• Lake Cumberland Striper Report

    StriperFun and Tennessee Walleye Charters
    (931) 403-2501 http://www.striperfun.com captainjim@striperfun.com
  • Specializing in "Trophy" fishing as the owner of StriperFun Fishing Guide Service in KY and TN and TN Walleye Charters, Captain Jim Durham is a licensed guide who has fished the Cumberland Plateau and KY and TN year round for over 50 years. Captain Jim is a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Captain and is the creator of the “Striper Fish like a Pro” instructional DVD series as well as his own line of fishing lures.

  • Lake Cumberland Striper Report

    • Latest water temperature: 52.1 ° F surface (Fishing Creek) January 4th, 2013
    • Latest water temperature: 51.2 ° F surface (White Oak Creek) January 4th, 2013
    • Latest water temperature: 51.3 ° F surface (Main Lake) January 3rd, 2013
    • Current lake level is Lake Level: 685.55 feet.


    Currently, the lake level is right at 685.55feet above sea level. This is about 5.5 feet ABOVE the normal (working on the dam) elevation of 680.00 feet above sea level. The lake is now about 42 feet below the tree line. The tree line is normally at 725' above sea level.

    The US ARMY Corp of Engineers is advising the lake will be brought back up to the standard 725' above sea level in June of 2014. I will keep you posted of further developments.

    THIS IS MY 152nd EDITION OF MY LAKE CUMBERLAND STRIPER FISHING REPORT!

    It has been 1 week since my last report.

    Greetings to my readers! I hope the world finds you and your family doing well!

    As a former United States Air Force Airman - military veteran and as a current U.S. Merchant Marine Captain and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Patrol Coxswain (Captain), I understand the great importance that our brave service men and women play in our society. Their service is why you speak English, can vote and can enjoy the freedoms you do!

    We also cannot forget the duty and service provided by our Policemen, Fish and Wildlife Officers and Firemen.

    STRIPERFUN OFFERS A 10% DISCOUNT on all charters to currently active Policemen, Fish and Wildlife Officers and Firemen as well as to all active military AND retired military veterans (with proper verification ID provided by the person booking the trip).

    This is our way of saying “THANKS” for your service to these important groups.

    Important Public Service Notification!

    The following public service notification is being provided by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) to notify all the State’s fishermen (and to make a “call to action”!) in response to the recent decision by the U.S. Corp of Engineers (USCOE) to begin boat restrictions below several dams in Kentucky. These new USCOE restrictions intend to permanently take away some of the most prime fishing areas below these dams. This will severely hurt the State’s fishermen, both private fishermen and the guides!

    Please read this “position statement” from KDFWR and please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative now! Your voice needs to be heard!

    Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR)

    Position Statement Regarding Boat Restrictions at U.S. Corp of Engineers (USCOE) owned Dams

    KDFWR is opposed to the USCOE decision to unnecessarily restrict boat access below the dams. If you are as well, please contact your U.S. Senators and Representative now!

    Background:

    The US Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, released its plans on December 13, 2012 to restrict boating access above and below their damsto maximize safety associated with hazardous waters. These new restricted zones are set to take effect in 2013.

    The Corps will hold two public information meetings in KY:

    Meeting 1 – January 10, 2013 in Grand Rivers, KY from 6-8 pm (CST) at Badgett Playhouse Theater, 1831 JH O’Bryan Avenue.

    Meeting 2 – January 24, 2013 in Somerset, KY from 6-8 pm (EST) at Somerset Center for Rural Development, 2292 Hwy 27, Suite 300 (turn off 27 at Traffic Light #15).

    Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative to voice your concerns.

    The new restrictions are based on a 1996 policy established in ER 1130-2-520, Chapter 10, Project Operations-Navigation and Dredging Operations and Maintenance Policies. This policy allows restricted areas to be established based on hydraulic criteria and site-specific operational considerations. In this case, the recent decision by USCOE impacts four impoundments in Kentucky including Martins Fork, Laurel River, Barkley, and Cumberland lakes. Although the restricted areas above-dam will not have a notable impact to most boating activity,the below-dam restriction will significantly impact boaters and anglers, especially below Lake Cumberland and Barkley Lake.

