Since 1951 The Kentucky Outdoor Press Association has been communicating the needs of the public using the highest standards of ethics and integrity.

Latest news

Roberson Hooks Monster Outdoor journalist making their own news! The recent Kentucky Outdoor Press Association meeting, held on Cave Run Lake near Morehead, made the news in several states after a KOPA member caught a near record muskie. News of KOPA member Pat Roberson’s 50-inch fish made headlines in the Nov. 7 edition of the online newspaper www.chattanoogan.com. The article can be found at www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_162628.asp. Roberson caught the monster Oct. 31, (a little more than four inches shy of the state record 54 inch, 47 pound fish netted in 2008), while fishing with KOPA President Tom Clay in the Zippo Flats area of the lake. Roberson boated the fish using 40-pound braided line and a 1-ounce Meat and Potatoes black in-line spinner. Roberson's first musky also made headlines in Indiana, when attending KOPA member G. Sam Piatt published columns in the "Portsmouth Times" (covering portions of Ohio and Kentucky), and the "Ashland Daily Independent" , ( Kentucky daily newspaper). Both ran in the Sunday editions, which include the highest circulation numbers of the week. Roberson also highlighted the catch in his weekly column in the "Bledsoian Banner", the Pikeville, Tenn. weekly newspaper. This week he is scheduled to publish the third in a three-part series on Cave Run Lake, with two parts detailing the muskie fishery, and one a destination piece on the area. In coming weeks the Morehead area, and other counties surrounding the pristine lake, will be highlighted in a series of radio programs presented by President Tom Clay, and future articles written by several freelancers attending the meeting. Roberson released the trophy fish after gently taking photos, in hopes it can set a new lake record in the future. Etta Pettijohn                         2009 Annual Auction Our Houseboats lay side by side in the water at Scott's Creek Marina as members start showing up for the KOPA conference this year. This is always a fun time for me -- the stories from story tellers! Some might say the BS is thick in the air, and that might be true, but all I saw were smiles and hugs from far away friends, all sporting the talent of a good story to hold your attention, always ending with laughs and smiles. KOPA has changed a lot since my seven years as a member, but one thing has always remained the same; good friends sharing their life at least for a few days, time with friends that look forward to seeing each other yearly. KOPA has become more serious as a communication group on the business side, striving to be as professional as possible, but the one thing that has remained true is the "Auction". It maybe one of the last official things that KOPA does during its annual conference, but I can tell you that it's about as much fun as you can have legally. As Etta and I wade through the boxes of donated products getting them ready for the auction, everyone is looking over the great products and making their list of items they want to bid on. This is also the time when all the writers, photographers, and other communicators express their personal experiences with the products and brands that we have received. As members get their bidding number, Tom Clay President, starts putting together the list of items and order he plans to put up for auction.. Folks, this is a bar-none entertainment fest second to none! With the zeal and excitement of an old-time revival camp meeting, Tom holds up the first item, and the show is about to begin. Shouting, jumping, dancing, pointing -- and even a few screams from the bidders -- the action is fast and loud. Tom’s auctioneering reminds me of a stand up comedy act, with no holds barred, working the crowd like a pro, with the added lines of a Vegas act. I find myself laughing and smiling till my face hurts. With all the fun it's sometimes easy to forget just how important this auction is, with the donations from the friends of KOPA it has made it easy for us to keep dues low and at the same time puts some of the best new products in the hands of people that report on products every day. We do encourage our membership to review the products in their respective markets, to say nothing about the personal recommendation of the winning bidders, that find they really like the products they purchase at the auction. New products that are donated to the auction not only get in the hands of outdoor writers, but it also gets the instant review of all the members. As they look them over before the auction, one discussion after another is carried on as members boast their experience with products. One thing I have noticed since my membership in KOPA is that many outdoor trends start by writers and photographers endorsing the products as they hit the market. They seem to creep into the stories and "how to" articles that so many of these people produce over the course of the year. From big items to little, the excitement doesn't let up. Every item is sold as the night goes on, and as I look around the room I see nothing but smiles and laughter. As Tom brings the night to a conclusion, his voice has paid the price for a time that will live on in the memories of the gifted people of KOPA. It is impossible to list all of the companies here that donated to KOPA, but I do want to at least single out some of the big ones and we will have a more complete list on the website. Daiwa