Hello and welcome to Kentucky Afield.

I'm your host, Chad Miles.

Join us as we journey the Commonwealth in search of outdoor adventure.

This week we're in Frankfort, Kentucky, at the headquarters of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, doing some habitat management using fire.

Then we're headed west to Kentucky Lake to search for trophy catfish using our hands.

But first, let's grab a rod and reel and head out for some early season bass fishing.

Feel that sunshine.

It feels like it is the middle of the summer.

But don't let it fool you.

It's actually right in that time frame, end of February, beginning of March.

But I'll tell you what.

If you're a largemouth bass fisherman, this is probably the best time of year to target a trophy fish.

Now, I happen to be at a time where I've had 2 or 3 days where weather has been in the 60s.

This is uncommonly warm.

We've got a couple of really nice days.

Today is day three.

Weather is going to be almost 70 degrees today.

This is perfect.

Day 2 or 3 warm, warm conditions.

A lot of sun.

Man, you get out to your local pond.

This is when you catch a big fish.

It's not about catching 10, 20, 30 fish today.

It's about catching 1 or 2 big fish.

That's the goal.

This is really just a it's an old cow pond that hadn't had cows in and around it in quite some time.

But the way this pond is set up, it's got a dam side, a steep bank side and then a side that's pretty shallow right down on the edge.

And it's got a mudflat here.

This time of year, it's all about finding that warm water.

And when I say warm water, I mean 2 or 3 degrees warmer than the other side.

And that's all it takes to get those fish to move from the deeper water to the more shallower water.

This is also the North Shore.

So what that means is, as the sun travels, this side is never shaded.

It's getting full sun all day long.

So we got a south wind blowing that area in this way.

Everything is set up perfectly for this side to be a couple degrees warmer, and hopefully holding those big fish.

Take a couple more steps down.. There█s a fish that took off right there!

Look!

Wow.

Look at these mud plumes that come out.

Those are large mouth.

Those are big ones.

Those are big fish.

Whatever took off right there.

oh, oh.

Oh, oh.

I don't know what this is, but if it's a large mouth, it's a really, really good one.

And I believe it is.

Wow.

This is why you get out early.

And all your friends are telling you that the boat's not ready to go yet.

You don't need a boat.

Go hit a farm pond.

Walk around the bank.

Find the area that gets the most sun and is shallow.

That's a plus 4 pound fish right there.

Now... Yeah, It's not the largest bass in the world.

But I'll tell you what.

That is a good, healthy, respectable bass right there.

Probably about a four pounder.

Something tells me there's a lot more of these in here.

I need to get this thing back in the water and get this line wet again.

Come on, big girl.

What a pretty fish.

There she goes.

You win this one right here.

Everything I know about fish and tells me I should be right here.

Shallow north bank, wind blown.

There are thousands and thousands and tens of thousands of ponds just like this across the state of Kentucky.

And I'll tell you what.

For early season fishing, this is where it starts.

This is just a little Senko and I literally have it with no way zero weight whatsoever.

They get their lips on one of these Senko█s, they can't turn it down.

The bait that looks like nothing but works.

Oh.

What about that?

Oh my goodness, that was awesome!

Oh my gosh.

Oh my goodness sakes alive that bass.

And though I kept, getting less and less weight because I'm getting a bunch of moss and I'd pick that Senko up and I let it drift, and I actually went down size and Senko.

I like throwing bigger baits this time of year to try to attract the bigger fish.

I went down in weight.

I took the weight completely off and went down in size, and I picked that bait up right around these little dark spots.

And it came up and looked at it, and I saw the fish.

And when it sucked that bait in, it was gone.

It was gone.

That's about another four pounder or so.

Like I said, it's not a numbers game this time of year.

It is really about taking a chance at catching the big fish.

You got to be patient.

You got to move that lure very, very slow.

If You want to catch big fish, get started early and you may have to adjust your weight and your presentation.

But man, how exciting can it be?

Hey, that's two fish.

I'd say both of them are 4 pound solid fish.

