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I recently shared a boat with an angler I did not know, the friend of a mutual friend. A string of unusually mild, sunny winter days had triggered a hastily pulled-together trip to Kentucky Lake to prowl the massive reservoir’s shallow gravel bars in search of early-season smallmouth bass. This is sometimes referred to as the “rogue bite” after the hard bait that many anglers use for this approach. Bites are infrequent, but they frequently are memorable. I was invited to go along, and, having a flexible afternoon, I went.
It was pleasant enough. During the course of an afternoon that yielded a couple of heart-stopping strikes along with a chilly boat ride in a gleaming Z-series Ranger Comanche, I was asked my favorite way to fish. This is a common query among anglers that really has no specific answer or real interest but is an easy and convenient tool for making small talk on the water when the conversation begins to lag. The questioner is usually asking your favorite species to target: Largemouth bass. Smallmouth. Crappie. Red ear. Stripers. Redfish. Catfish. Marlin. Tuna. Carp. There is no wrong answer, but every answer generally begins with a version of, “I really enjoy all kinds of fishing …” or “I don’t really have a favorite …”
I stuck to the formula.
“I really enjoy all kinds of fishing,” I said. And I do. But being a guest on the boat, I decided to go full disclosure. “But I’d say my favorite way to fish is wading.”
“Wading?”
“Yeah. Wading. Wade fishing.”
“Umph.” Then, after a slightly longer than necessary silence, he added, “What kind of fish do you catch?”
“It depends on where you’re fishing, but just about anything, really. Bass. Sunfish. Trout. Catfish. It really depends.”
“Umph.”
I really do love to wade fish, be it in the Cumberland tailwater for trout, a headwater creek for sunfish or a salt flat for bonefish, although I don’t often promote the activity because it does involve some inherent risks, which, in order of disaster severity, include but are not limited to falling/getting wet, becoming hypothermic and drowning.
Tailwaters, like the Cumberland, can be particularly risky to a fisherman on foot and lethal to those not attentive. The United States Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the water release for Wolf Creek Dam (Russell County) and, thus, the Cumberland River tailwater below it, posts a daily generation schedule. Find it at tva.com/environment/lake-levels/Wolf-Creek.
But generation and water-release schedules change, sometimes without notice. It’s important to watch. If you are wade fishing a tailwater and the water begins to rise, leave the river. Immediately. John Berry, who guides on Arkansas’ White and Norfork rivers—which, like the Cumberland, are cold-water tailwaters loaded with trout—recommends wading anglers know the planned generation schedule, keep an eye on their watch, and exit before rising water arrives. It’s good advice.
The right-fitting equipment boosts the safety level, too. Buy waders and wading boots that fit properly, advises John Frazier.
Frazier knows what he’s talking about. He works for the Montana-based Simms Fishing company and has plenty of experience on the water in gear that fits like a tailored suit and stuff that hung like it was less than tailor made.
“The importance of fit in terms of safety may seem like a small thing, but in all honesty, a wader that doesn’t fit right is only going to increase your chances of falling and filling the wader up with water,” he said, adding that a wading belt is also a must-have piece of gear. (“Always wear a wading belt,” he said. “Always.”)
“When you wear a wader that’s too small or too big, in a lot of ways, you’re making yourself clumsy, which, in a river, can be incredibly dangerous,” he noted. “You really want a wader with the best fit possible. I know for me, I’ve worn waders that didn’t fit quite right in the past. It’s uncomfortable; it causes me to fixate on discomfort instead of focusing on fishing; and, like I said, it really can be dangerous.”
If you’re not a wade fisherman, give it a try. Regardless of your preferred fishing tool (spinning rod, baitcaster or fly rod), being in the water forces you to simplify your approach. In the Louisville and Frankfort areas, Otter Creek, Floyds Fork and Elkhorn Creek are wade fisherman friendly. Elkhorn is known for its smallmouth bass. Otter Creek receives trout year-round, and Floyds Fork, which is easily accessible via the Parklands of Floyds Fork, receives seasonal trout stockings. But wherever you live in the Commonwealth, there is a creek near you. Find a spot at fw.ky.gov. Give it a try. And don’t forget your polarized glasses and wading staff.
Oh, yeah: the 2021-22 fishing license year began March 1. Update your license.