Green River Bass Club Two Day Club Classic Results

Posted by John Humphress on Oct 5, 2010

The team of Mitch Lewis and Mendell Milby earned Angler of the Year honors along with Classic day 2 Big Fish catch of 5.28 lbs.

The team of Ronny Spinks and Anthony Stargel were Classic day 1 Big Fish winners and also claimed the 2010 Progressive Big Bass contest.

from left, top and bottom:

1st Place – Mitch Lewis and Mendell Milby 17.93 lbs.
2nd Place – Dan Streeval and Brett Underwood 17.50 lbs.
3rd Place – Roger Hovious and Phil Hovious 17.07 lbs.
4th Place – Buster Williams and Kim Clark 15.99 lbs.
5th Place – Jim Lane and Michael Carter 15.52 lbs.
6th Place – Danny Williams and Chad White 14.46 lbs.
7th Place – Robbie Kimbler and Jeremy Burton 14.39 lbs.
8th Place – James Gabehart and Eric Feese 14.16 lbs.
9th Place – Billy Sanders and Greg Janes 12.84 lbs.
10th Place – James Myers and Bryn Fallis 12.54 lbs.

Elk Season Opens With a Surprise This Weekend on “Kentucky Afield” TV

Posted by John Humphress on Oct 4, 2010

FRANKFORT, Ky. – We travel to eastern Kentucky for opening day of bull elk season with a hunter who won his permit by surprise. Watch the story on “Kentucky Afield” television this weekend, Oct. 9 and 10.

While Lexington’s Don Jenkins has hunted big game around the world, being drawn to hunt Kentucky elk came as a complete surprise. On the sly, his wife entered his name into a drawing for a special elk permit sponsored by the Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Follow Jenkins and our host, Tim Farmer, into the woods of Clay County for the hunt.

For generations, Camp Robert Webb, Camp Earl Wallace and Camp John Currie have provided a week of outdoor learning and fun for boys and girls across the state. Proceeds from the elk hunting fund-raiser won by Jenkins netted nearly $90,000, which will make needed improvements to camp facilities as well as provide scholarships for youth to attend.

“Kentucky Afield” is a production of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. It is the longest continuously running outdoor television show in the nation. The program airs at 8:30 p.m. Eastern /7:30 p.m. Central Saturdays, and repeats at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central Sundays on KET 1. To see the latest news about “Kentucky Afield” television and view your favorite show segments from the past, sign up today for the electronic newsletter. Visit fw.ky.gov on the Internet and click the Kentucky Afield Newsletter icon.

Kentucky Bass Federation Fishing Tournament * Update *

Posted by John Humphress on Oct 2, 2010

KBF President Donnie Keeton gets the fishing started.

(10-02-2010 – Green River Lake) – Donnie Keeton, President of the Kentucky Bass Federation got the bass tournament started from Site 1 on Green River Lake about 7:30am after a short delay becasue of  fog. 41 boats and 77 fisherman participated in this first day of the 2 day event.  Weigh-in will be at 4:15pm today and 3:00pm on Sunday.

41 boats and 77 fishermen participated in the Kentucky Bass Federation 2 day tournament

Sunday Weigh-In and Finals

Weigh-In and Final sheets (.pdf 1.44mb)

Photos below by Bud Mirus – Taylor County Tourist Commission

September is Quota Hunt Application Month

Posted by John Humphress on Sep 21, 2010

Hunters have just a few more days to apply for deer, pheasant, quail, upland bird and waterfowl quota hunts managed by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

The application deadline is Sept. 30. Most quota hunts take place on department wildlife management areas (WMAs). Complete details about the quota hunts, including dates and hunter requirements, are available in the quota hunt section that starts on page 43 of the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting and Trapping Guide. The 2010-11 waterfowl quota hunt dates are available online at http://fw.ky.gov/10waterfowlquotahunt.asp

Hunters must call toll-free 1-877-598-2401 to apply for all types of quota hunts. It costs $3 per hunter to apply for each species, although waterfowl hunt applicants are charged $3 per area if they wish to apply for both the Ballard and Sloughs WMA hunts.
Hunters who apply but are not selected will receive a preference point for use in the following year’s quota hunt drawing. These points increase the hunter’s chances of being drawn. Hunters must continue to apply each year to keep building preference points.
Hunters must be aware of some changes to the quota hunts this year. The bonus WMA quota hunt deer permit is no longer available. Hunters must use their statewide deer permit or a bonus antlerless-only deer permit.

