catching bait at cumberland

[motalot]

I have plenty of $20 but no guide..LOL....

It would be nice to find someone who had fresh alewivem but the goal here is to find them first. I live in Louisvillem so fresh bait is difficult but a must

[big_cat]

For keeping them cold dont use ice. The chems in it will kill the bait. The water to make ice is city water it will kill the shad. I fill up 20 oz or 2 litters up with water a freeze them, and they last longer then ice.

[wags]

Look up how to throw a casting net on the internet. There is a video that show you a very easy technique to use.I ama novice at it and it was very easy for me to learn from the video good luck

[tglass]

if you have a big cast net of at least 7' radius then watch the video on the calusa website. I think it is the easiest way i have found to throw the net. If you have a small net say a 5' or so then go buy a bigger net because you really need it for most times of the year. The only time the bait is easy to get up shallow is in the spring. If you look at the calusa website and like the nets, i have one, then i would suggest buying the cracker over the high line calusa. I have the higher end one and the wide opening on the horn catches the handline and the net won't close. I could have gotten a cheaper net and not had the problem. I do love the way my net opens but i still wish i would have opted for the cracker. The other thing that most have not said is that when the bait is deep then tie an extra rope on the end of the handline and let the net fall deeper. Most handlines are only 25' to 27' if the bait is in 35' of water well you are not going to catch any. I put an extra 25' rope on my net and let it fall all the way until the rope starts to get tight then snap the net closed and bring the bait up. You will also need a net with at least 1 1/2 pounds of lead per foot. All the calusa nets have that. I use a 1/2" mesh net but some guides use a 5/8" mesh. The bigger the mesh the faster it falls too. I hope this helps.