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	<title>Kentucky Fishing &#187; Lake Cumberland</title>
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		<title>Biologists worry about water temperature in Lake Cumberland</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/07/19/biologists-worry-about-water-temperature-in-lake-cumberland/</link>
		<comments>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/07/19/biologists-worry-about-water-temperature-in-lake-cumberland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 19 Jul 2009 15:37:35 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Fishing news]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Musky]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Cumberland River striped bass]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kentuckyfishing.com/?p=1134</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[ 



Because of ongoing repairs to Wolf Creek Dam, temperatures in the river rose to the point of stressing trout over the past couple of summers, but conditions are much better so far this summer.


Frankfort, Ky. – The cold air that blankets Kentucky each December, January and February is uncomfortable for most people. Few of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<address class="mceTemp"> </address>
<dl id="attachment_1162" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 280px;">
<dt class="wp-caption-dt"><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/randallgibsontrout.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1162" style="border: 1px solid black; margin: 1px;" title="randallgibsontrout" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/randallgibsontrout-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="203" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="text-align: center;">
<p style="text-align: left;"><em>Because of ongoing repairs to Wolf Creek Dam, temperatures in the river rose to the point of stressing trout over the past couple of summers, but conditions are much better so far this summer.</em></p>
</dd>
</dl>
<p>Frankfort, Ky. – The cold air that blankets Kentucky each December, January and February is uncomfortable for most people. Few of us enjoy pulling on extra clothes, driving in snow or being cooped up inside during winter.</p>
<p>Although we might not like winter, the cold water being stored in Lake Cumberland at that time of year is important to the health and survival of trout, striped bass and walleye in the lake and its tailwater the following summer.</p>
<p><span id="more-1134"></span>“That winter water stored in the lake is the habitat for the trout in Cumberland tailwater and for the striped bass and walleye in the lake,” said Dave Dreves, fisheries research biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “There is a finite amount of this winter-stored cold water after April.”</p>
<p><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wol_dam_small.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1138" title="wol_dam_small" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/wol_dam_small.jpg" alt="" width="258" height="193" /></a>Fisheries biologists are concerned about the amount of winter-stored cold water that remains in the lake this year. Heavy rains in May and June have drained a significant amount of cold water from the lake, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers siphoned water from the Lake Cumberland’s colder lower reaches in an effort to prevent the lake from rising too high.</p>
<p>Corps officials are keeping the lake at an elevation of 680 feet above mean sea level to relieve pressure on Wolf Creek Dam while repairs are underway. The normal summer pool for Lake Cumberland is 723 feet.</p>
<p>The lower water level effectively reduces amount of important cool water being stored in the lake. Releasing colder water and replacing it with warmer water compounds an already delicate situation.</p>
<p>John Williams, southeastern fishery district biologist for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, said fish are already reacting to the change. “According to the fishing guides, the striped bass are already moving down toward the dam &#8211; where there is better water quality in the summer,” Williams said. “This usually doesn’t happen until August.”</p>
<p>This situation worries Williams because the worst part of the year isn’t here yet. “We are still two months away from the critical time,” he said. “That deeper, oxygenated, cool water gradually depletes as you go through summer. Fish and other organisms consume it.”</p>
<p>Typically, September is the critical month for maintaining oxygen levels at the temperatures preferred by trout, walleye and striped bass. These fish cannot survive without enough dissolved oxygen in the water. Fish also prefer a certain temperature range. If the water grows too warm in the lake, the walleye and striped bass could seek deeper water that does not have adequate oxygen. In the tailwater, trout can overstress if the water temperatures climb too high.</p>
<p>Williams fished earlier this week for striped bass in Lake Cumberland and did well. The fish he caught were in good condition.</p>
<p>The rainbow and brown trout living in the Cumberland River below Wolf Creek Dam also utilize similar water temperatures as striped bass in the lake.</p>
<p>During the past two summers, water temperatures in the lower section of the Cumberland River from roughly Burkesville downstream to the Tennessee line warmed to the point of stress for trout.</p>
