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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Scratch that. He was closer to 12. I found a picture.Quote:
Originally Posted by smashdn
http://i512.photobucket.com/albums/t.../daniel045.jpg
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.
Well, mrdux can really catch them redears!!!!! Showed me his best spot and WAH LAH......Real bigun's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://i897.photobucket.com/albums/a...ougsredear.jpg
Sorry dux, but I had to!
Just left Barkley been there for a week but did catch a few nice ones!!
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/d6481ba5.jpg
This one went 13"!!!
http://i924.photobucket.com/albums/a...n/db8bfbea.jpg
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.
Here's a goodun I caught a couple of years ago (on Ky Lake)
it went from the inside bend of my elbow to the palm of my hand
http://i391.photobucket.com/albums/o...lakeredear.jpg
Hey, it takes a huge amount of fishing ability to catch a quality fish like that one!Quote:
Originally Posted by BIGBADDAD
Story on that fish; I had cast into an area we had been catching some quality gills but no redears. I was using a red Eagle Claw panfish hook with a red worm on a drop shot rig. I got a hit close to the bank and was just holding pressure on it when I almost got the rod jerked out of my hands. The line started screaming down the bank with the drag slipping then it was gone. I reeled it in and this little guy was on. Apparently he hit initially then something sizable hit him and took off. It was definitely a juvy redear and it was released alive.
Looks more like a juvy Green Sunfish, to me, Dux !! LOL !!Quote:
Originally Posted by mrdux
... cp
Looks like prime flathead bait to me.. :cool:
I am still trying to catch one that is over one pound. I caught a full big ones over the last year but none over a pound but guys that I was with caught a lot over a pound. I have personally seen 20 or 30 over a pound but none in the 2 pound range. I got space on my wall ready soon hopefully.
People actually fish for redear? I usually throw them back.
Big Redear can be fun to catch. I like catching a lot of different species of fish, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Crappie, Bluegill, Redear, Catfish, etc.
I only fish for fish that I like to eat so I mostly chase buffalo, carp and red horse. Those red ear are too small and don't taste very good.
How long will Red ear be on the bed?