Corporation, Remington Arms, Bownells Inc, Crosman Corporation, Avery Outdoors, Pure Fishing, Sprayway, PRADCO/EBSCO, Buck Knives, Spiderwire, Spro Sports Professionals, Sebile Lures, Coleman, Kershaw Knives, Irish Setter shoes, Lodge Mfg. Co., Altria Client Services - USSTC,Abu Garcia . Schrade Cutlery KOPA would like to express our deep appreciation, from the bottom of our hearts, for all the support from our friends, and companies that make the outdoors so much fun to experience. Thank You! Chris Erwin Secretary/Webmaster Contact: Chris Erwin Annual Report from The Secretary By Chris Erwin This year has just blew by, and it seems like yesterday I was watching the flowers of spring push their way out of the ground to make their long awaited appearance, setting the stage for the summer. Today, as I look at the last of the falling leaves of autumn, I think back to the days on the water and the great friends I have had the privilege to fish with. In the spirit of looking back, let me just say that KOPA has also had a good year, as we have started to move on some of the things that in the long run will make us stronger and better equipped to help all of our outdoor communicators meet their professional goals. As a professional writers’ association, we have tried to focus on issues that can improve and assist our members in finding new markets. We also have banned together to push for some changes in state laws that we hope will put Kentucky in the forefront when it comes to tourism, including hunting and fishing opportunities for our veterans and seniors. We have also established a youth mentoring program. Our hope is we can give a leg up to aspiring future writers, showing them the ropes, along with learning from active successful writers. We have also agreed to have an informal spring get together, to develop market strategies, and build new bridges with other agencies that can improve our placement in the outdoor market. We have moved to a place where we are seeking active working communicators to help us build the strongest press association possible, to improve not only the working environment for communicators, but to also improve the opportunities for the public. I have elected to post business information in a new section that will be for members only. This section of the website will require that you have a password, that we will provide, information on this page will include business minutes, treasure report, and some other sections that we are developing to help members with outdoor markets, if you have questions you can email me. Contact: Chris Erwin Would you or your company like to become a supporting member of KOPA? Just drop me a line and I will walk you through the simple application form. Becoming a supporting member will put you on the road to networking with some of the best media people anywhere, KOPA has become a professional fast growing media group thats looking to expand the the opportunities of the outdoor public. Chris Erwin Secretary/Webmaster	President Message Hi Folks, On October 30-31 The Kentucky Outdoor Press Association ascended on the Cave Run Lake area of Morehead, Kentucky. Offered to us was some of the best in hospitality that one could ever receive. Made up of some of the best outdoor communicators this side of the Mississippi River, KOPA was treated, by Scott's Creek Marina and Morehead Tourism, with wonderful accommodations, fine dining -- and placed in our hands was some of the finest angling available to anyone. I would like to take this opportunity and thank all participants, and hope you got what you needed to communicate this wonderful outdoor and recreation opportunity to the entire outdoor world. The auction continues to be one of the best ways I have found to cap off a perfect weekend, and once again I appreciate all participating. Our guest, Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives, Greg Stumbo, has already began writing future legislation based on suggestions he received from KOPA members, and I would like to thank him for taking time from his busy schedule to meet with this important group. I feel very strongly that KOPA is doing nothing but gaining strength in becoming one of the best outdoor groups that grace this nation’s woods and waters. With your help we will not fail. Tom Clay President Kentucky Outdoor Press Association KOPA 09, LOOKING FORWARD By Soc Clay The '09 annual meeting of the Kentucky Outdoor Press Assoc was one of the better ones I've attended. Not only did the meeting provide valuable association opportunities for the bulk of our membership, the collected gathering may have enabled the lasting value of affording America's veterans from all over the US the opportunity to visit our state and to participate in our hunting and fishing resources at an affordable cost. The visit to our meeting by Representative Greg Stumbo, Kentucky's dynamic Speaker of the House, shows how informal conversation among gifted men and women can bring out issues that can have exciting impact on a nation-wide level. Known for his interest in the hunting and fishing sports, the Speaker has been working tirelessly for years to create legislation that will help clean up our country-side, our streams, rivers and lakes with a workable bottle bill. With support of KOPA's media members on this issue and the important issue of serving America's veterans, his efforts may have uncommon success in the near future. Media groups can get a lot out of a phone call and a relaxing environment to discuss mutual interest. KOPA's