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  1. #1
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    Kentucky Lake and Carp

    If you have been on Kentucky Lake recently, you have probably seen the amount of baitfish in the lake. Its everywhere from the very backs of the creek to the main river channel ledges. I think we have had two good shad spawns the last two years. Does this discredit the thought that the carp are killing the lake? Bait fish live on plankton which is what carp feed on. I kept on hearing how the carp were going to kill the lake because the plankton was going to be gone. If baitfish are thriving right now, then you would have to think the carp are not as detrimental to the lake as first thought. Carp are a nuisance for sure. Wish I never saw another one but are they really killing the lake? I still believe the main thing that has killed the lake is lack of cover for the spawn (Grass) especially on the South end of the lake. There is hardly any cover left now. Im still optimistic that the lake comes back with or without the grass. But without the grass it will be a longer process and I doubt it will ever be as good as it was.

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    #2
    I haven't fished much this year personally, but a friend of mine has been echoing your statements about baitfish. He went out on Saturday and said shad were everywhere. They ran into a couple groups of feeding White Bass and were able to capitalize on them pretty good... I don't know what the long term outlook for the lake is with the carp and all, but the baitfish numbers are at least promising.

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    #3
    Unfortunately, al lot of those are carp fry.

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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by joebw View Post
    Unfortunately, al lot of those are carp fry.
    Exactly right. As in, most of them. If you're around them, stomp your feet on the deck of the boat and watch them jump.

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    #5
    Quote Originally Posted by joebw View Post
    Unfortunately, al lot of those are carp fry.
    Since it's clear that the carp are here to stay anyway, is that necessarily a bad thing? We're not getting rid of them and after years of claiming low baitfish numbers, maybe we at least start to see some benefits from their growth by them adding to the food supply? Or maybe not. I don't know. Not a scientist.

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    #6
    I fished regular every week. lots of bait, lots of carp. This was one of those years that spring spawn didn't get hit as bad, cause of convid. May take a few years to recycle. Fish do spawn out on ledges, 4 and 5 ft flats, off 12 to 15ft ledges with vegetation run a long ways. I don't even fish banks any more hardly. I fish the middle portion of the Tn River mostly. Just my observation.

  7. Member FlipSide's Avatar
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    #7
    Quote Originally Posted by joebw View Post
    Unfortunately, al lot of those are carp fry.
    Says who?
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    #8
    Quote Originally Posted by FlipSide View Post
    Says who?
    I live on the lake. I see them daily.

    I have used a skimmer net to dip them out of the lake to look at.

    I can tell they school and act different from threadfin.

    So I guess the answer to your question is...me.

    Definitely not a fisheries biologist, but I am smart enough to identify a fish.

  9. Member Stoner's Avatar
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    #9
    A local guide told me the new bait fish is the emerald shiner. He mentioned the Shad both variety’s were all but gone.
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    #10
    The fry has been around 2.5-3 months. If they were carp, they wouldnt still be fry right now. They grow a lot faster than that. The "baitfish" would be 3-4 inches long or longer.

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    #11
    Im not saying some carp fry isn't in the mix but I dont think its the majority of what's in the lake right now imo.

  12. Member barkleyhawggitter's Avatar
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    #12
    i guess all the shad died out before because the carp at all their food. so i would think these shad fry will suffer the same fate.
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    #13
    Quote Originally Posted by joebw View Post
    I live on the lake. I see them daily.

    I have used a skimmer net to dip them out of the lake to look at.

    I can tell they school and act different from threadfin.

    So I guess the answer to your question is...me.

    Definitely not a fisheries biologist, but I am smart enough to identify a fish.
    I’m not saying you’re wrong, but I don’t think you’re right. The bait I saw wasn’t carp fry. Also carp can’t successfully spawn without a huge amount of current and there hasn’t been much at ky this year that I’m aware of. Hit up adam Martin with kydfwr with pics of what you think is carp fry and he could confirm.
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  14. Member
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    #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Maddog10 View Post
    Since it's clear that the carp are here to stay anyway, is that necessarily a bad thing? We're not getting rid of them and after years of claiming low baitfish numbers, maybe we at least start to see some benefits from their growth by them adding to the food supply? Or maybe not. I don't know. Not a scientist.
    That's a good point, the problem is that the carp grow so quickly that they are not a steady food supply like shad are to bass.

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    #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Sokyangler View Post
    That's a good point, the problem is that the carp grow so quickly that they are not a steady food supply like shad are to bass.
    Hence why the majority of stuff in the lake right now is probably actual baitfish.

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    #16
    Shad- carp- carp - shad. Just wish there was something in there to eat both of them.

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    #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Stoner View Post
    A local guide told me the new bait fish is the emerald shiner. He mentioned the Shad both variety’s were all but gone.
    Defintely something different swimming around that I haven't been seeing in years gone by... There's a shad shaped smaller bait fish that is schooling on the fry. I'm used to seeing the skip-jacks school on them and chase fry around. But I hit several schools of a 'threadfin shaped" fish chasing and eating them? That's not something i remember seeing our shad do? perhaps i haven't been paying attention as much as I thought I was.
    Last edited by Bobby Gray; 08-07-2020 at 02:03 PM.

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    #18
    After spending Thursday, Friday, and Saturday on the lake, I have a lot of positive hope for the lake going forward. We caught a fair share of bass in the 12-16 inch mark with 5-6 over 16. While throwing some topwaters around and catching quite a few smallmouth about 3-4 inches long and having schools of largemouth the same length chase the baits, I just think it is going to take time but there seems to be a decent amount of the younger age class fish. With the bait being everywhere and watching these little guys hammer them, It is a sign of hope in the right direction. Fingers crossed

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    #19
    Again, I'm no biologist but I think for the past decade or so there are a number of factors that have contributed to a bass decline with carp just being one of them, and in my own opinion not even the most significant.

    - Grass, or lack thereof
    - Carp
    - PRESSURE (biggest factor imo. The bass in that lake have never been more pressured than they have in the past 5-10 years)
    - Technology (with every average joe, including myself, having their hands on all the latest and greatest electronics there's nowhere for the fish to hide. Which leads to more pressure... The standard now is that if you don't have structurescan you barely even have a fishing rig)
    - Poor spawn classes

    I'm no tree-hugger but I believe nature has a way of sorting these things out. There is a saturation point of the number of carp that are sustainable in Kentucky Lake. I don't know where we currently stand with it but my hope is that we are nearing that threshold and I also wonder if that's perhaps the reason for some of the mass die-offs that we see from time to time that appear to be random. Pair that with some reports of quality spawn classes and increased baitfish activity, and there is room for some optimism in the discussion.

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    #20
    I agree 100%. I believe poor spawns and technology are leading contributors

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