By the third week of March, walleyes are usually in their pre-spawn mode and will often be near the banks, feeding aggressively.

During daytime hours, you can find them from two to six feet deep. Some will be found down to eight feet deep where brush provides good submerged cover.

You'll find keeper walleyes scattered throughout the lower two-thirds of the lake. But focus on the lake area from the state Route 15 Bridge crossing over the Littcarr arm down to the dam. In this area, target riprap bank areas, deadfall trees and brush near the bank.

Also good are rocky shoreline areas, standing timber in the Smith Branch cove near the Carr Creek Lake Marina, and the two coves near the dam. Work these shallow-water shoreline areas with jigs tipped with minnows or night crawlers. Also try shallow-running crankbaits with defined pauses in the retrieve.

APRIL
Largemouth Bass
Wood Creek Lake
This Laurel County lake may be small, but it has an awesome largemouth fishery. After all, Wood Creek Lake is home to Kentucky's state-record bigmouth. There are plenty of decent largemouths at Wood Creek Lake, and anglers here catch some real wallhangers regularly.

The KDFWR gives this fishery an "Excellent" rating based on its assessment formula. There are good numbers of bass between 14 and 18 inches, with trophy-potential bass exceeding 18 inches.

The largemouths at Wood Creek Lake will typically start spawning sometime between the last part of April and the first part of May. With the bass getting ready to spawn this month, look for them to be found in staging areas -- usually on transition areas and break lines between deep water and shallower water.

The best method of fishing can vary on a day-to-day basis. Flipping jigs, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits can all be great at times. Bait colors can also vary greatly. Many times, the best color to use can be the one the you feel the most confident about and can fish with the most enthusiasm.

MAY
Striped Bass
Lake Cumberland
When stripers are your intended targets, no place in Kentucky matches up to the fishery to be found at Lake Cumberland. It's our best and most acclaimed striper fishery and truly something to be proud of.

Each year, the KDFWR stocks many thousand of stripers into the lake. Through great management -- as well as great respect from anglers and professional guides on the lake -- the striper population and quality of the fishery are second to none.

There are lots of stripers between 8 and 15 pounds in the lake, as well as some real tackle-busters to do battle with. Fish over 40 pounds are caught almost every year.

There's a strong year-class of fish from 2006 in Cumberland. Last year, anglers were catching boatloads of striped bass just under the legal size limit of 24 inches. This year, that year-class should have reached the keeper size and be ready to make your drag sing.

You can catch stripers throughout the lake but often must cover a lot of water to find them. Trolling, especially with planer boards, is the method most often used. Fishing big shiners on multiple rods at staggered depths gives the greatest coverage through the water table.

JUNE
Bluegills
Taylorsville Lake
The KDFWR's last forecast for bluegills gave the Taylorsville Lake fishery a good rating, but some local anglers may have a different assessment. Last year, anglers on the lake were catching lots of above-average bluegills. Around some of the local bait shops and marinas, there was a lot of buzz about the good-sized panfish being hauled from the lake quite consistently. This year should produce more of the same.