The anticipation grew as we searched for the bait that would help us catch some monster, bottom-dwelling blue catfish on Truman Lake. The truth is, you can catch winter shad, but blind luck is not going to take you far in the winter. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". In addition, you may notice they have what looks to be an overbite with the upper jaw pointing further out than the lower jaw. I showed him some screenshots of shad and what they looked like on sonar and tweaked the settings on his fish finder for him so hed be able to better tell what was below his boat. There are at least one-half dozen methods that work for stripers some of the time. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2023 The Sportsmans Guide, Inc.1-800-882-2962|, Forward-Facing Sonar is Changing Much of Fishing. In the evenings, shad can be found in the warmer water towards the back of a cove or creek. 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. Both live and cut shad are much better than frozen, but striped bass will take frozen shad in many cases as well. Eventually youll find stripers. By using our site, you agree to our. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Only threadfin or gizzard shad shall be taken with a shad trawl and shad trawling is not allowed within 1,000 yards below any dam. Good locations would include the backs of coves and creeks where the water has been warmed by the sun all day. This is the number one reason people go wrong catching shad in the winter and cannot catch bait. We are sorry that this post was not useful for you! There is a cult following for Bomber's reaction to the Storm Thin Fin: Speed Shad. During much of the year you can get by with a tiny little cast net (I call them Tonka Toy nets). !https://amzn.to/325i8xCAccurate Fury Reel 400 Regularhttps://amzn.to/2XTvZZKAccurate Fury Reel 400 Narrowhttps://amzn.to/2Y4izJDAccurate Tern Reel 300 Narrow High Speed(same size as 400 Narrow in Fury and Valiant)https://amzn.to/2XQkYblAccurate Tern Reel 400 High Speed Regularhttps://amzn.to/2XOFZ6bBen Parker Magnum Flutter Spoonhttps://amzn.to/32x6lZkAccurate SR 6 Spinning Reelhttps://amzn.to/2xUkotSWright and McGill Inshore Slam Spinning Rodhttps://amzn.to/2XSCXZTABU Garcia 6500 Reel C3https://amzn.to/2XUEXpDShimano Large Butterfly Spoon Folder Storagehttps://amzn.to/2XQUYYACuda Piranha Scissorshttps://amzn.to/32zJagLABU Garcia Inshore REVO Baitcaster Reelhttps://amzn.to/2JRdpaNABU Garcia Inshore BEAST REVO Baitcaster reelhttps://amzn.to/32vBlc4CLAMP-ON LINE COUNTERhttps://amzn.to/2XRr9MmBoat/Motorcycle Alarm. Shad are an excellent bait fish to have around. Combine this with these simple tips to help you catch more shad and youll instantly have more success. (Lures spinner baits, worms, topwater bait), Bream May thru August. 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. Sideplaner TrollingGuide boats may spread six to 10 sideplaners some use floats for the three or four rods in the wake. 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 If you buy a product through links on the site we may make a small commission. 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. And the state record 58-pound, 4-ounce striped bass was caught in early December. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! 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. Whether you would like to fish on the Cumberland River or Lake Cumberland, we have several charters and guides to choose from. You can dig that very same hole with a shovel. https://amzn.to/2U4tAp3ACTIVE IMAGING 2 in 1 Transducer https://amzn.to/2IjtJDEACTIVE IMAGING 3 in 1Transducer https://amzn.to/2ErP9ugTM 185 High CHIRP Wide Xsonic plug endhttps://amzn.to/2XDLJw7Airmar Adapter 9 pin to 7 pin Blue Navico Legacy port https://amzn.Go9 Display With C-Map Pro Charts installed 3in1 Active Imaging Transducer and 4G Radar. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. The rivers temperature can vary from temperate in the shallows to near-freezing in open water. http://traffic.libsyn.com/catfishing/Three_Reasons_You_Cant_Winter_Shad_-_21315_3.18_PM.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:19 59.3MB), Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 41:19 59.3MB). If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. Video of Lake Cumberland taken February 2007. This kind of thing is typical on a guided day spring trip, and two striper limits arent unusual any time of the year. Catching shad is an essential part of fishing for catfish (or many other species of fish. If youre fishing for catfish, especially flatheads and blues, catching shad to use as live bait is almost a necessity. I can give you a better answer if I know the time frame. An Aberdeen #2, 4, or 6 hook makes one of the best hooks for crappie fishing. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. !THANKS!Please SUBSCRIBE here on YouTube and FOLLOW OLD SCHOOL FISHING TEAM ON FACEBOOK! Shad are easier to catch on warm days. Old Hickory Reservoir is a 22,500-acre impoundment on the Cumberland River in northern middle Tennessee. Striped Bass / Rockfish April thru June & September thru October. Dieser Artikel wurde entwickelt, um den Bedrfnissen unserer Kunden entsprechend zu werden und bietet eine Vielzahl von neuen Funktionen. Anglers looking for trophy stripers up the creeks need to move slowly, quietly, and they should be prepared for a more deliberate presentation. Theres also bonus fishing early and late in the year. All week long, Greg Bohannan talked about how Cumberland was fishing like an Ozark lake, which fits his style just right. Kentucky's Underrated Catfish Waters. Its official, Lionel Fergusons 5-pound, 7-ounce black crappie is the new IGFA All-Tackle world record! Hair jigs work well, but most anglers use live bait either directly below the boat or drifted/trolled. 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. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, is an uncrowded lake with wonderful fishing less than a days drive from much of the South, East and Midwest. And many other techniques. 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). In general, fishing for pike with live baitfish as your lure is a very effective way to land these monster fish. Best Fishing in Kentucky Lake Cumberland, Lake Cumberland, Kentucky is famous as a fishermans paradise. The shore bound are somewhat restricted although balloon drifting and bottom fishing produce, and lures and flies work. How do you catch fish in Lake Cumberland? Those with problems fishing, or getting, bait can do well with 1/4-ounce to 1/2-ounce white jigs, slab spoons or the largest size vertical Rapala ice-fishing lure. This time of year shad becomes a hot topic and everyones talking about how hard it is and complaining about how they cant catch bait. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. During the cool early mornings and early evenings you will find the fish foraging near the surface and you can even make a great catch during the dead of night! Heres the three reasons I see people having way more difficulty than they should catching winter shad. One of the easiest ways to catch shad once you have located them is with a cast net. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Along with bass and crappie anglers, catfishing . These highly oxygenated areas are not just good for baitfish, theyre also a prime spot to look for trophy fish such as bass, pike, and catfish during spawn months. Because of the diverse diets of crappie, they can be caught in many different ways, making them an excellent species for almost any angler to experience using their favorite technique. The Cumberland River boasts some excellent fishing of Bass and Trout, and you can also find walleye and sauger. I dropped my clients off and went back out to catch bait for my trip the next morning. Get a Head Lamp with White and Red Light. Be the first to rate this post. The sunrise over Truman Lake as we crossed a bridge. Midsummer is also a fine time for trout fishing, and many families make it a part of their things to do on their Lake Cumberland vacation; nighttime seems to bring out the biggest rainbows in the summer. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I received an email from him a week later thanking me, along with a picture of a big bucket full of shad. Give the spot one-half hour and move. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. As always a good depthfinder can put you on the right depth. Live bait for flatheads Bluegill or Shad. Flies in white or yellow with red heads are popular. Team; Services. Lake Cumberland is nationally famous for its spring run of white bass. Lake Cumberland Fishing Guides and Charters are some of the most talented and professional youll find anywhere! Rapala DT 6, KVD 1.5 crankbaits, drop shot rigs and finesse jigs are great options. For a full list of Lake Cumberland and Cumberland River fishing guides, click here. However, shad can be found in rivers as far south as Florida. Both models are ideally sized for big game fish, from record stripers to speckled trout and muskies. Most specially regulated trout waters are closed to taking fishbait and baitfish at all times. In the fall, you will need to plan more around the cold weather patterns. Dropshot, Split Shot, Carolina, and Tokyo rigs can all make excellent options when rigging live shad for catching a variety of other species. One of the most notable identifying factors in Threadfin shad is their body color. Large catfish like a good-sized meal and the movement of these creatures will get their attention. The main channels are too deep and fast for them to do that," Witt says. Striper SystemsSuccessful anglers match their skills and system with the season. "Every fish we have been catching is plumb fat, full of shad and alewives," Bardroff said. Large schools of shad are always moving not only to different areas of the lake but also to different depths. Some creek channels can drop rapidly into exceedingly deep water. Keep comments on topic. One of the easiest ways to catch shad once you have located them is with a cast net. Lake Cumberland, Kentucky, is an uncrowded lake with wonderful fishing less than a day's drive from much of the South, East and Midwest. White Bass March thru May. Downrigger TrollingOnce stripers drop 15 feet or 20 feet or more below the surface you can slow troll with downriggers and the same rig. Youre not catching bait and because you didnt load your bait bucket up in two throws your whining about it. Overall, your best bet for finding crappie is fishing in large ponds and the shallow parts of lakes with sand and mud on the bottom. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. https://amzn.to/2GY00xJB 175 H WIDE 20 DEG. The small lightweight nets you use much of the year will catch you some bait if you spend enough time throwing it, but your results are going to be minimal and there is going to be a LOT of work involved. 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. They can be difficult to catch on artificial lures in some areas due to the overabundance of many anglers in that area. Lake Barkley actually produced the state record blue catfish catch at over 112 pounds. There will be 2 classes of shad that come to your light, you want to catch the lower ones. Its extremely rare for any of these catfish species to refuse shad, whether it is live, frozen, or cut bait. Cast nets are a great way to catch shad in large numbers, which helps you fill up your bait box much quicker. This can be done from a boat or from the shore, depending on where you notice the shad spawn gathering together. Check the depthfinder for stripers and lower away to the proper depths. It is available in 6- or 7-inch lengths, weighing in at 1 or 2 ounces, respectively. DownroddingRig shad most lip hook, but you can run a dorsal hook rig with a small clip on sinker about three feet up the line or leader. To be successful catching shad in the coldwater period you have to use the right tools. So if you are fishing for largemouth bass in a heavily fished area near shore or along the rivers, consider using live shad instead of an artificial lure in order to make a catch. For a full list of Lake Cumberland and Cumberland River fishing guides, click here! 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. 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. It might take you a while, it might be painful and difficult but if you work at it long enough you can dig a huge hole. They will sink further and faster than a fly. Deep trolling is the way to take Bass during the hot days of summer. These two shad are quite different from each other when comparing their size and action in freshwater rivers and lakes. He was in a rather odd location to catch shad and he was throwing a TINY cast net. Crappie often congregate in groups; if one is caught, more are usually present. In fact, shad makes up a huge amount of their natural diet throughout the year. 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! Finding schools of baitfish is critical to catching striped bass in Lake Cumberland. In the Eastern US, the best place to find shad is in the Connecticut river. The water temperature must get up to 60 degrees for the action to start. Catfishing tips, techniques and information from professional catfish guides anglers. The water temperature must get up to 60 degrees for the action to start. Business Advisory; Business Valuation; Corporate Finance; Cash Flow Modelling; M&A Advisory; Venture Capital; Private & Public Partnerships; Owner Supervision And Internal Control Greg Bohannan - Bentonville, Ark. Make Short Casts. The 21-pound record walleye was caught in October, too. Larger shad will be your best choice in this case, but they can be used in a variety of ways. Run one, two, three or four sideplaner lines off each side of the boat and two to four over the stern and you can cover a 100-yard wide swatch of lake. Gizzard shad frequently reach over 12 inches and thus can outgrow being a good forage size for many sport fish. Theres no more relaxing way to enjoy the sunshine, scenery and, given most of Kentucky is dry, a cooling beverage. We spotted two fishermen in one boat who had 10 rods set. How do you catch big brown trout at night? Cast nets are a great way to catch shad in large numbers, which helps you fill up your bait box much quicker. The lake is 125 miles southeast of Louisville, Ky., and 150 miles northeast of Nashville, Tenn. Keeping, it should be noted, is entirely OK, as all the stripers are stocked. Spinners should be used when fishing from shore, floating from upstream to downstream. Eventually you'll find stripers. Use the basic sideplaner rig, and pitch the balloon out and let the wind blow it. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The basics to choosing the right winter cast nets are: Theres much more in depth information here on choosing the right cast net and preparing a cast net to help you catch more shad. He has since expanded the blog to include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your catch. 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.