Your Kick'n Bass Fishing Report for August 17, 2022

From the deck of the Kick’n Bass pontoon

Well, lately the heat of the day starts about 6 AM and goes up from there! Have rain and a cool front coming thru (at least I hope the weather people are right this time) so that will help the humans. Current pull has been extremely fast one day and nonexistent the next. When TVA pulls water to generate electricity, it balls up the baitfish and then the white and yellow bass go full bore into an eating frenzy. Days with not much current have us looking for active fish. Overall it has been a great white/yellow bass summer and I can prove it by the cuts and slices in my hands!! We are going to chase these fish a couple more weeks and then start crankin for crappies. Drink plenty of water and use sunscreen.

Lake conditions The TVA has the water level at about 357 elevation and are slowly dropping it to winter pool. Always watch your map on your depth finder or you may end up with a new lower unit. For up-to-date water levels visit the site below.
tva.gov/Environment/Lake-Levels/Kentucky Weather forecast www.accuweather.com/en/us/benton/42025/

Whitebass and Yellowbass 
Have been fishing exclusively for white and yellow bass since mid June and overall it has been a great bite! Inline spinners and SteelShad Blade Baits, yo-yoed back to the boat has been the key. Allowing your bait to get back to the bottom between retrieves is THE most important tip I can give you. These fish love to chase their food and love those baits coming up off the bottom. All fish have come off a channel ledge and up on the flats adjacent to the ledge.  

Catfish 
Incidental catfish have been in the mix looking for free meals that the white bass have missed.

Crappies  
I haven’t chased crappies since June but by the end of August I’ll be back at them! Love cranking for crappies but in the summer months the action is whitebass. I have been buying Jenko crankbaits so I’ll be ready. Only a few short weeks. With the warm water I plan to pull at about 2.0 mph in the deeper bays and flats adjacent to those bays. Here is a pic from my crappie trip with the outdoor writers group AGLOW!!

Largemouth and smallmouth We’ve had several keeper Largemouth and smallmouth fishing the flats. A guide friend told me they have been fishing shallow water points for Largemouth. 

Readear/ Bluegill 
Catch the occasional bluegill mixed in with white bass but have not specifically targeted them. Did catch this Redear whitebassin!  

ATTABOY 
I have fished six years straight with The Christianson group. We have absolutely smoked the whitebass every year. I have seen the boys turn into men and Don just keeps on going!! I can always see in his face how he loves seeing the younger family catch fish. Getting old ain’t for sissies but Don keeps chugging along. I have told the high schoolers to go to college to be meteorologists….the only job where you can be wrong 90 percent of the time and be right!!! This attaboy is from Cyle in their group….”Thanks again for another great year. We are still telling our wives and families all about our trip”!! —Cyle W.

 
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