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Photo: Kentucky Department Fish and Wildlife
With every passing season, anglers are building their knowledge base about how to catch saugeye stocked in a handful of central and northern Kentucky lakes.
A saugeye is a fast-growing cross between a walleye and sauger that can reach 15 to 19 inches in its second year. The hybridization is evident in the species’ physical appearance. Saugeye display the faint saddle markings of a sauger and the white fin tips of a walleye. Unlike either, it features black smudges on its dorsal fin.
Three lakes – 317-acre Guist Creek Lake in Shelby County, 148-acre Bullock Pen Lake in Owen County and 175-acre A.J. Jolly Lake in Campbell County – received experimental stockings of the species in 2013 and five have been stocked this year by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.
Guist Creek Lake received more than 15,000 fingerlings this spring. Anglers have reported good success in recent weeks fishing jigs off mud flats in 4 to 10 feet of water.
Paul Wilkes and Dane Balsman had never tried fishing for saugeye before they visited Guist Creek Lake one day in late June. They spoke with other anglers and studied bottom contour maps available on Kentucky Fish and Wildlife’s website at fw.ky.gov beforehand.
“We were able to identify some flats that we wanted to hit and then went out and graphed some baitfish near the drop-offs of those flats,” said Wilkes, fisheries program coordinator with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “We went out there with a mindset of if we caught one or two we were going to be pumped because this was a new species for us.”
The two reeled in 11 saugeye, including one that weighed 4.5 pounds and two others that weighed better than 3 pounds.
“We went out there and tried it and tried a few different drop-offs we mapped,” Wilkes said. “We stuck to the basics of jigging slowly in the areas we had identified. Strikes were kind of a thud, where you almost thought you were hung up until you really pulled it in. Once we found the fish, it seemed like they were in small schools. You’d catch several.”
Minnow or worm-tipped jigs or small shad-imitating crankbaits are good options for saugeye, as are small suspending jerkbaits or swimbaits in grey and white. Wilkes and Balsman, urban fisheries program coordinator with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, found bladed jig heads with chartreuse bodies worked best for them.
Mike Hardin enjoyed similarly good fortune on Guist Creek Lake this spring fishing a little deeper in 8 to 10 feet of water.
“If you look at the fishing reports from saugeye lakes in Kentucky and Ohio, you see a lot of reports of anglers finding them in shallow water on crankbaits,” said Hardin, assistant Fisheries Division director with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “For a long time, I looked and looked and fished extremely shallow water jigging and picking up the occasional saugeye.
“We pulled off the bank and found wads of baitfish in 8- to 10-feet of water and it was game on. Fish close to the bottom, just like walleye fishing.”
He’s also had caught saugeye on Taylorsville Lake. Fisheries biologists believe good saugeye fishing could be in the cards this fall on Salt River above Taylorsville Lake based on population sampling from last fall.
“It seemed like there was definitely a push up there in the river. There’s going to be crappie and saugeye and bass, a little bit of everything,” said David Baker, Central Fisheries District biologist with Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Honestly, I think we’re going to be getting a lot of phone calls about saugeye in Taylorsville here in the next year or two.”
This year, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources stocked more than 150,000 fingerlings in five lakes with Taylorsville Lake receiving more than 115,000 saugeye fingerlings.
Also receiving saugeye fingerlings were Guist Creek Lake, 92-acre Boltz Lake in Grant County and A.J. Jolly Lake in Campbell County. Lake Carnico, a 114-acre lake in Nicholas County, received its first saugeye stocking this year.
“It was a ton of fun and we were able to get on some really nice fish,” Wilkes said. “It definitely exceeded our expectations.”
For more information about saugeye fishing in Kentucky, including special regulations, consult the current Kentucky Fishing and Boating Guide. It is available online at fw.ky.gov and wherever licenses are sold.
Credit: KY State Parks
Let the Kentucky State Parks help you celebrate the 4th of July weekend this year!
Several state parks are planning special events that include fireworks displays, picnics, entertainment and more.