Can't beat it.

Lot of fun.

Say what?

Late winter.

Early spring.

You get a day super nice.

Especially 2 or 3 in a row.

Be the first one out.

Social media gets covered up with really big, large bass in February and March, and that's because that's the easiest time to catch a big fish.

Now, it's not a good time to go catch 20, 30, 40 bass.

But if you'll slow down, you may have to work with your weight and presentation.

Now there he is.

Oh, this is another good fish here.

This is time of year.

You can go out and catch your personal best largemouth bass.

Let's see what some of the largest fish I've ever caught have been in that February and March timeframe.

Lo and behold, these are the type fish that are biting today.

It's a great time of year to catch your personal best.

Small game biologists will tell you that habitat is key for survival, but when it gets too thick, the best way to treat it is with fire.

Today we're out here at the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and I'm with small game biologist, Cody Rhoden.

Cody, just four short weeks ago, this whole field right here was on fire, wasn't it?

Yeah, Chad that's right.

So four weeks ago, we kind of try to practice what we preach here at Fish and Wildlife.

And so we preach habitat message here, native habitat, native plants, native animals.

And part of that messaging has to do with manipulating the environment in a natural way.

Right.

And the most natural way we as humans can possibly do that is with fire.

So Kentucky is actually very much a fire landscape.

So humans have been burning the state of Kentucky for the last 3000 years or so.

Most of the species we consider native, and most of the species that we wish to conserve in the state can actually deal with prescribed fire.

So when we start talking about a long time, we're talking way before Europeans came that that the landscape has been burned.

People from long time ago saw the benefits of fire.

Yeah, definitely.

So about 3000 years ago, native people stopped roaming around in these bands and they started setting in one spot.

And so if you imagine you're a native person 2000 years ago and you're sitting down in one place in eastern Kentucky or central Kentucky, and the grass is getting high, you know, there's a lot of ticks around.

What tools do you have to manipulate the landscape around you?

And fire was pretty much the only tool they had that could manipulate the landscape on a large scale, and they used it a bunch.

You're not using the tractors, you're not using the sprays and the chemicals in which all those can be used effectively.

But fire has a more lasting effect on the landscape, and it's a positive effect.

It's natural.

Right.

Exactly.

And it█s cheaper.

Oh, it's way cheaper.

Yeah.

And so the mechanical and chemical means that we utilize to manipulate the habitat around us.

Essentially it's just emulating prescribed fire.

So we can see here this was fescue many years ago.

And then we planted it to native plants.

And the only thing we've been doing to this every single year, has been burning it for the last 5 or 10 years.

And so it's a native practice for native plants.

And again, it's very much a lot cheaper.

As a biologist you look at what we're standing in and go, okay, here's some potential for habitat right?

Yes, yes.

As far as small game habitat and essentially habitat for any species, we seek to conserve in the state of Kentucky.

You know, if they couldn't deal with fire, they wouldn't be here because, again, native people burned for 3000 years.

That was long enough to shift the fauna and flora that exists in the state today towards fire tolerant species.

So we're standing here, we're looking back.

We can see bare dirt and honestly, that bare dirt in a couple months, we won't be able to see that.

The plants will grow up and form a herbaceous canopy over the top.

You'll still have that bare ground in there.

So quail chicks can run around in it, baby rabbits can get around in it, and animals have that herbaceous cover, so hawks and stuff can't see them, but they can run around in that habitat and move around and get bugs and other things like that.

Butterflies, rabbits, birds, you name it.

Yeah, all of that wildlife is going to prefer this over the beautiful landscape lawns, right?

Yes.

Yeah.

And honestly, if we can do it here, I think it can be done on a vast majority of our almost 4 million acres of open land in the state.

We got here a while ago, and we've walked in just a few feet of this, and you already found a nest where a rabbit has raised its young.

And this is four weeks ago.

This was on fire.

Exactly.

So that rabbit has since then found that as a suitable location, put a nest in raised young and they are off on the landscape.

Literally right there.

Right there.

