Catching Bait at Cumberland

[air1lch]

ok, so I have now bit the bullet and purchased new 30 gal Vest SBT. Will take 4 weeks to ship, so right on time for fall fishing! I plan to fish Cland say early October to early November. Can anyone help me w/ ideal locations/depth to catch bait? I have read for gizzards go to heads of creeks (shallower water), but since I plan to fish main lake (Jamestown to Beaver??), would I be better off catching alewives or threadfin? I have also read that alewives run deeper, so when net drops to that depth will it stay open? I have a 6' net, is that large enough? Do most folks catch bait early a.m. under the lights or can you catch during day just as easily? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm new to this and just trying to plan strategy. I practice catch & release so hope to take plenty of pics. Any feedback would be much appreciated.

[air1lch]

Received good feedback from Striperphil on LC Forum. I am now purchasing a 8' 3/8 cracker and will be getting up at 3:30 to catch bait! Any thoughts on location/depth would also be helpful. Also, Striperphil mentioned that threadfins are not the best bait. Just curious, why? Are they worth keeping if I'm unable to catch alewives/shad?

[striperjoe]

Received good feedback from Striperphil on LC Forum. I am now purchasing a 8' 3/8 cracker and will be getting up at 3:30 to catch bait! Any thoughts on location/depth would also be helpful. Also, Striperphil mentioned that threadfins are not the best bait. Just curious, why? Are they worth keeping if I'm unable to catch alewives/shad?

There are times when threads may be all you'll catch. I will use them anytime I'm in the live bait mode.They won't keep as well as Alewives and they will foul the water quicker but I have caught some of my biggest Stripers on them.

[peter]

Try some searches on this board. hit the search link in the grey horizontal bar at top of board.

[air1lch]

Thx Peter! I've read a ton of threads using the advanced search feature and found a lot of good info on catching bait. I'll pass along whatever I can when I return from October trips.

[gizzard shad]

Catching bait at LC can be very difficult in the fall months. I am not saying it is impossible, but it can be a lot of work. Typically around November it gets easier. The lake temp is still warm and the alewives seem to go deeper. It very improtant to throw a net that is 8 to 10 foot size with heavy weights. Threadfins work ok and they are easier to cacth the key to keeping them alive is a good bait tank and it sounds like you have a good one. Also just make sure you add some salt to the water and check your baits often when they are on the hook. It is alwasys easier to catch bait up in the creeks compared to the marinas. I normally try to find a area that is 50 to 60 feet deep next to deep water (100 plus). Always turn your light after you throw, however, sometimes if the bait is deep I will not turn the light off until the net sinks about ten feet. As far as the net closing it does close some as it sinks, but it still stays somewhat open until you pull it up. Gizzard shad can be caught in shallow water up against the banks just make sure the bottom/shore has some clay on it. Pumkin, Greasy and Bugwood flats are good places to catch bait. Utilize your fish finder when searching for a spot and drop anchor when you come across a school. Throw out a light and wait until your Fishfinder starts to mark large schools of bait. I sometimes utilize a old tire to keep a light out all night. I bought a device along time ago that can turn off a 12V batttery remotely. Good luck and good fishin

[air1lch]

thanks to everyone for the feedback. Really appreciate the specifics GS, very very helpful. I fish for LM 2 - 3 days per week and consider myself a decent bass fisherman. Striper are totally different, but I'm determined to learn! Thanks again and I will post results of my trips when I go Oct-Nov. Hopefully, I can share some helpful info with others.