Hybrids at Guist and T-Ville

Well im trying to get more into hybrids from time to time but really have no idea where to look for them. I caught a nice one at Guist while bass fishing right off the bank. I just got introduced to them at Barren by trolling Bailey's Point. Thats what I want to try to stick with is trolling since I have a pair of downriggers. Not looking for specific spots but where do you guys try to find them at. Do you try to troll on around channels or what....just looking for some general information to get into a new sport!!

I've only fished for Hybrids, to amount to anything, at Taylorsville. Three particular baits have produced fairly well, numbers wise ... but, size wise, I haven't fished for them in many years, so I can't attest to any of these baits being superior on catching the bigger ones.

Baits & methods used : (but not in order of productivity)
#1 - (white) Silver Buddy ... casting to jumps, trolling
#2 - Kastmaster w/bucktail ... slow trolling over sandy bottom humps, casting
#3 - Hot-n-Tot w/jig trailer ... trolling (Jig was a 1/16oz marabou Crappie jig ... white or chartreuse)

Downriggers on Taylorsville would probably be overkill, since dragging a crank or crank & jig will get you down to their level.

Note : I rig my Hot-n-Tot leader (~18") on the front hook, rather than the rear hook, as it helps prevent the crank from rolling/spinning/surfacing at speed. I didn't have this problem as much with the larger HnT, as with the smaller one ... but, I also didn't catch as many larger Hybrids on the larger HnT, as I did on the smaller one. (I mainly used two color patterns - the solid chartreuse & the silver scale)

One other bait that worked, but which I never got around to using, was the #5 Shadrap (trolling).

It's been many years since I've fished Taylorsville for Hybrids, and back then the size limit was 15" (that tells you how long it's been ... LOL !!). But, with the 10under/5over 15" rule, for a 15 fish limit, in place ... Taylorsville Lake may see me dragging my HnT/jig rig, again soon.

Oh, and if you do decide to troll cranks at T-ville ... BE SURE & have a good lure retriever along !! All you have to do is get back one or two cranks, and they've paid for themselves. I'm pretty sure mine has save me over $100 in potentially lost lures. (& I've never paid over $5 for a crankbait !!)

And don't be surprised if you catch Catfish, Bass, Crappie, etc ... when dragging a crankbait around (jig trailer or not) !!

.... pappy

Some troll number 5 shad raps.

[QUOTE=crappiepappy;491915]I've only fished for Hybrids, to amount to anything, at Taylorsville. Three particular baits have produced fairly well, numbers wise ... but, size wise, I haven't fished for them in many years, so I can't attest to any of these baits being superior on catching the bigger ones.

Baits & methods used : (but not in order of productivity)
#1 - (white) Silver Buddy ... casting to jumps, trolling
#2 - Kastmaster w/bucktail ... slow trolling over sandy bottom humps, casting
#3 - Hot-n-Tot w/jig trailer ... trolling (Jig was a 1/16oz marabou Crappie jig ... white or chartreuse)

Downriggers on Taylorsville would probably be overkill, since dragging a crank or crank & jig will get you down to their level.

Note : I rig my Hot-n-Tot leader (~18") on the front hook, rather than the rear hook, as it helps prevent the crank from rolling/spinning/surfacing at speed. I didn't have this problem as much with the larger HnT, as with the smaller one ... but, I also didn't catch as many larger Hybrids on the larger HnT, as I did on the smaller one. (I mainly used two color patterns - the solid chartreuse & the silver scale)

One other bait that worked, but which I never got around to using, was the #5 Shadrap (trolling).

It's been many years since I've fished Taylorsville for Hybrids, and back then the size limit was 15" (that tells you how long it's been ... LOL !!). But, with the 10under/5over 15" rule, for a 15 fish limit, in place ... Taylorsville Lake may see me dragging my HnT/jig rig, again soon.

Oh, and if you do decide to troll cranks at T-ville ... BE SURE & have a good lure retriever along !! All you have to do is get back one or two cranks, and they've paid for themselves. I'm pretty sure mine has save me over $100 in potentially lost lures. (& I've never paid over $5 for a crankbait !!)

And don't be surprised if you catch Catfish, Bass, Crappie, etc ... when dragging a crankbait around (jig trailer or not) !!

.... pappy[/QUOTE]

Thank you for the very in-depth description. Definitely going to have to give them a try next time out there. Im very new to hybrids and the only method I really know is to troll using flukes and such, which is why the riggers are nice. Like you said, might not need them with crankbaits.