These parks are planning fireworks shows: Kenlake, Kentucky Dam Village, My Old Kentucky Home, Lake Barkley, Lake Cumberland, Barren River Lake and Rough River Dam.
There will also be special events at campgrounds as well as entertainment and recreational activities.
For a list of July 4th events at state parks, visit: http://parks.ky.gov/fourth-of-july/
For more information about Kentucky State Parks, including lodging and camping reservations, visit: www.parks.ky.gov
Credit: KY State Parks
A series of four Kids Day Camps on archaeology start June 23 at Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site.
The camps, also scheduled for June 30, July 7 and July 14, are open to kids ages 9-11 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each of these four days.
These exciting and educational summer day camps will provide children hands-on learning experiences about archaeology. The four camp sessions will provide interactive activities about the methods and practices of archaeology at a kids level, a guided tour of the site, making clay pots, excavating in a simulated archaeological dig, identifying artifacts, playing Native American games and demonstrations of primitive lifeways.
The fee is $25 per child. If a child attends two or more camps, the fee for the subsequent camp is $20. Those who attend will also receive a gift bag with certificate.
Registration is required, so call early to save your spot. To register, call the park office at 270-335-3681. Wickliffe Mounds State Historic Site is located at 94 Green Street, Wickliffe, KY 42087. Visit our website at www.parks.ky.gov
Councilwoman Cindi Fowler (D-14) has a great way for families and senior citizens to cool off this summer at the Sun Valley Pool beginning on Tuesday, June 13th.
“I am happy to again sponsor FREE Family Swim Nights on Tuesdays and Senior Citizen Swims on Thursday mornings during the summer,” says Fowler. “It’s a great way for everyone to cool off from the summer heat, spend time with your family and enjoy some exercise at one of the greatest pools we have in Metro Louisville.”
This year, the extended swim hours for the Sun Valley Pool will run from June 13th through July 27th.
Here is this year’s schedule:
FAMILY SWIM NIGHTS
- Tuesdays, June 13th – July 25th; 6:00-8:00pm
SENIOR CITIZEN SWIMS
- Thursdays, July 6th – July 27th; 11:00am – 1:00pm
Please Note: Children must be accompanied by an adult all times.
No drop-offs or unattended children will be permitted.
There will also be a special Summer Bash Pool Party Hosted by Councilwoman Fowler on Tuesday, August 4th as a way to bring summer fun to a close and get ready for a new school year.
“This is a great way to get away from the TV, the IPad or video games to enjoy a summer night, and get caught up on things between parents and their kids,” says Fowler. “You might also find that the Sun Valley Community Center is a great place offering different types of programs all year round.”
The Sun Valley Community Center and Pool is located at 6505 Bethany Lane.
For more information about this summer fun at Sun Valley, contact Councilwoman Fowler’s Office at 574-1114
Photo: Kentucky State Parks
The Old Mulkey Meetinghouse State Historic Site will host the 4th Annual Celebration of Quilts and Quilting June 9-11.
The event, held in honor of Lucille Page, will feature an exhibit of over 60 quilts in the meetinghouse. This year’s featured quilter is Joan Coe of Turkey Neck Bend, Ky.
The celebration begins with a ribbon cutting at 5:30 p.m. Friday night at the meetinghouse and continues 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
A variety of quilting related demonstrations will be conducted Saturday in the meetinghouse yard and Sunday in the park shelter. There is no admission fee and all activities are free while supplies last.
Also on Saturday, the Monroe Crafters will host a small craft fair in the meetinghouse yard and the Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society will be on hand to discuss their registry process.
The Celebration is held annually in conjunction to Monroe County’s Drive-by Quilt Hanging. During the quilt hanging residents throughout the county will be hanging quilts in their yard, on their fence or in their doors to honor the community’s heritage of quilting.
