakes is an understatement (it was originally slated for March). Then again, the fish are currently in transition again, so anglers will need to stay alert for more change.
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What to expect
Summertime is ledge time on these two massive reservoirs. Or, at least, that’s the normal assumption for most anglers.
They may want to rethink that for this event.
“Right around that time, there’s a major transition,” said local Harlan Thomas. “There’s still plenty of fish offshore, but you won’t find those mega schools like you can in early summer. There’s less current come July, and most of the schools are broken up.”
With the fish no longer fixated out deep, Thomas said many actually start to head up shallow this time of year, especially the lakes’ booming smallmouth.
“Oh, smallmouth will definitely be a player in this event,” Thomas said. “They tend to get up shallower sooner, and when they do, they want to eat.”
Another thing to note is that the takeoff site was moved to Kentucky Dam Marina, making Barkley far easier to access. With that, Thomas wouldn’t be surprised to see a quarter of the field head to the sister fishery, as it’s well known for its shallow-water potential.
In the end, Thomas thinks anglers won’t be able to just focus on one pattern to succeed.
“It’s going to be all about putting yourself in a feeding situation at the right time,” Thomas said. “You might start the morning with a topwater, then hit some docks or shallow brush before heading to the ledges as they kick current on later in the day. You won’t be able to do the same thing all day.”
Baits to bring
Anyone who has fished these lakes knows there are some true “never leave home without them” baits, and all will be players.
A walking or plopper-style topwater for the mornings can get someone right in a hurry, and these fish never seem to tire of a big worm or jig. And needless to say, anyone using forward-facing sonar should have a minnow at the ready.
However, don’t overlook a spinnerbait, as Thomas said there’s more bait in the lake right now than they’ve seen in years, and if there’s some wind, tossing some blades could play well.
What will it take?
Saying it will take 14 pounds to win on fisheries like these might give someone pause at first. That is, until they realize this derby has a three-fish limit. And to that point, Thomas figures most bags will be mixed, with two solid smallmouth and a kicker largemouth.
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