FINs lake trip ...

[CrappiePappy]

... all of about a mile or so from my place

Last Friday I didn't have time to make a trip to any lake, to chase after the Crappie, so I did the next best thing .... I went at a FINs lake. FINs = Fishing in Neighborhoods ... and Jacobson Park has recently been designated as Lexington's FINs lake. There were 4000 Rainbow Trout released on 10/23/12 ... with two more stockings of 4000 trout to be done this Winter. These fish are the 9-12 inch hatchery stockers. There will also be stocking done a couple of times next Spring, of some hatchery Catfish ... in the 1lb avg size range. And then another stocking next August. There's even been rumors of the possibility of Hybrid Bluegill being stocked ... but no confirmation on that, yet.

In any event, I spent about 3 hours fishing ... and out of around 10 or so "bites", I managed to stick a hook in 3 Trout & one small Carp. The Carp went back, & the trout went on the stringer. I probably would have caught my 5 fish creel limit in those three hours, but I outsmarted myself by thinking that a very small hook on one of my poles would work better. Missed every bite on that pole, until I took the tiny hook off & replaced it with a #6 Aberdeen.

I was using the "small nightcrawlers" from Wally World, under a small float about 2 feet or so .... one rig with a hook/sinker/float & the other with just a hook/float. I probably missed the first 4 or 5 bites by trying to set the hook too fast ... but, once I decided to let them run a bit with it, I started hooking up.

When my time was up, I headed to the truck ... and as I was dropping the stringer of trout into the cooler, I noticed that one of them had a tag. When I lifted the stringer back up, I realized that tagged fish was the very first one I'd caught

See, the KDFWR has tagged some of these trout ... and drop boxes are placed around the lake, that have envelopes to send these tags back in with. "Rewards" are being offered for the returned tags. what those "rewards" might be, a pin maybe, or possibly some $$ ... but, I did think it kinda neat that my FIRST trout was a tagged fish !!

Brought them home & cleaned them up, popped'em in the freezer ... and will have myself a trout dinner, sometime soon.

Here's the skinny on the FINs lake at Jacobson Park : KDFWR - News Release

Even with the additional cost of the Trout Stamp ($10) ... it's still cheaper than buying them at the grocery store. And next year, after I turn 65 & get my $5 fishing license ... a trout stamp won't be needed !!

Now, of course this won't take the place of my Crappie fishing .... just an added bonus for those days/occasions where I only have a couple of hours to kill & just need to get out & wet a line.

... cp

[ifish]

Sounds like a good trip CP. They stocked a little lake in Madisonville a few years ago with trout and it was weird catching them . I fished below Wolf Creek tail waters for many years for trout and striper and it is fun doing something different. KDFWR does a fantastic job for the money we invest and great folks that run it!

[chucky]

CP......didn't know if you new or not but on richmond rd side is the drain opening. It has a tall chain link fence around it. It comes from the sportsmans club across the road. They opened it up a couple of years ago so now fish can pass thru. Back in the spring they were catching good crappie 10-12 in and 2-4 lb bass along with good eating channel cats.

[CrappiePappy]

CP......didn't know if you new or not but on richmond rd side is the drain opening. It has a tall chain link fence around it. It comes from the sportsmans club across the road. They opened it up a couple of years ago so now fish can pass thru. Back in the spring they were catching good crappie 10-12 in and 2-4 lb bass along with good eating channel cats.

Yeah, Chuck ... I knew about the culvert running under Richmond Rd, from Lake Ellerslie to Jacobson Park Lake. There's been fish running back & forth in that pipe for ever ... LOL !!
I haven't fished on or around it, because there's always someone there, before I can ever get there

I have caught some 1-2lb Crappie from Jacobson Park Lake, before ... just jigging around the "feet" of the covered wooden decks that used to be there on the shoreline.

And as a warning to anyone that is considering going there to fish .... watch where you walk !! There's a bunch of Geese & Ducks that frequent the lake, and they've laid "mines" all over the place

... cp

[kycreek]

I saw on Kentucky Afield about the FINS lake project. Congrats on the tagged fish. I'm curious what you will receive.