The Celebration of Quilts and Quilting is sponsored by the family of Lucille Page, Robertson’s-Southern Ivy, the Monroe County Tourism Commission and the Monroe Arts Council. For more information, call Old Mulkey at 270-487-8481 or visit http://parks.ky.gov/parks/historicsites/old-mulkey/events.aspx
A fun – and free – family event will take place on the banks of the Ohio River in southwest Louisville on Saturday, June 17 as Riverside, the Farnsley-Moremen Landing hosts “Family Farm and Forage Day” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event will explore historic and present-day farming with a variety of children’s activities, workshops, talks and booths. Families can enjoy a milking demonstration featuring “Bluegrass Bessie” the cow; a farm animal petting zoo; horse-drawn wagon tours, barrel train rides as well as demonstrations on beekeeping, raising chickens, cultivating beneficial garden insects, growing fruit trees and more.
New this year to the festival – in its second year – is the Jefferson County 4-H Fair Open Youth Dairy Goat Show . The goats will be judged on adherence to breed standards and their youth handlers will be judged on showmanship. Late entries will be accepted the day of the show. The entrance fee is $5 per goat and champions will be awarded a small premium. For questions, contact Kelly Smith at the Extension office at (502) 569-2344.
All events and demonstrations are free, although a suggested donation of $5 can be made prior to tours of the Farnsley-Moremen house. Ehrler’s Ice Cream and the LaRue County Pork Producers will be providing concessions at Family Farm and Forage Day.
“This is a terrific family event that combines fun and learning,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Beyond the activities of the event itself, I urge citizens from all over the community to come out and see some of the great things that southwest Louisville has to offer.”
“I am so excited to see this wonderful farm event behing held at the Farnsley-Moremen historic property,” said Councilwoman Cindi Fowler, who represents District 14, where Riverside is located. “It is so important to educate the public on how our food gets from the farm to the table and past and present practices of how exactly that happens. I look forward to seeing you at this free event!”
This event is held in partnership with the Jefferson County Cooperative Extension Service and the University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment. Other sponsors include Louisville Gas & Electric, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, the Future Farmers of America, the Louisville Water Co. and 4-H.
In addition to Fowler, Metro Council sponsors include Council President David Yates, D-25; Vicki Welch, D-13 and Rick Blackwell, D-12.
Councilwoman Mary C. Woolridge (D-3)is sponsoring the Bringing Unity in the Community Festival along with Community Outreach Service to unify the community through tragic times by hosting a two‐day family oriented outdoor festival right in the heart of the West End; the Algonquin Community.
“If there ever was a time for unity in our community, it’s now. Together, we need people to show support for each other, join hands and let everyone know we want a safe place for our children and our families,” says Woolridge. “This is a good first step.”
Algonquin Park will serve as the location to bring people together on June 9th and 10th to participate in this special festival. Headlining, “Bringing Unity in the Community” is Louisville’s own national recording artists Linkin’ Bridge!
Algonquin Park will become a center point of entertainment, entrepreneurs, health fair booths, and will include major efforts in job opportunities, and expungement exposure throughout the two‐day festival
Partnering with the Councilwoman is Community Outreach Service, a non‐profit organization designed to serve the people.
The festival will feature local vendors as a way of boosting the local economy with services ranging from food to crafts and boutiques to highlight small businesses.
The festival begins at 12:00pm on Friday June 9th, with live entertainment from hand‐selected artists that have been chosen based on their unique sound and character. Booths and entertainment will be open on Friday from 12:00pm until 7:00pm and on Saturday from 10:00am to 7:00pm.
Local dance teams, comedians, musicians, bands and more will take center stage to provide entertainment, with over 20 acts over the two‐day span. Job and career seekers will be able to apply for positions on the spot at the job fair during the festival. The “Bringing Unity in the Community” Festival will be a fun‐filled, empowering festival to unify culture and diversity in the West End!
“I want to invite everyone in West Louisville to come to Algonquin Park, meet your neighbors and see what we all have in common as a community,” says Woolridge. “We need each other and we can help each other.”
Councilwoman Mary Woolridge has invited the mayor and we are looking forward to having Mayor Greg Fisher join us.
Please join us in Bringing Unity in the Community!
For more information, contact Councilwoman Woolridge’s Office at 574-1103.