And again, you know, four weeks ago this was all black.

It kind of looked like a moonscape.

And these plants, they're fire adaptive.

They count on fire as a part of their life history.

And so they sprung right up for burning off that thatch.

All the trash above the ground.

You burn that off.

The new plants are ready to come up.

So, Jacob, we just heard about all the benefits to burning your landscape here.

And this obviously at the Department of Fish and Wildlife.

So this is on state properties.

This is not just for state properties.

This can be done on individual home farms as well right?

Oh yes, Chad that's a great point.

We burned here on our property.

And we also like to support private landowners, in getting this on their properties.

Through the private lands program.

We have 17 biologists across the state that can help you set up a plan to get this done effectively and safely meet the wildlife goals that you are looking to meet.

We work with the Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council to put on landowner courses to teach you how to do this safe and effectively, which allows you to come on fires with us and do learn and burns.

We support landowners to do this, because at the end of the day, we have somewhere about 20 million acres of private land in the state of Kentucky that could use this as a management tool.

And obviously we can't do all that.

We need some help from the private landowners to get that done.

We're not telling people to go out in their backyard right now and throw some diesel out and set it on fire.

There are steps that need to be taking place.

Reach out to your private lands biologist with the Department of Fish and Wildlife and learn how you can get involved.

So our goal is to train people.

We have a process to get you to become a burn boss that allows you to burn within the state of Kentucky.

And again, the whole goal of this is, is not to just send people out there and just do this.

There is a safe and effective way to do these fires.

And we're here to help you and support you along that way.

So where does a person start?

I mean, if they're sitting at home and whatever county they may live in the state of Kentucky, they're like, I'm not sure, but this may benefit my property.

Where do they start?

So first off, they can either go to our website and go to find my private lands biologist.

Send in a request for a visit.

They can come out and talk to you about it.

And then we have a, the Kentucky Prescribed Fire Council has a website.

It's kentuckyfire.org.

And you go on there and look at trainings and you can sign up for information on when those would be.

We've got to see on this particular burn here how quickly it goes from black to green and beautiful.

And that has to do with time of year you do most of your burning, right?

That's correct.

A lot of the open land burns we do are in the late winter or early spring, and it times up perfect that it burns, the green up comes and you get a flush of new growth.

Now, depending on what your management goals are, we may say we want to burn a different time of year to get different responses.

Hey, you want to get ahead of the curve and you want to get your place looking good?

Yeah, maybe go get trained up and set it on fire.

Exactly.

Well, thank you so much.

Hopefully many of the landowners take advantage of this because as an outdoor person and outdoor enthusiast and animal lover, this is how it happens, right here.

It's a win.

Yeah, it's a win.

There are many different ways to try to catch a fish.

But trying to handgrab a catfish.

Now, that is exciting.

just go all the way.

Yeah, I go all the way under and reach in all the way up to your shoulder.

If you can.

Got you.

Oh, Good luck.

We're down here at Kentucky Lake, noodling or hand grabbing catfish.

and I'm with, familiar face Will Brantley.

And one time.

I've been there with you before.

And when we had a blast.

there's a season for this.

We've talked about that before.

We're in the season but we're a little late aren't we?

We are, So we're here, I think it's the last day of June right now.

We're close to it.

And, I wouldn't expect it to be a little slower than it was last time you guys were here.

we don't have to catch many.

But we do have to catch one for this guy right here.

This is, Dan Walker, who's been a friend of mine for quite some time.

And you spend a lot of time in the water, haven't you?

I have, I was, I've been a firefighter in Indianapolis for 23 years.

And, of that, I was a scuba diver for, a little over 18 years.

Yeah.

Why did you want to do this?

You know, it's just something exciting.

I'm really comfortable in the water, you know, being a fireman.

just something exciting about it.

And adrenaline junkie, you know, and, hand wrestling a fish doesn█t getting better than that, it's it's there's no more primitive method of fishing is there?, That's it.

Find a fish.

Hold him in that hole.

Reach down, grab him and let him use your hand for bait.

