cumberland largemouths

[kygorski]

I myself think its the water levels going up and down, and ther complete lack of shallow weed growth. Dale has a small population of LMB, but again that is not a classic LMB lake.But the lake is ideal for spotted bass. The forage bass of shad and alewives tend to keep the bass out in open water. Just my humble opinion.

[Rowdy]

Big stiper eating anything that moves and muskies on green doing the same and you want to know where the bass are?


Rowdyx(

[cumberlandguy1]

>Big stiper eating anything that moves and muskies on green
>doing the same and you want to know where the bass are?
>
>
>Rowdyx(

I have literally opened the stomachs of a few hundred stripers from Cumberland and Lake Weiss in Alabama. I have never seen a largemouth or a crappie for that matter in one.

[hairball]

I have been fishing Cumberland regularly and year-round for the past 8-9 years and haven't noticed any appreciable decline in largemouth numbers. I was one of the camera boat drivers for the FLW tournament there. I followed Clark Wendlandt around on the final day. They didn't need me the day before, so my partner and I went fishing for about 4 hours. I caught 2 LMs over three pounds and another over five, all on a buzzbait. At least on that day and in the creek where we were, there was no shortage of largemouth.
In the same area two years ago, in January and February, I absolutely wore out the largemouth with a jerkbait. We went so far as to have one of our favorite tackle shops order some for us because we couldn't find them. I have noticed a decrease in the number of spots that we have been catching, but that is probably attributable to our evolving techniques. We don't fish cranks as much as we used to, me in particular.
As far as the issue of whether or not stripers eat largemouth, I only have one experience to remark on. On New Year's Day a couple years ago, I had just caught a 4 pound LM on a Rapala crank. My partner wanted to cut across the creek to fish some laydowns. I started trolling across the creek and decided to toss my crankbait into a school of shad that was out in the channel. As soon as that crank got down to its maximum depth, a 12 pound striper nailed it. We were laughing our butts off because I had it on an old glass rod and was using 12 pound test. When I cleaned that fish, it had 19 shad and about a 9-10 inch largemouth in its belly. That proved to me that at least some stripers will eat largemouth.

[ToddLahey]

I have to think that it would be great if the dam repair kept the water level more consistent for a few years. There would be lots of new growth in the backs of the creeks weeds trees brush will grow quicky in the mud. You have to belive that the water will still come up enough in the spring and I belive we could have some good spawns with alot more fertile water rember the pictures from back in the early days on the lake I know I have seen pictures of huge stringers of LM.

[UYKY]

I concur, while i hate to see the negative impact the low water levels will have on tourism, it could be really good for the fishing. i do not beleive the lake will ever resort to the bass factory it was soon after impoundment, but the banks will have some more vegetation on them if the water is kept down. that will help when the water comes back up, especially a resurgence of buck brush i have been told by some locals.
It would be a great idea for us fisherman to work with the regulatory agencies and build / place fish attractors during the low water time. i beleive that this would also help cumberland out immensely. especially in the long run (ie when the water levels resort to their usual)
In order for this to have any significant effect (due to the size of cumberland), collaborative efforts of multiple groups would be necessary.

any ideas / comments / feedback ?

[buzzking]

Im in, as long as I can bring the GPS, lol

[SSKY]

i hate to be a nay sayer but that will not happen, and we will have to deal with the chipper from our tax payer money that puts out chips of wood that fills up the water intakes of outboards from the people that stocked beavers in the lake to put more trees/wood in the lake. Sounds simple to me.