<p>Water temperatures are better so far this year. “The water temperatures recently were 56 degrees at the dam and 62 to 63 degrees at Burkesville,” Dreves explained. “If it stays like this for the rest of the summer, it will be good for the trout. It was above 68 degrees at Burkesville at this time last summer.”</p>
<p>Trout stress in water greater than 70 degrees. The warmer water in the lower part of Cumberland River pushes trout upstream toward to dam to find cooler water. This concentration of fish is good for anglers, but bad for growth of trout.</p>
<p>“There are some skinny fish in the river right now, and some that look okay,” Dreves said. “We are doing really well on catch rates, but growth rates and body conditions are down a little from 2006.”</p>
<p>As the weather becomes drier, water temperatures in the river could become a problem. Dry weather increases water temperatures in Cumberland River because less water is released through Wolf Creek Dam.</p>
<p>“If we continue to have a cool summer, that would help tremendously,” Dreves said. “Everything is good right now. We just hope it holds out.”</p>
<p>Author Lee McClellan is an award-winning associate editor for Kentucky Afield magazine, the official publication of the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. He is a life-long hunter and angler, with a passion for smallmouth bass fishing.</p>
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		<title>Wolf Creek Dam: A Progress Report This Weekend on &#8220;Kentucky Afield&#8221; TV</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/05/05/wolf-creek-dam-a-progress-report-this-weekend-on-kentucky-afield-tv/</link>
		<comments>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/05/05/wolf-creek-dam-a-progress-report-this-weekend-on-kentucky-afield-tv/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 01:41:42 +0000</pubDate>
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				<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[Two years have passed since news broke that Wolf Creek Dam was leaking and major repairs were needed. Concern about the structure that creates Lake Cumberland rippled far beyond the lake’s shores. This weekend, May 9 and 10, we meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an update.
Host Tim Farmer joins David Hendrix [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Two years have passed since news broke that Wolf Creek Dam was leaking and major repairs were needed. Concern about the structure that creates Lake Cumberland rippled far beyond the lake’s shores. This weekend, May 9 and 10, we meet with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for an update.</p>
<p>Host Tim Farmer joins David Hendrix of the Corps and John Williams, regional fisheries biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, for a look at the repair progress and how that plays into the upcoming season of boating, fishing and summer fun.</p>
<p>Lastly, in honor of Mother’s Day, Sherry Farmer enjoys a spring day fishing with her son at a farm pond in Mason County. Meet the lady who introduced the great outdoors to the person who is now the host of our show.</p>
<p><em>By KDFWR</em></p>
<p><a href="http://fw.ky.gov/newsrelease.asp?nid=533">Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources &#8211; Wolf Creek Dam: A Progress Report This Weekend on &#8220;Kentucky Afield&#8221; TV</a>.</p>
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		<title>Last-Minute Entry Lands Kentucky Auto Parts Production Worker $100,000 Prize in Fantasy Fishing Game</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/02/22/last-minute-entry-lands-kentucky-auto-parts-production-worker-100000-prize-in-fantasy-fishing-game/</link>
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		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 01:35:05 +0000</pubDate>
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		<description><![CDATA[To win FLW Fantasy Fishing, or any contest for that matter, you have to enter.  And entering at the last minute counts just as much as if you entered days, weeks or even months before.
That’s what Terry Moberly, 45, a resident of Berea, Ky., a small town near Lexington, Ky., learned. Last Wednesday, Feb. 11, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_700" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 280px"><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/moberly.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-700" title="moberly" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/moberly-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="270" height="180" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Berea&#39;s Terry Moberly decided at the last minute to enter the FLW Fantasy Fishing Game Contest. The decision won him $100,000.</p></div>
<p>To win FLW Fantasy Fishing, or any contest for that matter, you have to enter.  And entering at the last minute counts just as much as if you entered days, weeks or even months before.</p>
<p>That’s what Terry Moberly, 45, a resident of Berea, Ky., a small town near Lexington, Ky., learned. Last Wednesday, Feb. 11, with less than four hours until the closing bell on FLW Fantasy Fishing picks for the first tournament, Moberly registered at fantasyfishing.com. Using Player’s Advantage, an online tool that provides “inside” information about FLW Tour bass pros, Moberly picked 10 bass pros from among a field of 157 that would be competing the very next morning in the first of six tournaments that make up the Walmart FLW Tour, professional bass fishing’s largest and most prestigious tournament circuit.</p>