Heck yeah.

Your wife told me to make sure you brought all your fingers back.

We can no promises yet.

But right now, they're all there.

Oh, yeah.

They're.

Look at that guy!

Holy moly!

Look at that.

Oh.

That's awesome.

We weren't sure we were going to get that fish out there.

Oh, I'll tell you what.

Tim did a great job.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Tim.

You got down there and.

Oh, man, I should tell you, you started kicking a little bit.

You were shaking a little bit.

I was like, he might be fighting something.

This guy's got an attitude.

We know, what you think about that Dan?

Oh, that a incredible adrenaline rush right there.

That is awesome.

that's a perfect size first catfish, because it's big enough to be pretty impressive.

You have to get your butt kicked on fish one.

That's it.

Yeah.

Now we'll go for an 80 pound.

Let's do it.

Oh that's great.

Well, I'll tell you what.

We're going to turn him lose, all right.

He█s gonna get Face to face.

Look at the catfish in the Beaty little eyeball This is what I like right here.

let me get my feet under me.

I got my thumb in his mouth.

You█re doing good.

Oh boom.

Got him.

Nice job.

Yeah.

Look at there.

Nice job buddy.

Thanks.

I'll tell you what.

Tell me, what's that?

What do you like?

What's the most fun about going out?

Can you take my googles?

Oh.

He's wrestling.

Oh, you got him?

Hey, hey.

It█s all right, we saw him.

He went right back.

Where we going to put him anyway?

You got.

You got proof?

I saw, you know, what just happened that just went from being 6 to 8 pounds.

18, 40 pounds.

Just that little real quick release.

Nice job.

Way to go.

Was that fun?

Tell me what you like about doing this out here with your mom and dad and your friends.

What do you think about this?

I like, feeling their squishy skin and getting in the mouth and grabbing it.

Yeah.

You ever tell your friends at school that, what you like to do on the weekends?

Yeah.

What do they say about that?

That's pretty cool.

That's pretty cool.

Well, that is pretty cool.

Your friends are right.

I'm really impressed.

No.

going like Alright Dan, this is a good one buddy, Let's get him.

Anz get ready.

You're getting ready to take a ride on that rock.

Because the whole rock is going to move.

Yeah.

Oh, there he was.

Oh, he's got him, he's got him.

Oh sticks up, sticks up.

You got him!

Oh you got hold on that rock.

That was awesome.

Oh, that was so much fun.

You want to lift him here like this?

Oh, what do you think about that?

Oh, my goodness, what a rush.

And that was so much fun.

You said you wanted to come catch a catfish.

We got maybe more than what we bargained for?

Oh I love that fight too though.

That was fun.

I love it so much fun.

Bubbles are coming out.

We could feel it thrashing under under the under the rock that you had him or he had you.

He had me more or less.

I was just holding on.

Well, have you ever caught one on a Rod and real this size?

No.

Oh Lord heavens no no.

that is a great.

That is a great fish.

look pretty awesome trophy.

Look at it.

Though you can see there's crushers in there.

You're just reaching in.

And I got a lip right here.

And he can see that lip right there.

What he's doing is he's sticking that stick in there.

He's turning that stick down under that lip and just pulling him out and run his hand down the stick and then grabbing and putting their hand in.

And there.

Like that.

Yeah.

All right buddy?

Yeah.

It's a little wrestling match.

Anz, you can hit the face?

Yeah, That's pretty much what he was doing under water.

You all right?

What a trophy catfish.

Well, you guys ready to turn it loose?

Ready?

I█m going to turn him loose.

Oh, the hole bigger than I thought.

You know when you have that big ole bass blow up on that top water?

Oh, yeah.

And yanked the lure back to the boat like, man, that thing was.

That was a good.

This was a small strike.

That one over there was better.

That one over there was a lot better.

We got other spots.

It's just like fishing.

You don't catch a fish on every cast That's it, that's it.

You don't catch a catfish in every perfect hole.

this one a lot of times they'll they'll bite your hand.

Okay, No, no, I didn't sound that big.