    KDFWR Concerns:

    KDFWR agrees with the USCOE that there are significant safety considerations below any dam due to the periodic turbulent conditions and reverse currents that are created. Based on this, the department recognizes and enforces the current warning signal and requirement to wear a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) in the restricted zone already. However, KDFWR is strongly opposed to the proposed restrictive zones for the following reasons:

    Both areas support major recreational fisheries that will be negatively impacted.

    Areas below dams (known as tailwaters) provide a concentration of fish due to the physical barrier, flow and oxygen conditions, and the concentration of forage fish for major predators and these conditions attract boat anglers. Anglers have been accustomed to fishing these areas since 1953 at Lake Cumberland and 1966 at Barkley Lake. Site specific data is not available on Lake Cumberland tailwaters but anecdotally this is the highest fishing pressure area and supports the highest catch rate and harvest for this entire 75 miles of trout stream.

    Data from Barkley Lake in 2000 reveal the importance of these tailwaters. Specifically, there were 562 fishing trips per acre immediately below the dam compared to four fishing trips per acre above the dam. Over 60% of these fishing trips were made by boat anglers. Similarly, the fish harvest in tailwaters was recorded at 2,655 fish per acre, compared to only nine fish per acre in the lake. Overall, the economic value for the Barkley Lake tailwater fishery is over $3M.

    The proposed restricted zones below Barkley Lake and Lake Cumberland are unnecessarily restrictive, since they are based on bank full conditions with all major gates open. These conditions represent a true flood stage at either location, when it is definitely unsafe to be in the entire river below the dam. However, the proposed zones will now also restrict access to very calm and safe water for significant portions of the year including the major recreational season. The USCOE’s own policy contains language that allows flexibility, in that any boundaries for restricted access above and below the dam are to be “ordinarily established based on high flow conditions. The rule does not require the USCOE to take this approach.

    The hydraulic line standard only applies at flood stage and is not applicable during other major times of the year. In particular, the Lake Cumberland hydraulic standard is definitely excessive since gates have only been opened during rare events since the dam was constructed except during the current dam repair era. Major dam repairs will be completed sometime in 2013 and a normal flow operation will follow.

    The proposed buoy line to delineate the zone will be expensive and has not been budgeted as part of normal congressional appropriations.

    The USCOE rule now being implemented has apparently been in effect since 1996. However, the Corp has chosen not to enforce this rule for over 17 years! Despite this, before KDFWR became involved, the USCOE had not announced any intentions to allow for public input to this change in restricted areas. It is important therefore that this input is heard at the public information meetings scheduled for January.

    Call to Action and Compromise:

    KDFWR has reached out to USCOE officials as well as our state and federal legislators to try and foster a compromise, which addresses the USCOE safety and liability concerns while continuing to promote the outstanding fishing and tourism opportunity in these areas. KDFWR has specifically proposed, as an alternative,warning lights to designate a restricted zone when gates have been opened. Both our Department and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) have agreed to dedicate law enforcement efforts if a less restrictive methodology is utilized. It is our belief that the Corps can maximize safety and minimize legal liability by using these and other alternatives.

    Special Notice! Captain Jim Lures is proud to now offer the new “Slide Diver – Lite Bite”!

    I am pleased to advise that Captain Jim Lures is now selling the new “Slide Diver – Lite Bite” controlled depth trolling fishing device! Captain Jim and the StriperFun crew have been “beta testing” this great new tool for the last several months and the results have just been terrific, with limit after limit of Stripers caught (and some huge trophy monster Stripers as well)!

    Over the years, many Lake Cumberland fishermen have had great success “down rigging” Captain Jim Special “Dominator” hair jigs. When using a down rigger, you can control the depth at which your hair jig is running. If you see the fish continuing to hold at a certain depth, by using a down rigger you can keep your hair jig at this depth to keep your lure in front of the fish.

    However, down riggers (both manual and electric) can be very expensive! Many fishermen simply cannot afford to buy multiple down riggers for their boats. Also, smaller boats (or some boat designs) do not have sufficient space to be able to mount down riggers. Further, using down riggers can be intimidating for some fishermen, especially the need for “double stacking” to increase the number of lures being trolled.

    So what is the solution? How can fishermen inexpensively and dramatically increase the number of lures they can troll while at the same time actually “controlling the depth” at which the lures are running?

    The answer is the new “Slide Diver – Lite Bite”!

