The ’’tt missmiss TheThe dondon BucketBucket ListListlakeslakes forfor 2014 2014 By Dave Baker Beth Little photo 14 Kentucky Afield Spring 2014 fw.ky.gov ELL THE BOSS you’re sick. Leave the dar Creek Lake show the overall bass popu- eral good year classes moving through,” he painting for another day. Plant a Wild- lation is growing older. “Six to eight years said. “The spawns have been well-timed and Tlife Management Area sign in the grass ago, we were seeing a lot of small to medium spread out.” and leave the mowing for next week. Find bass,” Williams said. “Now we’re catching a April is a key month for largemouth another day to change the oil in your truck. lot of big ones.” bass. A variety of sizes and age classes start Another 1,000 miles won’t make much of a Biologists are seeing fewer bass under their spawn as the daylight increases and difference, anyway. 8 inches, but that is not unexpected in a water temperatures rise into the low 50s Do whatever it takes to make time lake where numbers of big bass are on the to early 60s. Generally, bigger fish spawn for fishing because it’s spring. Spend those upswing and many anglers are choosing to sooner than the smaller ones. Depending on saved minutes by spooling new line onto release their trophies. Williams said he’s conditions, the overall spawn may last for your fishing reels and organizing your tackle heard reports of 8-pound fish being caught over a month. box. Then head out for some of the best fish- in the lake. Anglers target bass in the spawning ing that Kentucky has to offer. “Our catch rate on large bass is essen- shallows with top water baits, lizards, Caro- Read on for the Kentucky Afield bucket tially at an all-time high,” Williams noted. “I lina rigs and shallow crankbaits. The up- list of places to go fish this year. don’t know that it could get much better – but per lake warms first and may be two weeks I think we can stay at this level for a while.” ahead of the lower lake. CEDAR CREEK LAKE In summer, bass key on gizzard shad Largemouth Bass GREEN RIVER LAKE and alewives. Alewives will stay in cooler Fisheries biologists intended to create a Largemouth Bass water while gizzard shad are more tempera- monster at Cedar Creek Lake near Stanford. At 8,210 acres, Green River Lake south ture tolerant and may be found closer to the Volunteers and employees of the Ken- of Campbellsville has far more fishing room banks. Anglers should target bass with bait- tucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Re- than Cedar Creek Lake. Green River Lake fish-imitating lures. sources stacked wooden pallets, anchored also has exceptional numbers of largemouth trees, dumped rock and set down other cov- bass over 15 inches and strong numbers of ROUGH RIVER LAKE er throughout the basin before the 784-acre bass exceeding 20 inches. Hybrid Striped Bass lake filled in 2002. Then they set a one fish, “The number of fish over 15 inches is the Because hybrid striped bass generally 20-inch size limit for largemouth bass. highest since I’ve been here,” said Southwest- stay in deeper water rather than hang around Anglers fishing Cedar Creek Lake to- ern Fisheries District Biologist Eric Cum- shoreline or structure, biologists deploy gill day won’t be disappointed with the results. mins. “In fact, it’s the highest since the fish nets to gauge how the fish populations are “As far as catching fish over 5 pounds, I shocking studies began in the early 1990s.” doing. At Rough River Lake, a 5,100-acre think it’s as good or better than anywhere in The lake’s rockier underpinnings are impoundment located north of Leitchfield, the state,” said Southeastern Fisheries Dis- a contrast to the habitat of Cedar Creek the nets are consistently heavy with fish trict Biologist John Williams. “We’re kind Lake. Cummins credits Green River Lake’s measuring from 15 to 26 inches long. of in the sweet spot now.” strong, sustained spawns as a key to the Northwestern Fisheries District Biolo- Fish sampling studies conducted at Ce- reservoir’s bass numbers. “We’ve had sev- gist Rob Rold said the lake’s stability in its Green cedar creek river lake lake Dave Dreves photo Facing page: Phillip Little (center), with the help of Maggie Little and Hayden Cook, caught this hybrid in Fishtrap Lake. Paul Wilkes (above) and Jeff Crosby (right) show why Green River and Cedar Creek lakes made the bucket list. David Baker photo fw.ky.gov Spring 2014 Kentucky Afield 15 hybrid striped bass