<p><span id="more-697"></span>Moberly, an avid bass angler, was urged to enter FLW Fantasy Fishing by his<br />
two sons, Tyler, a student at Eastern Kentucky University, located in nearby<br />
Richmond, Ky., and his 19-year-old son, Brandon.   Both sons are avid bass<br />
anglers, too, having competed in regional bass tournaments sponsored by FLW<br />
Outdoors.</p>
<p>The rest they say is history.  Because today, Moberly is $100,000 richer,<br />
proving once again that old adage, “you need to enter to win.”</p>
<p>“This is fantastic,” said the even-keel Moberly, a production worker at the<br />
Tokico USA, a manufacturing plant in Berea that makes automobile shocks and<br />
suspensions.  “I had never played any sort of fantasy sport before, but my<br />
sons said to me, ‘Dad, you just gotta try this,’ and with the additional<br />
resources Player’s Advantage offers, I was able to enhance my picks.”</p>
<p>Married for 24 years to his sweetheart, Debbie, Moberly says that fishing,<br />
along with other outdoors activities such as camping and hunting run deep in<br />
his family.  Born and raised in Richmond, Ky., Moberly frequently fishes<br />
nearby lakes and reservoirs, including Cumberland Lake, from his Ranger bass<br />
boat.  And while he’s fished a few tournaments himself, Moberly and his wife<br />
especially enjoy watching their sons compete in fishing tournaments. Son<br />
Tyler competes on a bass fishing team representing Eastern Kentucky<br />
University in the National Guard FLW College Fishing Tournament Circuit, and<br />
son Brandon has competed in the Walmart Bass Fishing League (BFL) Mountain<br />
Division Tournament Circuit.</p>
<p>“With the economy as it is, the extra money will allow us to shore up our<br />
finances and help us pay college tuition,” added Moberly.  “And maybe I’ll<br />
treat myself to a new Ranger bass boat.”</p>
<p>Now Moberly is setting his sights on the $1 million grand prize that will be<br />
awarded to the FLW Fantasy Fishing player who accumulates the most points<br />
over six tournaments.  Moberly, like many FLW Fantasy Fishing players, will<br />
continue to tap the powerful online tools of Player’s Advantage, available<br />
for only $10 for the entire season, to help give them the edge they need to<br />
enhance their fantasy team picks.</p>
<p>“I’m going to continue to rely on Player’s Advantage, a great resource for<br />
only $10, to give me an even greater edge in the race for that $1 million<br />
grand prize,” Moberly said.  “I’m off to a great start and I want to be in<br />
the winner’s circle in Pittsburgh on Aug. 1 when FLW Fantasy Fishing<br />
announces the $1 million grand prize.”</p>
<p>The Winning Combination</p>
<p>To win the first FLW Fantasy Fishing tournament, Moberly earned 12,744<br />
points based on the performance of the pro bass anglers who fished the<br />
Walmart FLW Tour’s first four-day tournament, the Chevy Open, on Lake<br />
Guntersville, near Huntsville, Ala.  The first FLW Tour tournament was won<br />
by TUM’s bass pro David Fritts, a resident of Lexington, N.C.  Starting in<br />
sixth place on the last day of the tournament, Fritts’ crankbait assault<br />
catapulted him into first place and the tournament’s $200,000 prize.</p>
<p>Moberly scored three exactas, earning him additional points on top of the<br />
points he accumulated based on the fishing performance of each of his<br />
individual fantasy team members.  He picked Fritts to finish in first place,<br />
David Dudley, who finished in third, and Craig Dowling, who finished in 10th<br />
place.  He also selected another angler, Scott Canterbury, who finished<br />
within the top 10 (8th place).   Moberly’s bass pro picks, in the order he<br />
thought they would finish, included:</p>
<p>1.  David Fritts<br />
2.  Randall Tharp<br />
3.  David Dudley<br />
4.  Andy Morgan<br />
5.  Greg Pugh<br />
6.  Dan Morehead<br />
7.  Jerry Green<br />
8.  J.T. Kenney<br />
9.  Scott Canterbury<br />
10. Craig Dowling</p>
<p>“I’m not as familiar with all of the FLW bass pros as my sons are, but<br />
because of the insight Player’s Advantage offers, I deliberately picked Dave<br />
Fritts to win because I thought his style of fishing would work really well<br />
on Lake Guntersville,” said Moberly.</p>
<p>Race On for $1 Million Grand Prize</p>
<p>Established by Irwin Jacobs, the creator of FLW Outdoors and the Forrest<br />
Wood Cup, FLW Fantasy Fishing is rapidly growing in popularity. There is no<br />
entry fee to enter, but for an added edge, participants can purchase<br />
Player&#8217;s Advantage for only $10 to assist them in trying to win a $1 million<br />
payday, plus six $100,000 payouts, one for each qualifying tournament.</p>
<p>Fantasy Fishing is sponsored by FLW Outdoors, which brings the world&#8217;s<br />
richest bass fishing tournament, the Forrest Wood Cup, to Pittsburgh this<br />
summer from July 30-Aug. 2. The Forrest Wood Cup is the final event in the<br />
Walmart FLW Tour, and just like fantasy football and fantasy baseball, you<br />
can follow the leading money winners on the FLW Tour all season long and win<br />
America&#8217;s richest fantasy event when the Fantasy Fishing winners for 2009<br />