    The new Slide Diver – Lite Bite is a disc shaped “in line” device that utilizes water pressure against the planing surface which forces the unit to “dive both out and down” when trolling. The difference is, that while older styled divers were permanently attached to the line (and the lure could only be back as far as the length of the rod from the diver), the new Slide Diver – Lite Bite actually “releases” and slides down the line to the lure once a fish hits. This allows you to run your lures back as far as you want (generally 100 to 150 feet) before you lock down the Slide Diver – Lite Bite to the line.

    This is very important.

    Stripers (different for example from Lake Trout or Salmon) have very keen eye sight. They spook very easily! Because older styled divers were permanently attached to the line and the lure was within just a rod’s length from the disc, they were no good for Striper fishing. The disc would spook the Stripers and scatter them and the lure would pass just a second after. The Stripers would not have the time to regroup and settle back in to their normal pattern before the lure arrived.

    However, the new Slide Diver – Lite Bite again allows the lure to be back 100 to 150 feet behind the disc. This is very similar to how you troll a hair jig and plastic trailer 100 to 150 feet behind a down rigger ball. This gives the needed time (once the disc passes) for the Stripers to regroup and settle back in to their normal pattern before the lure arrives. Just like a down rigged lure yanks the line off the down rigger clip when a fish hits, the new Slide Diver – Lite Bite “releases” when the fish hits and slides down the line to the lure.

    It is just so cool how these things work!

    The adjustable weight shifts the diver from the center to the far right or far left trolling positions from the boat. Based on the adjustable setting on each diver and the amount of line released, the Slide Diver will descend to a pre-selected angle and depth. I can “dial in” the degree I want the diver to run “away from the boat and down” just like a planer boat runs away from the boat. With a planer board, the more line you put out, the further the planer board runs out away from the boat.

    The same thing happens with the Slide Diver – Lite Bite!

    For example, I can put the Captain Jim Special “Dominator” hair jig and plastic trailer out 100 feet and then lock in the Slide Diver – Lite Bite. If I tune the diver in at a 6 degrees setting and let the diver itself out another 100 feet, at this setting the diver will be running at an angle (like a planer board) about 15 feet “away” from the boat and at a depth of about 28 feet. Then I will put out a second Captain Jim Special “Dominator” hair jig 75 feet out lock in the Slide Diver – Lite Bite. If I tune in the second diver at a 3 degrees setting and let the diver itself out another 75 feet, then the second diver will be running at an angle (like a planer board) about 7 feet “away” from the boat and at a depth of about 32 feet. The second diver at a 3 degrees setting (less severe) is running at a more “downward” angle.

    You can tune the Slide Diver – Lite Bites either right or left –either way! As such, I generally run both a 6 degree “and” a 3 degree diver off each side of the boat (right and left) at the aforementioned settings. Once set, I then also double stack Captain Jim Special “Dominator” hair jig and plastic trailers on my Cannon down riggers.

    This allows me to easily troll 8 Captain Jim Special “Dominator” hair jig and plastic trailers at the same time. The fish catching results are simply phenomenal!

    You can buy the new Slide Diver – Lite Bites directly on the StriperFun website store! Just click the link below to go the StriperFun site

    http://www.striperfun.com/store/slid...bite-p-50.html

    For early 2013, look for new videos from StriperFun Lures demonstrating the powerful fishing tools of the new Slide Diver – Lite Bite trolling devices!

    Where “on the water” to buy Captain Jim Special StriperFun lures

    You can now purchase all of the StriperFun – Captain Jim Lures and products (hair jigs, blade baits, umbrella rigs and multi lure casting rigs, DVDS and more!!) at Grider Hill Marina on the western end of Lake Cumberland (ask for Lucas or Gwen!) or for the eastern end of the lake directly at StriperFun headquarters at Lee’s Ford Resort Marina on Fishing Creek in Somerset Kentucky (ask to speak with Bobby or Hunt at the marina ship store down on the water)!

    LEAGUE OF KENTUCKY SPORTSMEN!

    Regulations that govern hunting, fishing, and habitat are formed by both the Kentucky Wildlife Commission and the legislative process. The League of Kentucky Sportsmen (League) helps keep the hunter’s and fishermen on top of today’s issues. The combined voices of sportsmen are a powerful tool used to more effectively influence the decision making so that sportsmen can actually have a say in how the resources are managed.

