New striper lake

[Duayne]

Stunted growth has very little to do with unequal fish classes. Stunting happens when there is an over population or not enough water volume per fish size in lakes/ponds/aquariums. It happens with bass when too many smaller fish reproduce to keep adding more and more small fish. Stripers are put and take managed. There is no way the smaller classes can over power the larger classes because there is little or no natural reproduction. The bait fish population will explode to disastrous proportions if stripers aren't there to help manage them as they are the only true open water fish in the lake. If we think the striper die off is bad, just let there Alewives explode to a point where the lake can't feed them and they go through a mass die off. The chain reaction would make Cumberland literally the dead sea.

The largemouth quality dropped in direct proportion with the continually reduced fertilization in Cumberland and nothing more. As trees and cover went away, so did the cover for largemouth and the fertilization. It had nothing at all to do with stripers in any way shape or form. Largemouth will make a short come back in Cumberland. I have bass fishing friends who had their best days ever on Cumberland largemouth fishing this spring and it will only get better. But when the lake is back to normal, the added cover and firtle water will once again vanish. The smallies will return to shallower water as hogs and the Ky's will be better than ever. And the stipers will be close by in open water.

[Jbyrd]

JByrd we gotta talk brother, I have been hearing awesome things about Laurel, I have been wanting to fish it for several years now. I think you have made my mind up. I'll send you a PM later if you don't mind?

Sure ,I am at work right now it will be tonoght before I can get back to you....

[Jbyrd]

Stunted growth has very little to do with unequal fish classes. Stunting happens when there is an over population or not enough water volume per fish size in lakes/ponds/aquariums. It happens with bass when too many smaller fish reproduce to keep adding more and more small fish. Stripers are put and take managed. There is no way the smaller classes can over power the larger classes because there is little or no natural reproduction. The bait fish population will explode to disastrous proportions if stripers aren't there to help manage them as they are the only true open water fish in the lake. If we think the striper die off is bad, just let there Alewives explode to a point where the lake can't feed them and they go through a mass die off. The chain reaction would make Cumberland literally the dead sea.

The largemouth quality dropped in direct proportion with the continually reduced fertilization in Cumberland and nothing more. As trees and cover went away, so did the cover for largemouth and the fertilization. It had nothing at all to do with stripers in any way shape or form. Largemouth will make a short come back in Cumberland. I have bass fishing friends who had their best days ever on Cumberland largemouth fishing this spring and it will only get better. But when the lake is back to normal, the added cover and firtle water will once again vanish. The smallies will return to shallower water as hogs and the Ky's will be better than ever. And the stipers will be close by in open water.

One of the big problems now is not enough food . Just show up at any tournament and look at the quality of fish . THEY are starving.skinny snakey looking things . Last thurs I caught a large mouth that the inches where more than the ounces !!! YES OUNCES it was 16 inches long and weighed 15 ounces. The millions of stripers 15 -20 inches long are over competeing for the shad and it is showing in the bass. AS for your freinds doing so great this spring ,the weights at ALL the tournaments have been pitiful this spring. 7 -10 lbs winning events in april and may that is really bad. HECK that is why we started fishing laurel and found out what we had been missing........ LOL

[aceoky]

If you are calling Laurel the dead sea YOU haven't been there in a while. ALL year 20 -25 lbs is what it has taken to win a tournament. Heck in one event we had 23 lbs and 14 ouncees and GOT BEAT 24.5 won. In a renegade evnt they had 13 boats and 9 of them had over 20 lbs. It has been that way for the last 5-6 years. DEAD SEA I THINK NOT>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I've fished Laurel on and off since it was dammed , it's a tough lake to fish/figure out (for most folks at the very least) I won't (and can't) say I have it really figured out (and we keep a pontoon ON Laurel for few years not and fish it very, very often) I fished Cumberland far more when it was "up to normal" levels, but on my end (Laurel river entry) it's too risky to fish it much of the year and though I had always done MUCH better on LC I decided to TRY to figure Laurel out, it's a work in progress (especially for the walleye) IMO

With an "average" depth of > 70 feet not to mention an abundance of forage base unlike anything I have ever seen, the fish are certainly not "hungry" which is not in our (fishers) favor. On the other hand every fish we have caught (several hundred over the years) has been very fat and healthy . Our 16 year old son has > 5 smallmouth > 20" from Laurel which IMO isn't too shabby for anyone let alone one who is so young .