are announced here in Pittsburgh on Aug. 1, 2009.  Highlights from each<br />
Walmart FLW Tour are broadcast to more than 79 million households weekly on<br />
the FLW Outdoors television program, which will premiere on April 5, 2009 on<br />
VERSUS.  “FLW Outdoors,” hosted by Jason Harper, is also broadcast<br />
internationally through agreements with World Fishing Network (WFN) and<br />
Matchroom Sport to more than 500 million households in such countries as<br />
Canada, Germany, China, South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, Russia, Hungary,<br />
and the United Kingdom, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoor<br />
sports television show in the world.</p>
<p>In addition to the $1 million grand prize, and the six $100,000 tournament<br />
prizes, FLW Fantasy Fishing players are eligible to win prizes such as a<br />
$54,000 Ranger boat, a brand new Chevy vehicle, a $25,000 gift card, or one<br />
of more than 1,800 additional prizes. Fantasy Fishing also offers $3 million<br />
and $5 million exacta bonus games by correctly ranking the top five<br />
finishers in the Forrest Wood Cup or the top seven finishers in a<br />
tournament.</p>
<p>FLW Fantasy Fishing players can increase their chances of winning the $1<br />
million grand prize by entering all FLW Fantasy Fishing tournaments<br />
throughout the season and accumulating a greater amount of points leading up<br />
to the Forrest Wood Cup.  The next tournaments in the Walmart FLW Tour<br />
professional bass circuit include:</p>
<p>Tournament 2: Table Rock Lake, Branson, Mo., March 12-15, 2009<br />
Tournament 3: Lake Norman, Charlotte, N.C., April 23-26, 2009<br />
Tournament 4: Beaver Lake, Rogers, Ark., May 14-17, 2009<br />
Tournament 5: Kentucky/Barkley Lake, Benton, Ky., June 11-14, 2009<br />
Tournament 6: Lake Champlain, Plattsburgh, N.Y., July 9-12, 2009<br />
$1 Million Grand Prize Announcement: Forrest Wood Cup, Pittsburgh, Pa., Aug.<br />
1, 2009</p>
<p>The Richest Fantasy Sports Game</p>
<p>In its first season, FLW Fantasy Fishing took the fantasy sports world by<br />
surprise by offering the first $1 million guaranteed grand prize for a<br />
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payout of any fantasy sports game in the world.  Last year&#8217;s million dollar<br />
winner was Michael Thompson, 34, of Minneapolis, a stay-at-home Dad.</p>
<p>This year, FLW Fantasy Fishing once again sets a new standard, offering a $1<br />
million grand prize again along with 1,800 other prizes for a total of $10<br />
million in overall cash and prizes, the highest payout of any fantasy sports<br />
game in the world.</p>
<p>First Tournament: Second and Third Places</p>
<p>Finishing behind Terry Moberly in second place, with 12,389 points, was Nate<br />
Rose, a resident of Addison, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, who won a $5,000<br />
Walmart gift card. Rose is an avid angler and fantasy sports gamer, who<br />
learned about FLW Fantasy Fishing from a fishing buddy.</p>
<p>“Our basement was flooded last fall during a nine-inch rainstorm,” said<br />
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our basement.”</p>
<p>Clarence “Junior” Hillyard, a resident of Winchester, Va., a suburb of<br />
Washington D.C., came in third place, with 12,259 points, winning a $1,000<br />
Walmart gift card.  Hillyard, a technician with Rubbermaid, and his wife are<br />
the parents of a 15-day-old baby girl.</p>
<p>“This is great! I can’t tell you how useful that Walmart gift card will be<br />
for our new baby,” said Hillyard, a self-proclaimed fishing geek.  “It’s<br />
going to make buying all of those diapers and formula a lot easier.”</p>
<p>International Winners</p>
<p>FLW Fantasy Fishing players representing four countries outside the United<br />
States earned prizes in the first FLW Fantasy Fishing tournament in 2009.<br />
Winners represented Australia, Canada, Japan and Mexico.</p>
<p>The highest placing player was William Martin, a player from Wingham, New<br />
South Wales, Australia, who came in 123rd place to win a $50 Walmart gift<br />
card.</p>
<p>In the first year of FLW Fantasy Fishing, participants from 123 countries<br />
played Fantasy Fishing with prizes awarded to players in the United Kingdom,<br />
Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Poland, South Africa, Estonia and a number of<br />
other countries.</p>
<p>About FLW Outdoors</p>
<p>FLW Outdoors, named after Forrest L. Wood, the legendary founder of Ranger<br />
Boats, is the largest fishing tournament organization in the world and is<br />
offering anglers the chance to win more than $33 million through 231<br />
tournaments in 2009. FLW Outdoors also is taking fishing mainstream with FLW<br />
Fantasy Fishing &lt;http://www.fantasyfishing.com/<br />
&lt;http://www.fantasyfishing.com/&gt; &gt; , offering the largest awards possible in<br />
the history of fantasy sports, $10 million in cash and prizes. Sign up for<br />
Player&#8217;s Advantage for only $10 to get your edge and win. For more<br />
information about FLW Outdoors and its tournaments, visit FLWOutdoors.com<br />
&lt;http://www.flwoutdoors.com/ &lt;http://www.flwoutdoors.com/&gt; &gt; or call (270)<br />
252-1000. For more information about FLW Fantasy Fishing and Player&#8217;s<br />
Advantage, visit FantasyFishing.com &lt;http://www.fantasyfishing.com/<br />
&lt;http://www.fantasyfishing.com/&gt; &gt;.</p>