    The League works with individuals, Government Agencies, and Club Affiliates to constantly support the use of scientific wildlife management practices on public lands, private lands, and corporate lands. The League also supports the Kentucky heritage of hunting, trapping, fishing, and the right to keep and bear arms. The League also provides assistance with organizing events to bring kids and adults together in the great outdoors.

    No single individual or organization can do it alone. The League needs your help. Become a member today.
    Contact the LKS office and order your membership over the phone at (859) 858-0135. Or click on to their website at:

    League Of Kentucky Sportsmen | Kentucky Hunting Enthusiasts > Home

    RECENT ACTIVITY
    The water temperature is holding steady in the low fifties and the bait fish are all back up into the creeks. The big predator Striped Bass are right here with them and here they will all stay, until spring comes around.

    The fishing is just terrific right now, with some really large fish being caught and lots of good numbers of keepers. The bite is still in full swing and it is “Big Fish” time on Lake Cumberland!

    RECENT CATCHES





    Check out the photo above of the Kreitzer group who fished with Captain Dave and slammed a nice limit! Please also see a photo of the Mills group who caught a nice limit of fish with Captain Jared!

    Kabam! Kapow! Kabam! Wow!!! It doesn’t get any better than this!

    Click this link to book your trip: http://striperfun.com/pages/bookacharter.php

    What to expect on the water

    The fish are now holding on flats early in the morning and then moving to the Canyon walls in the creek turns as the day warms.

    The canyon wall effect

    A pattern/tactic I find very productive this time of year is to keep my planer boards much closer to the boat than normal as I fish sheer drop off walls near where the larger creeks hit the main lake. On such sheer drops offs, you can be in 40 to 60 feet or water when your boat is only 30 to 40 feet off of the shore. Many times, the Striper schools will be on these sheer drop ledges as they have “corralled” shad schools up against the wall where they cannot escape so they can “rip” into them.

    It is certainly a site to see Stripers feeding heavy on the surface.

    However, understand clearly that this same type of “frenzied” feeding action can be occurring 30 to 40 feet deep right off the canyon wall and you would never know it!

    Most major creeks have such walls within a mile or so of the main lake. It is very important as you work to develop your “trophy Striper hunting skills” that you learn to read and understand the lake topographic maps and/or your GPS units so you can find the correct walls to fish. The easiest way to learn is follow the channel banks to find the deepest walls.

    This is why I keep my boards (although still in a “classic” V pattern) close to the boat, so I can keep the boat closer to the canyon wall. If the boards were further out, then I could not run the boat close to the wall because the outer boards would be hitting the bank and fowling/snagging.

    When you fish planer boards, you can develop a tendency to let the boards go “way out” from the boat. In shallow water, this is a must. But not when you are fishing 40 to 60 feet deep.

    Keeping the boards close allows me to directly target the fish on the canyon wall with a greater concentration of live bait, many times producing multiple hook ups. When I see a school of fish appear under the boat on my fish finder, I then stop the boat so the baits can “settle down” and drop into the feeding school.

    My new trolling motor also allows me to automatically “hover” over top of feeding fish automatically without having to touch the trolling motor. This makes “down line” fishing a lot easier!

    MINN KOTA TROLLING MOTORS FROM JOHNSON OUTDOORS

    I (and ALL StriperFun guides!) only use the Minn Kota “Rip Tide” trolling motors from Johnson Outdoors and so should you! As a professional fishing charter Captain, my livelihood depends on my trolling motor working every time – every day! For 15 years I have used Minn Kota trolling motors and my “Rip Tide” trolling motor never lets me down!

    With “cool” features like the hands free “Auto Pilot and “I” Pilot functions, I can set my motor and turn my back to deploy lines and have full confidence it will stay on course no matter the weather conditions! I would never consider using anything else but a Minn Kota trolling motor!

    I demonstrate Minn Kota “Rip Tide” trolling motors techniques on my “STRIPER FISH LIKE A PRO” instructional DVDs.

    Click this link to learn more about Minn Kota trolling motors from Johnson Outdoors:

    Home | Minn Kota Motors

    You can just imagine what happens. Whamo!

    It is interesting to think about all the big Striper feeding action going on that you cannot see on the surface. It makes me want to break out the rods and go hit them! I generally find that this “canyon wall effect” is best after the first few hours of the morning.

