The mighty Ohio River provides nearly 1,000 miles of premier bass fishing for anglers throughout the Ohio Valley region. Of this overall length, a large portion borders the Bluegrass State, and Kentucky anglers have a huge, slow-moving waterway that provides plenty of largemouth opportunity.

Formed by the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Ohio River flows south and west until it reaches the Mississippi River near Cairo, Illinois. Of the estimated 159 species of fish found in the Ohio River, 25 of this number are considered sport fish, with the largemouth bass being the No. 1 most sought-after species by anglers.

Modern management of this huge mass of slow-moving water came about in 1990. This was the direct result of a Supreme Court ruling on ownership of the river and the mandated concurrent jurisdiction. The "Ohio River Fisheries Management Team," was formed with biologists representing each state bordering the river holding regular meetings to plan strategy.

The first major achievement was the standardization of fishing regulations for black bass, walleyes and saugers among the states. A second major project was the undertaking of creel surveys between Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia and Indiana. This was the start of a modern plan of action to help improve the bass habitat of the Ohio River main channel, as well as the backwater regions.

Pollution control has also had a tremendous impact on the largemouth population found in the Ohio River. In 1948, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission was formed as a result of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. In 1972, the Clean Water Act gave additional help to the cleanup effort.

By 1995, all municipal wastewater discharges along the river received primary and secondary treatment, and today all industrial discharges meet acceptable standards. Overall, this is good news for both the bass and the bass anglers of the Ohio River.

Flooding is one factor that is not within the control of biologists as to the effect it has on the bass population. Depending upon the extent of the flooding from year to year, bass may or may not be affected negatively by high waters. According to most fisheries biologists, flooding doesn't usually affect the fishing population as a whole.

The worst-case scenario is when flooding occurs at the time for spawning. This means a near zero reproductive rate. Three or four years down the road, the low hatch rate during the flooding could have an influence on certain size fish.

As for the fishing itself, one recreational survey in the 1990s on the Ohio River revealed that fishermen spent more hours pursuing largemouth bass than any other species. And this same survey revealed that 70 percent of the fish were caught from the tailwater areas of the river. Even though the tailwater areas cover a large portion of water acreage, these waters are relatively small compared with the main body.

Knowing where to find these tailwater areas is the first step in finding the better largemouth holes. The primary locations are near the river's locks and dams. The dams control water levels up and down the length of the river, which results in bass habitat control as well.