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Lake Cumberland Fishing Report Updated
January 31, 2010
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THE LAKE CUMBERLAND STRIPER FISHING REPORT
By Captain Jim Durham – StriperFun Guide Service
Staff Writer for fishin.com
DATE OF REPORT: January 31, 2010
• Latest water temperature: 44.8° F surface (Caney Creek) January 28, 2010
• Latest water temperature: 45.1° F surface (Otter Creek) January 27, 2010
• Latest water temperature: 44.9° F surface (Lilly Creek) January 28, 2010
• Current lake level is Lake Level: 697.02 feet.
Currently, the lake level is right at 697.02 feet above sea level which is nearly 20 feet ABOVE the normal (working on the dam) elevation of 680.00 feet above sea level. The lake is now only about 23 feet below the tree line, which is 725' above sea level. I will keep you posted.
Greetings to my readers! I hope the world finds you and your family doing well!
SPECIAL NOTICE
DAYTON FISHING SHOW!
Come see me and the StriperFun gang at our booth at the upcoming annual "Dayton Fishing Show" at the Airport Expo Center in Vandalia, OH. This is part of the Dayton Boat Show.
The Dayton Fishing Show Dates & Times are:
Thursday February 18th 1:00pm-8:00pm
Friday February 19th 1:00pm-8:00pm
Saturday February 20th 10:00am-8:00pm
Sunday February 21st 10:00am-5:00pm
I will be one of the guest speakers at the Dayton Fishing Show, teaching a seminar on Striper Fishing at Lake Cumberland on Sunday February 21st at 1:00 pm. We will also have our lowest prices of the year on our “Striper Fish like a Pro” instructional DVDs, lures and equipment!
Stop by the StriperFun booth to:
1. Book your spring Striper adventure (we are already booking heavy for March & April, do not delay)!
2. Purchase StriperFun's "StriperFish Like a Pro" DVD instructional "how to" videos, as well as “Hydro Glow Bait/Fish Lights” and “Super Bait Tanks”!
3. We will also have Captain Jim's new "Striper Dominator" Umbrella rigs and the new "Captain Jim Special" Striper jigs at unbelievable show prices!
Or stop by to just “talk fishing” with Captain Jim and all the StriperFun Captains!
ACTIVITY / CURRENT REPORT
As I sit and look out the window at the 7 inches or so of snow we got in the last few days, it gives me time to reflect on the wonder and beauty of Lake Cumberland. It truly is a fishermen’s paradise. We are blessed to have it as an available resource!
The lake is up nearly 20 feet above the normal (working on the dam) level and it is very muddy across all of the 50,000 plus acres with dangerous logs and debris everywhere! This was caused by the torrential rains of 10 days back. Normally, in about a week, the lake would clean out and clear up. However, with the 6 to 8 inches of snow now “also” melting, I am guessing a minimum of 10 days to 2 weeks before the conditions in the lake will improve to make fishing viable.
COLD WEATHER – GOOD NEWS!
With the cold weather we have had this winter, the water temperature in our deep water reservoir has gotten colder earlier than it did last year and this will be very good for the 2010 fishing year!
As you will recall, last year there were water temperature and interrelated fish & bait issues. In May 2009, Kentucky had the most rain every recorded. As such, the Corp of Engineers had to release a record amount of water out of the lake to make room for this massive influx of rainwater.
Lake Cumberland, as a deep highland reservoir, maintains a coldwater “sluice” (an area of coldwater) that is normally between 35 to 90 feet deep. This sluice retains lots of oxygen, needed for the big predator fish. Since the Corp of Engineers had to release a record amount of water out of the lake to make room for this massive influx of rainwater in May, the water was pulled out of the bottom of the lake and this affected the cold water sluice.
THIS COLD WEATHER (AND EARLY COLDER WATER TEMPERATURE) THEREFORE WILL HELP CREATE AN EVEN LARGER COLDWATER “SLUICE” THAT WILL PROTECT THE STRIPERS AND BAIT FISH DURING THIS COMING SUMMER!
From my point of view, I believe 2010 will be even better than the phenomenal 2009 season we had! Yee Hii!!!!!!!!!
Late winter and early spring can be just terrific months to fish for Monster Stripers, with lots of numbers and major trophies caught. You will need to wait a few weeks for the lake to clear up (as I outlined above), but don’t let the colder weather hold you back! The big Stripers “love the colder water” and get very active.
MOST RECENT REPORT
We stopped fishing 4 days ago when just prior to the snow storm hitting. With the colder weather, the Stripers stopped lurking near the surface a few weeks back and moved back out in 40 to 60 feet or water, hanging at 25 to 30 feet deep.
