Biologists worry about water temperature in Lake Cumberland
July 19, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
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Because of ongoing repairs to Wolf Creek Dam, temperatures in the river rose to the point of stressing trout over the past couple of summers, but conditions are much better so far this summer.
Frankfort, Ky. – The cold air that blankets Kentucky each December, January and February is uncomfortable for most people. Few of us enjoy pulling on extra clothes, driving in snow or being cooped up inside during winter.
Although we might not like winter, the cold water being stored in Lake Cumberland at that time of year is important to the health and survival of trout, striped bass and walleye in the lake and its tailwater the following summer.
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This time of year in Kentucky, fish deep points for success
July 18, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
The meeting of the land and the water often points out the fish for us.
This was, it seems to say, its earthen or rocky digit extended from shore outward, “Out here.”
Rodney Hairgrove knows that straight bank is never quite as attractive to bass as one with a wrinkle on it. The irregular shape of a point, a protrusion of the shore toward the deeper recesses of the water, is a double dose of fishing fortune: On one hand, it attracts and congregates the bass; on the other, it constitutes an often glaring feature that should flag the attention of the angler and usher him to where the fish wait.
Read more
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.”
Martins Fork Lake’s fearsome foursome of bass
Imagine fishing a lake where any cast could result in catching any one of our four recognized black bass species in Kentucky. Well, that’s just what you’ll find at Martins Fork Lake in Harlan County. This small, scenic area tucked away in southeastern Kentucky near the Virginia state line is the only place in the state where anglers have an opportunity to catch largemouth, smallmouth, spotted (Kentucky) and Coosa bass all in one water.
Read the rest of Paul Moore’s story online at Kentucky Game and Fish Magazine.
Martins Fork Lakes Fearsom Foursom of Bass.
Everything but tartar sauce this weekend on “Kentucky Afield” TV
May 12, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Fishing, fish, and a fish dish combine to make “Kentucky Afield” TV a keeper this weekend, May 16 and 17.
With an eye on the white bass run at Herrington Lake, host Tim Farmer jumps aboard with angler Jim Duncan and his daughter, Anna. While fishing rarely gives a guarantee, incredible catches this evening were child’s play. Take note for the next time you want to get after them after work or school.
Also on the show, Kentucky’s interior lakes and streams welcome back a popular fish of yesteryear, the lake sturgeon. The indigenous species is considered critically imperiled. We visit Pfeiffer Fish Hatchery to see how specialists are working to return the fish to healthy populations.
Lastly, the Mediterranean is as close as Farmer’s kitchen. If you’re ready to add a tangy bite to your bass, try Tim’s marinade and it’s “next stop: Heaven.”
“Kentucky Afield” is a production of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. It is the longest continuously running outdoor television show in the nation. The program airs Saturday at 8:30 p.m. Eastern /7:30 p.m. Central and is repeated Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central on KET 1 and on the web 24/7 at fw.ky.gov.
By KDFWR
Wolf Creek Dam: A Progress Report This Weekend on “Kentucky Afield” TV
May 5, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Two years have passed since news broke that Wolf Creek Dam was leaking and major repairs were needed. Concern about the structure that creates Lake Cumberland rippled far beyond the lake’s shores. This weekend, May 9 and 10, we meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an update.
Host Tim Farmer joins David Hendrix of the Corps and John Williams, regional fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, for a look at the repair progress and how that plays into the upcoming season of boating, fishing and summer fun.
Lastly, in honor of Mother’s Day, Sherry Farmer enjoys a spring day fishing with her son at a farm pond in Mason County. Meet the lady who introduced the great outdoors to the person who is now the host of our show.
By KDFWR
Cedar Creek Lake gets weed-eating carp
April 27, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
State fishery workers have stocked Cedar Creek Lake with more than 800 grass carp in an effort to control weed growth in the 784-acre Lincoln County watershed.
“We are not trying to eliminate the vegetation in Cedar Creek Lake. We are trying to reduce it so it doesn’t get to nuisance levels,” said John Williams, the southeastern district fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The fish are sterile and cannot reproduce.
For the rest of Gary Garth’s story in The Courier-Journal, follow the link below:
Cedar Creek Lake gets weed-eating carp | courier-journal.com | The Courier-Journal.
