Skunked at Big C - any thoughts on what happened?

Guys,

Its been a long time since Ive been totally skunked at Cumberland. But Tuesday of this week (*it was 70 degrees) after that big rainfall, we were sure we'd get into some fish.

So here's what happened -

Put in at Halcombs - went straight across and hit some points going down the lake. All good points, good water depth. Found fish down tight to the bottom in a few places. Obviously not much structure other than some ledges, it was all 50 foot up the bank! Water was between 52-54 degrees.

I started off throwing a shakey head football style 1/4 with a 3' green pumpkinseed grub on 8lb test, 6.5 mid-lite action rod with original stren on an ambassador spinning reel. Fished it slow. My partner threw a silver buddy for a while and caught a striper. No luck on smallies.

Then we went over to fish some cuts rather than points, and hit some secondary points and a flat or two with a ledge we know of. I threw some cranks on this (DT 16s) and then a couple of gambler spinnerbaits I fished slow. Nothing.

Later on, went way down the lake and tried to hit some main lake walls and points again, but the wind was vicious, blowing up some big waves. Made it hard to fish slow in the wind, but we could see fish, just couldnt get bit.

Lastly, went over to the lee side of the lake and got out of the wind near the dam. Threw a light hair jig (1/8) with no trailer on a lighter spinning outfit (6 lb and lighter action rod) which has produced for me in the past when nothing else works on some deep ledges off 2ndary points.

Nothing...

Now was I totally off base with what I was throwing and how I was fishing? I dont get to fish big C much, so that is a possibility. Or did the rain/weather changet throw it off?

Any thoughts or ideas?

Sorry but I was laughing when I read your post even though it's not funny at all. I love Cumberland and I wish there was a magic bullet for that lake but there's not. I too have done what you did only to go back to the same area or very similar type areas and just whack the tar out of'em the very next day. Those wind blown banks and the ole spinnerbait slow rolled or at times burned can be deadly down there this time of year. Don't be afraid to power fish down there in low 50 degree water as those ole brown bass will come out of 20 feet to smash a spinnerbait just under the surface. This past January, middle of the month, I got a wild hair and went down there by myself and fished hard all morning. I had a couple of dinks and maybe one undersized smallmouth. Frustrated and was thinking of going home, I decided I was going to target stripers. I tied on a 1/2 oz white bucktail jig and a 3 inch white grub trailer and began to make very long casts and just crank it back to the boat with a nothing special retrieve. I never did catch a striper but what I did catch was 5 smallmouth that was over a 19 lb sack, all released of course. Go figure water in the low 50's to upper 40's and guys fishing the F-N-F and I smacked'em around on a big profile hairjig rolled to the boat in less than 8 feet of water. You didn't do anything wrong it was just the big C being her usually old self, cranky that day, kinda like the wife get's sometime, LOL.

Not a big bass guy, but given the time of year do you think you should have allocated more time to the creeks rather than the main-lake? Waters a tea brown color too, which I assume is from the lake turning over so that may have come into play too. That lake can be the ultimate humbler...

[QUOTE=Lowerider;310581]Not a big bass guy, but given the time of year do you think you should have allocated more time to the creeks rather than the main-lake? Waters a tea brown color too, which I assume is from the lake turning over so that may have come into play too. That lake can be the ultimate humbler...[/QUOTE]

Turnover and creeks, two good thoughts for sure. You just knick named it Lowerider, " The Ultimate Humbler ", that's perfect.

[QUOTE=mhall;310586]Turnover and creeks, two good thoughts for sure. You just knick named it Lowerider, " The Ultimate Humbler ", that's perfect.[/QUOTE]

Thats a great name for it!

We went into Indian a ways, but not too far back. That water was awfully clear on Tuesday, I guess from the rainfall. Didnt look tea colored to me, but then again I dont see too well. :)


Yea, my thought was hittin the wind blown banks with the big gambler spinnerbaits when the finesse / light line wasnt producing, but I didnt do any good there either.

Maybe I'll try and go back next week and see if I can catch her on a better day. My grandfathers both loved Cumberland better than any other and preferred her over Dale any day. I have to say, its my favorite lake in KY as well, having grown up fishing Caney and Wolf my whole life with those granddads. I know every part of Caney and Wolf, but we went in my buddy's boat the other day and he wanted to fish down at Halcomb's.

I kept telling him if we'd gone to 'my part of the lake' we wouldnta got skunked. hehe.