    Once we are a couple of hours into daylight the schools will move out of the flats further and deeper into these canyon walls. So later in the morning (generally about 10 a.m.), I will switch over to the “Slide Diver Lite Bite” and down rigger techniques described above.

    Find the bait balls and you will find the fish! However, in the colder water with fast moving bait schools, this is not always easy to do. You never want to spend hours fishing “dead water” with no evident predators below. Your time on the water is precious! To maximize your chances, this is where good fish finder electronics are a must!

    FISH FINDERS - STRIPERFUN GUIDES USE ONLY HUMMINBIRD FISH FINDERS!

    Humminbird fish finders are the highest quality fish finders on the market! They have great features like built in GPS lake map contouring for navigation and can be upgraded to add radar for night navigation! They have super cool “side imaging” (to locate fish and schools of bait out to the side of your boat!) and “down imaging” (for “photo like clarity” of what is under your boat).

    I demonstrate reading electronics techniques on my “STRIPER FISH LIKE A PRO” instructional DVDs.

    Click this link to learn more about Humminbird fish finders from Johnson Outdoors:

    Humminbird :: Fishfinder :: Depth Finder :: GPS Chartplotters :: Side Imaging Sonar Technology :: Marine Fish Finders

    TARGETING BIG FISH

    I also find that the very largest “older Stripers” will break away from the schools and will stay off by themselves. Kind of like how a huge buck deer will separate from the heard to live alone.

    This seems to be the normal life cycle of many of God’s creatures.

    I also find that most of these larger older Stripers (really big targets on the fish finder!) will “strategically hold” on underwater current break points (within a few feet off the bottom) waiting to ambush prey.

    Using the high quality fish finders, I search out and locate where there are channel swings in the creek bottom forming ledges (which the current washes nutrient rich water across!) or where there are sharp mud to rock transitional areas (nature’s “party zones” for the algae, plankton and bait fish!).

    It is in these areas I like to target these largest of fish and usually will find them!

    To do this effectively (to narrow the focus to only larger fish), I will Slide Diver and down rig larger (3/4 to 1 ounce) Captain Jim Special hair jigs with plastics trailers. Always keep your colors consistent! Use white trailers with white jigs and green trailers with green (chartreuse) jigs, Do not mix colors and you should have better luck (at least, from my experience).

    I troll at about 2.5 MPH in colder water. Since the fish are holding right off of the bottom, you need to keep your hair jigs directly in the strike zone. To do this, you have to be continually moving the downrigger ball (and subsequently the trailing lure!) “up and down” with the bottom contour so as to not hang up your lure or down rigger ball. It is a constantly active moving process and is better worked by having at least two people on the boat.

    You also have to use the right down rigging equipment!

    CANNON DOWN RIGGERS FROM JOHNSON OUTDOORS

    I only use Cannon Downriggers from Johnson Outdoors and so should you! I love my Cannon Down riggers!” For smooth operation and ease of use, you cannot beat Cannon down riggers. My electric "Digi Troll 5" down riggers delivers for me - Striper after Striper and they are lighting fast on the retrieve! Their dependability allows me to concentrate on the big fish I locate on the fish finder holding close to the bottom without having to worry about the downrigger’s performance or depth “accuracy”.

    I demonstrate Cannon Downriggers techniques on my “STRIPER FISH LIKE A PRO” instructional DVDs.

    Click this link to learn more about Cannon Downriggers from Johnson Outdoors:

    Cannon Downriggers | Johnson Outdoors

    SURFACE ACTION AND FISHING ETIQUETTE

    If you see a school of Stripers on the surface feeding, be sure to not run your boat directly into the school. Come down off of plane at least 150 feet away then approach by trolling motor on high speed. Be patient as well, do not throw until your lure can reach the edges of the school (that is mentally “hard” to do).

    Be respectful of other boaters as well. Unfortunately, you will rarely get the same treatment.

    The reality is that the fish usually will not stay up long. However, check the time on your watch and stay in the general area. My experience this time of year is that they re-surface every 6 to 8 minutes as they “herd” the large schools of shad to the surface (like any predators herd their pray). Many times, I find that if I “run” over towards them when I see them come up, by the time I get there they are “back down”! Then, when I look over, they are coming up “right where I just came from”! This is a technique you just have to learn (to be at the right place at the right time).