<p>FLW(R) is a registered trademark of FLW Outdoors, Inc.   For a complete<br />
list of rules and prizes for FLW Fantasy Fishing, visit<br />
http://www.fantasyfishing.com &lt;http://www.fantasyfishing.com/&gt; .</p>
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		<title>Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/</link>
		<comments>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 11 Jan 2009 05:53:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Striped bass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kentucky fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kentucky striped bass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kentucky stripers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland stripers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[striped bass in kentucky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[stripers in kentucky]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kentuckyfishing.com/?p=486</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A slight temperature variance can make a huge difference in February, according to Tim Tarter of Nancy Guide Service, who has been fishing for Lake Cumberland’s legendary stripers for as long as the fish have been in the lake.
“We’re always looking for a little bit warmer water this time of year,” he said, noting that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_531" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="width: 251px"><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/jacobstriper1.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-531" title="jacobstriper1" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/jacobstriper1-241x300.jpg" alt="Jacob Knight of Lexington holds a striper caught on a 30-degree day on Lake Cumberland" width="241" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Jacob Knight of Lexington holds a 6-pound striper caught on a 30-degree day on Lake Cumberland</p></div>
<p>A slight temperature variance can make a huge difference in February, according to Tim Tarter of Nancy Guide Service, who has been fishing for Lake Cumberland’s legendary stripers for as long as the fish have been in the lake.<br />
“We’re always looking for a little bit warmer water this time of year,” he said, noting that alewives and consequently the stripers will congregate in spots where the water is just a degreee or two warmer than other parts of the lake during February.<br />
Often that means heading up the Cumberland River or up tributary creeks to parts of the lake less famous for their striper fishing than the lake’s open lower main body. These areas have more flats, which warm up just a bit on sunny February days, and the creeks bring warmer water into the lake after most February rainfalls.<br />
<span id="more-486"></span>These areas also produce some very large stripers, Tarter said, and they don’t get much fishing pressure, largely because access is somewhat limited up the lake.<br />
Tarter looks for baitfish and stripers near the shoreline this time of year, more so than over open water. He often looks for fish over flats that stretch out toward creek or river channels.<br />
Depending on how deep the baitfish are holding, he might locate them on his graph or spot clouds of baitfish from the surface in the usually clear water. Likely holding depths range from the surface down to about 30 feet this time of year, he said.<br />
Tarter and his team of striper guides do the bulk of their fishing with live alewives during February, drifting slowly or slowly trolling through promising areas with the baitfish pulled behind planer boards. Slow presentations are critical during February, Tarter stressed, as are the right kind of baitfish.<br />
“The stripers have so much forage in this lake that they can get extremely finicky,” he said.<br />
The planer boards allow anglers to spread out their live-bait offerings, covering far more water at any given time. In addition, the boards allow for good bait presentations over very shallow water with the boat well away from the bank , where it won’t spook the fish. Stripers — especially big stripers — are extremely spooky fish that will shut down in an instant if anything doesn’t seem right.<br />
Tarter sets his planer boards between 15 and 40 feet in front of his baits, adding no weight to the shortest lines, which are set up to fish very close to the surface. The 40-foot lines, which he adds just a little bit of weight to, will keep the baits about 30 feet deep during a very slow drift.<br />
If drifting doesn’t produce as much action as Tarter believes it should, he often will turn to bottom fishing, especially if he has noticed baitfish and stripers right on the bottom on his graph. He will beach his boat on a gradually sloping bank that is near a channel and fan cast several lines, laying some almost parallel to the bank and some straight out into deeper water.<br />
“Put the baits right on the bottom — just like catfishing,” Tarter said. “Sometimes we’ll get really good action fishing on the bottom when the stripers don’t want baits any other way.”<br />
Tarter also said fisherman should overlook artificial lures early in the year. He pointed to ward doll flies as good picks and suggested addinga  twister-tail grub to each. Another very productive bait, he said, is a soft-plastic shad body on a leadhead. For either, he pointed toward 1/4 – or 3/8-ounce leadheads and bodies of 4 inches or less.<br />