small, flexible and highly professional membership creates a comfortable forum to field and answer questions that effect not only our membership but the public we communicate with, sometimes on a daily basis. I first joined an outdoor media group in the 1960s when I anted up for membership in the Outdoor Writers of Ohio (OWO) this powerful state group that counted members such as Erwin Bauer, Bob Rankin, Carl Maslowski, George Laycock, Lew Kluer and other notable outdoor media personalities, demonstrated to me that an organization doesn't have to be large- IF its membership is highly professional. Currently, KOPA is moving in that direction, but we have a ways to go. KOPA's first objective, in my view, is to collect all the outdoor media in Kentucky under one umbrella. Top-notch media members already on board can add enormous value for beginning communicators by making themselves readily available as consultants for any of a wide variety of venues. Secondly, it should be the responsibility of KOPA to aid in any way possible the creation of new markets for the membership. The group has started this process by voting to send a letter to Kentucky's fish and wildlife commission to encourage the Kentucky Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Resources to utilize KOPA member's work as much as possible. Other state agencies, especially tourism and the Kentucky Dept. of Transportation can benefit enormously from the field experience of the KOPA membership. Such partnerships could be especially valuable in saving the enormous cost most agencies incur when dealing with ad agencies and other promotional outlets. There are those members of KOPA, who takes the business aspects of outdoor communications seriously. Being compensated for work well-done increases the interest in members becoming more professional. It has been rightly said a communicator should do his or her best work for any amount paid. The crunch is in the research. Low pay warrants little research is the rule. The KOPA leadership has done an excellent job of moving the organization forward. KOPA already has a web site, Chris Erwin is putting his professional technical and publishing experience to good use. Using his electronic knowledge, KOPA could very well become a model for other state communication groups to follow. This is important. It is the responsibility of all outdoor communicators to keep interest in outdoor recreation alive. Essentially, it is our path to survival. soc Soc Clay Enterprises, Inc. POB 515, 350 Fern Hollow South Shore, KY 41175 SocClay.com New Support Members Stanley Jigs Stanley Jigs has been making some of the best jigs as long as I can remember. We are very happy to have Stanley Jigs as a new supporting member for KOPA. Welcome Aboard! Stanley Jigs 107 N. Main Street Huntington, TX, 75949 936-876-5713 936-876-3926 Fax RADIANS INDUSTRIAL SAFETY PRODUCTS From glasses to hard hats, Radians delivers a comprehensive line of quality protective gear including eyewear, hearing protection, headgear and safety vests. You will find innovative styles and lens colors as well as traditional favorites to suite any need. All of Radians glasses are produced in ISO Certified facilities. They meet or exceed ANSI Z87.1 + standards and many styles have also been evaluated to Canadian safety standards. Hearing protectors are tested in accordance with ANSI S3.19-1974 standards. 7580 Bartlett Corp Drive Bartlett, TN 38133 Toll Free 877-723-4267 Phone 901-388-7776 Fax 901-388-0144 Sales Fax 901-266-2558 E-Mail: sales@radians.com New Members KOPA would like to welcome New Members: In 2009 the organization added some very welcome members, and we extend a warm welcome to them. Gary Garth 358 Butterworth Murray, Ky, 42071 Email: ggarth@wk.net Gary is a freelance writer working with such titles as Field & Stream magazine. He also publishes a weekly column for the Louisville "Courier Journal". Art landers Jr. 197 Casey lane Bethleham, Ky 40007 Art is a freelance writer, book author, and web publisher. His website site is located at www.outdoorskentucky.com Douglas Clifford 13804 St. Rt. 37 East Crooksville, OH 43731 740-342-1766 Home 740-617-5007 Cell clifford583@gmail.com Doug is a columnist for the "Perry County Tribune", and also does some freelance work for titles like "Ohio Outdoor News".	Contributing editors: • Journalist making news By Etta Pettijohn • Annual Auction By Chris Erwin • Secretary's report By Chris Erwin • President's Message By Tom Clay • Morehead Tourism By Chris Erwin • KOPA 09 Looking Forward By Soc Clay The KOPA website changes We plan on making a lot of changes to the KOPA website, including a members only section that will include an on line directory, this directory will be behind a password protected area, members will be sent the user name and password to give you access to this area, it is important that you keep this password secure, if you loose your Password or user name you can write Chris Erwin to recover it. The message board will also be updated and may be moved to a new location to help prevent spam, when this is done a notice will be sent by email, at that time you may need to re-register, since they were only a few members that had already registered, we felt it was a good time to try and cure this problem. The Key Note Speaker "Greg Stumbo" I wanted to give you a little information about our key note speaker this year. Mr. Stumbo is the Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives. Greg, made his appearance this year and we had a very good