Pulling boards with live bait is the ticket. On windier days, we are catching a number of keepers “bottom fishing” on transition banks (rock and mud) and deep shale banks, along with big Walleye and Smallmouth. Learn to be flexible. Every day is different.
It should be noted that most of the bait fish are only 1 to 2 inches long. You need to “match the hatch” to catch them. I recommend you throw a “Captain Jim Special” ½ ounce “Silver Pal” chrome blade bait. It will vibrate the end of your rod tip strongly, perfectly matches the size of the bait fish and “call the big ones” in. I sell these – call me.
I also rig a ¾ ounce Captain Jim Special hair jig with a 1/8th ounce smaller Captain Jim Special hair jig tied on with a 2 foot leader onto the larger jig’s hook (do not put a trailer plastic on the larger jig’s hook). That way, the larger jig gives you the weight to get it way out there, but the fish will hit the smaller jig (that looks like a baby shad chasing its mother etc..). This can be just “killer” in shallow water.
One if my favorite shallow water casting techniques (I use when pulling weightless boards in the winter) is to throw a Captain Jim Special hair jig rigged with a 4 inch plastic trailer. The trick to catching these “ultra shallow” fish is to actually cast the jig “up on the shore”. The reason being, that the “splash” of the large jig in the shallow water will many times “spook” a large Striper. If you fish shallow water in the winter often enough you will experience the sick feeling of seeing your lure hit the water and see an immediate “swirl” of a large “startled” fish fleeing for deep water!
SO, AGAIN, TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM, WE ACTUALLY CAST OUR JIGS UP ON THE SHORE! Then, as we take up the slack of the line to get it tight, we then “hop” the jig (with a quick raising of the rod and a slight jerk on the lure) quietly into the water. The jig will have a tendency to snag on rocks and submerged wood. As soon as you hop your jig into the water you need to raise your rod tip high and reel quickly. This will virtually eliminate most snagging of the jigs on the bottom.
This type of fishing can be really exciting!
As you hop your lure into the water and begin to quickly retrieve your jig from the edge of the shore, it will began to smack into rocks, wood etc. This can cause a “reaction” bite (like a large mouth smacking a crank bait after it careens off of a stump). It works on Stripers too!
You will many times experience the same “swirl” of a large Striper’s tail in the shallow water. The difference is that now the fish isn’t running away, IT IS FLYING TO EAT YOUR LURE!
You need to be ready as soon as you hop the lure in and begin the retrieve. We catch many Stripers that are hanging around eating bait fish right on the edge of the shore. A soon as you hop the lure in they many times will slam it! This is especially true on windy days when the wind is blowing in towards the bank you are fishing. The wind blows in the bait fish that are “tired” from fight the wind. They make easy prey for the Stripers, so always pay attention to the wind direction when you chose a bank to fish.
The bottom line is that the lake is beautiful, we are catching great fish on most days and all the fish we are catching are healthy.
One of the most positive things is that we can now catch alewives shad under the lights again!
Regarding catching bait, one of the new “secret weapons” I have been using to catch bait is the “Hydro Glow Bait Light”! Captain Jim Durham uses “Hydro Glow Bait Lights” and so should you! It allows me to be “mobile” and catch bait on the main lake as well as at the dock!
The Hydro Glow Fish Light uses a 12 vdc low amperage florescent 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 (and most importantly – your bait catching) 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!
As the exclusive area "on line" dealer of Hydro Glow Bait Lights, StriperFun has just received word from the manufacturer that the top selling 2 foot bait light can be sold for $129.95!! This is a huge 30% savings off the regular $185.00 price!
CAPTAIN JIM’S FISHING BUNGALOW IS FOR SALE!
Attention Lake Cumberland fishermen! I have a “great deal” for a fisherman or family looking to buy a really nice and clean fishing bungalow (or weekend retreat) at Lake Cumberland!
My fishing bungalow sits on two lots and is 5 minutes drive to Conley Bottom Marina by car and 10 minutes to Monticello shopping (and you can walk directly down the hill to the lake and a County ramp)! This two bedroom trailer comes completely furnished! It has a very nice interior (furniture and wall decorations picked out by my wife!), central heat, a huge porch, air conditioning, newer appliances, new TVs and is satellite TV & high speed internet wired. It has lots of closet space, a fire pit, tons of parking and has a partial lake view!
The property alone is worth the asking price of $38,900.00! PLEASE CLICK THE PHOTO AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE to be directed to a web page on my website that has more details and photos!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CALL ME, OR CALL THE AGENT HANDLING THE PROPERTY - BRENDA BLEVINS AT 606-305-3026.
