Barren River night hybrids

Just came back from a week on Barren night fishing the hybrids. Bait was up good most nights, but fish were very scattered. Didn't hear a lot of pops on any given night. Sonar showed lots of fish in the area, but topwater bite was almost non-existent. Boated five fish for the entire week. Probably a dozen blow-ups and misses by the fish. Also had one break off (angler error) and a couple pull offs. Talked to others who claimed great success throwing sub-surface. We did not try sub-surface...too stubborn I guess.

On a brighter note, the crappie bite was on fire. We would fish 3-4 hrs a day, boat 30-50 fish, and have around 10 keepers per day. I had never fished Barren for crappie so we went up the river and fished coves with docks. If the sun was out, fish held to the cover. If cloudy, they scattered in the flats. All fish in less than 8' of water. All keepers were 10"-12"

I used to fish Barren regularly and put out crappie beds each winter. Been ten years or more since we did that. Barren has always been decent for crappie but the corps tends to jack with the water too much right when they want to spawn and you can lose a whole year class of fish that way.

You might be a bit early for hybrids in the jumps.

I would recommend long line trolling crankbaits now. You will get into hybrids, yellow bass and crappie that way.

Been a long time for me being at Barren too.

2 things I di this time of year.

Late evening and just as sun set, I'd hit the shallow areas back in covers and pitch the cast net to come up with some gizzard shad.

Then I'd head out to the high walls area south of the 2 islands (part of the lake surrounded by Barren, Maple, and Bailey Point Roads) and drop some down poles with heavy sinkers and short leaders anywhere from 20 to 40 foot, and them also put out a couple free lines to drag off the stern.

With that going on off the back. I'd troll dead slow 20-30 foot out from the rock walls. And while doing that, as it was now dark, pitch Zora Spooks, or Baby Redfins along the surface more tightly to the walls. I used to fish all night that same way. When the sun started coming up, I shallowed up the down rods to 10-15 foot, got good bait on the free lines, and trolled a little faster working mainly out in front of the 2 islands, and but making a pass two behind the islands.

Best day ever was the one where as the sun came up, on a cool Mid -May day, the hybrids and or whites were just peridocially , single popping at the surface or swirling. Got just between the 2 islands, and my Zora Spook hooked up, 2 down rods bent over, and one of the 2 free lines got whacked. Came away form that feed with 3 Hybrids, and a darn big catfish.