Cumberland stripers?

[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.

[striperfishin]

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.

so how do u find them on those TOUGH days. WHen the sun comes up, you cant graph a fish all day and it gets very difficult unless u bottom fish.

[cumberlandguy1]

I've never had to bottom fish.....I can usually find them...even if it takes me a couple of hours!

[mhall]

I've never had to bottom fish.....I can usually find them...even if it takes me a couple of hours!

Dude if you can catch fish like that all the time you can make a killing guiding. I mean to never have zero or blanked days, I know of no one that can say that.

[cumberlandguy1]

I didn't say never...LOL...I've had 2. As for guiding, I know people that do it and they still have full time jobs as well. Let's see, rate $300. Let's say you fish 200 days a year = 60,000 before taxes, gas, lost lures,boat maintenance, and $27,600 a year for a slip. Plus the you have to look at some the customers who are real pains in the butt even if you are catching fish. I make just a touch ouver $100k a year now so why switch? No thanks

[cumberlandguy1]

But I would take you fishing for free!

[mhall]

But I would take you fishing for free!

Watch it, I just might take you up on that one.