If you find a school, you may have to position the boat over them and try to stay on them. On a windy day, you may be better off not using planer boards, but rather just use all "down lines" as it is easier to stay positioned over top of the fish this way.
We also are jigging hammered spoons and Captain Jim Special Dominator jigs when these big “waves” of fish come through.
I demonstrate these techniques on “Striper Fish like a Pro” Volume # 2.
If you catch a Striper less than 24 inches, try to keep it in the water, get the hook out of it and release it ASAP to give it the best chance to live (if you do not do this, the fish will likely die).
Watch out for logs in the water. Enjoy the quiet beauty and majesty of Lake Cumberland. As always, there is the occasional day or two in a row where the bite turns slow (or off). It is generally weather related (like a big low pressure front). If the bite is slow for you, don’t feel alone. On slow days, I get calls from guides all around the lake on my cell phone asking if we are hitting them (because they are not hitting them either). You just hang tough and keep fishing. Always remain positive. Remember, you are on one of the most beautiful bodies of water the Lord created. Enjoy it! Slow days can suddenly become “great memory making days” if you hit a school that suddenly turns on and every rod goes down! You can never make a shot you do not take. Stay after them!
NEW STRIPERFUN “ONLINE” STORE
FACTORY DIRECT SALES OF ALL MARINE ELECTRONICS!
Because of continued demand for super high quality fishing equipment INCLUDING FACTORY DIRECT SALES OF ALL MARINE ELECTRONICS, I am pleased to announce the “grand opening” of the StriperFun “online” store. You will find terrific & cutting edge new products available on the StriperFun “online” store, as well as basic things you need.
IF YOU APPRECIATE MY FISHING REPORTS, I WOULD APPRECIATE A CHANCE TO EARN YOUR BUSINESS!! PLEASE CHECK OUT THE STRIPERFUN ONLINE STORE!
Click the link beside my photo at the top of the page to go to the StriperFun website – then click the link to the “online store”!
StriperFun Guide Service now has four (5) 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 no less than 30 years experience per man! If you want to catch Monster Stripers this winter or spring, then you better book soon! The prime late winter – early spring dates are booking up, so do not wait too long to lock in your weekend trip! All of StriperFun’s guide boats are covered as well, so come see us.
We are now into the winter season. Winter equinox has come and gone! The days are getting longer again as “twilight” now rolls around just a little later each night.
SPRING WILL BE HERE AGAIN BEFORE WE KNOW IT!
It is great to welcome in another new season, and exhilarating at the same time! Count your blessings each day and live “in the moment”, not in the future.
JIM STRADER RADIO SHOW
Be sure to listen in to the "Outdoors with Jim Strader" show that airs weekly on Sunday Evenings from 6-8 pm on 84 WHAS-AM, a 50,000 watt Clear Channel radio station in Louisville Kentucky (you can listen in on line!). Tune in and catch Captain Jim’s Lake Cumberland Striper Fishing Report on Sunday night to see how the prior week’s fishing went!
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 hope to see you on the lake! Good fishin!!
Captain Jim Durham
Toll free 866-575-3770
United States Coast Guard Licensed Merchant Marine Officer License No.
1037731
Kentucky State Guide License # 007
captainjim@striperfun.com |
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Current Lake Records
Sturgeon*: 36lbs 8 oz. Caught By:
Barney Frazier, Corbin Ky. 10/3/54
No current population of Sturgeon known to exist in the lake
Striped Bass*: 58 lbs 4 ozs Caught By:
Roger Foster, Somerset, Ky. 12/11/85
Sauger*: 7lbs. 7 ozs. Caught By
Rastie Andrew, Jamestown, Ky. 4/28/83
Walleye*: 21 lbs 8 ozs Caught By: Currently 3rd Largest
ever caught..
Abe Black, Shaker Heights, Oh. 10/1/58
Muskie: Mike Casada (Unofficial Record) NO weight
submitted.
Tailwaters Records
Brown Trout*: 21 lbs 0 ozs Caught By:
Tom Malone of Crofton, Ky. April 30, 2000 *State Record
Lake Trout*: 5lbs 5 ozs Caught by:
John McDonough, Jeffersontown, Ky. 4/4/83
No known population in river, Lakers Were stocked in Cumberland Lake and
In Dale Hollow, and it is surmised the fish came from there or from a
stocking of lake trout in the 80's in Lake Cumberland.
Rainbow Trout*: 14lbs 6 ozs Caught By:
Jim Mattingly, Somerset, Ky. 9/10/72
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