The use of a slot limit has done wonders at Lake Malone. The slot protects bass in the 12- to 15-inch range. Biologists now report that some 30 percent of the bass are longer than 15 inches.

On Dale Hollow, a slot limit has been in place for several years. It has helped to protect a lot of the fish and allowed them to grow into trophy-sized bronzebacks.

Bass have always reproduced and grown well at Malone. This lake has been a consistently great producer of good numbers of fish, and also some real lunkers. Catches of fish in the 3- to 5-pound range are fairly common. Every year, some real hogs are pulled out, with some up in the 8- to 9-pound range, according to local anglers.

Another small water that provides some excellent bassing is the 183-acre Kincaid Lake in Pendleton County. Biologist Kerry Prather says the growth of largemouth bass there is tremendous and that the lake has lots of big bass. Spring samplings usually yield a high catch rate of 4- to 6-pound bass. Surveys have indicated more bass over 15 inches than in the last 12 years.

Being off the beaten path and less accessible helps this fishery. A 10 hp restriction and a lot of catch-and-release by locals are also great boons. Other factors contributing to the fishery are aquatic vegetation and fertility due to a large watershed and subsequent runoff of lots of nutrients.

Lake Beshear has been rated excellent by biologists. One reason is that since the 1980s, it has consistently had good numbers of bass over 15 inches. Bass in the 3- to 5-pound range are fairly common. Biologists have shocked fish up around the 7- to 8-pound range, and rumors surface occasionally of 12-pound bass being caught there.

This lake has all the elements to produce a good bass fishery: clear water, areas of weeds, and even some woody habitat. Bass grow well there. Additionally, largemouths are the only bass species in the lake, so they are the top predator and have no competition for food sources.

Honorable mention goes to Elmer Davis Lake, due to the occasional trophy bass taken there. This is another location where biologists are using a slot limit to improve the fishery. Currently, the lake is bass-crowded with a build-up of bass below 12 inches. The lake provides a high catch rate of bass and is fun to fish for sheer numbers and the occasional big fish.S

SMALLMOUTH BASS
Smallmouth anglers have really been increasing in numbers in Kentucky. And why shouldn't they? Our smallmouth populations are flourishing, and there are many great locations across the state to tie into one of these fierce fighters.

One of our most acclaimed lakes is Dale Hollow. Although much of the lake lies in Tennessee, there are some tremendous smallmouth angling opportunities there for Kentuckians as well. Part of the lake is in Kentucky, and there is also a reciprocal agreement for areas near the state borders.

On Dale Hollow, a slot limit has been in place for several years. It has helped to protect a lot of the fish and allowed them to grow into trophy-sized bronzebacks. Coupled with catch-and-release practiced by many bass anglers, the lake is yielding some great fish.

Smallmouth caught here typically average around 3 to 4 pounds, with some real giants pulled out every year. Fish in the 5- to 7-pound range are not all that uncommon. Dale Hollow is home to the world-record smallmouth. That same fish also holds the distinction of state records for both Kentucky and Tennessee.