Wouldn’t you know it?  Even fishing isn’t safe from the scientists anymore.  But what you might not know is that it never was.  Before you turn off your computer and say a scientist would not know anything about catching a good old bass, give it a chance.  You might just learn something.  Besides, some of the best anglers in the world study the science of their prey before they attempt to catch it. 

First we will address the issue of climate and/or temperature.  This is essential knowledge here, so pay close attention.  All fish are water temperature sensitive, but perhaps Bass are more than any other.  Your typical Largemouth Bass has an optimum temperature preference of roughly 80 degrees.  Seems hot, doesn’t it?  Keep in mind, though, that a largemouth can survive, not thrive, in waters all the way up to the mid-nineties!  But, regardless, 80 is the temperature where they reach peak performance.  They are faster, more aggressive, and grow at a better rate at this temperature.  Of course, they do bite at lower temperatures, and the water rarely ever reaches 80, but if it does, then that is the day to get up early in the morning and hit the lake.  There will be a mist over the water at that point, and this is always a good sign at daybreak that the Bass will be hitting hard.  If the water reaches temps less than 50 degrees, you can expect little or no feeding activity at all, and they will not increase in size at all in these low points.  This is due to the fact that digestion occurs six times faster at 77 degrees that at 44.  If the food does not digest, the fish do not need to feed and they don’t grow. 

Spotted bass, on the other hand, peak out at about 75 degrees, which makes them the better biters.  Smallmouth Bass prefer the 70-degree area, which beats out the Spotted and the largemouth hands down, though they are a bit harder to locate in this part of the country.  But trust me, they are out there.  It’s just a matter of knowing the right spots. 

Next we will cover spawning, another major aspect in the catching of Bass.  Smallmouth Bass will begin spawning in the early to mid-Spring when the temps clime to 60 degrees. These are your early spawners.  Largemouths get in the mood a few degrees warmer, between 64 and 66 degrees.  Studies by freshwater marine biologists have determined that Largemouths feel the instinctive urge to build nests at lower water temperatures than when the females are ready to lay eggs.  Think of it as a courting ritual.  The males will build the nests at 54-57 degrees.  After the nests are built they will hang around them until a female comes along when the water reaches 60 degrees.  She checks the male out, then the nest, and then it is on if all is acceptable.  Not that different from you and I. 

The areas of spawning are many, but they do have to meet certain criteria for the male Bass to move in.  They can spawn in lakes, rivers, or even ascend tributaries.  If your fishing in a tributary during the ideal temperatures, you would want to go to the upper end as the Bass will travel upstream during heavy spring rains and rising water levels.  But the common things that your typical Bass will insist upon are shallow spots with dark bottoms and they must be protected from wind and current.  If you know that one special place that has a shallow bottom with dark mud or silt and has a wall or bluff keeping the wind off, then that is the magic spot for your breeding bass. 

For all you river fishermen out there, when the water reaches 60 degrees don’t expect too much from moving water.  Both wind and moving water can cause fluctuating temps, wash the eggs away, and silt can gather suffocating the young eggs. 

Take these little science tidbits into consideration fellow fishermen.  You never know what you’ll bring up.  Good Luck and Good Fishing!

          What has five different kinds of meat on it, can steal your bait quicker than a bluegill and can rip your hand off quicker than you can say Cowabunga Dude?  That’s right, a turtle.  The United States is home to a very large variety of turtles, and many of those are indigenous to Kentucky.  Now, most people consider them a nuisance when fishing, but there are a few old-timers out there that still know the value of a good turtle.  The common Snapping turtle, most of what you will find in this area, has five different kinds of meat on them, those being the legs, neck and various cuts inside it.  If you find the right recipe, you can make a mean turtle stew.  The shells also make a great decoration piece to hang on your wall, but I highly suggest that you don’t kill them unless you intend to eat them.  Let’s get to know our turtles a bit.

     Most Kentucky turtles are pretty simple to catch.  They will bite on cut-bait (bluegill), chicken liver, chicken gizzards, beef liver, pork liver, or just about anything else disgusting and dead.  I suggest you use a small hook, but make sure it’s a sturdy one as I’ve lost several turtles to a weak hook.  Also, if you are fishing specifically for these ancient beasts you should use a good strong line.  They generally don’t break the line by running with it, but can easily snap weak line in two with their vice-like jaws or by pulling at it with their clawed feet.  One major thing to remember when fishing for turtles, especially snappers, is that you need to keep your body parts away from the head.  A big snapper can take a finger off without trying hard and they will put up a fight once you have landed them.  Actually, they will fight harder than they did in the water.