When taking kids fishing, it’s not about you
April 27, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
I love to fish so much that I’ve nearly trashed our van on Interstate 75 because I was gazing at South Elkhorn Creek instead of watching the road. I store fishing gear in my car, I’ve raised night crawlers in my kitchen, and I’ve stayed up for 24 hours straight because fish were biting.
I tell you this only because I want you to know that I’m serious when I offer one important piece of advice about taking kids fishing:
Leave your own rod at home.
If you don’t, it will be impossible to follow the second rule of fishing with a kid:
You only have 10 minutes.
During the spawn, dam if dams aren’t good on the Ohio River
March 1, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
If you want to catch a sauger, now is the time. And the best fishing hole — whether you live in Louisville, Carrollton, Cannelton, Maysville or Smithland — is just outside your back door.”The best place to catch a sauger is in the Ohio River,” said Doug Henley, a fisheries biologist and Ohio River specialist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
“You can catch them other places. The Kentucky River has sauger; in fact, we’re continuing to stock above pool 3. The Tennessee River below Kentucky Lake and Cumberland River below Lake Barkley have good numbers of sauger, and some pretty good-size fish, too, I believe. And I would think any of the Ohio’s tributaries should have sauger in them.
“But the Ohio River is our best for sauger.”
To read more, check out Gary Garth’s story at The Courier-Journal by following the link below.
Switch methods to catch crappie in Kentucky, Barkley lakes
March 1, 2009 by admin · Comments Off
Frankfort, Ky. – For years, anglers at Kentucky and Barkley lakes sought crappie in spring by jigging baits around drop-offs, fishing with minnows in shallow brush and probing stake beds with grubs. While these traditional methods worked well for white crappie, they are not nearly as effective nowadays because of the growing population of black crappie in both lakes.
Anglers who want to catch more fish from Kentucky’s most popular crappie fishing lakes this spring need to change their techniques.
“People are still looking for white crappie,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “According to our data, there are more 10-inch crappie in Kentucky Lake right now than we’ve seen since 1985. But 97 percent of the ones we collected in our trap nets are black crappie.”
While white crappie still dominate Lake Barkley, black crappie now make up nearly 40 percent of the population. Buynak says anglers will find fish if they put away their white crappie techniques and target the many black crappie the lakes have to offer.
“Black and white crappie differ quite a bit overall,” he explained. “Black crappie move shallow earlier and stay longer. They also prefer clearer water. People don’t usually cast to rocky shorelines when fishing for crappie, and this is where the black crappie are in the spring.”
Western District Fishery Biologist Paul Rister says fishing for black crappie is starting to heat up as the days turn warmer.
“On warm, sunny days in late February and early March, black crappie are up on those rocky shorelines taking advantage of clear water and warmer temperatures,” he said. “You’ve got to key in on the western shorelines that get sun early in the morning.”
Anglers should try curly-tailed jigs with 1/16-ounce jigheads, Rooster Tails and other small in-line spinners. Good jig colors include white, white with chartreuse, white with red, lime-green, chartreuse, blue and pink.
“You need something really light,” said Rister. “The old standard is a minnow fished underneath a bobber, using a slow retrieve. Let it sit for several seconds, give it a bump, let it sit there, and continue to work it slowly.”
Anglers fishing from boats should cast toward shallow, rocky shorelines. Both lakes possess this type of shoreline on the sides bordering Land Between the Lakes, although Barkley Lake is less rocky than Kentucky Lake overall. The lakes’ shorelines are rockier towards the mouths of embayments.
Bank fishing in these areas is also productive. However, anglers must be careful not to spook fish in the shallow, clear water. “If you are fishing from a boat, you must stay back away from the bank and cast,” Buynak said. “If you get too close to the bank, you’re going to spook the fish.”
As cold winter days give way to early spring, the time is right to target black crappie at Kentucky’s two largest lakes. Anglers willing to update their fishing methods will find good prospects this year.
Kentucky and Barkley lakes have a 20-fish daily creel limit, 10-inch minimum size limit for both species of crappie. For complete fishing regulations, pick up a copy of the 2009-10 Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide, available wherever fishing licenses are sold.
—KDFWR
