Frankfort, KY (January 10, 2004) - A new project within the fisheries division of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) will identify the best smallmouth bass streams in Kentucky for anglers to enjoy.

"A few years ago we put together our available data on streams concerning smallmouth bass, rock bass and largemouth bass populations," said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the KDFWR, "and came up with a benchmark so we can rate the sport fish populations in streams across Kentucky."

Using the assessments and knowledge of streams in their districts, biologists listed the best smallmouth bass streams in each fishery district in Kentucky. A brochure listing these streams will be produced this coming spring.

Most Kentuckians are within a 30-minute drive of a stream with a fishable population of smallmouth bass. The stream assessment initiative gives biologists a tool to manage each individual stream to produce the best fishing. The information learned about the health of smallmouth bass in a particular stream may lead to future regulations like the successful slot limit on smallmouth and largemouth bass in Elkhorn Creek in Franklin County enacted in 1993. The slot limit is responsible for bigger smallmouth bass swimming in Elkhorn Creek.

"In the beginning, we didn’t have a lot of data except for the Elkhorn and a few other streams to put the assessment together," Buynak explained. "Now and in the future, we will have more data to develop better assessments and rankings on these streams."

Some stream fisheries may benefit from a catch and release only regulation, a lowered daily creel limit with a higher minimum size limit or just a higher minimum size limit. Each stream differs in water quality, the genetics of the smallmouth bass in the stream or the fertility of the water. Biologists are beginning to have the necessary information they need to make the best management decisions on stream fisheries instead of placing them under a blanket, statewide daily creel and minimum size limit. All of this should lead to better stream smallmouth fishing in Kentucky in the future.

There are streams all across Kentucky that were polluted in decades past from mining activities, sewage discharges, chemicals leaching into the stream, stream channelization and siltation from agriculture or construction. Many of these streams are in much better shape now, but the smallmouth bass populations have not fully recovered.

"One of the possibilities of this program is to go into streams that were formerly degraded or polluted and are now recovering and stock smallmouth bass to jump start and restore the fisheries in those streams," Buynak explained.

The sampling work done to evaluate recovering streams also gave biologists a greater understanding of the genetics of smallmouth bass from different parts of Kentucky. Biologists don’t want to mix the genetics of one strain of smallmouth bass with another.

"The smallmouth bass populations in each of the drainages we looked at are distinct from one another," Buynak said. "What we’ve learned is we don’t want take Elkhorn Creek smallmouth bass and put them in the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy."

A 16-inch brown striped smallmouth bass tail walking across the surface of a Kentucky stream trying to shake a lure is one of the outdoors experiences that hooks a person into a lifelong fishing obsession. This new initiative will provide the same experience for generations to come.

The stream bank and often the stream bottom may be privately owned. Anglers must receive permission from the landowner before accessing a stream. For more information on stream fishing opportunities in Kentucky, call 1-800-858-1549.

Click Here To Return To The Previous Page