Photo by Tom Evans

When it comes to hybrid striped bass fishing, Kentucky offers some of the best trophy angling in this region of the South. Bluegrass anglers have several top hybrid lakes, and Barren River, Herrington and Taylorsville lakes are three of the best. And any discussion of hybrid fishing in Kentucky will often include Guist Creek Lake as well.

Bluegrass fisheries biologists have conducted stocking programs that have proved highly successful through the years. According to biologist Kerry Prather, this stocking program is a carefully monitored management tool.

“Maintenance stockings at most lakes are 10 fingerlings per acre,” says Prather. “However, Herrington Lake and Taylorsville Lake get 20 fingerlings per acre, and Guist gets 30 per acre. Forage fish at Herrington (primary to hybrids) are threadfin shad and gizzard shad. At Guist Creek, it is gizzard shad.”

When questioned as to how to fish these lakes for hybrids, Prather offered the following tips. “At Herrington, all (approaches) are done: casting, trolling, still-fishing under lights at night, casting to surface ‘jumps’ in middle to late summer at dawn and dusk.”

At Guist Creek Lake, the fisheries biologist says that hybrids are caught primarily by anglers trolling crankbaits or fishing with live shiners and shad (cast netting is illegal at Guist Creek) during most months. Casting crankbaits and spinnerbaits along the shoreline is also effective, especially during the spring and fall.

Prather also referred to the excellent hybrid fishing available at Taylorsville Lake. “Taylorsville Lake has a good hybrid population with a gizzard shad forage base, a similar fishery to Herrington Lake. Hybrids are caught in the headwaters (Salt River) in spring and fall on crankbaits, spoons and rooster tails.”

For Kentucky anglers in search of topnotch hybrid fishing, the opportunities for trophy-sized fish are found throughout these lakes. And for fishermen who prefer big waters, Barren River fits the bill. For medium-sized inland lakes, Herrington and Taylorsville top the list. And for small-lake fishing, Guist Creek is relatively small, yet loaded with big hybrids.

BARREN RIVER LAKE
The 10,000 acres of summer pool found at Barren River Lake hold plenty of trophy hybrids. Located in parts of Allen and Barren counties, this large body of water is owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and is managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The boundaries of Barren River Lake are from the dam upstream to the state Route (SR) 100 bridge, Long Creek to the SR 100 bridge, Beaver Creek to the SR 1297 bridge, Skaggs Creek to the Matthews Mill Road Bridge and Peter Creek to the Peter Creek Road Bridge.

For the fishing area within these boundaries, special fishing regulations apply. For white bass, yellow bass, striped bass and their hybrids, the daily limit is 20 fish. The possession limit is 40 fish, singly or in combination. No more than five in the daily limit or 10 in possession may be 15 inches or longer.