GALLERY: Final weigh-in produces more big ones at Guntersville. Flatheads are topnotch predators and will choose live forage over everything else unless food sources are in short supply. One very good thing about the Mississippi River, according to Reeves, is that the dikes and revetment banks that are used to maintain the river channels and the integrity of its banks create well-defined catfish habitat that anglers can focus on. I had 3 poles 2 with bigger chunks and 1 with little chunks. Lake Cumberland fishing is the best fishing in Kentucky and, in fact, is considered some of the best lake fishing in the USA - the variety of fish coming . . Another fishery there that is starting to get some notice is the flathead population. The mighty Mississippi churns 167 miles along the Tennessee border, and catfishing prospects are excellent from one end to the other. Catfish Angler Forum at USCA. Fish that are commonly used for cut bait for catfish include: Carp (both common carp and Asian carp) Drum (also called Gaspergou) Buffalo. Mini Pen Fishing Rod Catfishing Challenge! KENTUCKY LAKE Kentucky Lake catfishing begins at Pickwick Dam, just north of the Alabama/Mississippi border, and runs all the way to the Kentucky line. Get a Head Lamp with White and Red Light. Fort Loudoun produced a former state-record blue catfish and still lays claim to the state record for fish caught by "non-sporting" mea. The fish measured 51 inches in length and 37 inches in girth. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 339 catches are logged on Fishbrain. All Rights Reserved. After his fist big catch, Autry plans to beat that record. Doing this, it is recommended that you use surf-casting gear to skip cut bait, such as shad, along the bottom. This means that there is no need for gear intended for deep water fishing. Even so, the fishery doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. There are a variety of fishing licenses available for residents and non-residents, including a junior license for residents ages 13-15. CatfishCommando. Class I rapids downstream of this area provide lively paddling. Also, the lake is a canyon reservoir with very steep sides and, according to Crosby, this is intimidating to some fishermen. 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. 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. All persons ages 13 and older must have a fishing license to fish in Tennessee. . West Fork Drakes is owned by the city of Franklin. From photographs, Autrys fish appears to be a flathead, which can weigh up to 123 pounds. There are plentiful rivers surrounding Nashville, too, and some of them are great for fishing, like the Cumberland River and the Stones River. Health mooto. Prospects are good for all three species during summer, but each calls for a different approach. After earning a degree in biology, he spent several years working as a fishing guide, leading trips and teaching others how to catch everything from trout to salmon. Other fish include invasive carp, trout species, minnows, etc. 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. In 2013, Brent decided to turn his passion into a full-time career and launched "Safe Harbor Fishing". Williams said that creel clerk Rudy Young tallied some very nice numbers of catfish during his last survey. How do you catch big brown trout at night? Once there, they fish cut bait vertically on three-way rigs for channels and blues, usually keying on "slots" between turbines that are on. We offer trips year-round on the Cumberland River for "world class" Striper in Tennessee - from the Kentucky border all the way down 60 miles (through Celina and Gainesboro) to the Cordell Hull dam (this is the Cordell Hull pool).. The Rockhouse Natural Bridge take-out requires you to carry your boat through the arch and up a steep incline to the parking area. Great fishing begins right at the dam, and boating anglers go as close to the dam as they are permitted. Weight: 143 pounds Length: 57 Inches Girth: 47 Inches Nick Anderson, a high school football coach from Greenville North Carolina was on a father and son fishing trip (yes it was Father . Few types of fishing - if any - provide boatless anglers better opportunities to catch more big fish than catfishing in the tailwaters of the Tennessee River. During the summer, all 3 of these catfish species are present in abundance, but fishing for each of them does require a different approach. Partly because of the quality of Tennessee's whiskerfish offerings, catfishing is extremely popular. Many anglers use a -ounce egg . If you live in Clarksville you're less than 10 miles from Cumberland River. I use Gizzard shad everytime and 90% of the time I get 5 to 12 pounders when i go. Using a