Larry Self.

APRIL
Kentucky Lake
Crappie
Yes, it’s that time of year, and it’s hard to get crappie off our minds. Without a doubt, the time to be on Kentucky Lake for superb crappie fishing is from mid-March through mid-April for the pre-spawn run. The most productive crappie days are those with sunny or partly sunny conditions.

During this time, crappie can move from the 12- to 18-foot depths on up to as shallow as 2 feet. Find them first in deeper areas off brushpiles and manmade stakebeds. As they move in, search out staging crappie off points and submerged stumps. Anglers shouldn’t expect limits of 30 crappie every day on Kentucky Lake. Numbers aren’t necessarily a factor when you’re catching crappie over 2 pounds and better consistently.

Take advantage of spring crappie with 2-inch Charlie Brewer Slider Grubs fished on 1/16-ounce, ball-type jigheads. Anglers can catch the crappie by casting to structure and counting the grub down to where the fish are holding. Bring the lure back with a slow retrieve just above the stakebed or other structure because crappie will come up to take bait but won’t go down for it.

MAY
Kentucky Lake
Bluegills
Not to beat a dead horse, but May is also the time to find yourself on Kentucky Lake but for a different species -- the bluegill. The bluegill fishing is so good there in May that you’ll want to beg your kids to get in the boat for an excuse to go. Forget that because these bluegills aren’t just for kids. As matter of fact, when these fish get on beds before the full moon, they’ll have you thinking you were a kid again.

The action cranks up in May when bluegills move onto beds and are ready for the taking. Casting a small 1/32-ounce jig with a cricket either under a float or on the bottom will fill your creel with some of the finest-eating fish around.

Kentucky Lake anglers take their bluegill fishing very seriously. For many fishermen, this is a key time of year. It’s the time to boat a bunch and stock the freezer with sweet-tasting fish as well. As bluegills get on beds, you’ll find them in very shallow depths. They can be in as little 2 to 3 feet of water. The key is to locate beds and try to stay just off them and not fish right on top of them.

JUNE
Fort Loudoun Lake
Largemouths
Fort Loudoun Lake has built a decent reputation on smallmouths, but the big fish here are green in June. It’s deep crankbait time, and lures like DD-22s and Mann’s 30+ are in order.

Slow cranking humps and deep points with these big plugs may not pay off dividends in numbers, but the opportunity to hook up with 4-, 5- and even 6-pound largemouths will have you on the lake and sweating for the first time this summer.

This isn’t simply an early morning deal at all. Forget about having to be on the water at first light -- it won’t hurt but isn’t a necessity. As the air temperature warms, the bass will move out to these deeper haunts, and that’s where you’ll find them with deep-running crankbaits. The action isn’t fast until you hook up. You’ll want to slowly crank the big lures across the humps and points and hang on when you get that telltale bump. There are many options, but don’t overlook the Concord area of the lake.