just finished 11 day vacation from Lake Cumberland

Went out with Johnny Rush last Thursday and fished the Cumberland River. Boated a 22# and a 28# striper missed one big fish..close to 40# funny but not many people fish the river for Stripers. The key is good bait. WE fished with 10" Gizzard shad trolling with the current..free lining the shad.

Pretty cool trip the shad surface when they see the striper below and the shad dances behind the planer board. The stripers will surface and look at the bait first..sometimes they will hit the shad with thier tale or **** the shad in and spit it our real fast,,tryingn to stun the bait I assume. You have to watch the planer board as it is your strike indicator. I reacted to fast and lost a 40# fish. Awesome Trip and Johnny Rush showed me how to do this myself. It is work as you have to catch your bait. But well worth the trip.

Fished Cumberland Lake sparingly as the wife and kids were there to play. I did watch the fish and would say that the fish have moved out to the main lake now. Most of the guides were fishing the main lake along Lily Creek wall as well as painted wall across from Low Gap. Looks like they were fishing the mouths more so than fishing in the coves. Saw a 30# being cleaned at the dock. Caught on live bait. At the beginning of the week they were around 35 foot deep. Trolling down riggers worked really good with buck tail jigs and a chartruese trailer.

I would say fishing is on now the lake has steadied and morning fishing being the best.