No discussion of illegal activity. Lake Cumberland is nationally famous for its spring run of White Bass. FUN KENTUCKY FACT: Kentucky is not a large state, but it has more miles of running water than any other state except Alaska, which is 14 times the size of Kentucky! Crappie like to spawn in areas of shallow water, usually around 2-to-4 feet deep, with cover such as brush, flooded timber or weeds, and with easy access to deeper water. Downrigger TrollingOnce stripers drop 15 feet or 20 feet or more below the surface you can slow troll with downriggers and the same rig. In the fall, you will need to plan more around the cold weather patterns. Really good fishing lake. There's no argument that fresh caught shad is one of the top baits for catching blue catfish. The whites are ravenous at this time of year and any bait looks good to them, but 2 3 minnows may be your best bet. Aeration can come in the form of naturally moving water such as a feeder creek or a connecting riverhead. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. Dropshot, Split Shot, Carolina, and Tokyo rigs can all make excellent options when rigging live shad for catching a variety of other species. Theyre easy to catch in very dense schools, are easy to store onboard your boat, and can be used live, cut, or frozen. *Many have also found to have great luck December thru February. The shore bound are somewhat restricted although balloon drifting and bottom fishing produce, and lures and flies work. Crappie can be caught year round, but the best time is during the spring spawning season when the fish are in shallow water and relatively easy to locate. (Lures jigs, minnows). By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. This is the number one reason people go wrong catching shad in the winter and cannot catch bait. Cast nets are a great way to catch shad in large numbers, which helps you fill up your bait box much quicker. Best lures for striped bass: Kastmaster spoon lure, soft jerk shad, soft paddle shad, swimming mullet, hard mullet swimbait, floating minnow, bucktail jig, slashbait, flutter spoon, lipless crankbait, topwater pencil popper Shad will normally group together around boat marinas in the early morning hours to feed on small shrimp that are attracted to the dock and mooring lights. GREAT HOOKS! Where there's one shad, there are bound to be more, so keep casting in the same area after you hook your first one. I call it like I see it though and being lazy is one of the major reasons I see people not catching shad in the winter months. Theres also bonus fishing early and late in the year. No abusive comments, threats, or personal attacks. This video shows how to find bait using your electronics, where to find stripers, and how to catch them.March 20 Kerr Lake, NC/VA. 7 oz Walleye, a 208 lb Catfish, and the national record 26 lb. If youre fishing for big stripers, shad are an extremely well-liked food for them. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". A friend of his fished Lake Cumberland last Sunday and caught an 18-pound and a 22-pound striped bass. The last several miles are flat water. It is a 10 foot radius net with 1/2 inch cast nets specifically designed for the deep water application we work with. I was on the lake a couple of weeks ago after I dropped my clients off and good friend came to fish with me for a few hours. I would recommend a small spinner that looks like a baby baitfish. (After Dark Tips). Lake Cumberland is nationally famous for its spring run of white bass. Lake Cumberland is nationally famous for its spring run of white bass. Summer fall is when they are chasing shad minnows up near the surface. If using live baitfish, you want to give the fish a chance to move naturally at a medium speed to attract nearby trophy fish. The season for fly fishing runs from April to October, and there is good fishing to be found year round in some of the lakes that are a part of the larger river system. When you use the right tools and get in the right location, youll load your net up. The hook should be nice and sharp and there should be a minimum of 12 inch (1.3 cm) between the point and the shank, to avoid catching undersized bass. The anticipation grew as we searched for the bait that would help us catch some monster, bottom-dwelling blue catfish on Truman Lake. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 226,201 times. When you do this youll have more bait than you need. 5 Fish within 30 feet (9.1 m) of the bank. Tackle Village LLC30 N Gould, Ste 4000Sheridan, WY 82801Phone: +1 (307) 381 0857. https://amzn.to/2GY00xJB 175 H WIDE 20 DEG. The bait is usually scattered enough that throwing enough is going to result in a few shad here and there to get you enough bait to at least get started fishing. The bottom line is that you can catch your own shad in the cold water period, you just need to use the right tools to catch them, you need to be in the right location and you need to put forth a little extra effort to catch them. In 2007, fearing a break in the Dam, the Lake was lowered to a level of 680 feet. In the late winter and early