10k LM over 7lb since 2003

[slowride]

In the latest Bass Times i was reading there was an article about a study done on Lake Fork. If you've ever had any doubts about that lake you can put them at rest. Since 2003 their have been 10,000 LM bass recorded that weighed over 7 lbs!........WOW I thought it was worth posting. Now about the post a while back Ken lake or Lake fork...I love Ken Lake but i think i would be worth looking into to.

[bigwormy]

In the latest Bass Times i was reading there was an article about a study done on Lake Fork. If you've ever had any doubts about that lake you can put them at rest. Since 2003 their have been 10,000 LM bass recorded that weighed over 7 lbs!........WOW I thought it was worth posting. Now about the post a while back Ken lake or Lake fork...I love Ken Lake but i think i would be worth looking into to.

WOW!!!!!!!!!

[Shimano4Life]

Very impressive statistic!

[raincheck]

I don't fish Ky lake much but have seen 1 7lb there and 1 in Al.These where weighed in at tournaments i was fishing.Oh i all most forgot Barren.Any sat's for Ky lake i bet would be close too that 10k but remember if you want people too come and spend their cash just tell them what they want too hear.If i was trying too decide i would spend the money i saved by fishing Ky than Tx i'd hire Dave and let him know i wanted too catch just big fish not the numbers.Just my 2cents.Terry Adolph

[Shimano4Life]

Raincheck - I have to agree with you........my money will stay in KY.

[BPenrod]

It was worth posting! Thank You. Lake Fork in the spring would be awesome!!!!

[offdtop]

pssst.... ask Dave Stewart how many 7+ he's seen this year on KY Lake

[GeoFisher]

In the latest Bass Times i was reading there was an article about a study done on Lake Fork. If you've ever had any doubts about that lake you can put them at rest. Since 2003 their have been 10,000 LM bass recorded that weighed over 7 lbs!........WOW I thought it was worth posting. Now about the post a while back Ken lake or Lake fork...I love Ken Lake but i think i would be worth looking into to.

Here are some details:

http://www.examiner.com/x-4397-Dalla...unds-or-larger

NOT bad at all..........

I wonder how many lunker bass are caught from KY every year..........HM.


Now, playing devils advocate a little.........the survey was sponsored and published by the tourism dept, and marina association........

"This survey, which is a cooperative project of the Lake Fork Chamber of Commerce, the Lake Fork Sportsman’s Association and TPWD, provides invaluable details on Lake Fork’s world-renowned trophy bass fishery; information which cannot be obtained through standard fisheries surveys."

Kinda fishy, if you ask me. BUT on a positive note.......they seem to be using some of the data to "manage" the lake, accorting to TPWD.

This info, if legit is MORE telling, if you ask me:

"Since March 2003, 8,423 of the Trophy Bass Survey entries (83 percent) were weighed, and 1,316 of them (15.6 percent) were 10 pounds or heavier. Fifty-six of the weighed fish were 13 pounds or better, with many of these fish being eligible for entry in TPWD’s Sharelunker program. Anglers measured lengths on 5,985 of their entries (59 percent) and of these fish, 33.3 percent were 24 inches or longer. This summary information provides compelling evidence that the slot-length limit is working on Lake Fork, since considerable numbers of fish are growing past the upper limit of the slot and not dying of old age or the effects of catch-and-release before they get to 24 inches."


Later,

Geo

[slowride]

pssst.... ask Dave Stewart how many 7+ he's seen this year on KY Lake

Ya Dave whats some some your stats you keep in the back of your head about kentucky/Barkley? I know a few of them you've told me??

PS. Although I'd love and will someday fish lake fork, kentucky lake is my my favorite, hands down! (The shear size alone is unbelievable to me)

[Dave Stewart]

I would be amiss to try to quote any actual statistics on the numbers of fish over 7lbs caught here so far this year. Personally, in my boat we have had 12 over 8lbs (I keep mental track of this because on this lake I do not consider a bass to be a "trophy" until it hits the 8lb mark. I get a lot of reports each week...and keep tabs on more tournament results than most of you will ever hear about unless you are a local down here...there have been a few over 10lbs caught here this past spring and some numbers of 9lb fish too.