[CrappiePappy]

I saw on Kentucky Afield about the FINS lake project. Congrats on the tagged fish. I'm curious what you will receive.

Thanks !! I will post what my "reward" is, whenever I receive it. It will probably be a trout pin, which will be fine with me, but could be a few bucks cash or at the very least a certificate ... we'll see !!

... cp

[CrappiePappy]

... just couldn't stand it, so I went back to Jacobson Park Lake, today. Fished from around 12:30PM until a little after 2:00PM, in the same area I'd fished before .... and didn't get so much as a sniff

I decided I'd just call it a day & head home, but decided to check out what the guys up around the Richmond Rd banks were doing. When I got there, there was a new dock there ... & a guy fishing off of it. As I approached him to chat, he caught a trout !! I rigged up & started fishing close by, and within a minute or two .... I had one in the bucket. He caught a couple more, making him his limit of 5, and left ... so I slipped into his spot on the dock & proceeded to catch 4 more within the next hour, making my limit of 5. One fish was 11" long, but the other 4 were only around 8-9" long.

As I was finishing up my limit, a couple of construction workers came & started putting the finishing touches on the dock ... making it handicap accessible. One worker inquired as to what I was using, and I told him I was using worms ... he then suggested that I try corn, stating "they like corn" (which I took to mean that he'd talked to other anglers that had success using corn). I might have to consider trying that, once my tub of worms is used up ... but, for now, I'm sticking with what's worked for me, so far.

No tagged fish, this trip .... but I did talk to one gentleman that said he'd caught a tagged fish, and that it was "double tagged" I didn't see the fish, but since he had offered his 4 fish to me, if I didn't catch anything ... I had no reason to doubt him. I politely refused the offer ... and as it turned out, he gave his fish to a guy that I had talked to on the last trip there, who was back again & still not having any luck.

I have discovered a "sign", that bares sharing with any of you guys/gals that intend to fish the lake for these trout ... if you don't see the fish surfacing, they either aren't there or if they are, they're not active. When you do see them come up and dimple the surface, you just need to get your bait in the general area ... and keep your eyes on your float (or line, if fishing on bottom). When they grab your bait, your float will take off ... so just take up the slack, & when you start feeling the weight, set that hook & watch them little rascals go

... luck2ya'll

... cp

[chucky]

Cp......Yea, the drain has always been there but it used to be closed off with a wire steel grate on each end. I have a buddy who got the contract back then to fix it. They opened it up and had to swim with scuba gear under Richmond Road and clean it all out. He said with all the debris and trash they took from there just about filled a 6 ton rolloff dumpster. He said if it comes up again, he was not bidding that again.


Oh....and trout do love some corn. Used to catchem down in Clay City, couple of nibblers on the hook and they would tearum up......cream corn, not so good .

May have to sneek away and give it a try since its so close.

[CrappiePappy]

May have to sneek away and give it a try since its so close.

Will probably be there again, Saturday .... & Paul and Kenny may join me. We'll likely be at either the stationary dock up by the "dam" (Richmond Rd), or at the floating dock back by Kamp Kearney road entrance (other end of the lake).

Trout stamp needed IF you keep the trout ... but, not necessary if you catch & release !!

... cp

[chucky]

Will probably be there again, Saturday .... & Paul and Kenny may join me. We'll likely be at either the stationary dock up by the "dam" (Richmond Rd), or at the floating dock back by Kamp Kearney road entrance (other end of the lake).

Trout stamp needed IF you keep the trout ... but, not necessary if you catch & release !!

... cp

I have to drop my son off at 6 am tomorrow morning, he has to report to his unit this weekend. I may go on out there then (before the regular weekend anglers start showing up)
and give it a try. If i do good, may do it again Sunday after i drop him off again. Going to try and make it to the woods Saturday and Sunday afternoons (finally).

Always get the sportsmans package so that i am covered on everything (except duck stamp).