    Truthfully, sometimes it is just “luck”.

    If the Stripers are still all over the surface, we are absolutely hammering them throwing my Captain Jim “Little Friend” blade baits and my “Dominator” hair jigs, as well as the Kentucky and Tennessee “Thumper” rigs and the new “Striper Mugger” rig (multi lure casting rigs)!

    NEW LURE DESIGNS

    Captain Jim Lures, a Division of Striperfun.com, sells the top of the line the “Striper Mugger”, the "Kentucky Thumper" the “Tennessee Thumper” and the “Walleye Dazzler”! These lures have been heavily field tested, are super easy to cast (or troll) and besides being Striper magnets, they also absolutely wear out the Large Mouth, Spots, Walleye and Small Mouth!

    DO NOT BE FOOLED BY IMITATORS LURES NAMED AFTER OTHER STATES!

    The “Striper Mugger”, the "Kentucky Thumper", the “Tennessee Thumper” and the “Walleye Dazzler lures are all “higher quality” products that sells for much less than the competition AND THEY COME FULLY RIGGED where the competition’s rigs do not! They are tougher than any other multi lure casting rig and they will deliver for you!

    Click the link below to go to the StriperFun website and watch the new lures as their photos will appear (a new photo “pops in” every few seconds) in the middle of the top of the screen on the first page. Click any photo of any lure that to go in and read more about the newly designed lures and to see enhanced photos!

    StriperFun Fishing Guide Service - Lake Cumberland Striper Fishing

    You can also watch them demonstrated on YouTube by clicking the links below:

    “Striper Mugger”: Striper Mugger Lure - YouTube

    "Kentucky Thumper": Kentucky Thumper Lure - YouTube

    “Tennessee Thumper”: Tennessee Thumper Striper Lure - YouTube

    “Walleye Dazzler”: Walleye Dazzler Lure - YouTube

    I also demonstrate these techniques AND ALL STRIPER FUN LURES (umbrella rigs, hair jigs, blade baits and more!) on my “STRIPER FISH LIKE A PRO” instructional DVDs.

    Click this link for a preview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDa5q1k_PRI

    You can buy the DVDs and umbrella rig lures on line off of the StriperFun website, or at Sportsman’s Warehouse in Lexington and at Grider Hill Marina or at Lee’s Ford Marina (StriperFun Headquarters!) in the ship store.

    Come book a charter with me and get in on the fun surface casting action!!!

    You can go to the StriperFun website to click and watch my most recent TV shows and videos to see lures demonstrated. YOU CAN ALSO FIND THEM ON YOU TUBE!

    Captain Jim Durham of StriperFun Guide Service showcases Lake Cumberland - YouTube

    We continue to catch good numbers of Stripers with some occasional 20 pound plus fish (even a few 30 pound fish this season)! I am so very pleased to see the “big fish” bite maintaining! On many days it is Kapow! Kapow and “Wham” with many times limits for all StriperFun guides, lots of fish overall and several huge monster Stripers to boot!

    As always, every now and then the weather will shut the bite down for a day or so. But generally, we continue to be “tearing them up” with rod tips getting “yanked hard” into the water with fish after fish!

    Check the StriperFun website under “recent catches” for “photo after photo after photo” of nice limits StriperFun is delivering for other clients as well. The fishing this time of year can be absolutely spectacular! You can find massive schools of Stripers and big Smallmouth (that have trapped huge herds of bait fish) suddenly show up on the graph and “Kabom” down the rods go!

    Yee Hiii !!!!!! You live for this type of fishing!!

    SPECIAL NOTICE

    As a formal notice, the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife has lowered the size limit on Stripers from 24 to 22 inches. The creel count of two keepers a day remains the same.

    Many times our customers do not initially realize that the Striper fishing is 365 days year round. However, as the largest guide service in Kentucky, all of our boats are covered and heated and we virtually fish almost every day. Do not worry about the weather or let it keep you away!

    GIFT CERTIFICATES

    The gift of a weekend package trip (or even a one day Striper fishing trip) with StriperFun makes a great Father’s day present for Dad, a brother or for the family and kids, or can make a great bonus for an employee or a promotion for a customer! We fish year round and our trips are very popular and our booking dates fill up fast!