population makes it a wait around areas where the fish are feeding anglers to be prepared for changing lake go-to destination for anglers. and stay in that area. conditions created by spring rains. “Rough River Lake is one of the best ar- “I generally carry some white and eas in state for hybrids,” he said. “We’re see- FISHTRAP LAKE some black grubs when I’m fishing from ing a lot of fish in the 15-20 inch range in the Hybrid Striped Bass the bank,” Frey said. “Usually one of nets, with many fish exceeding 20 inches.” President Lyndon B. Johnson dedicat- these colors will work. When it’s clear, Fishing shifts to the upper lake in April ed Fishtrap Lake in 1968. This was a flood I’ll use the white grub. If it’s muddy, I’ll as hybrids attempt to undertake a spawn- control project which impounded the Le- go more towards black.” ing run. They’ll cruise the submerged creek visa Fork of the Big Sandy River, creating a Summer anglers have opportuni- channels, feeding on shad and invertebrates. 1,130-acre lake in Pike County. Fishtrap is ties to fish the jumps, those times when Anglers target hybrids with spoons and one of eastern Kentucky’s best fishing lakes. hybrids chase baitfish out of the water. grubs, fishing the headwaters all the way up “Fishtrap is the only reservoir in the Anglers should target the jumps with to the Eveleigh Boat ramp. area with a decent sized river feeding into blade baits, Rattletraps or white curly- Locals also score big with night crawl- it. A lot of the other lakes are fed by creek,” tailed jigs. Look for activity on the main ers if the boat ramps go underwater in spring. said Eastern Fisheries District Biologist lake near mud flats. “When it floods, a lot of anglers will fish the Kevin Frey. “This provides more food and Some anglers prefer trolling a parking lots if they’re covered with water,” flow into Fishtrap.” crankbait along the main lake in sum- Rold said. “The hybrids are on the concrete Netting studies performed at the lake mer. Another effective method is dead feeding on worms. You can certainly catch the reveal two-thirds of the hybrids are longer drifting a chicken liver on a bare hook fire out of them if you’re fishing these areas.” than 15 inches. About one-third of the hy- until a fish takes it. In summer, hybrids migrate to the main brids top 20 inches while 5 percent surpass KENTUCKY and BARKLEY LAKES Redear Sunfish Go west for the best redear (shell- rough cracker) fishing in the state. Both Ken- tucky and Barkley lakes in western Ken- river tucky – better known for their outstand- lake ing crappie fishing – also offer good numbers of 8-10 inch redear sunfish. Western Fisheries District Biolo- gist Paul Rister said the best time to fish for redears is during the spring spawn. Wa- ter temperatures in the low to mid 70s trig- ger the spawning movement in late April through mid-May. Gravel is the key to fishing success. Find gravel under the right conditions and you’ll find spawning fish. Look for flooded clumps of yellow mus- John Williams photo tard flowers in the back of bays. “Mustard Biologists using gill nets to gauge hybrid striped bass populations found a significant flowers grow in gravelly substrate, which is number of 15-20 inch fish in Rough River Lake. favored by redears,” Rister said. “The foli- age draws snails and bugs, which the redears eat. You want to be fishing in front of these lake, where they hang around points and 24 inches. plants, along the edges.” bigger tributary-fed bays to feed on shad. “Most of the fish you’re going to catch Anglers use 1/16-ounce spider jigs or a Trolling these areas with shad-imitating are in the bigger size ranges,” Frey said. “We variety of live bait – including mealworms, lures is an effective strategy. have a good range of fish in the 20-24 inch wax worms and crickets – but Rister reports The jumps begin in late July and con- class and solid numbers of fish through the good luck using red worms threaded onto a tinue into August. These are times when hy- 26-inch range.” hook. No matter the bait, the secret is fish- brids corral shad against the surface, causing A 20-inch hybrid weighs 4-5 pounds; a ing on the bottom. That’s where redears are the baitfish to jump out of the water. An- 26-inch fish weighs 8-10 pounds. feeding on bugs, snails and small mussels. glers fishing the jumps target hybrids with In spring, anglers follow the hybrids up- Flooding in the spring can cover shore- topwater lures or spoons.