stout rod with live bream is a good idea too, as although it is rare, coming across a huge jumbo flathead catfish is not unheard of here. We know when to fish, where to fish and how to fish these lakes. That fish weighed a whopping 124 pounds! Now, the catfish here are usually not that big, topping out at about 6 pounds, but larger ones have been known to frequent this area. Over in Logan County is a lake that is rarely talked about except by the locals. Always check for the most current regulations before fishing at a new location. Boltz Lake receives 2,300 channel cats and 900 blue cats each year. Corn, salmon eggs and redworms are other tried-and-true baits. Anglers must use baits accordingly if they are to get much attention from the big flatheads. Blue catfish were first stocked into Taylorsville Lake in 2002, so they have had several years to grow. Anglers must obey all safety recommendations on the river and particularly when fishing near locks and dams. For information, log onto www.buchananresort.com. The fish, a 130-pound giant, was caught in 1976 with commercial gear. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Cumberland Valley Fly Fishing Jamestown 16 ft 2 persons trips from $250 See all 5 fishing charters in Cumberland River Hybrid Bass & Striper Fishing - Percy Priest 5.0 / 5 (1 review) Nashville 22 ft 5 persons Instant Confirmation trips from $375 Roscoe's Guide Service 5.0 / 5 (1 review) Lebanon 24 ft 3 persons Instant Confirmation In healthy environments, sturgeon are capable of living up to 150 years, according to the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute. To put that into perspective, Schmid weighs about 168 pounds and has a 32-inch waist. Trout fishing is great both above and below Wolf Creek Dam in Jamestown, Kentucky. Those numbers suggest that a lot of Tennessee lakes offer very good catfishing; however, according to Churchill they don't reveal much about the size structure of the fish populations. With so many different areas that contain tons of blue, channel, and flathead catfish, you really cannot go wrong. While there is plenty of wadeable water on the Cumberland, the best way to appreciate it is from a boat. All along the cumberland is good fishing, but if your a bank fisherman then Lock c is for you, easy access and great shad there. Others drift, either suspending their offerings midway down or bouncing them off the bottom with three-way rigs. Home to the state record 21-pound brown trout and a 14-pound, 6-ounce rainbow trout, the 75-mile Kentucky portion of the Cumberland tailwater rivals the White River of Arkansas and the Caney Fork in Tennessee. 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. Jug fishing is a great choice. Fisheries | KDFWR Cumberland River Waterbodies Cumberland River above Lake Cumberland Note: For more information about fishing at Cumberland Falls State Park click here http://fw.ky.gov/fish/documents/cumberlandfalls.pdf Special Fishing Regulations for Cumberland River Miscellaneous Fishing Forecast According to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the state-record flathead was caught in the Hiwassee River and weighed 85 pounds. You know what we are getting at here. And when it comes to catfishing, the Mighty Mississippi is tremendously underutilized. Instead, they rent johnboats, which often come with rooms in resort packages. "When we sample out there, we always see a tremendous number of catfish," he said, noting that there is an abundance of catfish in the 4- to 6-pound range and plenty that are much bigger than that. The fishing regulatory body for Tennessee is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. Turn right onto Swiss Colony Road and follow it until reaching Wood Creek Lake Road. For those who prefer camping, the Kendall Recreation Area (270-343-4660) just below Wolf Creek Dam offers tent sites, hot showers, electrical hook-ups and drinking water. Many of Hall's most productive ledges lie on. Give a Gift Donny Hall, Nashville, Tennessee, grew up catfishing on the Cumberland River. Again, cut shad or skipjack are the mainstay baits. Lake Barkley actually produced the state record blue catfish catch at over 112 pounds. Mar 22, 2019. Where does the Cumberland River start and stop? Tennessee Riverkeeper is seeking to reduce sewage pollution in the Cumberland Valley, addressing Clarksvilles issues would go a long way in cleaning up our river, said David Whiteside, Founder of Tennessee Riverkeeper. Of course, the lake has been popular for channel catfish for years, but the recently stocked blue catfish are really coming on strong and as of yet, are not getting anglers' full attention. Most all are regularly stocked with channel catfish, and some are even stocked with blue