discussion on things that we both felt could improve our state when it comes to tourism, hunting and fishing. We will be posting updates and progress on the issues that we hope will some day become law. Stumbo, a member of the Democratic Party is a former Kentucky Attorney General from 2003 , 2007 and, prior to his election as attorney general, served in the Kentucky House of Representatives for twelve terms from 1980 , 2003. During this time Stumbo was Kentucky's longest-serving House Majority Leader (1985 , 2003). Stumbo returned to the House of Representatives not long after his Attorney General term ended. On January 6, 2009 he was endorsed by Democratic lawmakers to be the party's nominee for Speaker of the House. He was sworn in as Speaker the next day, January 7. A native of Prestonsburg in Floyd County, Stumbo served as Assistant Floyd County Attorney and held the position of Martin city attorney for three years. He also served as trial commissioner to the Floyd County District Court for one year. Not just Muskie If you just read the reports about Cave Run, you would think muskies are the only fish that swims in this lake. Hey, my friends, let me just tell you -- there are a few other fish in this lake that are willing to stretch your line. It's no secret I spend a lot of time on this lake, and I catch my share of the great "Esox", better known on this lake as the "Water Wolf," or Muskie. But also in this cooling water of fall, the bass and crappie are active and willing to bite your offering. On the days leading up to the KOPA conference Christy and I spent the week up the river, fishing for both muskie and bass. Last year we enticed muskie, with 14 boated and released that week, ranging from 35- to 42 inches. This year we found the river turning over, and the muskie were nowhere to be found the week we were there. However, the bass never let us down, hitting on days that were cold and rainy or warm and sunny. We thought the muskie were migrating to the main lake, until the water got back to normal, but the bass made our week a lot more fun, even if we had a hard time raising muskies in this transition water. One thing you should take from this article is: Bass and muskie are not doing the same things during this period, and this has nothing to do with the turnover. It effects all fishing to some degree, but bass tend to scatter and make it hard to find a working pattern, while Muskie tend to move out into the main lake for this two- or three week period. That said; let's take a look at what are the normal patterns for both fish during this fall cool water period. When you talk to anyone who fishes this lake on a regular basis they will tell you that in the fall it's all about shad movements. The baitfish tends to move up in the water table, and the predators tend to follow them. I know at this point it looks like they are both doing something right! Wrong! It may be true that they both tend to key on the baitfish, but I can tell you from years of fishing this lake that the good bass (fish 16 inches and larger) tend to feed in the channel trees, keying on outside bends where the channel hits close to the bank. The bass will stage in the trees and ambush shad as they make their way up and down the channel. At this same time the Muskie tend to work the flats, and the old weed beds along with the heads of creeks. Pat's big fish was very typical of what the muskie are doing on this lake even with falling water. His fish were in shallow water, using the old weed beds as a launching pad for ambushing baitfish, while the bass tend to use the trees to launch their assaults. The bass tend to be in deeper water, and often are not single fish, but rather small schools looking to pounce on their prey. If you catch one in the trees it's a good idea to work the area hard, starting with topwater baits, working your way down with crankbaits and spinnerbaits, as these fish are rarely alone. Then there are the little known, and even less talked about, smallmouth bass. These fish are mostly located on the main lake, and I have caught a few smallmouth in the river, but it's rare compared to the area not far from the dam. This time of year these fish are usually feeding much deeper, and the anglers that try to key in on these fish usually use jigs, small deep-running crankbaits, and even small, dropping spinnerbaits. The hard rip rap that surrounds the bank on the dam end of the lake seems to be the location that produces the bulk of smallmouth year round. As long as the lake isn't frozen over you can catch these fish, since this is an emerging fishery. I impress upon you to release these fish, as many of us hope to see them expand their range on the lake. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but I'll keep wishing and hope you will release them to feed the dream of an eastern Kentucky smallmouth fishery. My Rant Ok, you know I love this lake, and I spend most of my fishing time floating on this place I care so much about. But, I do have a rant that I have been pushing for a few years now. So please, let me say we should be pushing for the end of the slot limit on this lake!! At some point I'm sure the slot limit served to reach a goal of some kind, but the lake has been in decline for the last five years -- and this is not my assessment, but the fish and wildlife department's. I know the standard answer you get is bass populations run in cycles, and I agree with that, but to have unprotected fish from 0-13 inches at this point serves no reasonable, understandable