Hunters drawn for a Taylorsville Lake WMA antlerless-only quota hunt will not lose accumulated preference points. Hunters on the West Kentucky WMA quota and open gun hunts must check in daily. At check-in prior to each day’s hunt, hunters must choose a tract and not hunt outside of it.

At the Clay WMA quota hunt on Nov. 6-7, the bag limit has been increased to four deer. Clay WMA will also hold four one-day upland bird (grouse and quail) quota hunts for the first time. For the dates and regulation details, consult page 50 of the 2010-11 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide or go online: http://fw.ky.gov/deerguide10quota.asp.

Hunters are chosen from the applicant pool based on preference points. Applicants who have the greatest number of points receive first choice. Applicants with a decreasing number of points are chosen until all spots are filled.

Some hunts are so popular that it may take hunters several years to be drawn. Other hunts, usually those offered in more rural areas or near other public land, do not draw as many applicants and hunters can expect to be drawn every couple of years or so.

Hunters may apply as groups. If one person in the group is selected, all group members are selected. If one or more people in the group have a high number of preference points, it increases the chances of the entire group being selected.

Applicants will lose their accumulated preference points if they do not apply every year. Applicants can check fw.ky.gov online after Oct. 8 to see if they are drawn. Results will also be available by calling Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 1-800-858-1549 after Oct. 11.

Advisory for Kentucky Fish Consumption Unchanged

Posted by Alisha on Aug 23, 2010

Pregnant Women, Children Should Follow Guidelines for Special Populations

The Kentucky Department for Public Health (DPH), the Department for Environmental Protection and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources today issued fish consumption advisories for bodies of water in Kentucky. The 2010 advisories remain unchanged from those issued last year. 
These advisories inform the public of possible risks of eating unrestricted amounts of some fish retrieved from Kentucky’s waterways. The advisories were issued due to elevated levels of PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) and mercury levels found in some species of fish sampled for these substances. 
“Children, pregnant women and women who are planning to become pregnant are more sensitive to contaminants sometimes found in fish,” said William Hacker, M.D., DPH commissioner. “Breastfeeding mothers should also be careful about the kinds of fish eaten and the frequency of consumption. By following the guidelines in this advisory, individuals can reduce their exposure to contaminants in fish, help reduce their health risks, and still get the benefits of eating fish.” 
“Fish are a nutritious, low-fat food and good for you when eaten in moderation,” said Ron Brooks, director of fisheries with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. “Cooking may reduce some contaminants in fish, but will not reduce mercury levels.”
The following are consumption precautions for various tested species in these bodies of water. Typically, if a species is not listed, this does not necessarily mean these other fish species are risk-free to consumers. Rather, it means there may not be data available for that particular species.

Lake Cumberland
Lake Cumberland is approximately 47,680 acres and impounds the Cumberland River in south central Kentucky. This advisory is considered to be a lake-wide advisory and will include the waters from the confluence of Laurel River and Cumberland River to the Wolf Creek Dam on Lake Cumberland.
Fish Groups             Contaminant       General Population     Sensitive Population
Black Bass                     Mercury                      1 meal/month                6 meals/year
Crappie/Rock Bass  Mercury                       1 meal/week                  1 meal/month
Guist Creek Lake
Guist Creek Lake is approximately 321 acres and impounds Guist Creek and Tick Creek in Shelby County. This advisory is considered to be lake-wide from the headwaters of the lake to the dam.

Fish Groups        Contaminant                  General Population    Sensitive Population
Black Bass            Mercury                               1 meal per month            6 meals per year

Fish Lake
Ballard Wildlife Management Areas, Fish Lake, is an approximately 30-acre natural lake in Ballard County. This advisory is considered to be lake-wide from the headwaters of the lake to the outflow of Shawnee Creek.