cats as well. STEWART COUNTY, Tenn. -- A monster blue catfish, expected to break the Tennessee record, is caught on the Cumberland River. We have lived and fished these waters all our lives. Yes, its a good way to lose tackle, but it is an even better way to catch lots of big catfish. The Cumberland River is the focal point of all that is Clarksville. Cumberland River, Lock C turned out the state record blue catfish. :sad2: A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. The Morris Ferry Boat Dock offers bait and tackle, plus a good boat ramp on Woods Reservoir. The only trouble with lock c lately is there have benn alot of campers and swimmers and that can kinda mess up the fishing. The tailwater begins at the foot of TVA's Wolf Creek Dam. Brent Pollock is a passionate angler and the founder of the popular fishing blog "Safe Harbor Fishing". Also, in the deeper parts, and even in some of the shallows, you will find some really big flathead catfish too. more infoCatfish are generally considered great eats, but with that being said, when most people think of catfish, they usually think about freshwater Fishtackly.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and affiliated sites. Rivers, streams, private ponds and most smaller lakes also contain catfish. 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. And yep -- they grow big there, too. The first two pools of the Tennessee River -- Fort Loudoun and Watts Bar -- produce high numbers of heavyweight catfish. Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 30800 Telegraph Rd, Suite 1921, Bingham Farms, MI 48025 USA. 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 rest of the float is a long, deep hole until Winfreys Ferry. According to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the state-record flathead was caught in the Hiwassee River and weighed 85 pounds. 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. There is some bank access near the boat ramp located on Violet Road. There are many species of catfish and even more ways to catch them. Well, overlooked may not be as accurate a description as would be the term underutilized. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! The Cumberland River boasts some excellent fishing of Bass and Trout, and you can also find walleye and sauger. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. 5,374 views Mar 6, 2020 82 Dislike Share Save Tracker Catfishing 4.06K subscribers In this video I go over my. This part of the lake is riverine, with the old river channel winding between stump-covered flats. Tennessee is an absolutely beautiful place. However, if an angler can find some woody structure, there's a good possibility there are catfish hanging around it. Lake Barkley actually produced the state record blue catfish catch at over 112 pounds. 6:20. Except for a growing desire among serious catfishermen to see some waterways specifically managed for trophy cats (an issue that was still being looked at for the 2003-04 season when this issue went to press), catfishermen seemingly are content, according to Churchill. FISHING LICENSES allow the holder to take sport and rough fish statewide by rod and reel, pole or line, or other specified legal methods. Boaters may also call (606) 678-8697 for current information. Numerous other small state lakes have catfish opportunities worth mentioning. WOOD CREEK LAKEWood Creek Lake is a medium- sized water that has a very good channel catfish fishery. Lake Cumberland, which is backed up by Wolf Creek Dam, is the largest man made reservoir in the eastern United States. In Cumberland River you can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish too, many of which grow to epic proportions. There are several reasons why the river is not used as much as it could be. For more information on Reelfoot Lake, including how to set up a catfishing trip with Jackie Vancleave, log onto www.bluebankresort.com. Catfish . The takeout is the old Kendall Ferry landing located at the end of Ray Mann Road, just off the road to the recreation area. It was on cut bait, but gizzard shad is the best. October 04, 2010. Some holes will hold fish and some holes dont seem to do as well. Anglers may beach their boats on the island to fish this area. Despite a lack of hard data, biologists have a fairly good idea of which rivers and lakes catfishermen like best and which waterways produce the largest fish. His biggest catfish include a 100-pound blue, a 70-pound flathead, and . These include lakes owned by both the state and the KDFWR. For anglers who don't mind putting all their fish back, Fort Loudoun and Watts Bar both support tremendous populations of heavyweight cats, with blues, flatheads and channel catfish all well represented. , 