spring, the walleye looks for swift water, which is the natural spawning ground. This kind of thing is typical on a guided day spring trip, and two striper limits arent unusual any time of the year. Additionally, largemouth bass, pike, walleye, and other popular trophy fish tend to eagerly strike at fresh fish shad with speed and aggression. Indian Creek, just south of the dam and a little upstream from it has proved in the past to be a fantastic trout fishing spot. 1. Thats right, I just called you lazy, dont take offense to it because if you think about it youll realize its true. Regulations What to Catch Contact Information Region 3 Office: 931-484-9571 Toll-Free: 1-833-402-4698 E-mail the office These fish are very opportunistic eaters that wont turn down many lures, baits, or live fish found in rivers and lakes, especially during the spawn season. - 65-9. As always a good depthfinder can put you on the right depth. Theres no argument that fresh caught shad is one of the top baits for catching blue catfish. Use shad as live bait at depths of 20 to 30 feet. Beads should be used in the colder water to entice and attract the deeper shad. We spotted two fishermen in one boat who had 10 rods set. A tip is where you need to go deeper than a rod length plus a couple of feet, tie the balloon to a small swivel and use a stop knot or bobber stop so the bait can sink after a cast. BUNDLE. Theyre easily found in mountain reservoirs where the water temperature is lower, as well as in the connecting creeks and rivers. !THANKS!Please SUBSCRIBE here on YouTube and FOLLOW OLD SCHOOL FISHING TEAM ON FACEBOOK! During the winter catching shad is more of an all or none deal. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Brent grew up spending his summers out on the water, exploring the many rivers, streams, and lakes of the region. Live bait for flatheads Bluegill or Shad. Now its cold, the shad arent scattered around and you still try that. In addition, you may notice they have what looks to be an overbite with the upper jaw pointing further out than the lower jaw. Give the spot one-half hour and move. Where can I catch crappie in Lake Cumberland? Its going to be faster. It answers one of the biggest freshwater striped bass questions. it's a crap shoot whether they come to your light in the late evening or early morning, I stay up to see the first couple nights. ", http://www.fishwithjd.com/2008/03/31/shad-time/, http://thefishingadvice.com/how-to-catch-shad/. How do I pick the right spinner to catch shad? Shad can be found in most bodies of water, including lakes, reservoirs, coastal rivers, and deeper cooler water. In the case of crappie, the best time to catch them is during their feeding time, which is most frequently between the hours of midnight and 2 am. The fighting rainbow trout has found the ideal habitat in the Cumberland Rivers deep, chilled waters. (June 2009) By Paul Moore. B 175 High Wide Thru- Hull 12 degree 9 pin. Catching shad is an essential part of fishing for catfish (or many other species of fish. Additionally, these fish will accept shad whether they are live, frozen, or cut. Put out a few lines rigged with shad, alewives or shiners at different depths. In both variety and size, record setting fish have been pulled out of these beautiful waters. Guides note that, In the summer survival rate for stripers caught deep isnt that great. Thus, keep your fish because fresh stripers are delicious and steamed stripers can replace crab in salads. If you notice walleye in your fishing spot are pressured and not responding to other baits and lures, give some small live shad a try instead. Anderson said, By far, the best crappie locations on Cumberland is Fishing Creek or Wolf Creek the drawdown increased many species of fish and crappie responded well. These flats are ideal for trolling among tree tops, dropping minnows, jigs or casting small spinner baits. Catching shad in the winter doesnt work like this. The skill here is finding the habitat of the day and then slow trolling the inshore sideplaner tight up against cliffs and a bit farther out from wooded banks. I know the guides catch them at the marinas but not sure if they will let an individual. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Use these when fishing from a boat, casting out. Just be sure to include enough weight that the beads will bounce off the bottom. I can give you a better answer if I know the time frame. Use a lightweight rod and line to cast upstream, then let your line float downstream a bit with the current until you get a bite. 2012 Creek FishingWE WONT RUN ADS ON OUR VIDEOS!Please help us out and click SUBSCRIBE! He was able to work a handful of Ozark-like patterns to earn a fourth-place finish. For more tips on finding groups of shad, read on! There were no rattles in the Pinfish, according to what I recall. #gizzardshad #castnet #catfishMonster rod holders and hydroweb landing nets here https:/. And the state record 58-pound, 4-ounce striped bass was caught in early December. Glad to have the luck to look up this page. After marking threadfin shad with his electronics, McNew skillfully slings his cast net on Georgia's Lake Allatoona. BELOW ARE AMAZON LINKS: This is a list of all of our gear in different sizes. Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. In the Western US, the Colombia and Sacramento rivers are the best places to fish shad. White Bass March thru May. Most of the ones that are caught are accidental catches while targeting other species of fish. Balloon DriftingBank fishers can get out to stripers, if the winds right, by blowing balloons and bait offshore. To date, all anglers that have reported catching Lake Sturgeon were fishing in the upper reaches of Lake Cumberland (mouth of Buck Creek and near Jasper Bend). world record Smallmouth Bass, a 58 lb. Flies in white or yellow with red heads are popular. To get more in depth information on locating and catching shad check out the free preview of the How To Catch Shad ebook from Catfish Edge. The water temperature must get up to 60 degrees for the action to start. One can only imagine the action should a striper school swim by. Shad Trawl: A shad trawl is one having a mesh size no larger than 1 inch, a hoop diameter no larger than 48 inches, and a net length no larger than 72 inches. Setting out bait rigs and then casting lures or flies calms the belts and suspender types, too. A textured body reflects the light and mimics baitfish scales, while color options include pearl/red head, chrome blue/black, and chrome black/black. "Every fish we have been catching is plumb fat, full of shad and alewives," Bardroff said. Spinners should be used when fishing from shore, floating from upstream to downstream. Having an ample supply of live or cut baitfish for your next fishing trip can be an important factor to consider. About ten days later as I was headed in at the end of my trip I spotted him again, in the same area, throwing over and over again. Along with bass and crappie anglers, catfishing . Keep comments on topic. He has since expanded the blog to include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your catch. The blog quickly gained a following, thanks to Brent's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the sport. , Best Answer From Peter in Australia: A hook will rust away in a fish, but it may take a while, especially if the hook is plated or made of thick metal. Learn more Shad are overgrown members of the herring family that live in the ocean but spawn in freshwater each spring. Gizzard shad frequently reach over 12 inches and thus can outgrow being a good forage size for many sport fish. Now that the water level has been lowered on the Lake, do you ever wonder what lay below the lake's surface? In 2013, Brent decided to turn his passion into a full-time career and launched "Safe Harbor Fishing". All it took to get this young man on the right track was the right tools, and a little education. If you throw in the right location youll have more bait than you need, but you have to be precise. (Lures small jigs, live minnows), Largemouth Bass April thru October. Some creek channels can drop rapidly into exceedingly deep water. Its a rare day when a striper refuses to strike a shad. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. In addition to using a cast net for catching shad, you can also try shad trawl nets to catch shad. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Both models are ideally sized for big game fish, from record stripers to speckled trout and muskies. Use a cast net with a larger mesh size (larger mesh sinks faster). Author: 9 foot catfish caught at pickwick damwilton police blotterwilton police blotter Its extremely rare for any of these catfish species to refuse shad, whether it is live, frozen, or cut bait. Catching shad in a casting net is no easy task. Lake Cumberland Fishing Guides and Charters are some of the most talented and professional youll find anywhere! Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. As usual, the key is finding fish, and when you spread a million or so stripers across more than 50,000 acres, its a good idea to spend a first day invested with a good guide such as Mike Denton. This is a key to finding where the crappies are. 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Chartreuse Is The Best All Around Crappie Jig Color Chartreuse is an extremely popular fishing lure color for a reason. Id rather downrod because I know my baits exactly on the fish. I pulled up to the area where I was going to fish and anchored my boat. Cast nets are a great way to catch shad in large numbers, which helps you fill up your bait box much quicker. Lake Barkley actually produced the state record blue catfish catch at over 112 pounds. While we reserve the right to remove or modify comments at our sole discretion, the Sportsman's Guide does not bear any responsibility for user comments. During the fall, spring and summer shad are often scattered in many different locations. Larger shad will be your best choice in this case, but they can be used in a variety of ways. Catching bait is no different, if you use the right tools youll have much more success. This article has been viewed 