Hey does anyone know if Pleasant Hill in the mouth of Caney is launchable?

Yea they arestill launching at Pleasant without too much trouble, you'll be alright there from what I've seen from the water. Hey don't give up on the west end of the lake you were down in my holler there. Westfork, Middlefork, Whipperwill, Brown creeks have got some honker smallmouth swimming in them, trust me.

[QUOTE=mhall;310593]Yea they arestill launching at Pleasant without too much trouble, you'll be alright there from what I've seen from the water. Hey don't give up on the west end of the lake you were down in my holler there. Westfork, Middlefork, Whipperwill, Brown creeks have got some honker smallmouth swimming in them, trust me.[/QUOTE]

Hey! whose holler you talkin about? I can see all those creek's right now from where I sit. :) :)

Cumberland wins again! I live in Somerset - now for 7 yrs and i have NEVER fished a lake more difficult in my life. Even fishing in the mud puddles left after a hard rain is kinder than C-land. Don't give up, as everyone here has said, Cumberland can and does humble anyone that fishes it regularly. When the Everstart championship was here, i learned that this lake is quite a challenge for even the pros. It is the unpredictable nature of Cumberland that makes it so much fun to fish!
I also fished on Tues of this week -> launched out of conley bottom and fished midlake. temps in the 56-58 range. lake definitely turning over which affected the bite at midlake. did catch 5 - 4 short smallmouth and 1 short ky. several areas that have been holding fish for the last 2-3 wks did not produce. the wind was ferocious and i beleive did scatter the fish to some degree. what boat were you in? i was in a red triton tr 21 x (would love to meet some of you guys that post on this site)
also fished yesterday - decided to fish upper end due to the lake turning over. had one fantastic 19.5" largemouth and a keeper spot. fished lots of mud and the clarity difference called for a radical change of baits than what i had been throwing down lake. temps still in the 57-58 range but very muddy.
good luck to all fishing tourneys this weekend here at C-land and dress warm (it is biting cold out here now!)

[quote=PRO V LE;310594]Hey! whose holler you talkin about? I can see all those creek's right now from where I sit. :) :)[/quote]

I know the nerve of some folks :p May be he will be kind enough to remove those brown fish from our striper banks in those areas :D

On a more serious note, one thing that striper fishing has taught me is that smallies will eat a large lure. Just about every time I've night fished for stripers since t-giving I've had a nice smallie hit a 4-5 inch deep running striper crank, in areas that they are not supposed to be right now. I know a lot of guys like fnf right now, but I would definitely throw a crank from time to time to keep them honest. Also note that bottom fishing for stripers during the day this time of year will also produce a few large smallies. Those smallies are not hitting small baits. Just a few rambling thoughts that might help some of you bass fishermen hit a good smallie or three.

Andrew

Well I don't have any advice but you were not the only one to get skunked, happend to me too. I was down there on Tuesday as well and basically fished like you, thew crankbaits, shaky head worm, bitsy bug jig and a fluke. I usually always get bit on one of these but did not have a strike.

The guy that was fishing with me brought some minnows and was fishing them on on three different rods at various depths all day and only caught one small Ky on the minnow. He threw a silver buddy a while and caught a small Ky that was pretty deep 30 - 35 ft. He also threw a gulp minnnow grub on a lead head and caught 3 small stripers.

We put in at Pleasant Hill, the ramp is fine. Fished in caney and over in the mouth of Wolf and then went across the lake and fished in some of the cuts, all the fish caught were in those cuts. I tallked with a friend who was fishing the same day with shiners and they were catching a bunch. So it look like they were looking for the big baits.

I was like you I thought it would be a great day but turned out to be a bust. I don't fish C-land very much either so I'm no expert but usually catch a few small fish.

guys I cant thank you enough for taking the time to answer. I am going back next week (that trip was just enough to remind me how much I love Cumberland) and I'll be putting in at Pleasant, as its my old ground.

I'll be trying some bigger baits as well and see what I can find in creeks.

You can see my boat in the pic, its an ole brown/white 78 cajun with a 115 evinrude. Actually that pic is in the first major bend in Caney, looking toward pleasant hill (its to the right) with that long bank in the way. Matter of fact, Ive caught some good fish on that bank! Tuesday down around Indian and the dam, we were in a red/white stratos. Probably be in my ole boat next week, I'll let you know what day we going maybe we can meet up.

Thanks again.