Lake Cumberland- Bait Situation

[HURRICANEBOB]

Bud light? Beer with training wheels? I drank beer when beer wasn't cool. My 'friends" were always thirsty, and a few cans of strohs always hit the spot, in a pinch maybe a PBR would do. Now its MGD for me. Next thing you know some jokers are going to start adding citrus to beer.A few years back, my wife and I went to a 4th of july party in transplanta. I brought my own old milwaukee with me, 12 of them, an hour later when I went back to the ice chest for my third, it was all gone, was forced to drink that limp wristed miller lite, that stuff dosn't even feel like beer when its coming out[either way}

I'm soooooo sorry to hear about your drinking problem. This is my philosophy: "I'm not drunk so long as I can hold on to one blade of grass, and not fall off the face of the earth."

Does it really matter what brand of gas gets you to your destination?

[Duayne]

Throwing on other people's lights without prior permission is a shooting offense. If it's too much trouble to put your own light out, then buy shiners.

[Duayne]

while we are on the subject of dock lights..... just keep in mind the light you are seeing hanging off the dock didn't fall out of the sky, it was put there by somebody that had authority to put it there, usually a licensed guide that is paying BIG money not only for his slip where his boat(s) are docked, but also the electric plug in where he has other light positioned. Or the light may be owned by a slip customer who is paying BIG money for the fringe benefits of being a slip customer. Look at it this way, lets say you walk up to a new construction site and see a carpenter working on a roof, there is a skill saw laying on the tailgate of HIS truck, you say to yourself...."hmmm its just laying there, I don't think anybody will mind if I borrow it....and there it is , now he has no saw and can not continue to work that day. I know the argument is that the shad/herring are public property that belong to everybody, and I couldn't agree more! BUT the dock and more specifically the boat slip and the light are not, they are PRIVATE property and should respected as such. It is at best very poor etiquette to throw a net at someones light, and at worst very dangerous. some folks don't have a sense of humor over this stuff....just sayin. Bob is right, you may get TEMPORARY permission to throw at someones light when they are done catching bait, but don't take it as well I have permission forever. And remember don't take it personal when you are rejected or someone gets ill about the matter, youre not the first person to invade their personal property, it is overwhelming at times and people get fed up fast. The best way to avoid stepping on toes is to do just what bob said, go out on the lake, find a quiet mouth of a cove in at least 40 ft of water, put the light out, be quiet, and relax for 30 minutes, throw your net, get your bait and enjoy the morning, hopefully the only drama you will have will be whether or not you will be able to fit your fish in the net. Good luck, tight lines

I keep my boat in my slip now until I am ready the throw. I've gone down and had a mess all over my slip and water in a burnt out light where someone decided to help themselves. No, I am not humored at all when someone decides to help themselves to my stuff.

[GeoFisher]

Okay...which one? Did ya note when I talked about lights around a dock I noted: "Last choice, and be darn careful with this", then "look for lights close to the water near the dock where no houseboater or guide is likely to take offense to you being there. "

To make the last statement clearer, I'm talking about lights that may be by a boat ramp, or lights that may be on a walk way leading to the dock, or a light near a dock where the slip is empty.

To be much clearer, I'm talking about respecting people's property and looking for a light where you can try to catch bait only after you think about it, you are pretty darn sure will not offend anyone. When in doubt, use plan "B", head to a 40 foot deep lake cove, drop a light, and relax with coffee till the shad request permission to enter your livewell,

As others have said......those permits around the houseboats, and for dock space are CRAZY expensive......

I would not even ask.

[GeoFisher]

Next thing you know some jokers are going to start adding citrus to beer.

I must admit, I do like Summer Shandy which is lemonade and beer.......

NOT bad at all and really, really drinkable.

[stripernut1]

I used to have a troll that lived under the dock and would watch over my lights.....she quit when I divorced her daughter p.s. the "troll inlaw" wasn't working anyway....they eat way too much bait

[HURRICANEBOB]

Throwing on other people's lights without prior permission is a shooting offense. If it's too much trouble to put your own light out, then buy shiners.

Duayne catching shad.

shooting fish - Bing Videos

WTF....for now on when I go for shad, I pack bandages and heat.

[FlyLie]

Been awhile, so how is the situation catching bait (shad) on the West end of the lake, i.e., Halcombs landing area, , Guffy Creek, Indian Creek, Greasy Creek...so on,,,so..on.?

AND BY THE WAY, ANY GPS LOCATIONS ON THE STRIPERS....

OMG, didn't mean to start a dog fight. So should I rephrase the question; where are the "STRIPPPERS" on LC at night and what bait should one troll $1's, $5's, $20's, etc?

[HURRICANEBOB]

OMG, didn't mean to start a dog fight. So should I rephrase the question; where are the "STRIPPPERS" on LC at night and what bait should one troll $1's, $5's, $20's, etc?

Ain't no dog fight...Just some good ole' boys rubbing paint. Rubbing is racing!

But just in case, I done went and got my boat set up for catcing shad.

[HURRICANEBOB]

OMG, didn't mean to start a dog fight. So should I rephrase the question; where are the "STRIPPPERS" on LC at night and what bait should one troll $1's, $5's, $20's, etc?

Best lure choice attached. I'd start at Harmony Creek.

[Duayne]

I'm glad the topic of throwing a net on someone else's light came up.. Some people probably do not know "bait light etiquette" and this is a way to get it out there. Of course I am exaggerating when I say casting on someone else's light is a shooting offense. For one thing I do not even own a gun. I've had people clean out my bait tank before too which is even worse. There is nothing worse than going down first thing in the morning and finding all your bait stolen or finding your light is out because someone pulled their (or your) net up over it and the water blew it out and you have no means of getting bait.

I have cast bait nets on dock over-head lights at other marinas I've visited with great success. Probably the best thing to do is use your depth finder, locate a school of bait and set out a light. You'd probably have all you need in a matter of minutes. I like the convenience factor of casting in my slip but there are many many times it isn't an optimal method.

As for the question of how bait is right now, I haven't been down so I can't say for sure. Earlier this year it was as good as it ever has been but I have had times during bait spawn where catching bait in slips was near impossible. I also didn't need much as trolling two boards on the bank was all that was needed. Dropping lights in main lake pockets would probably be the way to go.

[stripernut1]

I have been reluctant to talk about how good bait has been....bad karma. the striper gods will kick you in the teeth when you tempt them. to answer the original question in this thread, ive been every single morning for days and days and weeks and weeks , and I cant pick a 16 ft diameter 3/8ths net out of the water by myself, it takes 2 of us just to dump it into the tub. bait has been anything from 2-7 inch threadfins, 5-8 inch alewives, and gizzards up to 12 inches. yesterday morning was the only morning in recent memory that required more than one throw. creeks, mainlake, points, coves, flats, rockwalls =====it doesn't matter. p.s. you don't need a 1000 weak baits, 25 really lively baits will limit out 4 people....don't crowd the tank