Smallmouth at Cedar

[crappiepappy]

Herrington Lake used to be full of Smallmouth, until the lake was poisoned for Shad control in 1956 ... according to my late Grandfather, who probably fished the lake from when it was opened. Cedar Creek drains into Herrington Lake, so it's likely that it had Smallmouth before it was dammed up. The KDFWR did not kill out ALL species of fish from Cedar Creek, as intended (hence it now has a Shad population & numerous species of Sunfish that were not supposed to be in there. There could very well have been a resident population of Smallmouth that survived the rotenone application, since the Shad, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, and others did.

Of course, they could also have been "planted" in there by anglers (which was one theory as to why the Shad are in there) ... but, who knows.

... pappy

[know1]

I hope they take off in there. I'd love to have a winter smallmouth lake that was a bit closer to where I live.

[MagikSmallie]

From my understanding Cedar Creek has a native smallmouth population that originated before the lake was impounded. Most likely any smallmouth caught there is an original native from the creek.

[mhall]

I agree with Magik with what he said. That and I know of several guys that live well smallmouth from Cumberland, Laurel and even Green river that are placing some in there to. Not a lake that I think they will ever explode in but there are some there.

[know1]

I agree with Magik with what he said. That and I know of several guys that live well smallmouth from Cumberland, Laurel and even Green river that are placing some in there to. Not a lake that I think they will ever explode in but there are some there.

Wow - if they're putting smallmouth from Cumberland or Laurel, then they're putting fish over 18" in there (assuming they're doing it with legal smallmouth).

[mhall]

Wow - if they're putting smallmouth from Cumberland or Laurel, then they're putting fish over 18" in there (assuming they're doing it with legal smallmouth).

LOL I would certainly hope so. Personally I don't agree with it but hey its their fish. I have heard several guys tell me this is going on with a few fellas.

[MagikSmallie]

Don't want to Hi-Jack the thread but...since we are talking about cedar. I have noticed on my sonar screen just about every time I go out there, these balls of bait fish. I know there is a no "bait" law in place but what kind of bait fish am I seeing on the graph? I don't think they are trout as I can usually tell when I am over a wad of them. These are definitely bait fish of some kind.

[Eades]

There is a good population of shad in the lake, i've seen them on top from time to time. i guess despite kdfwr's efforts to keep them out of cedar they got in there anyway.

[Wormin]

I agree with Eades the lake has a lot of shad in it. You will see them start show up in large numbers in the creeks soon. There was guide that took clients out and he would fish with shad like you would with shiners under corks. He would get them in Herrington and take them to Cedar, but this was before they were against the law to use there.

[crappiepappy]

I agree with Eades the lake has a lot of shad in it. You will see them start show up in large numbers in the creeks soon. There was guide that took clients out and he would fish with shad like you would with shiners under corks. He would get them in Herrington and take them to Cedar, but this was before they were against the law to use there.

That would've had to have been before Cedar Creek was dammed up & turned into a "lake" !!! There was a NO SHAD rule from day one, best I can remember.

I started seeing Shad in Cedar Creek Lake by the third year after opening .... and several years following, I've seen them spawning along the banks, especially along the dam riprap. 6-8" Shad would be my guesstimate on size. And I've seen bigger ones dead & washed up on the bank.

Story I got was from the guy that used to own/operate the baitshop at the top of the hill going into the parking lot at the dam ramp, and he said the farmers in the area didn't want the creek to be poisoned with rotenone because they were afraid it would make the cattle sick. So, if that was the case ... the Shad may have been in there from the get go. It's also why there are several species of sunfish, that weren't supposed to be there, are there.

... pappy

[Wormin]

You may be right about that pappy,that was 12 years ago when the lake first open. And I cannot remember what I had for supper last night. He would tie up by the railroad bridge and throw a couple hands full of shad out to start them feeding. He boated a lot of big fish doing that.

[stoner]

I saw the shad in there last time I was on Cedar. I don't think it's possible to keep shad out of any impoundment, they're just too adaptable.
Id like get a couple smallmouth next time I'm there.