Recent good spawns and subsequent good survival has resulted in very good density in the fishery. Size distribution is improving each year. There are now good numbers of bass ranging between 12 and 17 inches. Anglers will find good numbers of bass over 15 inches, and ones over 18 inches are not uncommon. Barring something catastrophic, look for continued improvement in this bass fishery for the next several years.

LAKE MALONE
Lake Malone's 767 acres were once a little-known commodity in the Bluegrass State. Even though this lake has long been home to a great bass fishery, for a long time it was not as heralded as some of our other high-profile reservoirs. Now, however, there are few bass anglers in the state who don't know about the potential at Lake Malone.

Sampling surveys in 2006 showed a slight decrease in the number of bass, as compared to figures from the samplings in 2004 and 2005. However, the decrease was insignificant. The bass population is still tremendous, and the fishery remains rated as "excellent."

There are excellent numbers of bass above 15 inches at Lake Malone. Many trophy fish are also present. Each year, a number of bass in the 7- to 8-pound range are caught at the lake. Some local anglers tell stories of bass up to 10 pounds being caught at times, especially during the late winter and early spring months.

Lake Malone has always been a great bass lake, and fish grow exceptionally well at this western Kentucky reservoir. A slot limit has helped remove some of the smaller bass, while protecting bass within the 12- to 15-inch limit. This has helped create a fishery with around 30 percent of the bass population being longer than 15 inches.

PAN BOWL LAKE
Biologist Kevin Frey said he is really impressed with largemouth bass at Pan Bowl Lake.

The number of big fish there also impresses him. Anglers this year will be impressed, too.

Frey says there is excellent size distribution of bass at the lake all the way to around 24 inches. Lots of small fish are coming on, but spring electro-shocking shows that of the bass in the lake, around 30 to 40 percent are above 12 inches. Frey says that out of every 10 fish caught, around three to four are "keeper size."

Anglers this year should enjoy terrific numbers of bass in the small to mid-size range. Fish up to around 5 pounds are real common, according to Frey. Occasionally anglers will hook into some real brutes, up to about 8 pounds or so.

Aquatic vegetation is a real plus for the bass fishery. There may be as many as six to eight different types of aquatic plants at the lake in a given year. Not only do these plants help small fish survive, but they also provide structure, cover, and forage areas for larger fish. Targeting these aquatic plants can lead to some exciting action for bass angers in 2007.

WOOD CREEK LAKE
Our last lake, Wood Creek, is a recent addition to the excellent category for bass. Assessments made in 2006 showed good numbers of bass in the 14- to 18-inch range, with many other fish exceeding 18 inches.

The trophy potential for this 672-acre Laurel County lake looks really promising.

In addition to spring electro-shocking, biologists have also been sampling the largemouth fishery in the fall. Biologist John Williams said they are developing an index of the bass fishery and will use this data to determine the need for supplemental stockings. Obviously, the goal is to keep a balanced fishery with good size-distribution and the potential for large fish.

Williams said that while sampling the lake, they see a lot of bass in the 3- to 5-pound range. The potential is there for anglers to land some really nice fish as well. Bass are fairly well distributed throughout the lake, but Williams says they see most of the largest fish in the end of the lake toward the dam.

Just because these eight lakes were the only ones to receive an "excellent" rating doesn't mean they are the only ones with great bass fishing. These lakes received their rating based on a combination of all the assessment parameters.

Other lakes may be better for numbers of bass or strictly trophy-sized bass. Angler preference plays a large part in how one feels about a fishery being "excellent."

The 2007 Fishing Forecast, compiled by fisheries biologists across the state, is an excellent source of information to locate waters that have bass populations that match the requirements of individual anglers. The rating for each lake is listed, along with comments from the biologists regarding the fisheries, as well as fishing tips for the lake.

Additionally, the KDFWR is currently making the assessments for each lake available on the Department's Web site at www.fw.ky.gov. Anglers can find the assessments by accessing the "Fisheries Management" section of the Web site, and then click on the link to "Sportfish Assessments."

Find more about Kentucky fishing and hunting at ,a href="http://www.kentuckygameandfish.com/" target="_blank">KentuckyGameandFish.com