Photo by Keith Sutton

As the winter chill begins to subside across the Bluegrass State, stronger rays of sunshine are now warming up lakes and reservoirs. Kentucky anglers are getting their gear and dusting off their boats in preparation for one of the biggest events of the year: spring fishing for big bass!

If last year’s bass fishing is a good indicator of the upcoming season, the big bass are out there. But if similar weather patterns settle in during the spring and summer, the fishing could get a little challenging at times. Hot, dry weather during the prime fishing months of 2007 resulted in somewhat sluggish bass fishing in many areas of the state.

“Nothing about the spring and summer (of 2007) was normal,” said Paul Rister, fisheries biologist-program coordinator, for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR). “The winter weather that lingered into spring definitely had some effect on spring fishing. The drought -- which has led to low water, low flow, temperature and dissolved oxygen issues and increased density of aquatic vegetation in Kentucky Lake -- had an effect on the summer fishing.”

Even with the abnormal weather conditions, Rister notes that this past year’s bass tournament results were still good. Within tournament competition, most of the anglers were taking 15 to 20 pounds (with a five-fish limit) to win. “I have not heard any complaints from sport anglers about their bass catches,” Rister said.

As for the effects on the future of bass fishing after an extremely dry year, the long-term forecast is extremely good.

“One thing we are seeing from our sampling is a great year-class from this past spring,” Rister said. “If history repeats itself, when we had an increase of vegetation during the early 1990s, we also saw increased numbers of small bass. Then during the middle to late 1990s, the numbers of keeper-size bass were up.”

As for the short-term forecast covering the upcoming 2008 season, anglers and biologists agree that the big bass can still be caught in lakes all across Kentucky.

The prerequisites for successful fishing are the same regardless of weather conditions. First, collar a good bass fisherman (one of those 10 percent who catch 90 percent of the fish), and obtain as much information as possible on when, where and how to catch big bass. Second, and most important, get out on the water at every available opportunity.

The following is a selection of top-rated bass lakes from one end of the Bluegrass State to the other.

EASTERN REGION
Yatesville Lake
Yatesville Lake, with a summer pool of over 2,200 acres, is a well-known eastern Kentucky bass fishery. This Lawrence County lake lies within a 208-mile watershed and has nearly 94 miles of shoreline. A maximum depth of 60 feet and an average depth of 18 feet give the bass plenty of room to grow to trophy-size proportions. (Continued)

“There weren’t any exceptional catches by anglers during the 2007 creel survey,” said Kevin Frey, fisheries biologist for the KDFWR, referring to Yatesville Lake. “But anglers always seemed to have several catches to report per outing or trip. Sizes reported for largemouth bass ranged up to 20 inches. Largemouths above 20 inches have been in the catch, but to a much lesser degree.”

Frey notes that from sampling data, the largemouth assessment ratings were “Excellent” in 2005, “Good” in 2006, and “Good” in 2007. For the 2008 season, Frey expects the assessment for largemouth bass should also be “Good.”

For anglers traveling to Yatesville Lake for the first time, the best access is via U.S. Route 23. Near the town of Louisa, turn west on state Route (SR) 32 and travel for a short distance to the lake. Year-round boat ramps can be accessed at Barkers Marina, Twin Branch and Pleasant Ridge.