Stripers..Belly Up

[Lowerider]

Supports the old argument of catch 2 of any size and quit. I can't understand for the life of me why regs aren't changed during summer months. Weeding through 5 short fish just to catch 2 over 24 inches just kills 7 fish.

Why is it that KDFW is so slow to act on any reg changes?

Their 5 stripes over 15 inches in the C-land river limit is ridiculous.

Their no limit whatsoever commercial fishing or otherwise on cats in the OH is ridiculous.

Their year round 2 stripes over 24 inches on Cumberland is ridiculous.

Wake up KDFW! Follow the lead of your neighboring states!

I'll get off my soapbox now (for this year...again).

[Duayne]

{Helping to hold you on the soap box} The KDFW seems to think that a seasonal change in striper size on Cumberland would be too difficult for the populous to grasp. BULL! If they made the change, printed it, and posted it at the Cumberland docks as they do now with the 2/24, people would know. All people would have to do is understand the current date!

A 28-30 in winter and 18-20 in summer (mandatory take) would do wonders for the stripers in Cumberland and, mainly, would help increase the awareness of the hazzards of catch and release in the summer.

[Fishin is life]

I DONT striper fish....never have....just wondering if you could fizz them the same way you do a bass....i know we catch a lot of our fish deep in the summer and as soon as you put them in the livewell its belly up...but as soon as you fizz them and release the swim bladder they turn back over....would be a thought for somebody to try....if you're gonna keep em to eat anyway it would be worth a shot to see if you could get one to turn over in the livewell

[stripernut]

the short answer on fizzing is no....boone hit on the long answer (its lactic build up, not swim bladders, upsode down fish = dead fish.tried the fizzing in the chesapeake three years ago with a charter capt, dindt work at all

[apb]

I DONT striper fish....never have....just wondering if you could fizz them the same way you do a bass....i know we catch a lot of our fish deep in the summer and as soon as you put them in the livewell its belly up...but as soon as you fizz them and release the swim bladder they turn back over....would be a thought for somebody to try....if you're gonna keep em to eat anyway it would be worth a shot to see if you could get one to turn over in the livewell

Stripers die in warm water due to the lactic acid build up during the fight. Add the deep water affects to that and they are dead. Fizzing them will do nothing but put a hole in them.

A 28-30 in winter and 18-20 in summer (mandatory take) would do wonders for the stripers in Cumberland and, mainly, would help increase the awareness of the hazzards of catch and release in the summer.

I would go as far as one at 36 inch in winter. TN does this on Norris Lake.

Andrew

[HURRICANEBOB]

I agree with the summer thing, and for years now have avoided July, August, and early September.

During these months, I stay away from trying for linesiders, and instead move inside and work the Stripper Night Bite.

Ya know given the cost of shad if you buy them, trolling for Strippers is actually a little cheaper if you "us your own bait". I find downpooling works best, but sometimes have had luck pushing the bait to one side or the other. Offshore Planer boards cost over $20 each,. so I just use free lined $10's.

Funny thing is I used to fish under the lights, but find the Strippers prefer environment that is less well lit. I never keep any Strippers, strickly catch and release. I don't think the state has a size limit, but I never keep any over 150 pounds and always release the ones under 100 pounds.

Its best for their attitude to avoid netting, best to just hand land them, but don't try to lip them as they do have teeth. There's other methods where you can hand land them much safer.

[Lowerider]

{Helping to hold you on the soap box} The KDFW seems to think that a seasonal change in striper size on Cumberland would be too difficult for the populous to grasp. BULL! If they made the change, printed it, and posted it at the Cumberland docks as they do now with the 2/24, people would know. All people would have to do is understand the current date!

They're quick to enact emergency reg changes for the trout below the dam. The word seems to get out ok on Norris - why would LC be any different? Total BS I agree. In today's information age any reg changes like that would spread like wild fire. There's really no excuse.

OH, TN, AL have all enacted a slot on blues/flats. Do you know what KY's story is? They say they've been working on a creel survey for almost three years to determine if there's a need. So basically they send a shocking boat out a couple times a year and think that will provide enough info to make an informed decision. Now, all the commercial fisherman with 10's of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in those states just travel to the great bluegrass and Hoosier state to purge the big O. I can't drift a couple hundred yards on the river anymore without snagging a freakin hoop net.

Back to the original topic... I won't release a dead fish. If I get a ticket so be it.

[mhall]

I personally think kdfwr should take notes from Tennessee. They put the slot on Dale for smallmouth and Kentucky was against it, was it a good move, do bears crap in the woods. Tennessee lakes take Kentucky lakes to task and the reson is better management. I don't mean to be critical because they are hard working men and women but they need new direction, and to quit letting fishing groups do their decision making.

JMO.

[demodan]

Yea...I bet ya Jim Strader would agree also! He tried to stand up for some improvments / changes...and they (KDFW leadership), threw him right under the bus big time. He was taking the whole lot of them to court...and for good reason. Im sure it is still in the mix...you know how our court system is. Oh well....another area that the KDFW needs to make some changes... is our duck and goose seasons...but don't get me started.

[FlyLie]

FYI, Contact information for Ninth District Commissioner (Lake Cumberland) given below. You can also go the KYDFWR home page for links to Commissioner meeting dates and location info.

http://www.kdfwr.state.ky.us/
See "Quick Links" on left side of page.


Ninth District

Laird Taylor Orr, Jr. 606/528-2963
118 Randall Hill
London, KY 40743
Counties: Bell, Clay, Clinton, Jackson, Knox, Laurel, McCreary, Pulaski, Russell, Wayne, Whitley.