Cumberland stripers?

[pfiche]

Buddy and vmky, were ya'll pulling alwives, shad or shiners? I was over last Tuesday pulling shiners from the back to mid on Indian and had a couple of play touches and hooked 1 big sm (of course it was big, had a pre-release before the net). Tried some bottom fishing for a break from the wind and a short nap. Saw some guides come in with good fish so I know that are still there. Pulled some without weight and some with 1/2 ouncers. I'm not real smart and am getting frustrated. Beginning to think that they don't like shiners but havn't been able to aquire a source for the alwives or shad. Still had a good time being on the water and viewing the rock show. Any insight for Dumb & Dumb'r?

[buddy]

I use shinners that I purchase at the BassPro Outdoor store between Jamestown and Russell Springs. The people there are always helpful and informative with information about the fishing. This is the only place I get my bait and supplies.

With the strong winds on Wed. I felt I should have bottom fish, but I have never been too successful--only catching smallmouths or other types of fish. I will probably try a 5 gallon bucket to act more like a drift net to try and slow down my boat in the wind. Anybody have any suggestions to slow down a boat with the strong Spring winds?

Also, looking forward to the night fishing. I am wondering if anybody has heard anything about the night bite?

[apb]

Fished this weekend. Clearing ice out of the guides should not be part of striper fishing in April! Partner got one on a crank Friday night, near the mouth of a creek. We got 3 and lost a couple more Saturday morning pulling boards on the main lake (Alewifes). A few hits Saturday night throwing plugs.

Might check with Bandits between Jamestown and Jamestown Marina (on the left just before Lilly Creek). He may have Alewifes.

Andrew

[cumberlandguy1]

Put the boat in the water at 1pm today...fished about 4 hours....caught and released 5 very nice stripers...had to be home by 6 for dinner. Can only imagine what I'm missing as it gets dark!!!! Fish are still in the creeks...I hadn't fished in over almost 2 months and they were right where I left them. Have plenty in the freezer so we took pics and released them. 14lb stripers are hard on a 10 year old LOL...but he had a great time. If you know how to find them, you don't have to get up so early this time of year!

[cumberlandguy1]

Almost forgot, I never use live bait and seem to always manage to catch stripers on Cumberland.

[pfiche]

Almost forgot, I never use live bait and seem to always manage to catch stripers on Cumberland.

Hey Cumberlandguy1, sounds like you have a handle on extraditing silver slabs, are you willing to share some of your techniques and insight for us that aren't able to put a lot of time in on the water. Frustrated and wanting to learn more. Thanks!

[HURRICANEBOB]

Might want to try what I do. When its high winds, instead of fighting the down wind deal, I turn into the wind, and hit the main engine. At idle speed, into the wind, you can still pull boards, and down pole. Trim the motor way up, but besure you are still gettting water thru the engine and its still has a strong water output steam. I fish a 200 foot pontoon this way and it works. If still to fast, the hang the bucket in the water, but do it from a bow cleat, and with just 6-8 foot of line to be sure it stays clear the main engine.

[cumberlandguy1]

I learned to use my fish finder....after that all you have to do is get them to bite. I've been fishing Cumberland for 17 years, so I have figured out what to look for. During the mornings and evenings, I throw crankbaits (Gizz 4 from SmackTackle.com) and during the day I pull 2 ounce bucktails with a 6 inch curly tail. I have only been skunked twice in 17 years. Wonder how many of the guides can say this? ;-)

[striperfishin]

I fished last weekend and the daytime fishing (pulling boards in Beaver) was terrible. We did not have a pull down in the two mornings. We did catch fish at night. The first night, we caught 10 + a walleye. 4 were short and 6 were keepers, biggest being 14 lbs. They were mostly male fish. The next night, we caught around 8 or 9, the biggest being around 12 lbs. All fish were caught between midnight and 3 am on slivers and a bagley stick bait. Lots of fish were hooked but not brought in. I was just very surprised we could not pick up a morning or daytime fish. We fished Beaver and at night fished the mouth of Beaver and Otter. On both nights, the Moon was suprisingly shining bright and we caught fish. Not too many shad or fish breaking on the surface either.

[Chubminnow]

Cumberlandguy1 - Thanks for your report, it sounds like you have the stripers figured out fairly well. I'm not defending any guides nor am I going to crack on what you said about how many times a guide has been skunked or not, but I would think a guide stands a better chance of being skunked more than twice over a seventeen year period simply because he's on the lake more than someone who is not a guide. It has more to do with the law of averages, percentages, etc...In my own personal experience I have only used a guide one time in my life and on this one particular occassion, yes we got skunked. I will tell you the guide wasn't none to happy about it and he did try making up for it somehow although now I can't remember what he offered, either he discounted that trip we took or he offered to give us another guided trip at a reduced rate, I can't remember which it was. At any rate, thanks for the information you provided.

Striperfishin - Were you trolling or casting when you caught the walleye's at night?

[striperfishin]

The walleye was caught on a point out by the Beaver/Otter Sign on a Blue sliver. All fish were caught casting between midnight and 3 am.

We probably had a few other walleyes on but they got off. There is definitely a different fight. All the stripers hit the slivers and came up afterwards and biled repeatedly on top of the water after the hook-ups. Then they took off under the boat to deeper water.

[cumberlandguy1]

I didn't mean to take a stab at any of the guides...I was just curious to how often it happens to them. As a matter of fact, one of the best guides on the lake taught me what to look for, how to find them, and then how to get them to bite. If you want to learn something about stripers, I would highly recommend Jeff Burton who works with Nancy Guide Service.