Americana Outdoors E-Magazine - January 2017

LAK BREAKDOW

KentuckyLakeisthelastimpoundmentoftheTennese River beforetheriver flowsintotheOhio. It’samostlyshalow reservoirthatspanssome160,000acres,providingal209 prosandtheirco-anglerpartnerswithamplespacetospread out. Thoughit’sknownforitsriverledges, herdsofofshorebas andoneofthemost excitingpost-spawnbitesinthecountry, Kentuckyisalsopackedwithshalowcover: floodedbushes, varioustypesofbankgras, hydrila, laydownsfordays, leg- endarystumpfields,riprap,cypres tresandknes,and more.Theseshorelinetargets,plussmalcreksandcuts andvastspawningflats, arefilingupwithbas. Theforagebaseincludesgizardandthreadfinshad,blue- gils,crawfishandothersmalergamefish.Waterclarity variesbyareafromlesthanafoot toseveral fet ofvisibility, thoughmostofthereservoirhasthat“Tennese River gren”that’sjust dirtyenoughtocrankandjust clearenough tothrowaswimbait. Curentflowisamajorfactmuchlescritical. Moreimport- ant isthewaterlevel, whichwasat 358.95aroundthetimeof theregistrationmetinglastnight. That’sacoupleofinches lower thanwhenanglershit thewater inonWednesdaymorn- ingforthefinal dayofpractice. About359fetisnormal for summerpool,andanother6inchestoafootontopofthat wouldabsolutelychangethetournamentbyfloodingmore bushesandshorelinecover. KENTUCKYLAKE PARIS, TN MARCH1THAND12TH, 2017