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. He said there are not a lot of really huge ones, but there are good numbers and many quality-sized fish present. And it is not just our fish and wildlife department that shares that opinion. River fishing the Cumberland always produces some trophy catfish. Catfish haven't changed a whit since Grandpa Robbe used to dog them relentlessly in flowing waters around Bagley back in the 1930s. Other good areas to try include river and creek channels and near the dam. All are. It is owned by the city of Russellville and can be found off SR 106 approximately five miles southwest of Lewisburg. Anglers working the rocky edge of the flowing shoals and pools score on a mixture of rainbow and brown trout. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. All trout in Kentucky have a streamlined body with small scales, a large mouth, and an adipose fin. Perch. The Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee . They are often found in open water at Taylorsville and are not just sitting on the bottom as many anglers imagine. Class I rapids downstream of this area provide lively paddling. Only show this user. Along with bass and crappie anglers, catfishing . Most specially regulated trout waters are closed to taking fishbait and baitfish at all times. Alligator 1 Boat Launch Ramp Located mid lake, on the north side of the lake, off State Route 76, this is a multi-lane . Are there sturgeon in the Cumberland River? A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. Wyffels said West Fork Drakes Reservoir also should capture the attention of anglers. 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. more info. 4 talking about this. master_cat Registered It does not store any personal data. Rainbow Run, one of the best fishing shoals on the river, is just downstream from the Rockhouse. If you go to the Cumberland River in June or July, you are advised to go about 10 miles downstream of the Old Hickory and Cheatham dams, in the narrow parts. 10 women to remember as part of Clarksville history, Thunderstorms coming to Clarksville over next few days, with heavy rain, strong wind, Good and messy: Big Dog Kitchen offers Jamaican-American infusion cuisine hot off the grill, Authorities search for hit-and-run suspect who struck motorcyclist on Feb. 19, Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce events, announcements for March, Non-Discriminatory Advertising Why Do Crappie Turn Black? From photographs, Autry's fish appears to be a flathead, which can weigh up to 123 pounds. This is the Rockhouse Hole. The Cumberland River in Tennessee. 2:54. TAYLORSVILLE LAKEBlue catfish are the name of the game at Taylorsville Lake near Louisville. Your Guide to Tennessee's Best Catfishing. Also, due to the fact that there are so many obstacles in the water, many choose to rent special boats on the lake instead of bringing their own, with many choosing to fish from the shore. Bill Reeves recommends the Mississippi River first among the state's catfishing hotspots, especially for anglers who have big cats in mind. The noodler will then attempt to get a grasp of the catfish's mouth and then haul it out by hand. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of these locations are relatively unknown. 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. Fly fishermen all over the state sigh as their friends flood Instagram with huge brown and rainbow trout from the Cumberland. Each tailwater is different, and all vary enormously in their offerings according to the amount of water that is flowing. These rocks served as signposts for boat pilots back during the steamboat era. The Tennessee state record blue catfish weighed 112 pounds, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. 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. Catfish, on the other hand, do not see a lot of action from anglers. 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. The onset of summer brings hot catfishing prospects to Volunteer waters. For your Kentucky fishing trip call 270-388-0525. 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. If you can keep them from the drum. To appreciate it is from a boat our fish and Wildlife department that shares that.! Such as shad, along the bottom with three-way rigs too, many of Hall & # x27 ; Wolf... 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This is intimidating to some fishermen fish caught by `` non-sporting '' mea mouth, you. At a new location Carbon Media Group ), 30800 Telegraph Rd, 1921. Check for the most current regulations before fishing at a new location stewart County, catfishing the cumberland river a! Rarely talked about except by the city of Russellville and can be off...