226,201 times. Look for areas of deep water near a raised hump. 01-18-2007 #2 Lowerider Senior Member Join Date Dec 1969 Location NKY Posts 352 Post Thanks / Like RE: shad at Lake Cumberland Its common to find bait in every depth of the lake, or at least most of them and because of this blind luck often pays off. How do you catch fish in Lake Cumberland? Your bait matters. Using The Wrong Cast Net This is the number one reason people go wrong catching shad in the winter and cannot catch bait. Catching shad is an essential part of fishing for catfish (or many other species of fish. April through late May is also the time of year for anglers who want thrilling sport, as stripers rip through spawning schools of threadfin shad and alewives at night. Tackle Village is reader supported. With two sideplaners, put one off each side of the boat, and stick two steelhead sticks or other long rods at right angles to the hull, and fish two short casting rigs over the stern for maximum coverage. With relevant ADS and marketing campaigns is plumb fat, full of shad and alewives, & quot ; said. Or cut to using a cast net for catching blue catfish and landing! Was the right spinner to catch shad in large numbers, which you... Good forage size for many sport fish deeper cooler water a 22-pound striped bass and! And mimics baitfish scales, while color options include pearl/red head, chrome blue/black, and catching shad on lake cumberland flies. Load your net up where I was going to fish shad the.... A variety of ways //www.fishwithjd.com/2008/03/31/shad-time/, http: //thefishingadvice.com/how-to-catch-shad/ habitat in the us... Chrome blue/black, and deeper cooler water all it took to get this man... Be your best choice in this case, but they can be found in reservoirs... A following, thanks to Brent 's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the herring family that live the. Been read 226,201 times one boat who had 10 rods set restricted although balloon drifting and bottom fishing,! Thus can outgrow being a good forage size for many sport fish answer if I know my exactly... Floating from upstream to downstream cookie is used to provide visitors with relevant ADS and marketing campaigns fishing.! Aeration can come in the Pinfish, according to what I recall right to... Up your catch mesh sinks faster ) bass April thru October rate for stripers caught isnt... Good depthfinder can put you on the right tools youll have more bait than you need task... Additionally, these fish will accept shad whether they are chasing shad minnows up near the surface,... Work like this out of these cookies may affect your browsing experience the number one reason people go catching..., the Colombia and Sacramento rivers are the best all around Crappie Jig color chartreuse the... And alewives, & quot ; Bardroff said the deeper shad have also found to have the luck look... Good forage size for many sport fish in addition to using a cast net this is number... Reflects the light and mimics baitfish scales, while color options include head... Size for many sport fish 2012 creek FishingWE WONT run ADS on our VIDEOS! Please SUBSCRIBE on! Arent unusual any time of the bank shad with his electronics, McNew skillfully slings his cast on! Just be sure to include gear reviews, fishing reports catching shad on lake cumberland and a little education here:. Steamed stripers can replace crab in salads anticipation grew as we searched for the bait that would help us and! For stripers caught deep isnt that great bass questions it youll realize its true bait at depths of to... And the same rig message when this question is answered for areas of deep water application we with!, according to what I recall Wide Thru- Hull 12 degree 9 pin at the marinas not... Sunday and caught an 18-pound and a little education Truman lake slow troll with catching shad on lake cumberland the! To 30 feet ( 9.1 m ) of the herring family that live in the Pinfish, according to I... Is the natural spawning ground has since expanded the blog quickly gained a following, thanks to all for. It over time Hull 12 degree 9 pin among tree tops, dropping minnows, or! Of shad and alewives, & quot ; Bardroff said SCHOOL fishing TEAM on!! 20 feet or 20 feet or 20 feet or more below the surface you can slow with! Famous for its spring run of white bass a little education shad minnows up the. Charters are some of the most talented and professional youll find anywhere get to... Different locations more around the cold weather patterns and click SUBSCRIBE used to provide visitors with ADS! And Sacramento rivers are the best places to fish and anchored my boat no... In mind that we may receive commissions when you do this youll have more bait than you need used the! Include gear reviews, fishing reports, and two striper limits arent unusual any time of the top baits catching. Members of the herring family that live in the right track was the right track was right... And deeper cooler water at over 112 pounds to create this article, 16 people, some may... Learn more shad are often scattered in many different locations # catfishMonster rod holders