goal. People who fish this lake as much as I do know the bass population is suffering from live bait fishermen removing large numbers of these before they ever get to spawn the first time, and this pretty much kills the whole natural idea that these fish will cycle back to good numbers. It's time to end the slot limit on Cave Run. Let’s protect the low end of the slot and give this lake a chance to rebound. If you agree with me, I employ you to write the 8th District Wildlife Commissioner Rick Storm, and voice your opinion to protect bass in the low end of the slot. If you plan a trip to Cave Run, check out our website at www.kentuckyangling.com. Go to the message board, we are usually up on what the fish are doing, and as always we will help you plan a trip that will hook you on coming to a small lake in eastern Kentucky that can produce memories lasting a lifetime. Chris Erwin
	Morehead Tourism, Scott's Marina, and Jennet's Catering What can you say about a group that simply goes the extra steps to make sure you are completely taken care of? Terri Alderman has shown us just how warm and inviting the Morehead area can be, and for the past two years I have to say I have been impressed with the attention and care she has put into helping us put on the KOPA conference. Her professionalism, eye for detail, and ability to cope under pressure is a credit to her work ethic and personal ability. Terri if you don't know it by now let me just say, that the members of KOPA, thanks you from the bottom of our hearts! Scott's Creek Marina Last year the marina was dealt a blow, effecting not only the marina, but many of us who looked to Scott as more than a marina owner. He was a friend, and one of the warmest persons I have ever met. I've seen him stop his busy day to help more than one visiting group find their way. It's still hard to believe he’s not with us in body, but I'm sure he was looking over us as we gathered this year on the docks where he spent so much of his time. If you’re planning a trip to Cave Run don't miss visiting the marina where they have almost everything you need to have a great time on the water. To all the people at Scott's Creek Marina Thank you! Jennets' Catering Everyone raved about the food all weekend, and when I awoke Saturday (and I'm not the first one out of the bed, I think Sam Piatt may have won that honor) I was greeted by Wayne's first words -- Get on down to the restaurant and get breakfast, because it's fabulous. I have to agree the food was great all weekend, and all three meals a day. To all the girls that brought us these great meals. Thank you! Chris "Trimmer" Erwin Secretary/Webmaster	Lure of Fall With the changing leaves around the country side, my thought have been turning northward for the past several weeks. With a chill noted in the air, water temperatures are cooling off and minnows are starting to school in the shallows. These are two of the magic ingredients that spell big fish in the shallows. Last year, just a week after being introduced to the thrill of chasing the water wolf (better known as a muskie), a new Kentucky state record fish was caught from the waters of Cave Run Lake near Morehead. With the knowledge that I was under gunned for these fish last year, I couldn't wait to break out heavy tackle and head north again. Of course I couldn't afford a $200 rod and reel that most muskie fisherman use. Also, I know that most of my bass tackle is inadequate to handle even a smaller version of my dreams. Several months ago, when Carolyn went to New York, I had picked up a new Berkley rod and reel from Wal-Mart. This wasn't an intended purchase for this trip, but a result of poor planning. As Wesley and I left the airport in Knoxville, he said that we should have brought the rods to fish below Melton Hill Dam. Excited about the possibility of hooking a big rockfish below the dam, I headed straight to the store and picked up the biggest rod and reel on the shelf for a little more than $30. With rod in hand, I stripped off the old mono line and replaced it with Berkley 40# Fireline Braid. This line is strong enough to resist the teeth and harsh fishing conditions of fishing weed beds in the shallows of Cave Run Lake. Now all I needed was the right bait, and I planned to pick it up at Crash's Landing on Hwy 801 near Morehead. Thomas (my son) was also along for the ride. His tackle was more geared for the excellent bass fishing also found on Cave Run Lake. He also teased me, saying he was going to catch a big muskie on eight pound test line. Of course this is possible with eight pound line, but the fish would be totally worn out, and most likely die after release, due to the stress induced with the fight. On Thursday we headed to Morehead. This year I didn't trust the travel websites to give us directions. Instead we broke out an old fashioned map and plotted our course on paper. This saved us a about 100 miles of travel, as we made a direct run north, and only a short trip east, to reach our destination. We settled on the Hwy. 27 route up to Pineknot Ky. Then we followed Hwy. 92 east over to I-75. Once on the interstate, we turned off on the Winchester exit to go over to I-64 east to the Farmer’s exit, where we picked up Hwy 801. This is the simplest way to make it to the Cave Run Marina, where we made camp on houseboats provided by Scott's Creek Marina. MORE
	Need Help Contact                        Chris Erwin

Links to other areas of the site

Site Design by Chris Erwin © KentuckyAngling.com - Web design,& MoreE-mail Click here.