A Frankfort man’s 52-pound, I-64 striper
July 14, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
By Carleton L. West
A fly fishing friend in Virginia Beach pestered me for some time to take a crack at striped bass, one of America’s great sport fishes. We’d met in 2002 on New Mexico’s San Juan River where big rainbows and browns thrived not far from the duplex cabin we rented near the little town of Navajo.
Owen Pepper first got my attention with his tales of a guide on Arkansas’s White River by the name of Dave Lewis. I’ve lost track now of all my trips there for ho-hum 60-70 daily trout outings Lewis guided on the fabled Ozarks tailwater. Like a stockbroker with a practiced eye for a hot deal, Pepper knows the path to fish. He’s worth listening to.
So he kept up his campaign with e-mails and phone calls. Attached to the electronic messages were color photos of Pepper and his striped bass catches. He escalated a year ago or so when he bought a boat, a 19-footer, seaworthy, with 100 plus horses and a center console. But it was a late night phone call that produced the clincher when I casually asked where he was hooking all these stripers. Under the Chesapeake Bay bridges – at night. Which bridges specifically? The Interstate 64 bridges.
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A Burlington teen’s 10-pound largemouth
July 8, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Josh Woodward of Burlington, KY. (just turned 15 yrs. old) was fishing with his grandfather Charlie McCubbin on a friends farm pond in Walton, Ky. It was about 10:30 am July 1 when Josh caught the big bass with Grandpa. Josh was using a Chuck Woolery signature series MotoChug Golden Tiger lure and a spinning reel with 17 lb test line. Josh was casting about two feet parallel to the bank where he had seen some action and some small fish jumping around. The water was only about 2-3 feet deep. After he casted the lure and twitched it once or twice, the bass inhaled it and the fight was on! Rod bent and Grandpa cheering on, Josh fought the 2 foot 10 lb largemouth (with 18.5 inch girth) for at least 2 minutes before he brought him into the bank. Grandpa thought for sure that Josh was going in after it! Truly a great fishing moment with his grandfather that Josh will never forget!
ESPN – A new world record?
July 4, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Seventy-seven years and counting. That’s how long George Perry has sat atop the record books in the largemouth bass category, but he may be sharing his perch if a recently caught Japanese bass is as big as has been reported.
The story comes out of Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan. The bass reportedly weighs 10.12 kilograms or a little less than 22 pounds, 5 ounces and measured 73.5 centimeters (nearly 29 inches). No girth measurements are available at this time.
To read more check out ESPN’s story:
Sportsman’s Warehouse in Lexington to close July 31
July 3, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Here’s a message from the manager sent out tonight. More to come from www.kentuckyfishing.com
Hello,
Just when things were looking up, I regret to inform you that the Lexington store will be closing on July 31st. The liquidation will start immediately, so hurry in for discounts up to 30% off. The product will move quickly, so don’t delay. Your gift cards (also good at any Sportsman’s Warehouse location) will be accepted during the liquidation. Thank you for your past support and good luck in all your future outdoor adventures.
Sincerely,
Ben Bodmer
Store Manager
Lexington, KY
(859) 263-7000
bbodmer@sportsmanswarehouse.com
Japanese lake may claim largemouth bass record
July 2, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Japan’s Lake Biwa, one of the oldest lakes in the world, may be claiming a largemouth bass that might tie the oldest and most cherished all-tackle world record in freshwater fishing.
Reports indicate that a 22-pound, 5-ounce bass (10.12 kilograms and 73.5 centimeters in Japan) was caught by Manabu Kurita, a pro angler who represents Deps Tackle Company in Japan. He was fishing in massive Lake Biwa in the Shiga Prefecture of Japan. Girth measurements were not given in the reports, but there are several pictures of the bass posted on various Web sites. And the bass was reportedly weighed on a certified scale.
Mayfield’s Williams wins FLW Outdoors Tour tournament with 9-pounder
June 15, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Keith Williams' 9-pounder on Kentucky Lake sealed his first FLW Tour win. (Photo by Rob Newell)
MURRAY, Ky. – Even though the Walmart FLW Tour event took off from Kentucky Lake’s north end, pro Keith Williams committed to the New Johnsonville, Tenn., area from the start. In fact, he never made a single cast into Kentucky waters during the four days of practice or the four days of competition.
What drew the Land O’Lakes pro to the lake’s south end was its plentiful hydrilla. On Williams’ first day of practice, he pulled up to a grass flat and within 10 casts had caught a 7-pounder. He explored the area some more and discovered there was a road bed in front of the flat. Furthermore, a small ditch came off the flat and into the road bed. Best of all, the grass in the area was submerged, meaning most of Williams’ fellow competitors overlooked it.
“All of a sudden, I saw (BASS Elite Series pro) Skeet Reese coming right at me,” he said. “That was the final day of their tournament, so, of course, I immediately left. And with him were about 40 other boats, so I kind of wrote the area off.”
Anglers wake up to bluegill bedtime
June 2, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Last year was my first trip to Kentucky Lake and it was centered around the Spring Crappie spawn. I have never caught so many fish in one trip. For that matter, I’ve never caught that many fish in a season. So, when my father threw out the idea of going back this Spring for the Bluegill and Red Ear spawn, I jumped on it. It was unlike any fishing trip I have been on. We weren’t on the water just before sunrise. We soon found out that we didn’t have to be. Read more
The Bream Reaper
June 2, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Fishing Kentucky waterways is both a joy and at times can be frustrating. Especially for the fly fisherman. The Dix River is one of the best Trout Streams I have ever fished and the Cumberland River is a bonanza of structure and plenty of trout. Thing is during the rainy season of the year, which we are currently in, it is hard to fish these bodies because the water is too high. We fly fisherman must find other ways to satisfy the fly casting jones. Bream fishing in farm ponds is a great way to both practice casting and timing the setting of the hook on smaller fish. Practicing barrel casts and fishing in tighter spaces rather than wading in a river are good skills to have as a fly fisherman.
Editor’s note: Jonathan Palmer is a frequent contributor to www.kentuckyfishing.com. He’s also a terrific photojournalist who manages to shoot great pictures while he’s fishing. Check out his work in a publication near you, or at www.jonathanpalmer.net.
Kentucky sunfish spawn is … upon us
Many of us in Kentucky don’t well remember what sunlight feels like upon our skin. It’s rained practically every other day since early April and the dry days between have been overcast, gray and dull.
This kind of weather pattern usually pushes the sunfish spawn back a few weeks, but everything is on schedule so far this year.
“It is about ready to break open,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “With the 80-degree temperatures coming, all heck is going to break loose on sunfish.”
Float tubes offer fishing stealth
June 2, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Having seen baitfish fleeing beneath an overhanging shoreline bush you kick your feet a couple times to push closer to the bank. With a flick of your wrist you land a floating minnow-shaped plug under the bush and then wait a few moments for things to settle. Before you twitch the plug something devours it on the surface.
The bass, although not huge, puts a up a gallant fight and even manages to spin you a bit in your one-man inflatable boat. The action has been good, you have to pond to yourself, and the water around you feels great on a mid-June afternoon. Could there be a more enjoyable way to spend a summer day?
Float tubes, also called belly boats, provide great access to small lakes and gentle rivers. Deflated, the fit in virtually any car’s trunk, and most weigh less than 10 pounds, which makes it practical to tote down the water virtually anywhere.
Read more