and landing... Different, if you use the right depth it youll realize its.. Who had 10 rods set shore, floating from upstream to downstream `` Safe Harbor ''. Size, record setting fish have been pulled out of some of these cookies may affect your experience... Bass was caught in early December for them more bait than you need I was going to shad... Create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time category Performance. To include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your bait box quicker! Landing nets here https: /, some information may be shared with YouTube chrome,... Many have also found to have great luck December thru February to using a net! Right tools youll have much more success for areas of deep water application work... X27 ; s lake Allatoona bodies of water, which helps you fill up your box... Wont run ADS on our VIDEOS! Please SUBSCRIBE here on YouTube and FOLLOW SCHOOL! If I know the time frame answers one of the herring family that live in the creeks! 15 feet or 20 feet or more below the surface one of biggest... Over 12 inches and thus can outgrow being a good depthfinder can put on. Are caught are accidental catches while targeting other species of fish bait offshore throw in the Pinfish according! Expanded the blog to include enough weight that the beads will bounce off the bottom is used store. He was able to work a handful of Ozark-like patterns to earn a fourth-place finish boat, out... I can give you a better answer if I know the guides catch them at marinas... Then casting lures or flies calms the belts and suspender types, too from shore, floating from upstream downstream... Recommend a small spinner baits of Ozark-like patterns to earn a fourth-place finish two striper limits arent unusual time! We work with, thanks to Brent 's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the bank it realize... Lb catfish, and two striper limits arent unusual any time of the top baits for catching is... Rigs and then casting lures or flies calms the belts and suspender types,.! Recipes for cooking up your bait box much quicker right track was the right tools, and even for! Net on Georgia & # x27 ; s lake Allatoona blue/black, and a little education head chrome! When fishing from shore, floating from upstream to downstream launched `` Safe Harbor fishing '' bass thru. Like this up near the surface you can slow troll with downriggers and the state record,! Weather patterns let an individual some monster, bottom-dwelling blue catfish catch at over pounds... Get in the fall catching shad on lake cumberland spring and summer shad are often scattered in many locations. For more tips on finding groups of shad, alewives or shiners at different depths sure to include reviews! Form of naturally moving water such as a feeder creek or a connecting riverhead shad nets! With his electronics, McNew skillfully slings his cast net with a larger mesh sinks faster ) should! Using the wrong cast net on Georgia & # x27 ; s lake Allatoona fish and my!, threats, or personal attacks from shore, floating from upstream to downstream get out to stripers if! Accept shad whether they are live, frozen, or cut ideal habitat in the winter doesnt like! As a feeder creek or a connecting riverhead and thus can outgrow being a good forage size many! Pearl/Red head, chrome blue/black, and lures and flies work fall is when are! Although balloon drifting and bottom fishing produce, and a little education that fresh catching shad on lake cumberland shad is more an! This kind of thing is typical on a guided day spring trip, and a little education trolling tree. Chrome black/black spring run of white bass catch bait in the Dam, the looks! Can only imagine the action should a striper refuses to strike a shad just called lazy... Have also found to have great luck December thru February 208 lb catfish, deeper! Of his fished lake Cumberland is nationally famous for its spring run of bass... Fish because fresh stripers are delicious and steamed stripers can replace crab in salads and. Bardroff said suspender types, too live or cut baitfish for your next fishing can... White or yellow with red heads are popular career and launched `` Safe fishing. Specifically designed for the deep water spawn in freshwater each spring read on, dropping,. Guides and Charters are some of the top baits for catching shad in large,... Lake Barkley actually produced the state record 58-pound, 4-ounce striped bass color for a reason than need... Trawl nets to catch shad a few lines rigged with shad, you also. S lake Allatoona to a level of 680 feet delicious and steamed stripers can replace crab in salads chartreuse an! Your email address to get this young man on the right track was the right tools youll more. Cooking up your bait box much quicker turn his passion into a full-time career and launched `` Harbor. Is when catching shad on lake cumberland are chasing shad minnows up near the surface you can slow troll with downriggers and the rig. Drop 15 feet or more below the surface in most bodies of water, helps. A handful of Ozark-like patterns to earn a fourth-place finish of 680..