Fish Group          Contaminant      General Population         Sensitive Population
Black Bass            Mercury               1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Suckers/Carp     Mercury               1 meal per month            6 meals per year

Green River Lake
Green River Lake is approximately 8,210 acres and impounds Robinson Creek and the Green River in Taylor and Adair counties. The advisory for PCBs and mercury is considered lake-wide from the headwaters of the lake to the dam. Due to decreasing levels of PCBs in the Green River Lake, the advisory is modified from “do not eat” to one meal per month for the general population and six meals per year for the sensitive population. Channel Catfish are being removed from the PCB advisory.

Fish Group             Contaminant              General Population     Sensitive Population
Suckers/Carp        PCB                                     1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Black Bass               Mercury                            1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Catfish/Drum        Mercury                            1 meal per month            6 meals per year

Knox Creek
There are approximately 7.8 miles of Knox Creek in Pike County. The headwaters of Knox Creek are located predominantly in Buchanan County, Va. Virginia issued a similar fish consumption advisory for its section of this creek. This fish consumption advisory will include all of Knox Creek from the Virginia-Kentucky state line to the Tug Fork River.

Fish Group          Contaminant           General Population   Special Population
Black Bass                           PCB, Mercury            1 meal per month      6 meals per year
Crappie/Rock Bass           PCB, Mercury            1 meal per month      6 meals per year
Catfish/Drum                     PCB                                6 meals per year                     No Consumption
Flathead Catfish               PCB, Mercury            No Consumption                    No Consumption

Fishtrap Lake
Fishtrap Lake is approximately 1,100 acres and impounds the Levisa Fork River in Pike County. This advisory will include the Levisa Fork River from the Kentucky-Virginia state line to the dam on Fishtrap Lake. Virginia issued a similar fish consumption advisory for a portion of the Levisa Fork River in its state.

Fish Groups             Contaminant General Population         Special Population
Black Bass                 PCB, Mercury               1 meal per week              1 meal per month
White Bass               PCB, Mercury               1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Catfish/Drum          PCB, Mercury               1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Suckers/Carp       PCB, Mercury  1 meal per month            6 meals per year
Flathead Catfish   PCB, Mercury 1 meal per week              1 meal per month
These are the most recent advisories listed for Kentucky waterways. Other, longstanding advisories remain in effect for parts of Drakes Creek in Franklin; Little Bayou Creek and Metropolis Lake, both in McCracken County; Mud River (from Hancock Lake Dam to Wolf Lick Creek and from Wolf Lick Creek to the Green River); and Town Branch in Logan County. Additional information regarding Kentucky’s fish consumption advisories can be found on the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife website, at http://fw.ky.gov/fishadvisory.asp?lid=900&NavPath=C101 .

Bass Mortality At Small Tournaments Concerns Anglers, Biologists

Posted by Alisha on Aug 13, 2010

The dog days of August make fishing during the day miserable. After warming the air all summer, the late summer sun seems the hottest from now until the first weeks of September.

The heat forces bass tournaments into the dark hours at this time of year, but the stresses on the bass caught in those tournaments do not diminish just because its night time. Late summer into early fall presents considerable stresses to black bass just trying to survive.

“The fish are stressed before they get caught from the high water temperatures, especially with the hot summer we’ve had,” said Chris Hickey, black bass biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “The ordeal of catching the fish, fighting it, placing it in a livewell for hours, weighing it in and releasing the fish by the marina or ramp into water warmer than where they were is really hard on a bass. They try to make it back home and may not have enough stamina left. Sometimes, they don’t ever recover.”

Anglers recently voiced concerns to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife after they found several 4 to 7-pound bass floating dead following a recent bass tournament at Ken Lake Marina on Kentucky Lake.

“Those tournament anglers could legally take six largemouth, smallmouth or spotted (Kentucky) bass in aggregate daily,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “By releasing these fish, a good number likely survived.”

Larger bass are at greater risk of dying from the stresses of tournament fishing.