     The Alligator Snapper is the largest freshwater turtle in the world and can grow up to 175 pounds as is recorded so far.  My fishing buddies and I catch between 20 and 55 pound Alligators on a regular basis at one of my little secret spots that I frequent.  They have an extremely long tail, roughly the same size as their shell and the Males of the species are generally considerably larger than the females.  The difference between regular snappers and Alligator Snappers is that the regular Snapper will have a basically smooth shell and the Alligator Snapper will have three large pronounced ridges from the front to the back of their shell.  Alligator Snappers will have a pointed snout and their eyes are on the sides of their heads instead of the top like the regular Snapper.

     Next we have the Musk Turtle, also fairly common in Kentucky.  The Musks range from 2 to 5 inches from head to tail.  The upper shell is brown or blackish colored and the head has two yellow stripes and barbels on chin and throat.  Musks are also known as, amusingly enough, the Stinkpot Turtles, as they give off a smelly odor when disturbed.

     Then there is the Ouachita Map Turtle.  Very common and very beautiful turtles with some very intricate marks upon their shells.  The upper shell is brown  and they have a square light spot directly behind the eye.  The neck has a lot of yellow stripes running down it.  They generally range from 4 to 11 inches in length.  Many people enjoy eating these, but I have to say that they are very beautiful creatures and I generally just cut the line.

     Those are probably the most common turtles in the area, though there are a lot of other breeds, the softshell being one other common turtle.  So now you have your turtle.  What next?  You need to clean it, and that is never an easy chore.  Probably the simplest method is to cut the head off first.  You might think he’s dead, but better safe than sorry.  Slice around the edge of the bottom shell and cut through the joint between the top and bottom shell on each side.  The bottom shell will lift out like a can lid. Remove the entrails.  Slice the legs and neck loose from the inside of the top shell.  Skin out legs and neck. Parboil or pressure cook to make the meat tender before using in your favorite stew.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?  Not a chance.  If they are big enough to eat then you can bet they have been around for better than twenty years and they have some really tough hide.  But well worth it in the end.

     Now, we need a good Turtle Stew recipe.  The following is, bar none, my favorite recipe, but you can experiment with your own using this as a guideline.

      Meat from one medium-sized turtle, cubed

1    large onion, chopped

2-3  cloves garlic, chopped

4-5  potatoes, cubed

2    14.5 oz. cans of peeled tomatoes or 8-10 fresh tomatoes, coarse chopped

1    11 oz. can of corn or N package frozen corn.

1.   Brown turtle meat with onions and garlic in a hot skillet with a little cooking oil, (get the skillet real hot and

     drop the pieces of meat into the hot oil.) When the meat is browned on all sides drain oil and transfer meat, onions

     and garlic to a Dutch oven. Add potatoes, tomatoes and corn.   Season the mixture with salt, pepper and garlic powder to

     taste. Add water to just cover ingredients and cook covered at a high simmer for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are

     thoroughly cooked.

3.   At this point the stew is ready to eat. However, some people

     prefer to thicken the sauce with a whole wheat flour/water

     mixture. If you do this you should simmer the mixture for

     another 15 minutes.

FISHIN’ FUNNIES

Fishin’ Funnies 

A blond decides to go ice fishing, so she packs up all her gear, a blanket, a picnic, wine and her ice fishing gear She sits down on the ice, enjoys her picnic, has some wine and decides to cut the hole in the ice so she can fish.

Suddenly a voice comes out of nowhere and says, “There are no fish under the ice there.”

She looks around, shrugs, picks up her blanket and all her gear and moves down the ice a little further. She spreads the blanket, takes out her picnic gear and has some more to eat and drink. After a bit she decides to cut a hole in the ice to fish and again the voice comes out of the air. “There are no fish under the ice there.”

She moves her blanket and gear on down the ice and gets comfortable but this time goes right to cutting the hole in the ice. Again the voice comes out of the air. “There are no fish under the ice there.”

She looks around and not seeing anyone asks out loud, “Are you God? Who are you?”

And the voice replies, “The Rink Manager.”

Welcome, to the very first posting of the Fishin’ Hole. My name is J.L. Graham and I will be your host. A bit about me that you won’t find on my profile. I am a fisherman with a bit of a reputation. You see, if there is an inch or better of water within fifty feet, you can bet the Fishin’ Hole guy is going to end up falling in it. If there’s a snake within a hundred yards, I will find some way to piss him off. If a hook is set, there is a fifty percent chance it is in my flesh at one point or another. Some folks say this gives me character. Interesting how those folks won’t ever go fishing with me?

In this blog I will be telling you about the many adventures to be had on the Kentucky lakes, rivers and streams. I may also occasionally toss in a fishing equipment review, fishing joke, or some other fishing related subject. I do hope you enjoy my blog and urge you to come back often. If for no other reason, to simply find out if I survived my last trip. I urge you to post comments when you feel the need. Who knows, perhaps someday you and I will end up on a lakeshore together. I dare you!