Thread: Barren

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  1. #1
    Member Esnow76's Avatar
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    Barren

    Is it me or does Barren just suck right now. I’m struggling it find a keeper anywhere.

  2. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #2
    I don't fish Barren as often as I once did. I have only been there three times this year and had a limit all three times. Nothing big but still a small limit none the less. My last trip there was 9/22. A friend of mine who lives close to the lake has told me he prefers going to Dale Hollow or Cumberland over going to Barren...so I boxed up my first 5 keepers and text him a picture to show him fish can be caught at Barren right now . Maybe my results were not normal. My three trips were over the period of Aug and Sept.

  3. Member Esnow76's Avatar
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    #3
    Well that settles it. I suck

  4. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #4
    Quote Originally Posted by Esnow76 View Post
    Well that settles it. I suck
    In all fairness I was doing something most people don't do and I saw zero boats doing what I was doing. I even managed a grand slam...a keeper spot, keeper smallmouth and a keeper largemouth. Now that is something hard to do on Barren.

  5. #5
    Loss of cover, and tourneys have made fishing more difficult. Fish are brought in from all over the lake and all released at the Dam. Fishing is decent, but no where near what it use to be. A typical day that use to be 20 fish with 4 keepers, is now 5 fish with a keeper or two.

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    #6
    Quote Originally Posted by mossie3 View Post
    Loss of cover, and tourneys have made fishing more difficult. Fish are brought in from all over the lake and all released at the Dam. Fishing is decent, but no where near what it use to be. A typical day that use to be 20 fish with 4 keepers, is now 5 fish with a keeper or two.
    X2

  7. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #7
    Question...for those that fish barren on a regular basis how often do you catch smallmouth? Do you find them in the main lake, creeks and river or only in certain places? I am not looking for specific areas, just general information.


    I have been to barren 5 times over the last couple months and have caught two or more every trip. I don't have a ton of experience on barren. Some years I might fish it 2-3 times and some years I might fish it 7-8 times. I have been fishing barren for 20 or so years. In that time frame I would randomly catch one every now and then but for some odd reason this year I have made contact every trip with multiple smallmouth every trip. FYI most SM I have been catching are 12"-17". I know that's not very big but I am curious as to what other people are experiencing.
    Last edited by JR19; 10-14-2020 at 04:13 AM.

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    #8
    I haven't caught a smallmouth from barren in 5 years. I used to catch them frequently 10+ years ago in the main lake area, mostly on bluffs. That population has really diminished to the point that I'm not sure if there is any left beyond a few here and there.
    Last edited by dstep0; 10-16-2020 at 10:31 AM.
    Phoenix 721 - Yamaha SHO 250 - 8' Blades

  9. RIP Evinrude 1907-2020 JR19's Avatar
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    #9
    As previously mentioned in my 9/26 reply I am doing something a little out of the ordinary and have yet to see someone else doing. Its good to know they are on a comeback, thanks for your input.

  10. #10
    I haven't caught a keeper SM in probably 15 years, but I rarely fish the dam area. Back in the late 80s, I fished in a big fish all night tourney, and IIRC, 6 of the biggest 10 fish were SM, toward the end of the tourney, from 4.5 to nearly 6 #s. They are scarce now, AFAIK. The spot population is way down also.