Cumberland lake bust!!!

Just got back from the longest two days of fishing I've ever had in my life! Finally got my father-in-law out to the CL for some winter striper fishing and it went something like this....

Day 1- Arrived early Tues. and put in despite the bitter cold temps and scattered snow showers. As we put in, my father-in-laws trailer snaps a leaf spring. We get the boat in, but the trailer is jacked! Nothing we could do at the time so we headed out to an area that produced in the past but it wasn't to be this time! My father-in-law never treated his gas, so we had a partially frozen line. We'd start the engine...go 50 yds....the engine would die....repeat process. Birds everywhere, along with shad, but never saw the stripers come up. Marked several schools and tried vertical jigging everyting under the sun without a single bite. Ended up the day by going into town, getting a new leaf spring, and fixing the trailer.

Day 2- (Wed) Getting a good nights rest at a local hotel, we awoke to bitter cold. Temps down in the low single digits. I pretty much knew we were screwed, but we had come so far to fish that we went for it anyway. Got to the ramp and the water was frozen, about 1/4 inch of ice! What do we do, we go anyways, forging ahead like Titanic waiting for the hull to burst and us to go down. We finally make it past the ice and back into our spot. Tons of birds, but I think their feet were frozen to the water, cause they weren't moving! Located some fish deep and jigged the morning away with no bites. Packed it up around 10:00am and headed to another area......pulled up....mud! Drove to another area........pulled up....mud! We are basicly screwed at this point, so we cut our loses and go fish the river below Wolf Creek dam. Pulled down to the river, and it was the highest I have ever seen it. We went for it anyways. Ended our trip to the CL for stripers with a whopping total of 3, 10" rainbow trout. I'm depressed. :(

Ouch. That blows.

I guess just write it off as more experience gained. Sometimes it rougher than a cobb out there.

I do appreciate the report anyway, thanks!

Yeah....it was definetly an experience! One that I would like to forget! What do you all consider ideal winter striper conditions? Obviously they aren't single digit temps and ice covered water (found that one out).

Fishing is hard in the winter and when you break stuff in the process it's even worse. I don't know about the stripes in the winter, but I can tell you that the Ky's, Smallies, and Largemouth aren't anymore turned on by the cold weather than the rest of us. I don't blame them for not wanting to come to the top of the water...it's colder out than in! Look at it this way though...if you didn't go you'd been wondering if you could caught fish...well now you know...but it probably won't stop you from doing something similar again next year because when you get fishin' in the blood and on the brain not much will detour you! :)

Sorry about your luck. I'm planning to head out there Saturday, so hopefully the fish will have decided to cooperate by then.

Ahh Richyd4u,
Sorry to hear you blanked I know you wanted your father-in-law to catch a striper with you. Plus your trailer brakes that is a bummer as well, I have had a few of those days where the gift just keeps giving but not for a while knock on wood.
Better luck next time I am headed out tomorrow so hopefully they are feeding again will let you know.

I know the feeling, just look at my avatar. Lessons learned and next time you'll be more prepared before you leave for the lake. But you'll do it again. That's one thing we all have in common.

[QUOTE=markmac60;352523]I know the feeling, just look at my avatar. Lessons learned and next time you'll be more prepared before you leave for the lake. But you'll do it again. That's one thing we all have in common.[/QUOTE]

Alright, story please?????

Where was the mud located? Wanting to go Sunday.

Jiggy2

[QUOTE=mhall;352530]Alright, story please?????[/QUOTE]

Meeting another couple at Strange Bait one morning at 7 a.m. to fish the river. Left Louisville at 4:30 a.m. Usually travel between 70-75 mph on the interstate, then 55-65 on the secondary roads. After doing that kind of speed through all the turns to Burkesville, we arrive right on time.

Ladies needed to use the restroom at Riverfront Lodge, so I removed all holddown straps except the winch while we waited on them. Then, after all that, my leaf spring on the trailer broke while going 20-25 mph on the straightaway from Riverfront Lodge to the Burkesville boat ramp. Axle on the trailer bent until the tire hit the trailer frame, boat started boucing, then the whole setup flipped 90-degrees.

Think God might have been sitting next to me on the trip from Louisville to Burkesville? People could have died that day if it would have happened before I got to Burkesville.

Justin-
Yeah, it was a rough trip. Oh well, we gave it our all. At least we'll have found memories of boating through the ice and busting the trailer. I'll tell you this though, I am now geared for my next striper trip! I stocked up big time for that trip, cause, as you know, I had little striper gear to begin with. And yes, I did buy a medium/heavy rod! LOL! To bad I never got to use it though! I'm curious to know how you did today, good luck.

-Rich

[quote=JUSTINHALL;352520]Ahh Richyd4u,
Sorry to hear you blanked I know you wanted your father-in-law to catch a striper with you. Plus your trailer brakes that is a bummer as well, I have had a few of those days where the gift just keeps giving but not for a while knock on wood.
Better luck next time I am headed out tomorrow so hopefully they are feeding again will let you know.[/quote]