All week long, Greg Bohannan talked about how Cumberland was fishing like an Ozark lake, which fits his style just right. Catching shad is an essential part of fishing for catfish (or many other species of fish. Its extremely rare for any of these catfish species to refuse shad, whether it is live, frozen, or cut bait. If youre going to be lazy, then quit whining about not having bait. A private concessionaire also runs guided raft trips on this section of river. 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. 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. Spoons work most efficiently at about mid-level water. It does not store any personal data. The anticipation grew as we searched for the bait that would help us catch some monster, bottom-dwelling blue catfish on Truman Lake. They will sink further and faster than a fly. (Lures spinner baits, worms, topwater bait), Bream May thru August. I then idled over to this young mans boat and gave him a big ziplock bag full of shad. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, is an uncrowded lake with wonderful fishing less than a day's drive from much of the South, East and Midwest. He was in a rather odd location to catch shad and he was throwing a TINY cast net. Develop the tech skills you need for work and life. (Bait shad minnows, nightcrawlers), Sauger & Walleye December thru March. He started the blog as a way to share his love of fishing and the outdoors with others, and to provide tips, tricks, and advice to fellow fishermen. However, shad can be found in rivers as far south as Florida. Jigs, spinners and small spoons on a fly rod are also good choices for small shad species, or young fish that dont have enough weight for a full heavy hook and rig. Theres no argument that fresh caught shad is one of the top baits for catching blue catfish. The blog quickly gained a following, thanks to Brent's engaging writing style and extensive knowledge of the sport. The shore bound are somewhat restricted although balloon drifting and bottom fishing produce, and lures and flies work. These aggressive fish will take shad without any hesitation. During spring and fall sideplaner season, a typical guide might supply eight or nine sideplaners and will probably get up at midnight to catch a tank full of live gizzard shad for the next days bait, too. 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We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. Theyre easily found in mountain reservoirs where the water temperature is lower, as well as in the connecting creeks and rivers. Captain Jim has fished Lake Cumberland over 55 years. Large Gizzard Shad catch by Cast Net in Lake Cumberland KY. About . One of the best ways to catch shad is with a cast fishing net. Spinners should be used when fishing from shore, floating from upstream to downstream. There are several different types of American shad, though anglers will most likely be dealing with one of the two most popular; Threadfin shad, and Gizzard shad. If youre fishing for catfish, especially flatheads and blues, catching shad to use as live bait is almost a necessity. 3 size Gamatzu hook nipped through the threadfins nose below the eyes attaches the bait. Shad are easier to catch on warm days. Class: III Miles: 11.6 Hours 4-6 Season: All Although live baiting with shad is increasingly becoming the most common in the fall and winter months, other methods have also proven successful. The bait is in large dense schools in specific locations that require you to be right on top of them to catch them. If youre fishing from a boat and youve gotten in the habit of pulling up to the ramp, launching your boat, throwing your cast net in a random location a few times and catching some bait thats not going to work for you in the winter. Give the spot one-half hour and move. "Every fish we have been catching is plumb fat, full of shad and alewives," Bardroff said. 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. Evo3 https://amzn.to/2F87OdMHalo 24in Dome. There are two lakes attached to this river, Barkley and Cheatham. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky is famous as a fishermans paradise! Shore FishingWhen shore fishing, both sliding sinker fish finder and fixed, two-hook bait works for live shad, cut herring and other baits on size 2 hooks. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. https://amzn.to/2FnuAQb Sonar Hub https://amzn.to/2Wy5xQd3D System https://amzn.to/2Ui0F43 https://amzn.to/2FnuAQb Sonar Hub https://amzn.to/2Wy5xQd3D System https://amzn.to/2Ui0F43Simrad Go 12 XSE w Total Scan https://amzn.to/2PHE7oOSimrad Go 12 XSE no transducer (Get Total Scan Transducer for $10 more)https://amzn.to/2DHhcVJAftco Tactical Fishing Shortshttps://amzn.to/2FmVN4Yhttps://amzn.to/2xahNvAOWNER MUTU CIRCLE HOOKS 40 pack. Hanging a light off your boat during mornings or darkness will help attract shad during the slower months. Theres no more relaxing way to enjoy the sunshine, scenery and, given most of Kentucky is dry, a cooling beverage. *Many have also found to have great luck December thru February. (June 2009) By Paul Moore. if youre concerned about temperature drops in the water, be sure and bring an insulated swimming outfit, like a thermal , Know Where Youre Wading Scout Ahead. This kind of thing is typical on a guided day spring trip, and two striper limits arent unusual any time of the year. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Enjoy! I threw a couple of extra times, got plenty of extra threadfin shad and gizzard shad and idled back over to him again and passed him a big gallon bag of shad. Business Advisory; Business Valuation; Corporate Finance; Cash Flow Modelling; M&A Advisory; Venture Capital; Private & Public Partnerships; Owner Supervision And Internal Control One of the easiest ways to catch shad once you have located them is with a cast net. In the Eastern US, the best place to find shad is in the Connecticut river. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The views expressed within the comment section do not necessarily reflect or represent the views of The Sportsman's Guide. OK, I lied; this is even more relaxing than downrodding as nobody has to watch the fishfinder! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. For the most part clear as a bell. Catching shad in the winter doesnt work like this. Use a cast net with a larger mesh size (larger mesh sinks faster). How do you find live bait? As always a good depthfinder can put you on the right depth. 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. Balloon DriftingBank fishers can get out to stripers, if the winds right, by blowing balloons and bait offshore. world record Smallmouth Bass, a 58 lb. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. Additionally, these fish will accept shad whether they are live, frozen, or cut. The 21-pound record walleye was caught in October, too. You can easily catch shad from a boat or from the shore in the cold water period, you just have to do the work and get in the right location and make sure youre right on top of them. He pulls up to another location and starts throwing again and again. Check the depthfinder for stripers and lower away to the proper depths. Great numbers of fish can be caught right now. Additionally, during dawn and dusk can be good times to catch them, with many of them also feeding during these twilight hours. 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. They at one time did some commercial fishing on the lake years ago, but I don't think it has been done in a while. These two shad are quite different from each other when comparing their size and action in freshwater rivers and lakes. In the evenings, shad can be found in the warmer water towards the back of a cove or creek. When using shad as bait, a circle hook or other light lures and hooks is an excellent option for catfish, largemouth bass, and other larger-mouthed species. This can be done from a boat or from the shore, depending on where you notice the shad spawn gathering together. I have read articles in outdoors magazines, about the area just below the dam. Tackle Village is reader supported. Local knowledge of snags and such makes a huge difference as when fish are either in the middle of the lake within 10 or 15 feet of the surface or suspended off mid-lake humps and bumps. Anglers looking for trophy stripers up the creeks need to move slowly, quietly, and they should be prepared for a more deliberate presentation. This zest in striking deeper water American shad makes it easier for anglers to ensure a solid hookset as well as get an exciting fight when luring the fish in. All the major streams and their tributaries in the Lake Cumberland area abound with fish. There's no argument that fresh caught shad is one of the top baits for catching blue catfish. You can also get by with a light weight cast net during much of the year as well, but not in the winter. But fishs stomachs are , Use large-sized baits such as dead bluegill, live chubs, water dogs, crayfish and frogs when seeking larger catfish. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). There's a few great Catfish baits you can use to lure in those monster Cats and one of them is the stinky shad fish. Eventually you'll find stripers. Once you have caught your shad, keeping them alive until you are ready to use them is relatively simple. Its a rare day when a striper refuses to strike a shad. Stripers eat gizzard shad at Lake Cumberland so lures or flies in the 2-inch to 5-inch or 6-inch range that replicate these are the key when presented at the proper depth. Today we show you how to catch shad without bait. Later on the walleye head for all parts of the lake itself, where the walleye can be tempted by deep running lures or minnows. Also, after turnover stripers can be anywhere on the lake from chasing shad against the bank to Montauk-style beating up balls of bait in the middle of the lake as birds dive for cripples. If youre fishing from the bank and youve gotten in the habit of pulling up to your fishing spot, throwing a dozen times up and down the bank and catching bait, thats not going to work for you in the winter. To create this article, 16 people, some anonymous, worked to edit and improve it over time. 3. Beads should be used in the colder water to entice and attract the deeper shad. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. But in general, all of the following fish will take shad in almost any way you choose to fish it. Learn more Shad are overgrown members of the herring family that live in the ocean but spawn in freshwater each spring. No votes so far! Plan on 4 to 6 hours for the trip. 9 pin Evo3 end. In 2007, fearing a break in the Dam, the Lake was lowered to a level of 680 feet. 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Of 680 feet arent unusual any time of the best choice for.!