Here is my take on trying to compare Ky Lake to Lake Fork or any other good deep south lake:

The fish in Lake Fork and other touted fisheries in the deep south are Florida stain bass and have much longer growing seasons...the fish in Ky Lake are northern stain bass and the growing season is shorter. I don't see any fair way to compare a Florida stain bass with a northern strain bass at least as far as seeing them both as equals..they are two different strains. Florida's grow bigger and get bigger faster. In my way of thinking, if I catch an 8lb northern strain here, it is a big an accomplishment as catching a 12lb Florida strain. To me "size" is all in how you look at it. It would be like trying to compare a 7lb Smallie caught in Canada with a 7lb Smallie caught in Dale Hollow....not a fair comparison as far as how long it took to grow a Smallie that size....obviously we have a longer growing season here than they do in Canada and even though both fish may be of the same strain...it took a lot longer for that fish in Canada to get to 7lbs.

Before I moved here, I lived in Frankfort....in central Ky when I lived there, it was a big deal to catch a LM over 5lbs, here on Ky Lake it is not a big deal. Our lakes are much more fertile here than in central Ky so catching that over 5lb bass there in my mind was like catching an over 8lb bass here.

So, in other words...in my way of thinking..."size matters" is only a relative term to where you are fishing.

As far as latest Lake Fork advertising campaign...it is directly related to the bass boom in Falcon, Amistad and Choke Canyon....Fork area is losing business to lakes that are now producing numbers of really big fish and they are getting a lot of publicity about those lakes because the big tournament trails are fishing there instead of Fork.

No doubt that if you want an increased odds of catching bass over 7lbs you can increase your odds by going to a lake with a great reputation that has Florida strain fish and a longer growing season...no way I can argue that Ky Lake is gonna produce more of these bigger fish...but we do have numbers of fish here in the 7lb range as compared to other lakes in this region...hands down....you still have to catch them though....that is the challege that keeps us all going back out there.

[stratosjoe]

Great response Dave , thanks for your input.

[slowride]

I would be amiss to try to quote any actual statistics on the numbers of fish over 7lbs caught here so far this year. Personally, in my boat we have had 12 over 8lbs (I keep mental track of this because on this lake I do not consider a bass to be a "trophy" until it hits the 8lb mark. I get a lot of reports each week...and keep tabs on more tournament results than most of you will ever hear about unless you are a local down here...there have been a few over 10lbs caught here this past spring and some numbers of 9lb fish too.

Here is my take on trying to compare Ky Lake to Lake Fork or any other good deep south lake:

The fish in Lake Fork and other touted fisheries in the deep south are Florida stain bass and have much longer growing seasons...the fish in Ky Lake are northern stain bass and the growing season is shorter. I don't see any fair way to compare a Florida stain bass with a northern strain bass at least as far as seeing them both as equals..they are two different strains. Florida's grow bigger and get bigger faster. In my way of thinking, if I catch an 8lb northern strain here, it is a big an accomplishment as catching a 12lb Florida strain. To me "size" is all in how you look at it. It would be like trying to compare a 7lb Smallie caught in Canada with a 7lb Smallie caught in Dale Hollow....not a fair comparison as far as how long it took to grow a Smallie that size....obviously we have a longer growing season here than they do in Canada and even though both fish may be of the same strain...it took a lot longer for that fish in Canada to get to 7lbs.

Before I moved here, I lived in Frankfort....in central Ky when I lived there, it was a big deal to catch a LM over 5lbs, here on Ky Lake it is not a big deal. Our lakes are much more fertile here than in central Ky so catching that over 5lb bass there in my mind was like catching an over 8lb bass here.

So, in other words...in my way of thinking..."size matters" is only a relative term to where you are fishing.

As far as latest Lake Fork advertising campaign...it is directly related to the bass boom in Falcon, Amistad and Choke Canyon....Fork area is losing business to lakes that are now producing numbers of really big fish and they are getting a lot of publicity about those lakes because the big tournament trails are fishing there instead of Fork.

No doubt that if you want an increased odds of catching bass over 7lbs you can increase your odds by going to a lake with a great reputation that has Florida strain fish and a longer growing season...no way I can argue that Ky Lake is gonna produce more of these bigger fish...but we do have numbers of fish here in the 7lb range as compared to other lakes in this region...hands down....you still have to catch them though....that is the challege that keeps us all going back out there.

Well put....."size matters" nice..................