Bass fishing improved at Barren

By JOEL WILSON
For the Daily Times

October 09, 2008 11:11 am

— Bob Bell is the new president of the Barren River Rod and Gun Club.
He began his official duties at the October membership meeting. He succeeds Billy Elmore who completed his two-year stint as president.
Other officers are Bill Simmons, vice-president; Howard Simpson, secretary-treasurer, and yours truly as recording secretary.
Directors serving in the coming year will be Donnie Bunch, Joe Combest, Billy Crabtree, Ed Darst, Donald Depp, Billy Elmore, Joe Lewis, Vic Pufahl, Trent Riddle, Alan Siddens, Jimmy Symth and Bill Tinsley.
Special guests for the meeting were Eric Cummings and David Wyffels of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife’s fisheries division. They spoke to the club about various species in Barren River Lake.
Fishermen in the audience had several questions concerning crappie.
The Rod and Gun Club meets at 7 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month at the clubgrounds at Lucas.

Our fishing reporter, Bill Logsdon, reports that bass fishing has greatly improved at Barren. His report:
“Finally, some much needed rain! Not only will the rain help the crops and the yards, but it should give a boost to our fishing here on Barren as well. The rain will lower the water temperature as well as replenish the oxygen levels. Both factors should increase fish activity over the next few days for all species.
“The recent cool weather has already jump-started the bass fishing. We talked to several bass fishermen last week who had good catches of bass. A variety of lures and techniques were used to produce good catches. Literally, up the creek has been the place to be to find good bass in recent days. Primary areas have been the weed beds. Do not be afraid to hang up. You want to cast as deep into the weeds as you can and still be able to work your lure out. Spinnerbaits and buzz baits are still producing a lot of bass out of the weeds. Another good method in the weeds has been fishing plastics on a “shakey head” jig. Finesse worms, Flukes, Brush Hogs, and Craws used on a “shakey head” with a stop and shake technique is catching quality bass. Now is a good time to begin fishing live crawfish for the “Kentuckies” on the rocky points and ledges on the lower end of the lake. Keep the size of your craws small, between one to two inches in length.
Crappie fishing is 50/50. Half the crappie guys I talk to are catching some. The other half are catching few to none. The word “limit” has not been in anyone’s vocabulary recently. Look for tree tops or brush piles in 10 ft. to 15 ft. of water. According to the fishery biologist who spoke at the Rod and Gun Club last week, we are at the low point of a 20 year cycle of the crappie population on Barren.”

Kentucky Afield TV takes on a local tone this week by featuring A Warren County lad who jumps at the chance to hunt wild elk after his name is drawn for Kentucky’s elk lottery. The expedition is the lead story on the show this weekend, Oct. 11 and 12.
Fall break was extra busy this year for John Taylor Shirley, 10, of Bowling Green. It was his first elk hunt. Also in the field was proud dad, Frank Shirley, who now sees his son as part of an elite group of people who are still among the first to hunt elk in this state in 150 years. Family friend David Watkins in Pike County arranged the opening day hunt on private land, which resulted in the harvest of a 6x6 bull elk. Firearms season for antlered elk runs October 4-10.
Also on the show: With deer harvest on the minds of most other big game hunters, “Kentucky Afield” will air part I of “Deer Processing: Techniques from the field to the freezer.” The three-part series gives hunters step-by-step instructions on how to carve the best cuts of meat to maximize their harvest. In part I, Scott County butcher Sim Harp joins host Tim Farmer for tips on skinning a deer. DVR users take note - these are excerpts from the popular DVD normally sold on the program’s website.
The show airs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and repeats at 3 p.m. Sunday on KET.

The feature story this week from KDFW is on deer hunting. Until Wednesday, it seemed like we haven’t had a decent rain in months. August rainfall was the third lowest for that month since 1895. September is likely to post a similar record. Throughout the state, moderate to severe drought conditions are causing streams to dry up, leaves to turn and fall earlier than usual and deer hunters to ask questions about how this drought will affect their season.
Drought can affect deer movement. Deer are usually able to meet most of their water needs with the moisture contained in plants they eat, as well as dew licked from forage in the morning. But when drought sets in, plants dry up and deer must rely more on other water sources.
“Standing water is important now since we have drought,” said David Yancy, a wildlife biologist in the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources‚ big game program. “They’re not going to strike out cross-country, but if there’s a watering hole in their core home range, they’re probably using it more now.”
Hunters should target watering areas like ponds, creek bottoms and even small pools left in nearly dried-up streams. Drought conditions can actually make these areas easier to find.
“With a drought, you know where the deer aren’t going to be,” said Tina Brunjes, big game program coordinator for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “You’re going to be able to identify where there’s good forage and standing water, versus a year where everything is green. It makes your scouting job a little easier.”
The fact that leaves are falling off trees earlier than usual can also make a gun hunter’s job easier. However, bowhunters may need to look harder to find stand sites with foliage, and may need to pay more attention to camouflage.
“The sooner the leaves fall off, the better, because you can see deer,” Brunjes said. “But this is a mixed blessing for bowhunters. You can see better, but the deer can also see you better.”
Some hunters may be concerned that the drought could actually kill deer who can’t find enough water. However, even severe droughts don’t usually impact deer numbers in the eastern United States.
“They don’t generally die of drought here like other places,” explained Brunjes. “If deer can’t get to water for a couple of days, they can die of thirst. But that doesn’t typically happen in the east. A place like Kentucky has few square miles without some source of water - a pond, a creek or a livestock trough.”
Concentrate on these areas and you could make this year’s drought work for you. Kentucky’s statewide archery and crossbow deer seasons are going on now, with early muzzleloader season coming up Oct. 18-19. For complete season dates and hunting regulations, pick up a copy of the 2008-09 Kentucky Hunting & Trapping Guide, available wherever hunting licenses are sold.