Stripers in the jumps..but no fish

Just got back from Lake Cumberland. Fished the main Lake between Low Gap
and Govenors cove. Govenors Cove is by the radio tower.

Found bait fish in 80 foot of water consistently. Fished Bucktail Jigs, Gizz 4,
Spoons and the kitchen sink. No fish...

About 9:00 in the morning we say a huge boil of stripers in a feeding frenzy. It was about 300 yards away. By the time we got there it was over and the bait fish were scattered. We circled and tried everything but no fish.

We saw four flare ups that were tremendous. This is the first time I have ever witnessed a boil up and I got to tell you that is exciting.

We circled the area for hours as this was happening but not one fish. Something hit our bait once but that was it.

We were fishing 30 - 50 feet deep.

What the heck am I doing wrong?! Any suggestions?

How long do the stripers feed like this? Does it last a month?

I seen the stripers act like this on the Ohio River before, they would be in the jumps, but would not hit anything but live bait. We throw the whole box at them and nothing. So we caught some fresh shad, and as long as the shad was alive they hit, as soon as the bait was dead nothing, not even jigging the real shad would work. I dont know if is legal to use a cast net on LC but if so get some shad and you should catch some. Good Luck next time out.

Welcome to jump fishing at the big C. I've seen what you described many times and so have alot of other people. Here are some dont do's. Don't get too close. There are spooky and will go down at the slightest sound sometimes. Stay off the trolling motor as much as you can. Turn your sonar off. Drift around in the area and be quiet as possible and be prepared to make long casts. If a jump comes up while you are doing all this and you can reach the jump with a long cast with a walking surface lure, hang on........

So you are saying once I see a jump..To get in the area and be very still?

These jumps were occuring all around us but very far away. We would get 300 yards to them and they were gone. Then we trolled the area and marked bait fish but no fish.

Maybe we should have sat real close with our rods cocked and ready to cast?

[QUOTE=motalot;305114]So you are saying once I see a jump..To get in the area and be very still?

These jumps were occuring all around us but very far away. We would get 300 yards to them and they were gone. Then we trolled the area and marked bait fish but no fish.

Maybe we should have sat real close with our rods cocked and ready to cast?[/QUOTE]

You got the right idea. I've seen it when they are real hot and heavy and you can get by with quite a bit. But as I read your post I felt your pain, been there, done that, many times and it seems that is the norm anymore on the jumps down there.

They are very spooky and go back down at a drop of a hat. I use a Knucklehead Sr. when they are in the jumps and a big Super Zara Spook to try to call one up if I am in an area that has been producing jumps. After they do come up, keep a rod with a 3/4 oz Silver Buddy or Big Rattle Trap to fan cast when they go down. Let it sink and reel it in letting it fall from time to time during the retrieve. Even when they are in the jumps, the theory is that the REALLY big fish swim under the topwater action picking off the easy prey that is knocked silly and sinks. Some say that to catch the really big fish to cast a redfin or something to get under the topwater activity to target these fish. I can never do that for the topwater hit is just too sweet to pass up.

try a little george or jigging spoon or a smaller bucktail.one thig too is if you notice the direction they are going make a big circle and get in front,let them come to you,don't even drop the trolling motor you really don't need it and usually they clunk when you drop it.

We fished the Striper jumps at Lake Murray in South Carolina a few years back and the experienced locals were using 7ft or longer spinning rods with the line of their choice and throwing big plugs, spoons or jigs. They could cast a country mile with this setup. It works!

Some good advice in the above posts. Stripers can get finicky like that. If they are targeting small bait, you gotta present a small lure or bait to them or they'll leave them alone. They can also spook easily when shallow like that too. Quiet approach, cast from a distance is best. I was lucky a few years back and had an acre sized school come up and beat bait for about 45 minutes. I was the only boat there and quite enjoyed the topwater experience :D School split into several smaller pods. I stayed with one. At one point I had the trolling motor off just moving with the breeze. Stripers were busting shad right at the boat. Even heard a few hit the bottom of the boat. Hard to put away that topwater plug when they are blowing up like that, but a spoon or jig worked below the madness can pull out the larger fish.

Andrew

[QUOTE=apb;305186]Some good advice in the above posts. Stripers can get finicky like that. If they are targeting small bait, you gotta present a small lure or bait to them or they'll leave them alone. They can also spook easily when shallow like that too. Quiet approach, cast from a distance is best. I was lucky a few years back and had an acre sized school come up and beat bait for about 45 minutes. I was the only boat there and quite enjoyed the topwater experience :D School split into several smaller pods. I stayed with one. At one point I had the trolling motor off just moving with the breeze. Stripers were busting shad right at the boat. Even heard a few hit the bottom of the boat. Hard to put away that topwater plug when they are blowing up like that, but a spoon or jig worked below the madness can pull out the larger fish.

Andrew[/QUOTE]

I wish I would have been with you that day Andrew, you had to be having a blast with that much activity around you. It does make the heart beat a few times don't it, lol ??

[quote=mhall;305209]I wish I would have been with you that day Andrew, you had to be having a blast with that much activity around you. It does make the heart beat a few times don't it, lol ??[/quote]

Stripers slamming a topwater plug, knocking it 6 feet off the water, slamming it again, several times, hitting it harder each time. Yeah, a deadman woulda had a pulse that day :D

Andrew

[QUOTE=apb;305263]Stripers slamming a topwater plug, knocking it 6 feet off the water, slamming it again, several times, hitting it harder each time. Yeah, a deadman woulda had a pulse that day :D

Andrew[/QUOTE]
It was a dead calm overcast day midweek in Oct. I was sitting in my favorite area with downrods waiting on them to come thru. Eagles soaring, not another boat around all morning and then it happened. The lake kept exploding, it got bigger and bigger they were slapping the side of the boat, the shad were flying everywhere.
My knees were like jelly, my heart pounding and I had a magnum PopR in my hand along with a 15#Striper and the landing net had every hook imbedded.
After I cut the hooks I just sat there and laughed for awhile.
I'm at the lake now, will fall ever get here?

Dave.