LAKE MALONE
Another great wintertime lake with some hot fishing action is located in the heart of western Kentucky. Lake Malone sprawls some 826 acres across the counties of Muhlenberg, Todd, and Logan.

Lake Malone has long been known as a great largemouth lake, and with good reason. There are lots of bass in the lake and plenty of big ones. In fact, KDFWR surveys indicate large numbers of bass above 15 inches.

Bass reproduce extremely well at Lake Malone -- too well at times. Throughout the years, biologists have used a variety of harvest regulations for black bass. They have removed all harvest regulations, used various length limits, and even implemented a slot limit. Fisheries personnel closely monitor the bass fishery at the lake to make certain it remains in terrific condition.

Fertilization is one reason why the bass fishery is so good. Supplemental fertilizer was first added to Lake Malone back in the late 1960s. The KDFWR still annually adds some 1,800 to 2,500 gallons of liquid fertilizer each year.

Spawned bass get a good growth start, and this carries on into their first few years of life. Their rapid growth leads to bass quickly reaching 15 inches. The lake regularly produces tremendous numbers of bass between 3 and 5 pounds. The larger trophy fish naturally follow and are present in good numbers. Each year at Malone, a fair number of bass are caught that weigh between 6 and 8 pounds. The locals banter about reports of occasional fish up to 10 pounds.

Malone can be a great lake for winter bass fishing, and often some of the biggest bass of the year are caught in February. Other trophy-quality bass are pulled from the lake between February and the time of the spawn.

Knowing how to fish the deeper water is the key for action early in the year. During the cold months, slow and deliberate presentation of the bait is essential.

As spring nears, the bass will begin moving up into shallower water. However, Malone doesn’t have an abundance of sloping banks. Anglers should take advantage of those they can find.

Another mistake many anglers make is running all over the lake searching for fish. It’s not necessary to try to cover the entire lake in one day. Almost every boat dock has nearby brushpiles and other submerged hidden structure. Anglers just have to take their time and fish these areas slowly.

Because Malone gets a lot of boat traffic after the weather begins warming, bass typically get pushed into secluded areas and are reluctant to bite large baits.

By downsizing your bait, looking for areas with the least disturbance and fishing slowly and deliberately, you can score big on largemouths at Lake Malone.

KENTUCKY LAKE
It’s almost impossible to talk about bass fishing in Kentucky and not mention Kentucky Lake. Although the largemouth fishery was down there for a while, it’s now coming back, and the next few years look to be much improved.

Considering the “excellent” rating the lake received for largemouths and the “good” rating it received for smallmouths, it is definitely worth citing as one of our top spots.

The largemouth bass population is improving for several reasons, one very significant one being the return of aquatic vegetation to the lake. Vegetative growth had fallen way off and had greatly impacted the bass fishery there. Now, once the aquatic vegetation rebounded, the benefits became evident almost immediately.