    Fishing is family friendly and wholesome. So if you are interested in catching “trophy Stripers” or giving the perfect gift to that special someone, order a StriperFun Guide Service gift certificate today!

    StriperFun also offers an extensive variety of products that make great gifts, including numerous types of fishing lures, Super bait tanks, Hydro Glow bait lights and much more!

    We take VISA and MASTERCARD credit cards!

    Call me for details toll free at 866-575-3770 or click my photo above to go to the StriperFun website to send me an email!

    HYDRO GLOW BAIT LIGHTS

    I get lots of calls about catching bait. For years I have been using the “Hydro Glow Bait Light” to catch bait and so should you! It allows me to be “mobile” and catch bait on the main lake as well as at the dock!
    The "NEW" Hydro Glow Fish Light (JUST RELEASED!) is actually an "LED". IT IS TWICE AS BRIGHT BUT IS HALF THE SIZE (and is less expensive than the older models!). It is designed to use 12 vdc low amperage fluorescents to produce a green glow similar to that emitted by chemical light sticks in widespread use by divers to lure fish. It will work all night on one battery!

    The patented design utilizes the green light technology for improving your fishing activities during the night time hours. The light is designed to vertically submerge with only the top 3 to 5 inches of the light above the water level. This insures the entire illumination of the light is in the water where to fish are, not the bugs!

    Boy, does it ever draw in the bait fish!

    Click this link to go to the StriperFun store to order:

    HYDRO GLOW | Striper Fun Guide Service!

    SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE

    All StriperFun fishing products are carried by Sportsman’s Warehouse! Sportsman’s Warehouse is America’s fastest growing “Premier Outfitter” national chain of sporting goods stores! They carry everything you need for your hunting and fishing needs!

    The closest Sportsman’s Warehouse to Lake Cumberland is in Lexington KY off of Interstate 75 - exit # 10. Their address is:

    SPORTSMAN’S WAREHOUSE
    2200 WAR ADMIRAL WAY
    LEXINGTON, KY 40509

    You can also get Captain Jim lures in Columbia South Carolina and in Roanoke Virginia!

    You will not find better Striper lures than the Captain Jim Special brand! Captain Jim gets his equipment at Sportsman’s Warehouse and so should you!

    StriperFun Guide Service now has six (6) guides to serve your charter needs. We can handle large group and corporate outings!

    My Captains and I are all Federal Coast Guard Certified and State licensed, insured and are well trained with well over 160 years of combined experience! If you want to catch Monster Stripers this fall and winter, then you better book soon! The prime late fall and early winter dates are already booking up, so do not wait too long to lock in your weekend trip! All of StriperFun’s guide boats are covered as well.

    Lee’s Ford Resort Marina is StriperFun Guide Service “Headquarters”! As one of the most comprehensive recreation, entertainment and dining experiences on Lake Cumberland, Lee’s Ford Resort Marina offers fantastic dining at the Harbor Restaurant, great lodging in beautiful cottages, condos and rentals on boat slips, personal watercraft and boats of various sizes. It is also the closest marina to visitors from Lexington and Ohio!

    If you have any other ideas, techniques or subjects you want me to write about, drop me a line!

    I am many times asked “What are the advantages to hiring a guide”? In essence, you hire a guide to utilize the guide’s many years of experience and lake knowledge, to learn new tactics and techniques to increase your chance of “landing the big one”. Guides use top of the line equipment and the freshest live bait. Also, if you cannot afford your own boat, it is a very cost effective way for you or your group to fish (cost per fisherman). Even professional fishermen hire guides to learn a lake and new techniques!

    We are now moving into the mid winter season. The winter solstice has come and gone (and we are still here!) and “Twilight” now rolls around just a little later each night. I look forward to seeing all of you this year on the water.

    Count your blessings each day and live “in the moment”, not in the future and always remember to stop and shake the hand of a person in uniform or wearing garb that shows they are a veteran! Their service is why you speak English, can vote and can enjoy the freedoms you do!

    Remember also to always obey all Kentucky fishing regulations while on Lake Cumberland or any Kentucky waterway. Following the rules is a must! It is important that we all be good stewards of our fishing resources. If you have any questions about fishing regulations or to report poachers, call Kentucky Fish and Wildlife at 800-858-1549.

    Until next time, blue skies and tight lines!
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