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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
LAK
BREAKDOW