“The stripers are feeding on small baitfish this time of year,” he said, “so stick with smaller stuff.”<br />
Tarter stressed that artificials should be worked slowly and steadily, with no pumping motion or other action added. The stripers won’t chase a bait that is moving quickly or erratically when the water is really cold. He also noted that most hits will be very light, comparing them to crappie hits.<br />
When a fisherman sets the hook on a Lake Cumberland striper, however, it won’t take long to figure out that there is more than a crappie on the other end. Pound-for-pound, stripers rank among the strongest fish in fresh water, and few freshwater species in Kentuckys rivers and lakes are capable of putting on more pounds.<br />
Lake Cumberland stripers average 10 pounds or more, and fish in the 20- to 40-pound range show up regularly. Kentucky’s state-record striper, which weighted 58 pounds 4 ounces, came from Lake Cumberland, and most long-time Cumberland anglers are convinced that there are 60-pound-plus fish in the lake.<br />
The fishery is in great shape right now, according to Tarter, with an abundance of striped bass, including plenty of big fish, and loads of baitfish to keep the stripers fat and happy.</p>
<p>—Jeff Samsel</p>
<div class='bookmarkify'><a name='bookmarkify'></a><div class='title' title='Use these links to share this page with others'>Share kentuckyfishing.com content!</div><div class='linkbuttons'><a href='http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/&amp;title=Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries' title='Digg It!' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/digg.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Digg] ' /></a> <a href='http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/' title='Save to Facebook' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Facebook] ' /></a> <a href='http://feedmelinks.com/categorize?from=toolbar&amp;op=submit&amp;name=Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries&amp;url=http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/' title='Save to Feed Me Links' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/feedmelinks.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Feed Me Links] ' /></a> <a href='http://www.google.com/bookmarks/mark?op=edit&amp;output=popup&amp;bkmk=http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/&amp;title=Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries' title='Save to Google Bookmarks' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Google] ' /></a> <a href='http://twitter.com/home/?status=Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries+http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/' title='Save to Twitter' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Twitter] ' /></a> <a href='http://www.feedburner.com/fb/a/emailFlare?itemTitle=Late winter is prime time for striped bass in Lake Cumberland tributaries&amp;uri=http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/&amp;loc=en_US' title='Email this to a friend' onclick='target="_blank";' rel='nofollow'><img src='http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/email.png' style='width:16px; height:16px;' alt='[Email] ' /></a>  <a title='See more bookmark and sharing options...' href='http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/10/late-winter-is-prime-time-for-striped-bass-in-lake-cumberland-tributaries/#bookmarkify' rel='nofollow'><small>More&nbsp;&raquo;</small></a></div></div>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Look for hot smallmouth fishing in winter</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/01/its-beginnging-to-look-a-lot-like-smallmouth/</link>
		<comments>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/01/its-beginnging-to-look-a-lot-like-smallmouth/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Jan 2009 04:32:45 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smallmouth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kentucky smallmouth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[kentucky winter fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smallmouth float and fly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smallmouth jig]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kentuckyfishing.com/?p=459</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We have experiences in the outdoors that can be transcendent, although the conditions are rough. Catching crappie after crappie in cold March sleet, bagging your biggest turkey ever in a chilling April downpour or taking a limit of ducks in weather so cold hot coffee quickly freezes on the rim of your cup make great [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/emerysmallmouth.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-489" title="emerysmallmouth" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/emerysmallmouth-232x300.jpg" alt="" width="232" height="300" /></a>We have experiences in the outdoors that can be transcendent, although the conditions are rough. Catching crappie after crappie in cold March sleet, bagging your biggest turkey ever in a chilling April downpour or taking a limit of ducks in weather so cold hot coffee quickly freezes on the rim of your cup make great memories.<br />
