Striper

The Cumberland River System is some of the most diverse and prolific striper water anywhere. With hundreds of miles of striper water and conditions varying from 200 yards across and raging current to mile wide sections with no noticeable current at all. The Cumberland River runs through and actually makes up Cordell Hull and Old Hickory Lake.
I also fish J. Percy Priest, which is a 14,000 acre impoundment just
outside of Nashville.

It is similar to many Striper lakes in the south. Winter -During the winter months and cold water we concentrate our efforts near warm water discharges and or springs that attract tons of bait (Gizzards, Threadfin and Skipjack) and big Stripers. This time of year we blind cast fast sinking and Intermediate lines with flies with movement ( Half n Half's and Whistlers). We also take advantage of gulls and busting bait, by being ready to move at the drop of a hat. We also have a shad kill on some of our lakes during very cold years.
Stunned and dying shad (usually threadfin) get sucked to the dam then through the turbines into the river below. Stripers sense the bait and will run many miles to get their place in the chum line Spring- Spring is when stripers are the most accessible with a fly in
our water. They not only spend allot of time in the upper 10 feet of the water column, but they can also come right into the shallows in only a foot or two of water. The shore blitz happens when the water temps hit the mid 50's and the Gizzard shad spawn. The Gizzard shad look for shallow flats and old road beds, and spawn in a frenzied spinning ball of bait that attracts big predators from deep water. Wade fishing and topwater action can be fantastic at this time. Another bonus to spring Stripers is the fact that they are generally at their heaviest weight of the year, a good time for a record. The current 6lb Fly Rod inland record is 45lb's, the 12lb record is 43 pounds all caught recently on the Cumberland River.

In the Lakes we concentrate on shallow flats with floating and clear intermediate lines. Rabbit Strip Dahlbergs, Jay's Sexy, Half n Halfs, Whistlers, Rainy's Poppers
and Crease Flies all work well. The Rivers we look for structure near creek mouths.
Summer: Summer finds our river fish in the upper reaches looking for cooler water temps. Finding ambush points like downed timber, rip rap or natural rock points are keys to success as well identifying hidden spots like sunken bridges, drop offs and big underwater boulders. We often see the takes in the clear water, and many times have other fish follow the hooked fish, so I have the second angler ready to take shot
at the trailer fish. Lake fishing slows down and is limited to night fishing with sinking lines, and fish finders to humps near river channels. There can sometimes be great topwater action for 45 minutes in the morning, as the stripers, usually single fish, take advantage of the low light and the coolest temps of the day. Dan this is just skimming the surface of our fishery. If you want anymore details email me or give me a call.

Take Care
Jay

Jay Clementi - Orvis Endorsed Guide
Game Fair Ltd.
Nashville,TN
(615) 353-0602
http://www.gamefairltd.com

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