Kentucky Lake

[homie452]

ok here is the question ?
of all of the thousands of 14 3\4 of 14 7\8 inch fish that were caught
on kentucky lake last year what kind of percentage of them do you think will make the 15 inch cut this year?
Dave do you have a educated guess at this?
and what factors do you think had the most effect on the fish growth ?
thanks

[homie452]

lots of looks but no good reply's ? ? ?
or is everyone confused cause 2 years ago we were in the same spot
thousands of slot fish and a keeper now an then lots thought last year would be the year ?
who knows ? are they in a stailmate

[SlopFishin]

I'd say 100%. Although none of them will be catchable.

[Bobby Headrick]

The bass there are smart, they know if they grow to 15, that they will then get a bumpy boat ride way from there home and then weighed and let go in a new house or get filleted. So they dont grow. lol lol lol

[homie452]

yes they are verry smart look at the amount of money we spend just to catch a few dumb ones

[Dave Stewart]

Actually I noticed more keepers last year and would expect more this year. These fish are from the good spawns we had a few years ago when the grass came back. Not sure what you mean by a slot fish...we do not have a slot limit here on Ky Lake.

[walkeraviator]

I am convinced the reason i always catch loads of short fish is that i am fishing too shallow and too fast, too early in the year.

[homie452]

slot fish = 12 - 15 inch fish just used to callin them that !

[bassman_ky]

If I had to take a stab at it I would say once those fish get caught they become educated. I also have caught fifteen thousand fish from 14 1/2" to 14 7/8" long on ky lake the last few years. Also I've had some real good days where I haven't caught many shorts. I kinda think of it in deer hunting terms. A year to two and a half year old buck is pretty dumb but once they hit three they are a different animal after they've had a few hunting seasons under their belt. This would be my guess to why you catch that many short fish on ky lake.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I look at fish like I look at people. The younger people are the more nieve and just have not learned about life yet. Younger people will just about try anything for they dont know any better or any different. Go into a crowded movie theatre and dangle a $100 bill from the ceiling on a #2 Gamakatsu and the younger crowd is chomping at the bit snapping at the C note, but the older folks know it is too good to be true and there has to be a CATCH (get it CATCH). I usually find myself fishing a little bit deeper than those around me when I go to Kentucky Lake. While others are beating the banks or flipping the buck brush and I will be casting to the edge of the buck brush working the bait back to the boat. I think the bigger fish spawn a bit deeper than the smaller fish plus the bigger fish have "learned" that going shallow like they have done in the past may result in the boat ride to the weigh in. I think I am fishing water that is not getting fished that much plus I also think the bigger fish stay a bit deeper than the juveniles. In my mind, I know I am giving up additional bites but I would rather fish all day long and catch 1 - 6 pounder versus a 100 "unders". I am also constantly modifying my tackle to give them just a bit different look or sound than what is "normal"

[offdtop]

ok here is the question ?
of all of the thousands of 14 3\4 of 14 7\8 inch fish that were caught
on kentucky lake last year what kind of percentage of them do you think will make the 15 inch cut this year?
Dave do you have a educated guess at this?
and what factors do you think had the most effect on the fish growth ?
thanks

I find no matter how good a spawn is in previous years when I need a 15" fish I will always catch 14-1/2 to 14-15/16" fish.......lol sad but true. I believe with abundance of forage fish last year these fish will easily top the 15" mark, and combine that with one of the coldest winters I've seen in a very long time we should be in for a treat this year. Although I am worried with all the snow from up North that we may have higher water levels again this year.

[walkeraviator]

I dont think the high water will be anywhere near as bad as last year. Even with the snow melt rasing the Mississippi and them wanting to hold water, it wont be as bad unless we get another serious rain event in the Tennessee River valley like last year.