Although these encounters test your mettle and enrich your life, few outdoor pursuits compare to December fishing for smallmouth bass in the snow. The activity seems incongruent – floating in a boat on ice-free water with white frozen snow lining the banks. You seem completely out of place, casting a hair jig, the float and fly or a shiner with snow in your eyelashes. You feel you should be at home; that it is dangerous to fish in such weather.</p>
<p><span id="more-459"></span>Except it may be the best weather condition for catching the largest smallmouth bass you’ll ever hold.<br />
“On an overcast snowy day, light will be greatly diffused,” said Gerry Buynak, assistant director of fisheries for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “This brings the smallmouths up shallower and they can be easier to fool. They are more likely to strike an artificial lure because of less light penetration.”</p>
<p>Anglers should take advantage of this. In our premier winter smallmouth lakes such as Lake Cumberland, Dale Hollow Lake and Laurel River Lake, anything than can get smallmouth out of their usual deep-water lairs is a blessing. These lakes are so clear you can see where you chipped paint from your jig head in 10 feet of water. This water clarity pushes smallmouths deep for most of the year during the day, but snowfall and a leaden sky bring them up to feed.</p>
<p>“I also think it is a pressure-related thing,” said Ted Crowell, former assistant director of fisheries for Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. “Snow brings along with it low barometric pressure. It is just like when it rains in summer. This turns fish on.”</p>
<p>Crowell has spent many a winter day chasing smallmouths at Lake Cumberland and Dale Hollow. “It is unbelievable, the fish you can catch in December in the snow,” he said. “There’s nobody else on the lake. There’s nobody in the parking lot. It’s great.”</p>
<p>Also, unstable weather places predators at an advantage over prey. The changing weather of a snow storm and the cold of winter disorient baitfish and smallmouth bass gobble up all they can. This is especially true for larger female smallmouths who must store up fat reserves for egg development in early spring. They need to eat.</p>
<p>The plummeting water temperatures of December also stress baitfish such as shad or alewives. They swim in circles and quiver as they fight death. This is why the float and fly technique is so deadly in winter. A small, light craft hair or duck feather jig suspended on light line 8 to 12 feet deep perfectly imitates baitfish in their death throes.</p>
<p>Another highly productive technique is suspending a large crappie minnow or medium-sized shiner under a bobber 6 to 10 feet deep off points. The bobber flutters on top until it abruptly torpedoes toward the bottom. Smallmouth bass that hit live bait in winter don’t fool around. They strike fiercely.</p>
<p>Both of these techniques produce, because the baitfish suspend in the water column in tightly packed schools in winter. Smallmouth bass cruise under these schools looking for those alewives or shad acting peculiar and pick them off.</p>
<p>A black 1/8th to 3/8th-ounce rabbit fur or bucktail jig swum just above bottom and down those main lake points produced winter smallmouths for your grandfather and they do the same today. The old-school pork rind is still the best trailer. Find the smallest pork rind possible or cut a bigger one in half. Although the soft plastic chunk trailers prove much easier to handle and take on and off the hook, pork is still the best choice in cold water.</p>
<p>Main lake points from Beaver Creek down to the dam are great places to try on a snowy December day on Lake Cumberland, while the Spruce Creek area is tops for Laurel River Lake. Try main lake points and cuts near Phillips Bend in the mouth of Wolf River on Dale Hollow Lake. You’ll be fishing the same waters that produced David Hayes’ 11-pound, 15-ounce world record smallmouth bass in 1955. Those cuts and points closest to the old Wolf River channel are best.</p>
<p>Don’t let snowfall scare you from chasing bronze this winter. Don some waterfowl hunting clothing or coveralls and a pair of warm boots. Grab some hand warmers, a thermos of strong coffee and your fishing rod. Five-pound smallmouth bass are waiting for you if you brave the elements.</p>
<p><em>By KDFWR</em></p>
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		<title>Questions and answers with: Dave Stewart, Bass Buster Guide Service</title>
		<link>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/01/questions-and-answers-with-dave-stewart-bass-buster-guide-service/</link>
		<comments>http://kentuckyfishing.com/2009/01/01/questions-and-answers-with-dave-stewart-bass-buster-guide-service/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:20:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>admin</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Kentucky Lake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Lake Cumberland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Largemouth bass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Smallmouth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fishing guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kentucky fishing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[largemouth bass]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smallmouth bass]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://kentuckyfishing.com/?p=501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kentuckyfishing.com: How did you get started as a guide and why?
