Cumberland and kids

I need some help with suggestions on how to put a couple kids on fish (preferably bass or bluegill) on the eastern end of the lake around Burnside on Labor Day Weekend. Neither kid has much experience with lures but I know they would both chunk and wind until their arms fell off. Is anything shallow enough now to be caught on a bait that doesn't have to run too deep? I can't see them pulling a deep diver very long. They will both get up early if there is a morning bite.

How about bluegill? I thought about dropping some wax worms down 20 foot or so under the docks at the marina. I doubt you could do any good with bobbers unless they are slip bobbers fished very deep (other than the three inch fish that are always shallow). If they pull them up from that deep, will they go back down ok?

Thought about trying for walleye after the banks muddy up also by pulling bassinshads but I'm afraid they would get bored with that if we don't hit something soon.

I'm open to suggestions. I spend all my time striper fishing and haven't bass fished in a long time. Thanks in advance.

[QUOTE=striperwiper;302667]I need some help with suggestions on how to put a couple kids on fish (preferably bass or bluegill) on the eastern end of the lake around Burnside on Labor Day Weekend. Neither kid has much experience with lures but I know they would both chunk and wind until their arms fell off. Is anything shallow enough now to be caught on a bait that doesn't have to run too deep? I can't see them pulling a deep diver very long. They will both get up early if there is a morning bite.

How about bluegill? I thought about dropping some wax worms down 20 foot or so under the docks at the marina. I doubt you could do any good with bobbers unless they are slip bobbers fished very deep (other than the three inch fish that are always shallow). If they pull them up from that deep, will they go back down ok?

Thought about trying for walleye after the banks muddy up also by pulling bassinshads but I'm afraid they would get bored with that if we don't hit something soon.

I'm open to suggestions. I spend all my time striper fishing and haven't bass fished in a long time. Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

there are a ton of little bluegills shallow - a bobber rig with wax worms can keep them busy. if you want to try for bass, use same bobber rig with either nightcrawler or minnow. if they want to cast, rooster tails (1/8oz white) would attract any/all sub 12in spots along a bank. the area around burnside island itself would be ok as would either the north or south fork. getting out of boat traffic would mean running either river for ~3mi to give the kids some peace. good luck and let me know if i can help anymore. be safe!

Thanks UYKY. Do you know if there are any small kentucky bass up Pitman creek now? I could get out of traffic a little up there also.

[QUOTE=striperwiper;302671]Thanks UYKY. Do you know if there are any small kentucky bass up Pitman creek now? I could get out of traffic a little up there also.[/QUOTE]

i have not been in pitman ck for over 1mo due to boat traffic during the summer. the spots i have found are generally bunched up around wood in 5-15ft of water and have been up the rivers. midlake (conley bottom down to thomas branch) also has lots of spots hanging wound wood in 10-15ft of water in the backs of creeks. these are generally 6-12 in fish so no whoppers but lots of fun for beginners. the better spots i have seen are schooled in the channels and swimming below schools of shad. good luck!