Is Kentucky Lake the best cracker lake in the South?

[redearhoosier]

For quality size, numbers and the occasional monster, it seems the more I read about this lake the more intrigued I am. Are 10-12 inch redear a common thing? A buddy of mine just started going down there and the crackers I saw were down right impressive. I take it the bluegill are big too?

[mepperson]

There are some good'uns here, but I don't think states like Mississippi, Georgia, Florida, and Lousiana can be counted out. I see and hear a lot about those states producing big numbers and big fish.

[M R Dux]

The Santee lakes in South Carolina probably would be rated the best since the last couple of world's records came from that area.

KY/Barkley have a great bluegill and redear fishery going as long as folks will be respectful of the redear limits. I am hearing some HORROR stories of folks who come here for a few days and basically take a big whizz on the limits. They were put into place to protect the fishery but some folks just don't understand the concept!

[BIGBADDAD]

I've seen the same with largemouth.....guy was cleaning a whole bunch of 12 inch fish...a waste.

[Quackrstackr]

You would think that it was the only lake in the south that had them by the number of people fishing for them this year.

I've never seen this many gill/cracker fishermen here in my entire life.

[Jigboy]

I wonder does that mean their crappie numbers for the year were down? I know mine have been down. I made only two trips to KY Lake this year and never did real great. I think both days we caught in the 20's but I can remember numbers in the upper 30 to 50 per day over the past three or four years. I remember a trip me and my two sons caught 90 in one day at Rough River two years ago. I haven't sen numbers like that on here in some time. As far as people catching to many fish on the redear and bass, nothing ticks me off more then seeing someone keep bass. I know it is legal and people do it but I personally wish they would return the trophy fish back to the water and eat the pan fish. I actually saw a guy side hock about a four pound bass that had been returned to a lake from a tournament and he kept it. I don't mean he was fishing in the area, he was fishing right where the pipe dropped them back into the water and side hooked one. I wanted to punch him in the mouth. He walked around that marina bragging about his big catch all evening that night.

[Quackrstackr]

A trophy fish is in the eye of the beholder.. or bass holder as the case may be.

I never cease to be amazed by people that think nothing of a 90 fish crappie haul from KY Lake but get their knickers in a twist whenever they see someone put a knife to a bass. They ate just fine before bass fishing was turned into something on the order of NASCAR.

I cleaned a livewell full of bass just about 3 weeks ago. I found a golden bone in nary a one of them.

[Tha' Hat]

I wonder does that mean their crappie numbers for the year were down? I know mine have been down. I made only two trips to KY Lake this year and never did real great. I think both days we caught in the 20's but I can remember numbers in the upper 30 to 50 per day over the past three or four years. I remember a trip me and my two sons caught 90 in one day at Rough River two years ago. I haven't sen numbers like that on here in some time. As far as people catching to many fish on the redear and bass, nothing ticks me off more then seeing someone keep bass. I know it is legal and people do it but I personally wish they would return the trophy fish back to the water and eat the pan fish. I actually saw a guy side hock about a four pound bass that had been returned to a lake from a tournament and he kept it. I don't mean he was fishing in the area, he was fishing right where the pipe dropped them back into the water and side hooked one. I wanted to punch him in the mouth. He walked around that marina bragging about his big catch all evening that night.

I just fail to understand the "evil" in killing a bass. If it's legal, in moderation, and you want some fish to eat, what's the difference in a bass and any other species?

[mepperson]

Bass? People keep those trash fish?

[chaunc]

For quality size, numbers and the occasional monster, it seems the more I read about this lake the more intrigued I am. Are 10-12 inch redear a common thing? A buddy of mine just started going down there and the crackers I saw were down right impressive. I take it the bluegill are big too?

This might be why they think so.


Got these this week at KY lake. And close to 700 gills in 5 days.