# Barkley/Kentucky Lake Shell crackers and bluegill



## SmallieKing (Apr 11, 2007)

Thinking about taking a long weekend to go after gills and redears at one of the two. Anyone have any tips or tricks? Places to stay? Suggestions? It'll be our first trip since buying our boat.


----------



## bassin mickey (Apr 22, 2004)

Bring a parachute if going in early spring. The wind was like jumping out of a plane. Good luck.


----------



## Shortdrift (Apr 5, 2004)

Consider getting a guide for one day if you can afford it.. He will make your trip much more enjoyable on the following days. I'm sure there are members here on OGF that can recommend a guide.


----------



## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

My buddy Doug Wynn, Crappie, Gills and More guide service, can and will help you learn where to look for them as well as put some good ones in the cooler. I've been fishing with him for over ten years. Here's a good one from last May. You can find him listed under the crappie.com website guide listings.


----------



## NewbreedFishing (Apr 15, 2004)

Most inside/back ends of coves have good numbers of shellcrackers shallow, around April-May.
I see boats way back in the shallows fishing the wood for them when I am there. Most of them are always catching them hand over fist!


----------



## Bluebuster6912 (Jul 30, 2007)

Ive been to Ky Lake 6 of the last 8 years. I stay at Malcolm Creek Resort and Marina. Cabins are $700.00 for the week. My personal experience has been - First 2 years i went we went 1st week of May and we was always 1 or 2 weeks early on the shell crackers, so we started going the 2 week of May and we still seem to be a week early. So this year my reservation is in for the 3rd week of May. Which with my luck with probably be told the typical "Man You shoulda been here last week they were on fire" . How good the fishing is down there to me seems to matter more about water levels than even the weather. When the lake level is stable fishing is good, Water Rising fishing is great, as soon as they pull 1" outta that lake the fish get lock jaw. We usuelly use black jigs and tip them with worms. i catch most of them outta my back yard to keep bait cost down, but you gonna need alot of them, between 2 of us fishing we easily use probably a 1000 worms in a week. But we catch a little bit of everything on them . Best tip i got for ya is if ya find Bluegills and a couple Shellcrackers on a bank move out from the same bank till ya find water around 6 ft to 9 ft deep and Vertical jig it, thats where we get most of our shell crackers


----------



## chaunc (Apr 11, 2004)

Ive been going down the third week for the last five to seven years and doing great every time. Weather is pretty stable then. Fish may still be hard to find but once found, you can load up the boat. Red ears, gills, catfish, yellow bass, and even crappies. My brother and I have a great time out of Kenlake Marina.


----------

