Cumberland Stripers in June

[aceoky]

I have a buddy who came down about two weeks ago to do some fishing here (he is a big Lake Michigan fisherman) we really got into the stripers (first time for him) between London Dock and old Noe's dock area. Needless to say he's hooked! He contacted me about coming next month to do it again!

My question is (having not done much striper fishing since the lake was lowered) how far West will we need to fish come say Mid June? Would it be a probable waste of time to put in at Burnside - should we maybe go to Jamestown or farther (coming from say Corbin/Williamsburg area) .

He has downriggers on his boat FWIW . I told him I had no clue on where they would mostly be by then with the lower lake levels (not counting this flooding Now) but I'd try to find out, and you fellows know your stuff here so I'm hoping for some good advice, hate to see him come 500 miles and not see a striper...

[apb]

By June the stripers will be moving off the banks (you'll find few, if any, there at night) and into open water. Been probably 5 years or more since I targeted them during this time. For me it was either live bait off planners, or, more likely, running downriggers with bucktails. I ran 1/2 oz bucktails, 100 feet behind the ball, and 15-30 feet deep depending on where I marked bait/fish. Early June I would also put a 1 oz bucktail off each side 100 feet behind a planer board. I mostly fished Wolf Creek to Indian. Keep in mind that the surface temps at this time are too high to release stripers: catch your limit and fish for something else. May be someone else can update you on changes over the last 5 years.

Andrew

[aceoky]

Thank you very much Andrew, honestly I've not really fished for them since the lowering of the lake so I have no clue on what to tell him. Do you think open water around Burnside would be worth fishing for them this time of year or have to be closer to the dam?

[Duayne]

The Beaver Creek mouth area is usually a good place to try that time. Don't usually do much with Riggers at that time. You may want to investigate umbrella rigs for that time frame if you wish to use artificle. As Andrew said, that will be past the catch and release time frame and it usually is a time where the under sized fish are hitting first. If you are getting into consistant undersized fish (which probably won't make it either when released) either change locations or go deeper. When schooled, the larger fish will usually let the smaller ones do all the work then they clean up the scraps.

[aceoky]

Thank you very much Duayne . I'm aware of the stripers poor survival rate with warmer water and not fishing after a limit. I'm trying to remember what area Beaver Creek is in.

[apb]

... I'm trying to remember what area Beaver Creek is in.

Between Jamestown and Indian Creek.

Have only fished Burnside area once, and that was in winter. Not sure what would be going on there in June.

Andrew

[aceoky]

Thanks again!