Cumberland Stripers

[BRS]

Friend of mine fish Conley Bottom Wednesday night and reported that the shad were not up and only caugt 1 striper.

[thunderstorm]

Hmmm, not too many good reports concerning the night time bite.

I hope to go down after Memorial Day. Anyone fishing w/ bait right now?

[stripernut1]

Hmmm, not too many good reports concerning the night time bite.

I hope to go down after Memorial Day. Anyone fishing w/ bait right now?

Anyone fishing with bait right now ? not many, I would say it is probably lees than a 1000 boats on the slower days, and somewhere close to a million on weekends , very very crowded most mornings

[bsg2121]

Fished friday and saturday nights.

Friday night we found lots of bait but not many blow ups, at least that classic stripper blow up. Missed one and did not get any fish in the boat. Fished the jamestown to beaver creek area. Used mostly red fins and slivers. The weather was not ideal friday.

Saturday the conditions were great. Fished difficulty to wolf/lilly area. Did not hear anything until 130 area to 5am. We did hear some nice striper blow ups (like 5) in a cove at the mouth of wolf. Landed 2 on thunderstick. Still limited activity but we had a good time.

[MJ]

Fished friday and saturday nights.

Friday night we found lots of bait but not many blow ups, at least that classic stripper blow up. Missed one and did not get any fish in the boat. Fished the jamestown to beaver creek area. Used mostly red fins and slivers. The weather was not ideal friday.

Saturday the conditions were great. Fished difficulty to wolf/lilly area. Did not hear anything until 130 area to 5am. We did hear some nice striper blow ups (like 5) in a cove at the mouth of wolf. Landed 2 on thunderstick. Still limited activity but we had a good time.

I guess I'm old. The good ole days of limiting out at night in a couple hours are long gone and I don't know if they will ever return. Hard to fish for them now when you know how much fun it used to be.

[HURRICANEBOB]

Crazy question, but is any body trying the slip bobber rig, set to about a 2 foot depth, with a threadfin shad hooked thru the back with a #2 size hook? Reason I ask is on those nights when throwing lures got slow and I was hearing few blow ups, sometimes this rig worked. I guess because the Stripers were feeding tight to the banks, but hitting the shad before they actually came up.

I usually pitch the rig so close the bobber bounces off the rocks and the whole rig sits about a foot out. If it sits there for more than a minute, I give it a couple short smooth pops, and pull the whole rig out to about 3 feet off the rocks. That usually did it for me. For grins, stick a mini-chemlight in the top of the bobber cause when it gets hit you'll see near video game quality visuals as it heads deep and/or runs down the bank.

I need to get on the water again....the boat is so ugly in the driveway! :-)

[stripernut1]

bob, haven't pitched the bobber for a couple of weeks now, last time was when I was talking to you about catching them (2-3 weeks ago?) . didn't catch a single striper on the bobber, the kitties were all over it though, I think I sent you some pics. we always pull a bobber out the back of the boat when casting topwater and haven't had a single striper this year on the bobber, got tired of pulling shad on it and started taking bluegull, hahaha, its crazy how fast they get eaten by the BIG kitties.

[bsg2121]

I guess I'm old. The good ole days of limiting out at night in a couple hours are long gone and I don't know if they will ever return. Hard to fish for them now when you know how much fun it used to be.

My problem with it now is the size of the fish. Back in the day every fish was a keeper and it would easily be 7-15 pounds. These 23 inch fish just dont get me excited like those big ones. I hope the lake can get back to those 30-36 inch plus fish. I loved wowing people with the pictures and fish frys. I am hoping the increased water level, increased brush and the stocking of more striper can get the lake back to the quality striper lake i fell in love with.

[mhall]

My problem with it now is the size of the fish. Back in the day every fish was a keeper and it would easily be 7-15 pounds. These 23 inch fish just dont get me excited like those big ones. I hope the lake can get back to those 30-36 inch plus fish. I loved wowing people with the pictures and fish frys. I am hoping the increased water level, increased brush and the stocking of more striper can get the lake back to the quality striper lake i fell in love with.

I hope so to but I say pressure keeps this from happening. Just way to many folks day after day, week after week, month after month year after year keeping every 2 that are legal. Back in the day the pressure was not even close to what it is now.
What is there about 100 guides on Cumberland now.......
I'll get slammed for that comment but that's my opinion...

[stripernut1]

mark, I couldn't agree with you more !! the pressure is overwhelming at times. the guides are plentiful for sure, and collectively there is o arguing they "ice down" a bunch of fish throughout the year. I will add to your post by saying there are some pretty deadly "civilian striper chasers" out there each weekend, some of them are conservation minded, and some (I understand why, they are fun to catch) will catch and release and catch and release until they run out of bait. I know we have beat the "striper mortality horse" to death on here before. but if me and my partner catch 4 legal stripers and "ice em" , we have only killed 4. the catcher and releaser guy has fought , stressed and ran the risk of delayed mortality on "umpteen" stripers during that same time period. just another obstacle that in my opinion will hamper the goal of a trophy fishery. and some will argue that a 30 incher is a trophy, and I couldn't be happier for that person. But a lot of you guys, mark duayne, bob etc etc remember when you didn't even keep a ruler on the boat, why would you need that thing. im talking about measuring in pounds, not inches.until then I will do like everybody else, keep getting up at 3am, catching bait, rigging 12 rods, fighting the wind, the crowds, the gar and whatever else gets in the way just to get that chance to yell "FISH ON"!!!!

[mhall]

Spot on Jeff....Point well taken. I keep an occasional Striper or two for the table but release waaaaaaaay more than I keep. I usually do this in the early times of the year and again late in the Fall when the water temps will support catch and release much better. I do not pull bait and don't fish for Stripers in Cumberalnd during the warm water months. I catch them in the Ohio and release them but that is a different animal all together for the most part.

I mostly chase them ole Brown fish but I do love the Striper fishing and will try and support and help the conservation efforts in any way I can..

[jsnschmidt]

Was thinking of heading up to lake Cumberland this weekend and was wandering were the stripers are at by now and were to catch the shad. Any input would be much appreciated!