Fishing Kentucky
There is a point each year where living in Minnesota is too depressing and...
There is a point each year where living in Minnesota is too depressing and if you don’t want to end up at one of the fine mental health recovery centers in this state you hightail it somewhere warm to do some serious fishing. That point is mid-April when the long winter grind finally pushes your anxiety level into overload and you have had enough. As I contemplate this it makes me realize why there are so many fine mental health recovery centers in Minnesota.
My path to inner peace was orchestrated by The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) who organize a spring hunting and fishing trip for some of their members. I was invited to join the group this year in western Kentucky on Lake Barkley for the Mega Media Cast and Blast.
Sponsored by the Lake Barkley Tourist Commission and the City of Marion Tourist Commission and supported by some of AGLOW’s Corporate Members it was a welcome respite from the boring and tiresome period prior to Minnesota’s Fishing Opener. Finally a chance to cast substantial lures in open water for fish that are capable of putting up a fight.
It started in kayaks. Hobie is one of AGLOW’s Corporate Members and they brought down some watercraft for us to try out. I didn’t need to try out the kayaks because I am already a Hobie fan and own a half dozen of the Outback models. But, I never turn down an opportunity to fish out of a Hobie and took an Outback into the bay at the marina docks where we were staying and found some bass, sunfish and crappies. My prayers had been answered, except for that one about Lady GaGa; don’t ask.
Later on that first day of this foray I found myself in a boat with Doug Pietrzak, our guide, and John Mazurkiewicz, from Shimano/Loomis. The largemouth bass had slid up onto the shallow gravel and we were tempting them with plastic worms and crankbaits. FYI: I changed my last name to Lesterczek after getting introduced to these guys because I figured three polish guys in a boat are guaranteed a limit of fish. Those Polacks know how to set the hook. They made me change my name back after I caught a couple of bass and I never landed another fish while those two just kept reeling them in. Remember this next time you name one of your newborn babies.
The next day provided even more excitement. Lawrence Taylor (LT) from Pradco Fishing and our guide Kevin Baxter, took me to some more gravel flats where the bass were devouring plastic worms. At one point I watched the line go from the front of the boat to the rear as that bass tried to swim away with it. LT was using XCalibur square-lipped crankbaits and pounding the pre-spawn bass. We even hooked into three smallmouth bass on the crankbaits. I would have caught more I’m sure, but both of the anglers I was with were southern boys and kept talking about college football. I’m not a big football fan so it cut into my concentration. That and when they started jousting with their flipping sticks over who the best coach was; I still have the welts. OK, I’m kidding. We had a lot of fun and I learned a lot about college football.
Steve Freeman took me crappie fishing after lunch and I learned a lot about finding crappies on Lake Barkley. You just follow Steve. It ain’t about structure, vegetation, baitfish, well it is, but, Freeman makes sure those variable all come together by planting stakes in the bottom so if you follow him he will lead you to those stake beds.
I’ll explain. Steve has a connection at the local Ax Handle plant and he gets remnant wood they don’t use. He takes these stakes and pounds them into the bottom creating cover which concentrates crappies and if you get onto this cover you will catch crappies; big ones.
Steve and I played around on the stake beds for awhile where we landed a small white bass that had the tail of a baitfish (we figured it was a small shad) sticking out of its mouth. Here was a fish that was willing to take more even when it was loaded to the gills. I pronounced him a proven member of the outdoor communicator ranks, got a picture taken of me with my greedy brother and let him go to train others in the art of acquisition.
With big bass such willing targets, Freeman and I headed to some shallow bays to toss spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater lures. While cruising down one shoreline we saw shad breaking the surface and casted crankbaits to them. What we saw next was quite interesting.
Big bass were pushing shad to the surface and punching them with their noses. These bass weren’t eating the shad, just beating up on them. I concluded these bass in this bay were going through some sort of inferiority complex and harassing these small shad just to torment and intimidate them. These bully Barkley bass were in that four pound range but must have felt menial compared to their seven and eight pound brethren that can be found in this productive reservoir and if I would have had the resources I would have gotten these fish to one of the fine mental health recovery centers in Minnesota for some treatment. You never see the bass up north oppressing the baitfish like that. And, those Barkley bullies wouldn’t hit our baits which made it even more perverse.
I had a wonderful time exploring Lake Barkley. This huge reservoir is a tremendous resource and provides the perfect destination for a Minnesotan like me that needs to get somewhere to experience the kind of fishing that is just not available during parts of the year where I live.
If you do decide to make a trip to Barkley you will find outstanding accommodations at Eddy Creek Marina Resort where I stayed. Mandy Carney was the perfect host and will make your stay there a pleasant one.
Here is a list of everyone that was involved in this event. Their help in making it happen is much appreciated. Click here to view some images of this event.
Beau Choate - Lake Barkley Tourist Commission
Michele Edwards - City of Marion Tourism Commission
Mandy Carney - Eddy Creek Marina Resort
Russell and Michele Edwards - Winghaven Lodge
Cabela’s
Costa Del Mar
Frabill
Hobie
Howard Communications
Lightfield Ammunition
MarCum Technologies
Mossy Oak
National Wild Turkey Federation
Pradco Fishing
ShimanoAmerica
G.Loomis
ThermaCell
Niagra USA
The outdoor communicators that were in attendance were:
ANGLERS
Don Dziedzina
Ray Ludkevicz
Tim Huffman
Darrell Taylor
Mike Schoonveld
Mike Pehanich
Dan Thomas
Don Gasaway
Alan Garbers
HUNTERS
Rich Creason
Bob Groene
Curt Hicken
Bobby Whitehead
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Rick Story
Bob and Ginny Riege
Mark and Brian Smith
Jacob VanHouten
P.J. Perea
My path to inner peace was orchestrated by The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers (AGLOW) who organize a spring hunting and fishing trip for some of their members. I was invited to join the group this year in western Kentucky on Lake Barkley for the Mega Media Cast and Blast.
