One other bonus at Mauzy Lake is also thanks to the renovation project. While the water level was down, the sides of the lake were deepened. The soil taken from the deepening was used to build 12 fishing jetties around the lake. These jetties were rocked with riprap and gravel, which provide excellent fishing access for shore-bound anglers.

Near the jetties, pea gravel was also added for use as spawning beds. Stakebeds, brush, and fish attractors were also added close to the jetties. These areas are terrific fishing locations during the spring.

This past November, the lake was drawn down again to combat re-emerging vegetation. Rold says there will be winter drawdowns every two to three years to keep weed growth under control. Exposing the shoreline periodically for a few months during winter will also release nutrients back into the lake, once it is refilled. This lake's fishery has improved dramatically and should only get better over the next few years.

GUIST CREEK LAKE
The second largest water in our roundup is Guist Creek Lake in Shelby County. This lake covers 317 acres and is located between Louisville and Frankfort. Largemouth anglers can have a blast on this water.

Fisheries biologist Kerry Prather says Guist Creek is "a dandy." It has a very good bass population and has a known potential to yield some really large fish. Largemouths in the 7- to 9-pound range are not all uncommon. Some anglers will even hook a 10-pounder occasionally.

A large, fertile drainage helps make this fishery very productive. There are a lot of nutrients coming in, and that results in very good growth rates for the lake's largemouth population. Bass here will generally hit 12 inches in only 2 1/2 years. The state average for bass to hit that mark is 3 1/2 years. This means largemouth bass in Guist Creek Lake will generally reach 15 inches a year earlier than they will in other impoundments. A 21-inch bass at Guist Creek will be around 12 years old. Some bass in there will even measure from 23 to 24 inches.

The lake is a bass-management water and is usually stocked with largemouths each year. It has some natural reproduction as well, but the stocking helps make up any deficiencies and keeps the fishery in prime condition. Fisheries sampling indicates that a good number of the bass are stocked fish.

One reason why the bass are stocked is because of occasional low reproductive success. This can be attributed partly to the presence of gizzard shad and other species, which compete for food sources. Of course, the gizzard shad also provide major forage for largemouths, so their presence in the lake is a trade-off.

This year should be a great season for bass angling at Guist Creek. Sampling done in 2005 recorded a record number of all sizes of bass. Biologists recorded the highest number of 12- to 15-inch fish since 1992; the survey had the second-highest catch rate since 1992 of bass longer than 15 inches. A lot of catch-and-release is practiced at this lake, so most of those fish are still in the lake, with two more years of growth added.