New striper lake

[mhall]

Good stuff stripernut I totally agree. If the lake takes three years more to fix, the stripes won't fix themselves like some species, I think like you it needs attention now, but I'm afraid buddy we are a small minority that thinks this way.....

[FlyLie]

A little dated (Oct 2010), but here's KDFWS take on the status of LC:

http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsro...ss14102010.htm

[mhall]

Joe you really think two years?? That would be an awful fast rebound for quality don't ya think. I think we are mostly referring to good fish, not these little shorties and small keeps people are getting right now. Again I value your opinion and I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I just think two years with the water high isn't gonna have quality rebound that quickly, I hope I'm wrong and you are right.

[mhall]

A little dated (Oct 2010), but here's KDFWS take on the status of LC:

http://migration.kentucky.gov/newsro...ss14102010.htm

Read this before and I don't totally buy it. Do you really think the KDFW is gonna tell you the lake isn't worth fishing, they sugar coated this deal. Yes there is alot of truths to this article but there is some bigtime down playing in it to.

Look at the pics of the guides day in and day out, yes there is an occasional good fish caught but NOTHING and I mean NOTHING like it use to be. Again I'm not paying hundreds of dollars to catch 2 twenty four to 30 inch fish, no way. That is not a bust on the quality guides at the big C either that work their asses off daily so please don't take it or turn it that way.

[JoeB]

Yep, I think two years after normal lake levels and you'll see a very noticable improvement. The problem isn't numbers of fish, it's quality fish. The smaller stripers (to 30 in) are doing just fine. There are TONS of them in the lake. These are 3 - 4 yr old fish. What I call quality fish are bass in the 20 + lb range. Two years after the lake is kept up, there should be plenty of 5 - 7 yr fish.

As for not being willing to shell out a couple of C notes for a few 24 - 30 in fish, well most other locals wouldn't either. Never would. But of course, that's not whom the charter community caters to for the most part. People living in Toledo probably wouldn't want to spend the money to catch a few keeper walleye. People in Cleweton laugh at us yankees for spending money to shiner fish for a few 6 lb bass. But for traveling fishermen, it's good fishing that they can't get at home. I happily pay the price to cast to tarpon every time I'm in the keys, and on most days, I don't catch a **** thing. I wouldn't miss the chance for anything though.

[waterdog101]

even if they fix the dam and bring cumberland back to it's old self, it would still be a good idea to stock laurel with some striper or hybirds. I think two lakes in ky with striper in them would be great. everyone thinks they won't stock laurel with striper because of the trout. 20 miles from laurel lake is woodscreek lake and it is over stocked with trout. the hybirds would mix well with the trout in laurel, they stocked a lake in eastern ky, called fish trap lake with hybirds, and the hybird and trout fishing are both good in fishtrap. and it's a smaller lake than laurel.

[mhall]

I hear ya Joe, some good points Bro. Like I said I agree it's a quality issue, the lake is breamin with shorties. I forget sometimes that novice fisherman especially from ''OHIO'', I'm sorry Lord for that one would gladly pay to catch small keeper stripes. For that I am grateful for you and your fellow guides and for the state's commerce.

Have a good day and good fishin.

[mhall]

even if they fix the dam and bring cumberland back to it's old self, it would still be a good idea to stock laurel with some striper or hybirds. I think two lakes in ky with striper in them would be great. everyone thinks they won't stock laurel with striper because of the trout. 20 miles from laurel lake is woodscreek lake and it is over stocked with trout. the hybirds would mix well with the trout in laurel, they stocked a lake in eastern ky, called fish trap lake with hybirds, and the hybird and trout fishing are both good in fishtrap. and it's a smaller lake than laurel.

True stripers are NOT Hybrids they are Rockfish, two totally different animals my friend.

[stripernut]

Yep, I think two years after normal lake levels and you'll see a very noticable improvement. The problem isn't numbers of fish, it's quality fish. The smaller stripers (to 30 in) are doing just fine. There are TONS of them in the lake. These are 3 - 4 yr old fish. What I call quality fish are bass in the 20 + lb range. Two years after the lake is kept up, there should be plenty of 5 - 7 yr fish.