Sponsored by the Lake Barkley Tourist Commission and the City of Marion Tourist Commission and supported by some of AGLOW’s Corporate Members it was a welcome respite from the boring and tiresome period prior to Minnesota’s Fishing Opener. Finally a chance to cast substantial lures in open water for fish that are capable of putting up a fight.
It started in kayaks. Hobie is one of AGLOW’s Corporate Members and they brought down some watercraft for us to try out. I didn’t need to try out the kayaks because I am already a Hobie fan and own a half dozen of the Outback models. But, I never turn down an opportunity to fish out of a Hobie and took an Outback into the bay at the marina docks where we were staying and found some bass, sunfish and crappies. My prayers had been answered, except for that one about Lady GaGa; don’t ask.
Later on that first day of this foray I found myself in a boat with Doug Pietrzak, our guide, and John Mazurkiewicz, from Shimano/Loomis. The largemouth bass had slid up onto the shallow gravel and we were tempting them with plastic worms and crankbaits. FYI: I changed my last name to Lesterczek after getting introduced to these guys because I figured three polish guys in a boat are guaranteed a limit of fish. Those Polacks know how to set the hook. They made me change my name back after I caught a couple of bass and I never landed another fish while those two just kept reeling them in. Remember this next time you name one of your newborn babies.
The next day provided even more excitement. Lawrence Taylor (LT) from Pradco Fishing and our guide Kevin Baxter, took me to some more gravel flats where the bass were devouring plastic worms. At one point I watched the line go from the front of the boat to the rear as that bass tried to swim away with it. LT was using XCalibur square-lipped crankbaits and pounding the pre-spawn bass. We even hooked into three smallmouth bass on the crankbaits. I would have caught more I’m sure, but both of the anglers I was with were southern boys and kept talking about college football. I’m not a big football fan so it cut into my concentration. That and when they started jousting with their flipping sticks over who the best coach was; I still have the welts. OK, I’m kidding. We had a lot of fun and I learned a lot about college football.
Steve Freeman took me crappie fishing after lunch and I learned a lot about finding crappies on Lake Barkley. You just follow Steve. It ain’t about structure, vegetation, baitfish, well it is, but, Freeman makes sure those variable all come together by planting stakes in the bottom so if you follow him he will lead you to those stake beds.
I’ll explain. Steve has a connection at the local Ax Handle plant and he gets remnant wood they don’t use. He takes these stakes and pounds them into the bottom creating cover which concentrates crappies and if you get onto this cover you will catch crappies; big ones.
Steve and I played around on the stake beds for awhile where we landed a small white bass that had the tail of a baitfish (we figured it was a small shad) sticking out of its mouth. Here was a fish that was willing to take more even when it was loaded to the gills. I pronounced him a proven member of the outdoor communicator ranks, got a picture taken of me with my greedy brother and let him go to train others in the art of acquisition.
With big bass such willing targets, Freeman and I headed to some shallow bays to toss spinnerbaits, plastic worms and topwater lures. While cruising down one shoreline we saw shad breaking the surface and casted crankbaits to them. What we saw next was quite interesting.
Big bass were pushing shad to the surface and punching them with their noses. These bass weren’t eating the shad, just beating up on them. I concluded these bass in this bay were going through some sort of inferiority complex and harassing these small shad just to torment and intimidate them. These bully Barkley bass were in that four pound range but must have felt menial compared to their seven and eight pound brethren that can be found in this productive reservoir and if I would have had the resources I would have gotten these fish to one of the fine mental health recovery centers in Minnesota for some treatment. You never see the bass up north oppressing the baitfish like that. And, those Barkley bullies wouldn’t hit our baits which made it even more perverse.
I had a wonderful time exploring Lake Barkley. This huge reservoir is a tremendous resource and provides the perfect destination for a Minnesotan like me that needs to get somewhere to experience the kind of fishing that is just not available during parts of the year where I live.
If you do decide to make a trip to Barkley you will find outstanding accommodations at Eddy Creek Marina Resort where I stayed. Mandy Carney was the perfect host and will make your stay there a pleasant one.
Here is a list of everyone that was involved in this event. Their help in making it happen is much appreciated. Click here to view some images of this event.
Beau Choate - Lake Barkley Tourist Commission
Michele Edwards - City of Marion Tourism Commission
Mandy Carney - Eddy Creek Marina Resort
Russell and Michele Edwards - Winghaven Lodge
Cabela’s
Costa Del Mar
Frabill
Hobie
Howard Communications
Lightfield Ammunition
MarCum Technologies
Mossy Oak
National Wild Turkey Federation
Pradco Fishing
ShimanoAmerica
G.Loomis
ThermaCell
Niagra USA
The outdoor communicators that were in attendance were:
ANGLERS
Don Dziedzina
Ray Ludkevicz
Tim Huffman
Darrell Taylor
Mike Schoonveld
Mike Pehanich
Dan Thomas
Don Gasaway
Alan Garbers
HUNTERS
Rich Creason
Bob Groene
Curt Hicken
Bobby Whitehead
Bill Hilts, Jr.
Rick Story
Bob and Ginny Riege
Mark and Brian Smith
Jacob VanHouten
P.J. Perea