Edward Burger.

JULY
Ohio River
Flathead Catfish
Fisheries personnel are noticing an upswing in the popularity of angling for giant Kentucky catfish.

Catfish angling has always been popular with state fishermen, but these days, more guys are trying their hands at going after the truly big ones.

When the heat is on in July, dams along the Ohio River attract some very big flatheads into the currents below these structures.

These tailwaters’ uneven bottom and the relative abundance of baitfish in areas below dams sets up a perfect environment for big flatheads to lounge and feed in.

Anglers who want to connect with 20-pound -- and sometimes much larger -- flatheads, like those you see on magazine covers, will find no better place than the Ohio River.

Most anglers, recognizing the value of truly big fish, are now releasing them, much like bass anglers with a catch-and-release mentality who have no real need to eat an 8-pound largemouth.

Big flatheads are present throughout the Ohio River system. Most of the time, they are oriented to the bottom around big sunken structure, and are generally caught during low-light periods or after dark.

AUGUST
White Bass
Kentucky River
In recent years, they’ve been doing quite a bit of supplemental stocking of various fish species in the Kentucky River.

The agency is trying to raise the river’s fishing potential, which tends to go up and down from year to year, depending on weather conditions and water flow.

This will be the third year the KDFWR is putting white bass in the system. They’re already being caught pretty consistently below the in-stream dams.

Anglers will likely notice that hybrids are starting to show up, also thanks to stocking efforts.

White bass are being released in many of these pools as well, so this fishing opportunity is going to be widespread.

When fishing the main river channel, looking for surface feeding activity along the way is a good bet.

White bass and hybrids come up early and late to get after little schools of baitfish.

For good summer success, also spend some time in the bends and curves of the river, or around sandbars that drop out into deeper pools.

SEPTEMBER
Rainbow Trout
Laurel River Lake
The clear waters of deep Laurel River Lake hold a good number of rainbow trout for late-summer anglers who like fishing the coolness of a September evening under the lights.

Laurel River Lake is one of Kentucky’s few major reservoirs where holdover trout are available. These fish can be caught pretty consistently once the right depth is determined.

The mouths of coves or steep banks provide the cover that rainbows like. Once the sun goes down, these fish become active, usually all night long.

Sometimes after dark the lake looks like a small city, with little spots of light dabbled around here and there from all the boats and pontoons on the water.

But there are enough fish to go around, especially if you’re willing to try a couple of spots to find where the trout are.

Be sure to have some insect repellant handy to keep the mosquitoes at bay.