As for not being willing to shell out a couple of C notes for a few 24 - 30 in fish, well most other locals wouldn't either. Never would. But of course, that's not whom the charter community caters to for the most part. People living in Toledo probably wouldn't want to spend the money to catch a few keeper walleye. People in Cleweton laugh at us yankees for spending money to shiner fish for a few 6 lb bass. But for traveling fishermen, it's good fishing that they can't get at home. I happily pay the price to cast to tarpon every time I'm in the keys, and on most days, I don't catch a **** thing. I wouldn't miss the chance for anything though.

GUILTY i will spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars in florida during july chasing fish the locals sneeze at. and im certainly not syaing write cumberland off as a loss, i am saying exactly the opposite. as a fishing community we should be more active in the direction of the fishery . fisheries biologist(s) that i speak with immediately turn to the possible negative financial impact that manipulating harvest numbers might bring. the next statement is " the guides would have a hard time making a living if the limit were one fish per day". well sorry i misunderstood when the lake was built and subsequently stocked with stripers i didnt realize it was done to support a few individuals. there is a whole population out there that doesnt guide and they in no way should ever take a back seat to the guide community in the decision making process. not trying to step on toes but it will be hard to convince me that a guides annual salary is a critical factor in calculating size/creel limits.
and i truly hope that the 2 year rebound is a possibility, but the fact is the fishery was in decline from a comparative standpoint prior to the dam repair project. larger and larger crowds getting better and better at striper fishing in my opinion has been a major player in the striper game at cumberland
but then again i have my beliefs and others have theirs, i respect them all

[Duayne]

There are a lotta people making up all sorts of explanations. "The smaller class is too large so we need to thin them out" is one. The bottom line is, the smaller classes did so well because the larger classes simply are not there in normal numbers for normal selection keeps the classes withing range. YES some made it the last two years. Enough? Hell no and that is obvious and we haven't even had the harsh heat this year. The information is overwhelming yet still people ignore it. IF these smaller classes continue to be fished out, the lake will be few and far between for three years to come. The striper guides will have nothing to hunt. Yeah, they'll get one or two here and there, but won't be anyone wanting to pay for that.

It's time to let these smaller classes have a full chance through the summer. In the fall, they will be worth chasing. Its a SMALL price to pay for the future trophies on this lake.

[Lowerider]

There are a lotta people making up all sorts of explanations. "The smaller class is too large so we need to thin them out" is one. The bottom line is, the smaller classes did so well because the larger classes simply are not there in normal numbers for normal selection keeps the classes withing range. YES some made it the last two years. Enough? Hell no and that is obvious and we haven't even had the harsh heat this year. The information is overwhelming yet still people ignore it. IF these smaller classes continue to be fished out, the lake will be few and far between for three years to come. The striper guides will have nothing to hunt. Yeah, they'll get one or two here and there, but won't be anyone wanting to pay for that.

It's time to let these smaller classes have a full chance through the summer. In the fall, they will be worth chasing. Its a SMALL price to pay for the future trophies on this lake.

Amen Duayne

A few fish were being caught b/w 50-60 feet last week - that's not good at all. I fear even the shorties will be floating before too long. We'll be back fishing with a landing net instead of rod and reel soon. The best thing that could happen IMO is for emergency regs to be inacted - catch 2 of ANY size and quit. That way the guides can keep fishing and the fish have a fighting chance. I applaud the dept for the emergency regs they put in place late last summer and hope to see them again soon.

[Mean Morone]

I hope that the fishery recovers in two years, but I find that hard to believe. Until the dam is fixed and the fish have a few years to recover, I will fish further south. I feel bad for the guides, this is how they make their living. I know striper guides on LC and hate to see them go through this. Norris Lake had a fish kill in '03 I think it was and it is still trying to recover. Norris will fully recover to trophy status before LC in my opinion. For those that think a 20 lb striper is a trophy, they haven't fished elsewhere. Just a little further south and a 20 lber is just another good fish. For those that think Ohio fisherman are desperate fisherman, I resemble that remark.