Thread: Here's what I think is going on with Ky Lake

Originally Posted by Kentucky Lake

Don't take this the wrong way, but the Crappie fishing simply is not as good as it once was.

Years of tens of thousands of fisherman coming here to fish has taken a toll on the fishery. It may never be as good as it once was.

Are you saying all your cheerleading and begging tourists to come to KY Lake is having a negative impact? I'd never thunk it!

GUYS .... agree to disagree, with civility. Everyone has an opinion, right or wrong (depending on your point of view) ... and they're free to express it, positively or negatively, as long as it's done within the site rule guidelines.

Remember ... a piece of paper will just lay there & let you write anything on it -- the computer/web is no different. And since none of us, that I'm aware of, are experts in the art of communication, sometimes we read into things said and come away with a different interpretation than what was meant.

... cp

How can a thread start out so good and end so stupidly bad?

You do bring up an interesting point. But I would say the invention of the internet, the outdoor channel,fishing Videos, large tournaments like FLW or Bass Master Elite Series, has brought a big interest to a lot of the lakes in the Southern United States.

Fisherman today also have better equipment, more technology, and better boats.

Many years ago, most fisherman had small outboard motors, even many of the fishing guides did. So those fisherman were more likely to stay in 1 small area of the lake, or perhaps they would only fish a few coves each day.


Now days there are hundreds of thousands of people who have 200, 225, or 250 Horse Power Outboard motors on their boats. This makes it easy for fisherman to fish numerous coves or areas of the lake in 1 day. Some people will even run 25 to 50 miles down the lake to fish. Some people I know have ran 60 miles one way during Tournaments.

I ran 36 miles one way myself a few weeks ago. My 250 HP Outboard Motor made it easy for me, if I would have had a much smaller outboard, I would not have bothered with going that distance, it would have taken far to much time.

So it is easier today for fisherman to put greater pressure on the lakes in America.

Originally Posted by mrdux

Are you saying all your cheerleading and begging tourists to come to KY Lake is having a negative impact? I'd never thunk it!

Have you ever stopped and thought years ago we were catching them in the buckbrush. There were far fewer brush piles and stake beds. So when you pulled up on one of these they were loaded with fish. They still hold fish today but there are so many types of structure there may only be a few in each one. Making us have to move alot more to find a limit. Sometimes you get lucky and find them stacked but not often. I think the pressure has always been there. I mean look at the one on here that say they've been coming down for years and that is just the ones posting not to mention the others
Just a thought!

Another important factor today is the high amount of Bass and Crappie Fishing Tournaments on Kentucky Lake.


I would say there are more Tournaments now, than there ever has been.


That puts pressure on the lake.


Also the Tournament fisherman catch fish, and then take them back to the weigh in area. The fish end up getting released back into the lake.

However, sometimes the fish get released many miles from where they were originally caught.

Example: A tournament is held at KY Dam. A tournament fisherman goes down and catches some bass under the highway 68/80 bridge. He brings the fish all the way back to the Dam to the weigh in, and usually they will realease the fish there, or where ever the Tournament is being held.


This has an impact on pressure, fish populations, and even things like genetics.

Example: A Crappie tournament is held at KY Dam. A tournament fisherman goes down and catches a 3 pound Crappie under the highway 68/80 bridge. He brings the Crappie all the way back to the Dam to the weigh in, and usually they will realease the fish there, or where ever the Tournament is being held. Well now that 3 pound Crappie is no longer under the Highway 68/80 bridge, it is miles north by the dam. So now this fish will be reproducing, and spreading it's genetics miles away from where it used to live.

Sixfin....Thank you for the excellent reportHands Clapping and I agree.

That being said I feel the biggest problem on KY/Barkley is the fact that there are folks out there who do not obey the law. I know this has been discussed on here several times and there is not a great way to fix this problem, but something needs to be done. In the last 2 weeks I have witnessed people putting every fish they catch in the live well. You may ask how do i know they were short? because they saw me catch a fish and decided they need to be right next to me. I ask the guy if he knew that he was keeping short fish and he replied that he had no idea what i was talking about. I then asked him where he put his boat in and he replied Big Bear. I told him there was a yellow sign that tells the limits. He said he didnt see it. I know it was there because I saw it that morning walking from my truck to my boat.

This is the biggest problem our lakes face. People who willingly break the law whether it is short fish or more than the limit. And it is not just crappie. Many people will keep any size or amount of any fish. The state must step up to the plate or risk loosing one of the biggest money makers in West KY!!!!!

That is another good point, sadly a lot of people keep undersized fish, and keep more fish than they are allowed to keep.


But the pressure is as high as it can be, on some of these bays, some of these bays must have several thousand boats per spring and summer fishing in them. The fish have probably seen every lure on earth. LOL

Originally Posted by acgriggs

Sixfin....Thank you for the excellent reportHands Clapping and I agree.

That being said I feel the biggest problem on KY/Barkley is the fact that there are folks out there who do not obey the law. I know this has been discussed on here several times and there is not a great way to fix this problem, but something needs to be done. In the last 2 weeks I have witnessed people putting every fish they catch in the live well. You may ask how do i know they were short? because they saw me catch a fish and decided they need to be right next to me. I ask the guy if he knew that he was keeping short fish and he replied that he had no idea what i was talking about. I then asked him where he put his boat in and he replied Big Bear. I told him there was a yellow sign that tells the limits. He said he didnt see it. I know it was there because I saw it that morning walking from my truck to my boat.

This is the biggest problem our lakes face. People who willingly break the law whether it is short fish or more than the limit. And it is not just crappie. Many people will keep any size or amount of any fish. The state must step up to the plate or risk loosing one of the biggest money makers in West KY!!!!!