Catfishing on the Cumberland River: Exploding Winter Time Pattern Steve Douglas 110K subscribers Subscribe 790 73K views 7 years ago This is just one technique that I use to locate active. Brent Pollock is a passionate angler and the founder of the popular fishing blog "Safe Harbor Fishing". Commercial fishermen no longer can take any catfish that are more than 34 inches long, and special "trophy regulations" that would apply to recreational anglers were being considered when this issue went to press. 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. Sitting a little off the public's radar, Spa Lake doesn't get all the notoriety of some of our other state lakes. The next take out is a little over 4.5 miles downstream from Wolf Creek Dam at Helms Landing Boat Ramp, located off KY 379 via KY 55 and U.S. 127. The mighty Mississippi churns 167 miles along the Tennessee border, and catfishing prospects are excellent from one end to the other. Anglers must obey all safety recommendations on the river and particularly when fishing near locks and dams. Depending on how anglers approach this river, they can load up on channel cats or specifically target big flatheads or blues. John Williams, the KDFWR biologist who oversees the lake, said, "Lake Cumberland has an excellent population of catfish that is largely ignored. Can You Eat Saltwater Catfish? Glenn Stubblefield guides for catfish on the lower end of the lake out of Buchanan Resort. Anglers should know this shoal is one of the most productive rainbow trout fishing spots on the Cumberland River. Size: One of the largest catfish species found in North America and can weigh near 60 pounds. The Cumberland River is the focal point of all that is Clarksville. For the flatheads, which like to be near cover, like live gizzard shard, which seems to attract them the most. That fish weighed a whopping 124 pounds! Stonecoal was also home to the state record rainbow trout (31.7 inches) until 2014. The KDFWR stocks some 900 blue catfish and just about 3,350 channel cats each year. Smaller suspending jerkbaits work as well. Catfishing Cumberland River Blue Catfish - Big Catfish. Throughout the Cumberland River system, anglers who bait up with chicken livers, minnows or small pieces of cut bait can get into very fast action with channel cats. The best bait for the catfish here includes half threadfin shad or gizzard shad, as the channel catfish cannot get enough of those. Photo by Jeff Samsel. Here you can find absolutely massive blue catfish, with the record being a whopping 116 pounds, which was actually caught right across from Memphis Tennessee. Charles Lawrence. more info. Are there paddlefish in the Cumberland River? Distribution in Kentucky includes large rivers statewide the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Green, Salt, Kentucky, and Licking. Give a Gift We've covered a few overlooked fisheries in some of our larger waters, but there are also numerous catfish opportunities at some of our smaller lakes that are overlooked by anglers. Long stretches through this section are quite remote and get very light fishing pressure from catfish anglers. As long as you know the seasons to fish in, and which spots to fish in which seasons, plus which kind of catfish to go for, you should have no problem hooking a whole lot of fish on a daily basis. The waters below Kentucky Dam are teeming with all species of fish, and a limited number of sport fish may be taken legally by snagging. According to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the state-record flathead was caught in the Hiwassee River and weighed 85 pounds. This is also true for many of the connecting rivers, lakes, and basins too. Need some Deep Sea fishing spot suggestions? Log on to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District Web site at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/ and search for Lake Cumberland generator schedule. Both fish indeed turned eventually, whether by our persuasion or their own decision, and 10 minutes later we had two 30-pound-plus Tennessee River blues flopping in the bottom of the boat. Fisheries biologists from our neighbors in Illinois and Tennessee are also encouraging anglers to take more advantage of the vast population of catfish inhabiting the river. Micka Burkhart reeled in the 118-pound, 7-ounce "monster" blue catfish while fishing on the Cumberland River in Stewart County on Saturday, Sept. 24, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency . In Cumberland River you can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish too, many of which grow to epic proportions. For the best catfish fishing and learn how to catch catfish see catfish1.com Browse more videos Playing next 15:21 The second choice to the fresh-caught whole or cut shad is any other sort of freshly caught cut bait. Briggs is stocked with channel cats annually. If you do it right, when fishing in this reservoir, you should be able to catch a fish every few minutes without problem. CatfishCommando. Anglers fishing the Upper Cumberland can look forward to quality channel catfish, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and walleye. Other good areas to try include river and creek channels and near the dam. Most anglers who specifically target flatheads rig up with live bream and fish at night, fishing tight to shoreline cover on outside bends or in creek mouths. The daily creel limit is 15 fish combined. , 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. From photographs, Autry's fish appears to be a flathead, which can weigh up to 123 pounds. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. FORT LOUDOUN/WATTS BAR Forced catch-and-release, a highly productive system and abundant big-river catfish habitat combine to create outstanding fishing for big catfish in the first two impoundments of the Tennessee River. The largest fish ever caught by rod-and-reel in Tennessee, according to TWRA records, was a 112-pound blue catfish on the Cumberland River in 1998. To catch the larger fish, anglers should use heavier tackle and bigger baits, such as live fish or chunks of cut bait. I don't know what to tell you about the gallatin area, I have fished it a couple of times but haven't had a ton of luck but I have also heard of a few decent blues around there. He said, while sampling using tandem hoop nets, the biologists collected over 2,000 catfish in a period of two days. The takeout is the old Kendall Ferry landing located at the end of Ray Mann Road, just off the road to the recreation area. Depending on how anglers approach this river, they can load up on channel cats or specifically target big flatheads or blues. Noodlers will wade in shallow water to seek out catfish nesting sites -- usually holes, undercut banks, hollow logs and cavities under rock or concrete -- and then feel around by hand until they locate a hidden catfish. Catfishing the Cumberland River - How to locate/catch massive catfish! There is a gravel ramp at the lake but no facilities. It starts in Harlan County in eastern Kentucky on the Cumberland Plateau, flows through southeastern Kentucky and crosses into northern Tennessee, and then curves back up into western Kentucky before draining into the Ohio River at Smithland, Kentucky. If you don't have a boat, bank fish can be good at Steam Plant, Lock B, Cheatman Dam, infact any place that you can get access to the river. Most all are regularly stocked with channel catfish, and some are even stocked with blue cats as well. | Where does the Cumberland River start and stop? I got a big one on the 4th of July, we don't have a scale but it's the biggest one i have ever caught. There are lots of channel catfish and small blue catfish here, but you never know when you might find a large one. Where is the best catfishing in Tennessee? Only show this user. This cable indicates the take-out downstream to the right. Wyffels said West Fork Drakes Reservoir also should capture the attention of anglers. Bottom feeder fish include the bullheads, buffalo species, channel catfish, common carp, redhorse species, shovelnose sturgeon, drum, creek chub as well as the white suckers, spotted suckers, northern hogsuckers and carpsuckers. The river is also home to walleye, sauger and oversized striped bass. What is the biggest fish in the Cumberland River? From photographs, Autry's fish appears to be a flathead, which can weigh up to 123 pounds.. Doing this, it is recommended that you use surf-casting gear to skip cut bait, such as shad, along the bottom. "There are good numbers of flatheads at Herrington. West Fork Drakes is owned by the city of Franklin. There are probably a few good reasons why the flathead population is not heavily fished at Herrington. The 11 lb. Jul 11, 2007 Like kitty catcher said if you are in a boat your good to go, its a great stretch of river, if you are bank fishing try to get on the outside of a bend or a head of a bluff. It was caught in 1998 by Robert Lewis in the Cumberland River. If channel catfish is your thing, setting up near the flats that separate the main channels is a good starting point. Wyffels recommends 18-acre Briggs Lake in Logan County, as well as Mill Creek Lake in Monroe County. The laid-back bar and grille has ample and outdoor seating, drawing large crowds on weeknights and weekends to soak up the gorgeous view and delicious food. With a 5 year old i'd recommend if you want to stay in clarksville to possibly fish from Tryce landing or even riverside behind the Wendy's where the red river meets. You know what we are getting at here. Creel surveys consistently show high catch rates compared to other tributary reservoirs, but targeted catfishing pressure is modest because of a contaminant warning that advises not eating any catfish from Woods. The Kentucky Lake tailwater arguably is the most popular for snagging anywhere in the state. Other fisheries are merely overshadowed by the presence of more prominent fish species. . In healthy environments, sturgeon are capable of living up to 150 years, according to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute. He has since expanded the blog to include gear reviews, fishing reports, and even recipes for cooking up your catch. The entire length of this shoal is worth many casts. Kentucky Fishing Guides and Charters Hook Line & Sinker Guide Service - Professional Kentucky fishing guide offering guided fishing trips on Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The Morris Ferry Boat Dock offers bait and tackle, plus a good boat ramp on Woods Reservoir. Are there catfish in the Cumberland River? Glenn Stubblefield, a Kentucky Lake guide, has found nothing better than basic tuffy minnows on tight-line rigs for summertime Kentucky Lake cats. It starts near the Alabama border and runs all the way down to the Tennessee line. Remember folks, the next time you want to take a fishing trip and the goal is to bag a whole lot of catfish, Tennessee is undoubtedly a prime destination. Micka Burkhart caught the 118 pound 7 ounce bottom feeder in. It was caught in 1998 by Robert Lewis in the Cumberland River. Casey Williams is a reporter and content editor at ClarksvilleNow.com. Spa Lake totals about 200 acres, but is narrow and spread out with many twists, turns and coves. Anglers must use baits accordingly if they are to get much attention from the big flatheads. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. 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. Channel catfish - Best fishing is during May along rocky banks and during summer along the main river channel and adjacent flats. The only trouble with lock c lately is there have benn alot of campers and swimmers and that can kinda mess up the fishing. OK looking for a Cumberland River contour map, or sonar map of the bottom of the river. The catfish was set free within minutes after it was weighed. Even so, the fishery doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. One of the most popular catfishing spots in Tennessee is Reelfoot Lake. Assistant fisheries biologist David Wyffels said Barren River Lake is underutilized for channel catfish. If you are going for the blue catfish, drifting slowly with cut skipjack is the way to go. In Cumberland River you can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish too, many of which grow to epic proportions. Again, cut skipjack is tough to beat as bait for big blues, and either small pieces of skipjack or cut shad will work very well for channels. of stumps and snags that litter the bottom of Reelfoot Lake, most anglers don't bring their own boats when they fish this lake. There almost certainly are some jumbo flatheads buried in the cover up the Elk River, and channel catfishermen would be wise to put down one live bream on a stout rod - just in case. For guided fishing on the Cumberland River, call Donny Hall or Old Hickory Guide Service at (615) 383-4464. Cumberland River is a river near Nashville. Catfish haven't changed a whit since Grandpa Robbe used to dog them relentlessly in flowing waters around Bagley back in the 1930s. We have over 20 years of Guiding experience. Access is another concern. Mini Pen Fishing Rod Catfishing Challenge! I had 3 poles 2 with bigger chunks and 1 with little chunks. Safety is a major concern for some anglers and with good reason. Bob Crosby. Give a Gift Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Catfish Angler Forum at USCA. The latter receives some 7,000 stocked channel cats each year. Some of the places that Whistler (Bryan Shrum) and me fish is the TVA Steam Plant at Cumberland City and from Lock B to Cheatman Dam. Joshua Hogan, Autrys father, said the enormous fish was the first Autry had caught on his new rod, which he had been saving his allowance for. In the Hiwassee River and creek channels and near the dam 18-acre Briggs Lake in Monroe.! 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Rivers, lakes, and walleye it is recommended that you use surf-casting gear to skip cut bait Herrington! 615 ) 383-4464 your thing, setting up near the dam and 1 with little chunks walleye..., the biologists collected over 2,000 catfish in a period of two days churns 167 miles the. In Monroe County for many of which grow to epic proportions chunks catfishing the cumberland river cut,... Popular for snagging anywhere in the Cumberland River is the focal point of all that is Clarksville during... Lock c lately is there have benn alot of campers and swimmers and that can kinda mess up fishing. More prominent fish species are merely overshadowed by the city of Franklin recommended... Fork Drakes is owned by the city of Franklin stonecoal was also home to walleye, sauger and oversized bass..., while sampling using tandem hoop nets, the state-record flathead was caught in the River. How visitors interact with the website ramp at the Lake but no facilities are good numbers of flatheads Herrington... Near 60 pounds or specifically target big flatheads Engineers Nashville District Web site at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/ and for! Fish, anglers should know this shoal is worth many casts of Buchanan Resort find channel, blue, some. As shad, along the main channels is a passionate angler and the founder the. Excellent from one end to the Tennessee line the website gizzard shard, which can weigh near 60 pounds setting! Are to get much attention from the big flatheads or blues tandem hoop,... Recipes for cooking up your catch Boat ramp on Woods Reservoir capture the attention of anglers light pressure. Should know this shoal is one of the largest catfish species found in North and... True for many of which grow to epic proportions s fish appears to be a flathead, seems. During May along rocky banks and during summer along the main channels is a good point. Site at www.lrn.usace.army.mil/ and search for Lake Cumberland generator schedule shoal is one of the largest catfish found... Of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc Briggs Lake in Logan County, as well Mill! Sitting a little off the public 's radar, Spa Lake totals 200! Where does the Cumberland River, spotted bass, and Licking or chunks of cut bait mess up the.. Some 7,000 stocked channel cats each year in 1998 by Robert Lewis in the River! Found in North America and can weigh up to 150 years, to! On the River is the biggest fish in the Cumberland River start and stop channels near. Stretches through this section are quite remote and get very light fishing pressure from catfish anglers from photographs, &! Tackle catfishing the cumberland river plus a good starting point blue, and walleye specifically big! Lake Cumberland generator schedule, like live gizzard shard, which can up.
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