I certainly agree it's not the "Dead Sea" , but I can certainly see why so many believe it is, an average person isn't likely to go and limit on their first several times there (though it could happen to anyone)

I'm positive that stocking stripers in Laurel is not going to happen.

[peter]

well I see that you guys aren't getting it. Perhaps you all should put some Wheatie Balls on your umbrella rigs and catch some yellow stipers instead of white carp.

I like that... "yellow Stripers"
Never thought of them that way.
I have mistakenly chased them a night or two.

[Jbyrd]

Hey in europe the yellow striper is the most popular GAMEFISH. There is another thread about pound for pound I have caught alot of carp in my younger days and they will flat rip the guts out of a reel

[Tim_T]

I have tried on more occasions than I want to count, to catch a carp on a dry fly. So far no luck.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Leave it alone. I have fished for Stripers since 2003, with my biggest of 29 lbs coming leap year day, Feb 29, 2004. The night bite has gotten worse and worse, trolling for Stripers in the Fall has gotten worse and worse, for me anyways. I call Stripers swimming freshwater sharks, for they swim and eat. There are good Smallies in Laurel and good Smallies in Dale with the common denomanator being RAINBOW TROUT are stocked in both lakes. Smallies eat trout, Largemouth eat trout and it is no coincidence that both of these lakes have quality of each fish. There are many California lakes that are producing huge Smallies and Largemouth with the common denominator being RAINBOW TROUT. Stripers would eat off Rainbows at an alarming rate and the Bass population quality would diminish. How many Striper guides could Laurel handle for it is no where near as big or wide open as Cumberland? The dam repair is slowly killing off Cumberland Walleye and Stripers and after it is complete surely there will be a huge effort in restocking both populations. Too many lives are depended on Stripers in the area for an effort not to be made. Leave Laurel, Dale, Green and any other that are being considered alone. It has been several years since the dam was started getting repaired and who knows how many more it will take, but why hurt another fishery

[aceoky]

Along those same lines "I" would like to see Laurel heavily stocked with lake perch would be fun to catch , great to eat, and would thrive, feed the bass, walleye, catfish all ...... I've always wondered why the white bass didn't do any better in Laurel River Lake ?

Leave it alone. I have fished for Stripers since 2003, with my biggest of 29 lbs coming leap year day, Feb 29, 2004. The night bite has gotten worse and worse, trolling for Stripers in the Fall has gotten worse and worse, for me anyways. I call Stripers swimming freshwater sharks, for they swim and eat. There are good Smallies in Laurel and good Smallies in Dale with the common denomanator being RAINBOW TROUT are stocked in both lakes. Smallies eat trout, Largemouth eat trout and it is no coincidence that both of these lakes have quality of each fish. There are many California lakes that are producing huge Smallies and Largemouth with the common denominator being RAINBOW TROUT. Stripers would eat off Rainbows at an alarming rate and the Bass population quality would diminish. How many Striper guides could Laurel handle for it is no where near as big or wide open as Cumberland? The dam repair is slowly killing off Cumberland Walleye and Stripers and after it is complete surely there will be a huge effort in restocking both populations. Too many lives are depended on Stripers in the area for an effort not to be made. Leave Laurel, Dale, Green and any other that are being considered alone. It has been several years since the dam was started getting repaired and who knows how many more it will take, but why hurt another fishery

[KR]

Well riddle me this batman...why is the TDFW doing an extensive smallmouth stocking program on Dale for the next 5-10 years stocking 10's of thousands each of those years and all of your Cumberland/Ky biologists....John Williams says oh bass populations are thriving in Cumberland. I fish the same tourneys as Jbyrd and I too call BULL-ISH!!!! Stock some bass now and worry about stripers when the dam is repaired!!!!

[KR]

BTW fished Cland for 7 hours Monday, caught a 10 inch KY and lost a decent SM....went to Barren Tuesday and had 15 keepers from 5 to 1. Now u tell me what is wrong.

[mhall]

Well riddle me this batman...why is the TDFW doing an extensive smallmouth stocking program on Dale for the next 5-10 years stocking 10's of thousands each of those years and all of your Cumberland/Ky biologists....John Williams says oh bass populations are thriving in Cumberland. I fish the same tourneys as Jbyrd and I too call BULL-ISH!!!! Stock some bass now and worry about stripers when the dam is repaired!!!!

Cumberland needs bass stocking BADLY especially smallmouth, I soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo agree. I personally think JW is full of crap anyway, sorry just my opinion.