Now that one sounded bigger!

He's still down there.

Maybe.

Maybe two.

He's got a fish.

I hit him, but he didn't hit it.

Let me get my stick.

Turn right.

Oh!

He just come out of there.

Come out!

He knocked your shoe off on the way.

Yeah.

All right.

So we had a another hole right here.

Yeah.

Oh, there he is.

Come on, bring him out of there buddy.

He's got it.

Oh, he's trying to come up.

Got him?

You got hold of him?

I do, yes.

Oh!

Oh!

Oh!

Oh, you.

You had him out though!

Yeah.

Oh, man.

Oh, that was a big one too.. Yeah.

He's twisted loose there, Yeah, well, I had my hands in his jaw and then you had him out, I'm like, okay, he's got him, because I only had the three fingers.

I'm like, I don't want to get a broken fingers.

Dang it.

Yes!

I saw him though man that was awesome.

Oh, Oh, you think you got another fish in there?

I hope.

We definitely get another one in here.

Oh, we do?

Do you need a little bit longer stick?

I█ve got this fish halfway out of the hole by the tail.

Dragging him up.

Just very still.

He's docile, but I gotta get up to his head.

I got my foot still in the hole.

You got it?

Oh, there it is.

Hey.

Oh, it's a nice fish.

Holy cow.

I can feel the tail.

And I scooped that fish out.

Swiped him toward me.

And got ahold of his tail and pulled him halfway out.

And he just laid there late, and I went, man, as soon as I grabbed this fish█s head, he's going to lose his mind.

I'll tell you one thing.

there's a million ways you can catch a fish.

You know, people have been doing it for hundreds and hundreds of years.

Thousands and thousands of years.

But there's probably not a more exciting way than just reaching in and grabbing right by the face and pulling that fish out.

You reach in that hole, It's pitch black, and you think that that thing's laying in there quite waiting for your hand?

It's pretty cool.

You know, when Dan first saw this and he was like, that's something I really want to try.

And I was like, well, I've got I've got a guy for you.

We just got to line it up.

Was it everything he thought it'd be?

It was everything and more.

Yeah.

You definitely created a fan of me!

Well, I didn't do so hot today, but I did get my hands on a couple fish.

And I'll tell you what.

It's, it's an experience that you'll never forget.

And I'm sure you're going to be telling these stories for a while.

You know, catfish noodling is.

It's hard.

You know.

It is.

Yeah.

Oh, definitely.

I mean, they█re such a just a cool fish.

I mean, look, big old beautiful, almost marbleized.

Looking size on that fish.

A lot of people will catfish their whole life and not catch a fish that size, on a line, rod and reel.

And today we've got 3 or 4 fish that are over 20 pounds.

Yeah, for sure.

So cool.

And all of them are being released.

Hopefully this won't be the last time, right?

That I have a hand in this fish's mouth.

Hey, man, I thank you so much.

Oh yeah.

You got such a thank you all for coming.

Thank you for what you do.

It's such a great group of guys that are coming down here.

True conservationists, you know, you You're raising your kids to be in the outdoors to truly Anz by his age, he's already done some things that some people will never get a chance to do, so Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Yeah.

Now let's check in and see who else has been out having fun in this week's ones that didn't get away.

13 year old Evan Brown went down to Lyon County below Barkley Dam and caught a couple of nice blue catfish.

Nice job.

Check out this giant catfish caught by Laura Murray.

She had to set down just to get the picture, because this fish weighed 62 pounds.

Nine year old Ryan Brown went to Ballard WMA on a youth duck hunt and took his very first duck.

Nice job.

Check out this giant muskie that was caught by Amber Stamper.

This fish was 49in long and was caught in the Kentucky River.

Nice job.

Around Kentucky, the action is starting to heat up for both crappie and white bass.

Get out there!

Give it a shot.

And remember, hunting and fishing on private property is a privilege.

Always ask permission and thank the landowner.

Until next week, I'm your host, Chad Miles, and I hope to see you in the woods or on the water.