Sorry I've not been able to post this before but I wanted to post a report from my first trip to Cumberland. First let me say thanks to a couple guys who dropped me some basic info to get me started.
Fished both days out of Beaver with completely different weather conditions. Thursday was sunny and pleasant with Friday showing a mix of clouds and sun with plenty of strong winds. Water temps made it to 58 in places on Thursday with the norm being around 56 but was 53-54 to start the day Friday and made it to 56 by the end of the day.
Two totally different bites for us both days. Thursday started with a solid crankbait and jerkbait bite on secondary points and lead in banks. I followed the shad and did find some bait toward the backs, but didnt get bit. When we stayed on the lead ins and points with the shale rock, the bite was solid. Around 3 that afternoon, the fish shifted and so did the bite as it was all about the NED rig. Caught around 30 Thursday with a solid 3lber the largest landed. I broke off a 5lber on a jerkbait that I saw not once, but twice. I watched her swim off after I broke off, then again when it came back to the surface to spit my jerkbait back out. Thank goodness. LOL!
Friday was completely different. It appeared they were sucking the bottom out of the lake and the surface was cluttered something awful. So was the bite. It was after lunch until I got my first bite but when they came on, it was on like donkey kong. The jerk bait bite get better as the clouds and winds got up that afternoon. However, the fish moved back toward the main lake points, as did the bait. Places I found bait the day before, simply was not there. I moved out deeper and found nothing. The more I went toward the main lake points, the more bait and fish I found. We finished the day with a smallmouth slaying in about 20 minutes of just getting crushed with solid browns. Dad took the big one that day with a 3lb smallie. We both had big largemouths come unbuttoned on jerk baits that were solid 4-5lb fish.
I only ended up on Cumberland because the bite on Dale Hollow was trash, but Im certainly glad I did. Fun lake that I had never fished before and for that matter, never fished a like like it either. Im a shallow water guy and worried about nose bleeds and passing out sitting 10 feet of the bank in 30' of water. LOL! Excited to give it another run in the future.
Enjoy the photos!
Skeeter
Reply With Quote