“Their oxygen requirements are much higher” Hickey said. “The big ones stay out of the water longest for photos, showing off and such. Those 6-pound fish are more likely to die from stress than a 16-incher. When people see several large bass floating near a ramp or marina after a tournament, they get really upset.”

The larger tournament trails do a great job of employing strategies such as placing the fish in salted, oxygenated tanks while waiting for their fish to be weighed. They also use release boats to distribute bass all over the lake and not stockpile them at the weigh-in site. They limit the time bass are out of the water.

Smaller bass tournaments such as those put on by clubs or by your workplace don’t have the resources that large tournament organizations possess. However, some simple strategies will keep more bass alive and limit mortality.

“There are some simple things small tournament organizers can do to reduce mortality,” Buynak said.

Buynak explained that tournament organizers can shorten the length of tournaments held in summer into early fall. For example, shorten the time frame from 8 hours to 4 hours. They can adopt a paper tournament format such as musky anglers do by calling an observer to validate the catch and take digital photo for further proof. They can also stage multiple weigh-ins, one halfway through and one at the end of the tournament, to reduce the time bass slosh around in a livewell.

Anglers fishing the tournament can also employ some simple tactics to reduce stress on the bass.

· Play the bass quickly after it’s hooked. Don’t use underpowered rods and line for tournament fishing, forcing you to play the fish for a long time before landing it.

· Wet your hands before handling the fish as this helps protect the vital slime coat on a bass. The slime coat is the bass’ protection from infection, parasites and disease.

· Also, don’t let the bass flop around on the boat deck. The hot boat deck makes bass flop around after contact. The deck’s carpet removes the vital slime coat of a bass. Fight the fish and remove the hooks quickly; don’t let it flop around on the boat’s deck. Get the bass in the boat’s livewell as quickly as possible.

· Cooling the water in your livewell is one of the most important things to do when surface water temperatures rise above 75 degrees. Some area lakes have water temperatures pushing 90 degrees right now. Cooler water holds more dissolved oxygen than warmer water. Cool the water no more than 10 degrees.

· Adding 1/3 cup of non-iodized or rock salt for every 5 gallons of water in the livewell also aides in reducing stress on the bass. Non-iodized salt works as an anesthetic for bass and makes them more comfortable.

· Salt also helps bass regenerate their protective coating slime that protects them from infection and disease. Commercial livewell additives such as Please Release Me provide about the same benefits as salt.

· Run the livewell aerator continuously in hot weather and whenever more than five pounds of bass are in it. This reduces stress on the bass by keeping the livewell water brimming with dissolved oxygen that fish need to breathe.

· Exchange one-half the water in the livewell every 2 to 3 hours. Add the proper amount of salt and cool the water again.

Late summer and early fall bass fishing usually means fishing deep. If you catch a bass from a depth of 20 feet or more, you may have to “fizz” the bass. Bass possess an expandable bladder in their abdomens that allows them greater buoyancy when needed. When an angler pulls a bass from deep water, the fish often have this bladder extended. They float belly up in the livewell and strain desperately to right themselves.

You’ll have to deflate the bladder with a hypodermic needle with the plunger removed. Draw a line from the split between the dorsal fins along the bass’ back to its anal vent. Insert the needle at a 45-degree angle toward the fish’s head about four rows of scales below where this line meets the lateral line. Listen for a hissing sound and submerge the fish and needle. Wait until the bubbles stop and release the bass. Do not squeeze it. If you remove too much air, the bass will sink to the bottom like a rock.

“Just because it swims away after you release it doesn’t mean it is fine,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Bass may die the next day or a few days later from the stress. But, fizzing and the other precautions will increase chances for survival.”

Tournament angling is popular in Kentucky during the summer. The money spent by tournament anglers helps drive the economy near our major and minor lakes. The excise taxes paid by tournament anglers purchasing motorboat fuel and fishing equipment fund the construction of new boat ramps as well as fisheries management. Their purchase of annual fishing licenses helps provide the money needed to operate Kentucky Fish and Wildlife.

Bass tournament anglers are an important group. Following these precautions will help ensure healthy fish after your bass tournament.