Kentucky Lake Panfishing Trip

It was still cool in the early May morning. The clouds from the night before had broken up and the sun was beginning to peek through. As we motored into our destination at the back of a large cove on Kentucky Lake, our guide Garry Mason, of Springville, TN, assured us that things were getting ready to heat up. we were targeting the pan-sized bluegill and red- eared sunfish our guide claimed were inhabiting the area. It wouldn't take us long to figure out he was telling the truth.
On the first cast, Mason immediately connected with a slab- sized bluegill. As I watched him land the fish on his ultra- light spinning rig, I missed seeing my own bobber dip below the surface. I had missed my first opportunity. Moments later, my 83-year-old grandfather, Tom Patton, scored on a roe laden, female shell-cracker. After deciding that I was not there merely to feed the fish, I put another cricket on my small jig head, and proceeded to land a plump, bluegill.

The action continued like this over the next four hours. By the time we were ready to head in for lunch, we had caught over 200 of the tasty panfish. We kept 30 of them for our own personal consumption, and released the rest. It was a very successful morning by anyone's standards.

Gary Mason is a full-time fishing guide on Kentucky Lake. He spends over 180 days on the water each year, guiding for bass, crappie and bluegill. He is a top notch guide and has as much knowledge about the haunts and habits of panfish, as anyone I've ever met.

Mason likes to begin targeting these fish around the first week of May. This is when the fish are normally preparing to spawn, although Mason cautions that this could begin earlier, depending on the weather.

"I have found that if the water warms up in its normal pattern, then the fish will be there in the first week in may," he said. "If we have an early spring with lots of warm weather and clear water conditions, the spawn could begin earlier."

Mason will search for fish in areas that have shallow water with mud or sand banks, and deeper water nearby. Another characteristic that he looks for are areas with debris stacked up in the shallows.

"Anywhere that you can find leaves or other debris, just seems to be a magnet for these fish," he said. "This stuff will normally stack up in the back of bays, and pockets off the main bay."

Once you find these type of areas, Mason says finding the fish won't be difficult."Bluegill and shell-crackers will usually nest in the same area," he said. "The bluegill will be 2-4 feet deep, and the red-ears will be right next to the bank in 10-18 inches of water."

According to Mason, anglers should be very aware of the location of the bedding areas they find."Once you find a spawning area, you should write it down or mark it on a map," he said. "The fish will return to these areas year after year, as long as the area doesn't go through some drastic change."

Mason's favorite method for catching these fish, is on ultra- light spinning tackle. He prefers light line, and uses small plastic Grubs on a number 10 size hook, or a 1/48 oz. jig head, tipped with a live cricket.

He also takes precautions to ensure that the quality of the fishing remains high. "I limit all my clients to 100 keepers a day, and they must release all of the females they catch."

So this spring, when you want a place for some exciting panfishing action, try Kentucky Lake. You'll be glad you did.

If you are interested in a guided fishing trip with Garry Mason, you can call him at (901)593-5429. Excellent accommodations are available at Buchanan Resort, for reservations call (901)642-2828.