Dave Stewart: Actualy, I got started after I retired from the military in 1995. I moved to Kentucky Lake and I was living at a resort. People at the resort asked me if I could take some people out who weren&#8217;t catching fish. I helped [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_507" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 210px"><a href="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/davestewart.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-507" title="davestewart" src="http://kentuckyfishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/davestewart.jpg" alt="Dave Stewart of Bass Buster Guide Service in Benton, Ky. Years guiding: 6. Contact number: 270-354-5039. Email: dave@kentuckylakeguide.com" width="200" height="200" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Dave Stewart of Bass Buster Guide Service in Benton, Ky.Years guiding: 6. Contact number: 270-354-5039.          Email: dave@kentuckylakeguide.com</p></div>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>How did you get started as a guide and why?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> Actualy, I got started after I retired from the military in 1995. I moved to Kentucky Lake and I was living at a resort. People at the resort asked me if I could take some people out who weren&#8217;t catching fish. I helped them catch fish and this eventually became a business.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>What do you like about the job?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> I like he people. Outdoors people, especially anglers, have got to be some of the best people to be around. For me, watching clients catch fish has become more fun than catching the fish myself.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>What do you not like so much about the job?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> Winter. I hate the off season. I get bored.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>What is your favorite tactic?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> I primarily guide for bass; it makes up probably 95 percent of my business. For smallmouth, I love to fish crankbaits and jerkbaits in teh spring. In the summer I fish for largemouth and I love to use Carolina rigs. Kentucky and Balrkley are good Carolina rig lakes. I love to fish tubes, too. That&#8217;s kind of a trademark of mine, tube fishing.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>Why do you like to fish for bass over other species?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> I started ot fishing fo bass in clubs and tournaments. It just seems to be the most challenging of the fish here to catch. I enjoy taking people out, especially those who are having trouble finiding fish. I started out guiding as much crappie as I did bass. But I turned to bass. That&#8217;s where my reputation is. Ninety-five percent of my business is tournament preparation.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>Are tournament anglers tougher to deal with? Are they more difficult to deal with?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> Not really. You ahve to take each client as they come. Probably my most favorite clients are children — fathers and sons. But tournament types are not that hard to work with.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>Do your clients have special tactics they want to try?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> I find that for the majority of them, since I do a lot of tournament preparation, most people will leave it up to me. They realize one tactic is not a catch-all. But I do have a lot of people who want to try Carolina rigging.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>What is your favorite lure?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> As a go-to lure I&#8217;d have to say a tube. I&#8217;ve been fishing them for years and years and years. They&#8217;ve just become popular down here in the last few years. I&#8217;m not sure I&#8217;m happy about that. (laughs) My favorite lure to throw, though, is probably a Carolina rig or a crankbait. But a tube is definitely the go-to lure. When nothing else will work a tube will get you some fish.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>When do you most like to fish?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> I love spring. I love the early smallmouth and the pre-spawn largemouth. It&#8217;s got to be the most productive and the most fun fishing there is. Those are the days of the big numbers and the big fish.</p>
<p><strong>Kentuckyfishing.com: </strong>What kind of cover or areas do you like to fish the most?</p>
<p><strong>Dave Stewart:</strong> The obvious would be stumps. Old stump fields are the most productive. I also like brush piles. If you find those brush piles you can score fish. But fish like to cruise open water. So it changes all year long.</p>
<p><em>First published in The Kentucky Fishing Journal, February 2003</em></p>
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