How big do the redear get on Barkley and Ky Lake?

[redearhoosier]

I've been doing some internet searches, and some of these redear I see posted coming out of these two lakes are huge. I'm seeing ears up to and over 13 inches...on Captain Kirks website he keeps a wonderful log of pictures and man, there's some BIG crackers being caught this May.

It would seem like 1 1/2- 2lb redear are available, and that pounders are quite common. These lakes are quickly developing into a trophy redear fishery from the looks of things.

[M R Dux]

I've mounted redears up to 2 pounds 4 oz from Barkley and heard of some over 3 pounds from KY. Of course those 3 pounders were caught and filleted by somebody without a scale or camera.LOL My personal best that I put in the boat is 1 pound 12 oz but you should have seen the one that got away a while back! Yes, 1 pounders are out there for the taking. When we started catching them about 15+ years ago, the folks who knew how were much more secretive than crappie or bass fishermen could ever be. There was no limit on them and folks who could find them were content to sit there and clean out a bed, bringing 5 gallon buckets full to the cleaning station daily. Thanks goodness KYF&W listened to us when we were screaming for limits to be placed on them.

[redearhoosier]

Cool, mrdux, so you're a taxidermist. Do you mount quite a few redear out of those lakes then? I've been looking for a mountable redear for a few years now and it's been quite the pricey challenge. My best up here in Indiana has been a 1.6oz redear that was a dandy. I've always wanted the 2lber for mounting purposes but would probably mount one that went 1.121b's or better.

[M R Dux]

I mount quite a few redears. They are a challenge since their scales come off as easily, if not more so, than a crappie. Plus there are not very many choices of commercial forms for them. I have to either cast or carve my own forms for the mounts.

[smashdn]

I caught one about 14" long out of Barkley two years ago while trolling for crappie. Not sure what that would make him though. He ended up as 2 fillets in a Zip Lock. It was the best one I ever caught.

[Kentucky Lake]

Yeah, I think they catch a few in the 2 pound class every now and then, but fish that big are rare on any Lake.

There are big fish in the lakes, but there is also almost a quarter of a million acres of water in KY Lake, and Barkley lakes, so there is a lot of water for those big fish to hide in.

[smashdn]

I caught one about 14" long out of Barkley two years ago while trolling for crappie. Not sure what that would make him though. He ended up as 2 fillets in a Zip Lock. It was the best one I ever caught.

Scratch that. He was closer to 12. I found a picture.



And I am not 100% sure that this fish came from Barkley know that I think about it. But I did catch a good one at Barkley trolling crankbaits.

[BIGBADDAD]

Well, mrdux can really catch them redears!!!!! Showed me his best spot and WAH LAH......Real bigun's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!




Sorry dux, but I had to!

[indyfisherman]

Just left Barkley been there for a week but did catch a few nice ones!!

This one went 13"!!!

[redearhoosier]

The mouth on that thing looks like a smallmouth bass...those things are incredible fish. Much harder to find and target than bluegill and of course a much better prize IMO.