The Walmart Bass Fishing League is expected to hold a fishing tournament geared towards weekend anglers in Gilbertsville, Kentucky, on Saturday, July 21, 2012. A collective prize purse worth over $9,000 is on the line. Here are a few more details:
Fishing Tournament Basics
The Walmart BFL's tournament is slated to take place on Saturday, July 21, 2012, from 5:30 a.m. until 2 p.m., at the Kentucky Dam Marina located on Marina Drive. During the bass fishing tournament, participating anglers will be restricted to a five fish catch limit. In addition, all smallmouth bass caught during the tournament event must be at least 18 inches long. All largemouth and spotted bass must be at least 15 inches long.
Anglers interested in fishing in the Kentucky Dam Marina tournament will need to pre-register, attend an obligatory meeting and possess valid fishing licenses. A registration session is scheduled to take place on Friday, July 20, 2012, from 4 p.m. until 6 p.m., at the Benton Walmart located on West 5th Street. Interested anglers should be prepared to remit either a $100 (co-angler) or a $200 entry fee (boater) at the time of registration. The obligatory meeting is anticipated to take place that same evening at 6:30 p.m.
Fishing License Information
Due to the nature of the Kentucky Lakes region, anglers will want to consider purchasing both a Kentucky and a Tennessee fishing license. A one-day, resident, Kentucky fishing license costs $7 and a one-day, non-resident, Kentucky fishing license costs $10. Either one may be purchased at the Benton Walmart or online.
A one-day, resident, Tennessee fishing license costs $5.50 and a one-day, non-resident, Tennessee fishing license costs $8. The non-resident license doesn't include trout. A one-day, non-resident, Tennessee fishing license inclusive of trout is $16. Either one may be purchased online.
About the Venue
The Kentucky Dam Marina is located on the Tennessee River near mile marker 23. It offers visiting anglers access to boat fuel, bait, boat slips and pump out services. Additional lodging is available nearby.
Kentucky Lake - Barkley Lake Fishing Forecasts
Since the beginning of July 2012, daytime air temperatures around Gilbertsville have been hovering in the 90 to 100 degree Fahrenheit range. The evening air temperatures have been dipping down into the 60s and 70s (Fahrenheit). That temperature trend is expected to continue through Saturday, July 21, 2012. Anglers may also look forward to a new moon occurring on Thursday, July 19, 2012.
As of Wednesday, July 11, 2012, the surface water temperature at Kentucky Lake was reputedly 85.96 degrees Fahrenheit and the water level was at 354.42 feet MSL. The lake appears to be stratified at this time with dissolved oxygen levels in the hypolimnion believed to be at 3.16 mg/L. The dissolved oxygen level in the lake's epilimnion is said to be .72 mg/L.
Lake Barkley is said to have an 86 degree Fahrenheit surface water temperature and a water level of 357.55 feet MSL at this time. The dissolved oxygen content at Lake Barkley's various depths is currently unknown. The bass are in a post spawn mode.
Visiting anglers should consider targeting the lakes' ledges and fish attractor sites during the heat of the day. Football jigs, drop shots and Carolina rigs should prove to be productive in those areas. Furthermore, the lakes' shallow areas are good spots to target in the mornings with spinner baits and topwater lures. Lure colors to consider are green pumpkin, pearl silver and chartreuse.
Anglers' Resources
Anglers interested in planning their fishing strategies further will want to check out the Kentucky Lake fish attractor maps available through the Tennessee Valley Authority's website. A map of Lake Barkley's fish attractor sites is available through the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' website. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Nashville District's website has navigational and aerial maps of Lake Barkley. Additional maps for Kentucky Lake are also available online.
Killeen Gonzalez enjoys fishing with her family. She has also traveled extensively.
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Saltwater Fishing Tournament Weekend Results Recap for July 8, 2012
Greater Jacksonville Kingfish Tournament Kicks Off July 16, 2012
