03-19-2004, 07:33 AM
Kentucky Lake catfishing begins at Pickwick Dam, just north of the Alabama/Mississippi border, and runs all the way to the Kentucky line. Tennessee's biggest lake is a catfish factory, producing great opportunities for catching channels, flatheads and blues.
Great fishing begins right at the dam, and boating anglers go as close to the dam as they are permitted. Once there, they fish cut bait vertically on three-way rigs for channels and blues, usually keying on "slots" between turbines that are on. Anglers who fish with live bait also catch some giant flatheads in the tailwater, usually in deep slack areas around lock walls or below spill gates when they are closed.
Bank-fishermen also enjoy plenty of good opportunity to catch cats immediately downstream of the dam. Again, cut shad or skipjack are the mainstay baits. Anglers use surf-casting gear to make long casts and bounce their baits along the bottom. They lose a lot of terminal tackle, but they also catch a lot of catfish. Channels and smaller blues dominate the catch, but any catfish that grabs a line anywhere on Kentucky Lake could turn out to be a giant.
Downstream of the dam (north), Kentucky Lake winds many miles essentially as a river before it begins opening much. Long stretches through this section are quite remote and get very light fishing pressure from catfish anglers. Yet the big holes on outside bends are loaded with catfish. Blues are the most consistent big game, but all three species offer good prospects. Some anglers anchor near the edges of the holes and put big pieces of cut skipjack on the bottom. Others drift, either suspending their offerings midway down or bouncing them off the bottom with three-way rigs.
Kentucky Lake becomes more "lakelike" north of Interstate 40, but currents can run through the entire lake when water is being "pushed" through Pickwick Dam and "pulled" through Kentucky Dam. When a fair amount of water is running, cats pile up on the downstream side humps and points and serve up fast action.
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Great fishing begins right at the dam, and boating anglers go as close to the dam as they are permitted. Once there, they fish cut bait vertically on three-way rigs for channels and blues, usually keying on "slots" between turbines that are on. Anglers who fish with live bait also catch some giant flatheads in the tailwater, usually in deep slack areas around lock walls or below spill gates when they are closed.
Bank-fishermen also enjoy plenty of good opportunity to catch cats immediately downstream of the dam. Again, cut shad or skipjack are the mainstay baits. Anglers use surf-casting gear to make long casts and bounce their baits along the bottom. They lose a lot of terminal tackle, but they also catch a lot of catfish. Channels and smaller blues dominate the catch, but any catfish that grabs a line anywhere on Kentucky Lake could turn out to be a giant.
Downstream of the dam (north), Kentucky Lake winds many miles essentially as a river before it begins opening much. Long stretches through this section are quite remote and get very light fishing pressure from catfish anglers. Yet the big holes on outside bends are loaded with catfish. Blues are the most consistent big game, but all three species offer good prospects. Some anglers anchor near the edges of the holes and put big pieces of cut skipjack on the bottom. Others drift, either suspending their offerings midway down or bouncing them off the bottom with three-way rigs.
Kentucky Lake becomes more "lakelike" north of Interstate 40, but currents can run through the entire lake when water is being "pushed" through Pickwick Dam and "pulled" through Kentucky Dam. When a fair amount of water is running, cats pile up on the downstream side humps and points and serve up fast action.
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