I had a guy show me some pictures of nice hybrids they caught at taylorsville and I think he said there is a big hump or something straight out from the settlers trace marina and they catch em' there all the time trolling. Dont know nothing until I get out there and give it a try...Thanks for the Tips!!!

[QUOTE=cpsniper05;491964]Thank you for the very in-depth description. Definitely going to have to give them a try next time out there. Im very new to hybrids and the only method I really know is to troll using flukes and such, which is why the riggers are nice. Like you said, might not need them with crankbaits.

I had a guy show me some pictures of nice hybrids they caught at taylorsville and I think he said there is a big hump or something straight out from the settlers trace marina and they catch em' there all the time trolling. Dont know nothing until I get out there and give it a try...Thanks for the Tips!!![/QUOTE]

Yes, the "hump" is a community hole ... and you'll usually know when the Hybrids are there, from the group of boats trolling, drifting, or casting in that area. It's not "actually" .... "straight out from the Settlers Trace Marina" ... it's around the right hand bend, as you head towards the dam, and it's towards the middle of that stretch of water (between the point on your right & the first pocket down the left hand bank, more or less). A map will show it as a 10' deep section, sticking up out of a 30' deep flat. There used to be a marker bouy, but I doubt there's one there, now.

I've had "some" success fishing the "hump" ... but, more success in a couple of other places. But, again ... I haven't fished there (or for Hybrids, there) in a long time, so my "other" spots may or may not still be productive. Which spots I fished usually depended on what time of day I was there. The time of year was limited to early Summer - late Summer ... as I was usually primarily Crappie or Bass fishing, and Hybrids were a Plan B, just to get my share of some pullage when either/both of those species weren't cooperating (or had quit cooperating) ... LOL !! I've only taken ONE limit of 15" fish (5) for consumption, and those were caught on live Shad (taken by castnet). The remaining hundreds I've caught were released, regardless of size.

... pappy

[QUOTE=cpsniper05;491907]Well im trying to get more into hybrids from time to time but really have no idea where to look for them. I caught a nice one at Guist while bass fishing right off the bank. I just got introduced to them at Barren by trolling Bailey's Point. Thats what I want to try to stick with is trolling since I have a pair of downriggers. Not looking for specific spots but where do you guys try to find them at. Do you try to troll on around channels or what....just looking for some general information to get into a new sport!![/QUOTE]

At Guist, starting in July, troll from the no-wake at the ramp to the dam area. 1/4 oz bucktails with 4 inch curly tail trailers. Some chartruse in the jig or trailer helps. Run them 40-50 feet behind the riggers and drop the cannonballs to no more than 10 feet. Troll 2-3 mph. Watch your depth finder and adjust depths to match bait clouds (gizzard shad). I found sunup to midday better than later in the day (less boat traffic too).

Andrew

[/QUOTE]

Ive been meaning to ask yall about this subject.Why is the hybrid fishing no good as it used to be 10 years ago?Is the KDFWR stocking less of them?Seems like they are pushin the blue catfish more.

[QUOTE=creekrock;492010][/QUOTE]

Ive been meaning to ask yall about this subject.Why is the hybrid fishing no good as it used to be 10 years ago?Is the KDFWR stocking less of them?Seems like they are pushin the blue catfish more.[/QUOTE]

If you're talking about Taylorsville Lake ... I have a theory : Chicken Livers !! Once the Hybrid anglers found out they could catch them on Chicken Livers, the larger (15" &>) Hybrids seemed to disappear ... right about the time they were starting to be found in numbers. After a couple of years of catching only dinks, I gave up on them at Taylorsville.

But, overall I think fishing isn't as good as it was 10yrs ago, in several lakes in KY. Advancements in equipment, plus greater numbers of people on the water, seems to have had an effect.

KDFWR is still stocking them ... here's a 2008 article about "where" : [url]http://www.gameandfishmag.com/2010/10/04/fishing_bass-fishing_ky_0508_01/[/url]

... pappy

[QUOTE=apb;492004]At Guist, starting in July, troll from the no-wake at the ramp to the dam area. 1/4 oz bucktails with 4 inch curly tail trailers. Some chartruse in the jig or trailer helps. Run them 40-50 feet behind the riggers and drop the cannonballs to no more than 10 feet. Troll 2-3 mph. Watch your depth finder and adjust depths to match bait clouds (gizzard shad). I found sunup to midday better than later in the day (less boat traffic too).

Andrew[/QUOTE]

Thank you andrew for the info...Guist is where my love for hybrids began. I caught 6lb 14 oz there this spring while bass fishing and it was AWESOME. Ive been trying to learn more about them ever since. Will definitely give them a try here real soon.