Barkley Setting up Well for the All-American
The FLW Bass Fishing League’s premier event kicks off Thursday on Lake Barkley
FLW Bass Fishing League All-American Tournament Director Daniel Fennel recalls that when the time was drawing closer for the championship set for Thursday through Saturday on Lake Barkley, he got a few phone calls from some contestants who wanted to know if they could lock through the dam.
“I told them that not only could they not lock through, but the northern end of Lake Barkley – including around the dam – was off-limits to them,” says Fennel. “They told me they weren’t talking about Barkley Dam; they were talking about Cheatham Dam.”
Presumably the anglers were contemplating a one-way trip up the Cumberland River from tournament headquarters at Lake Barkley State Resort Park near Cadiz, Ky., that would encompass at least 90 river miles into Tennessee past Dover, beyond Clarksville and on to Ashland City. One of today’s powerful outboards would hardly break a sweat running that far in a couple of hours. Still, an angler would have to be compelled by the surest of sure things to contemplate it.
Given what’s at stake, which includes at least $100,000 in prize money and a berth in this year’s Forrest Wood Cup, such a trek might be worth the wager to a contender looking to go yard, but it’s more likely that most of the All-American field will stay closer to home and fish Barkley’s midsection and upper end.
Local fishing reports claim that good stringers of bass are being caught from the bank out to the ledges now, on everything from jigs and soft plastics to deep-diving crankbaits. That’s typical for this time of year, notes Walmart FLW Tour pro Ramie Colson Jr.
“Weather-wise and considering the conditions as they are right now, it’s going to be one of those deals where the bank guys and the ledge fishermen are going to have a fairly equal shot,” says Colson, who’ll be preoccupied with fishing the Tour event on Kentucky Lake when the All-American is underway. “If the water stays at or above 359 feet [it’s currently 359.45], a lot of fish are going to be up shallower. Everything is adding up to it being a good tournament.”
Currently, a fair amount of water is being released through the generation gates at Barkley Dam, averaging about 17,300 cubic feet per hour in each of the last several days. The water level has been fluctuating between 359 and 360 feet for some time, and should stay close to summer pool.
The outlook is more iffy in the riverine section of the lake farther south, where bank cover along the main channel and in the numerous backwater areas is likely to be explored in detail during practice on Wednesday when the contestants get one last chance to sample the fishing before the tournament begins Thursday morning. The region has experienced afternoon thunderstorms for the past few days, which are typical for June and tend to muddy the water quickly, though often only for a day or less in any given area. Middle Tennessee and the upper Cumberland Plateau in Kentucky got soaked with thunderstorms several days last week, and that moderate surge of oncoming water could have a temporary impact on Barkley this weekend.
“All in all, the lake is fishing pretty good now,” adds Colson. “I guess you might say those fish have seen a good bit of pressure in the last few weeks, and the community holes have been getting worked over pretty good. Maybe some guys would be better off running south, especially if the water stays up a bit. It’s a gamble, but it could be a good gamble for the bank fishermen.”
Tournament details
Event: 2016 FLW Bass Fishing League All-American
Location: Lake Barkley, Cadiz, Ky.
Dates: June 9-11, 2016
Takeoff location: Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina, 4200 State Park Rd., Cadiz, KY
Takeoff time: 7 a.m. CT
Weigh-in location: Days 1 and 2: Lake Barkley State Resort Park Marina on days one and two; Day 3: Kentucky Dam Village State Park (on the FLW Tour stage), 7792 US Hwy 641 North, Gilbertsville, KY
Weigh-in times: Days 1 and 2: 3 p.m. CT; Day 3: 5:30 p.m. CT