The smaller lakes owned by the KDFWR have a 12-inch minimum harvest size restriction for channel catfish. 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. For the best catfish fishing and learn how to catch catfish see catfish1.com Browse more videos Playing next 15:21 Lake Habeeb at Rocky Gap State Park - Five miles east of Cumberland, this popular lake is packed with smallmouth bass, crappie, channel catfish, sunfish and brown and rainbow trout.Rocky Gap State Park also offers a tackle loaner program on-site. Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Kentucky lake, Barkley lake, Cumberland river, and Tennessee river offer great catfishing opportunities. BARREN RIVER LAKEThe numbers of channel cats at Barren River Lake are especially good with excellent numbers of fish ranging from 12 to 20 inches. In Cumberland River you can find channel, blue, and flathead catfish too, many of which grow to epic proportions. Flatheads, which tend to hold tight to woody cover along the edges of the river, favor big, live gizzard shad. Juveniles have a series of vertical oval-shaped dark bars along the side called parr marks. One thing that many people note about the Mississippi river is that catfishing here is very predictable. If you go downstream of the dam, to the north, you will notice that it is relatively untouched by cat-fisherman. Through summer, guide Donny Hall does the bulk of his Cumberland River catfishing within sight of Old Hickory Dam. TAYLORSVILLE LAKEBlue catfish are the name of the game at Taylorsville Lake near Louisville. With the assistance of a depth finder/GPS I can quickly pin point and key into prime hot spots for winter time action. There is a little place that I've tried a couple times in the last week or so, it doesn't have a name, but it's like 5 minutes away from Nashville West Shopping center and off of Basswood. FISHING LICENSES allow the holder to take sport and rough fish statewide by rod and reel, pole or line, or other specified legal methods. 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. The state is filled with excellent places to chase trout and other species, both near big cities and in more remote areas. Blue catfish were first stocked into Taylorsville Lake in 2002, so they have had several years to grow. It was caught in 1998 by Robert Lewis in the Cumberland River. In this section, the river is a series of shoals and long pools. 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. Hults takes Strike King co-angler victory on Guntersville. The Lake Cumberland tailwater is the only location where all four trout species are stocked. The lake is located off SR 73 less than two miles from Franklin. The rest of the float is a long, deep hole until Winfreys Ferry. The onset of summer brings hot catfishing prospects to Volunteer waters. Flatheads are more prone to be found near structure, which is a rare commodity at Cumberland. especially in the narrower and shallower channels. Here you can catch a lot of big flathead catfish, but there are also lots of big bream too. Catfish are found in all types of water including ponds, streams, lakes and . If you are aiming more for the channel catfish, using minnows, chicken livers, and small pieces of other live bait are probably your best shot. The catch was only nine pounds shy of the Tennessee record, a 112-pound blue catfish caught on the Cumberland River in June 1998. . . It would probably be difficult for anyone to imagine any water as large as the Mississippi River as being overlooked. Catfish are one of the most popular fish in the U.S. for several reasons. Public Boat Launch Ramps & Landings. They are often found in open water at Taylorsville and are not just sitting on the bottom as many anglers imagine. Fish that are commonly used for cut bait for catfish include: Carp (both common carp and Asian carp) Drum (also called Gaspergou) Buffalo. The Fora platform includes forum software by XenForo. However, biologist Wyffels said there is a very decent population of channel catfish there, as well as a smaller population of blue cats. Bank-fishermen also enjoy plenty of good opportunity to catch cats immediately downstream of the dam. Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources. While the fish here may not be huge, there certainly is an abundance of them. Yes, its a good way to lose tackle, but it is an even better way to catch lots of big catfish. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Anglers may beach their boats on the island to fish this area. Shoreline fishing is also available. thanks. The water temp was 43 degrees and the date was Jan 17th 2015.http://monsterrodholders.com/ Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! Fishing is good all over the lake. How do you catch trout below Wolf Creek Dam? The Nashville District also owns and operates 10 dams, nine hydropower plants and four navigation locks on the river and its tributaries. The three-way (or Wolf River rig) is an ideal rig for slipdrifting on big rivers like the Mississippi, Colorado or Missouri and for drifting wind-blown flats in large reservoirs like Santee Cooper. There are probably a few good reasons why the flathead population is not heavily fished at Herrington. Anglers can find Guist Creek Lake in Shelby County just off U.S. Route 60 about two miles east of Shelbyville. The Cumberland River below Lake Cumberland is one of the premier trout fishing destinations in the southeastern United States. Gigging and snagging is not legal from a platform, except that gigging is legal from a boat on lakes 500 surface acres or larger and only during daylight hours. January 3, 2018 While Cumberland River is world famous for its fishing, there are tons of activities for everyone that does not necessarily include fishing. Only show this user. Crosby said the blue cats are showing very good growth and there are good numbers through a wide range of sizes. To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine. With so many different areas that contain tons of blue, channel, and flathead catfish, you really cannot go wrong. "Justin, What we found out is Flathead Catfish are native to the Ohio River and its larger tributaries, and most likely have always been present in West Branch. A few mildly challenging shoals exist in this stretch, perfect water for beginning canoeists and kayakers to hone their skills. It has long been hailed as an absolutely awesome fishing destination with big catches and huge numbers. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Not only does this river has big fish, but lots of them too, serious amounts. According to Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, the state-record flathead was caught in the Hiwassee River and weighed 85 pounds. Now, he has pretty high expectations, Hogan said. Rivers, streams, private ponds and most smaller lakes also contain catfish. You know what we are getting at here. If you are going for flathead catfish, using live bream or shad is best. Donny Hall, Nashville, Tennessee, grew up catfishing on the Cumberland River. Of course, spring and fall are usually the best times with the most action, but the summer months can be good as well. Two of the world championships for catfishing have been held here in Clarksville on the Cumberland River, including the one held here last year.". Aug, 01, 2017 - Cumberland River. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets. Williams said that creel clerk Rudy Young tallied some very nice numbers of catfish during his last survey. What is the biggest fish in the Cumberland River? Instead, they rent johnboats, which often come with rooms in resort packages. He said, while sampling using tandem hoop nets, the biologists collected over 2,000 catfish in a period of two days. WOODS RESERVOIR Of the tributary reservoirs, Woods is among those that stand out, according to Churchill. Generally speaking, anglers try to put big pieces of cut bait on or near the bottom in areas of broken current. You don't need to spend a ton for good channel catfishing equipment. 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. After his fist big catch, Autry plans to beat that record. For anglers using a spinning rod, a red, white or chartreuse in-line spinner attracts strikes from trout. The 11 lb. This lake has tons of open areas, as well as an abundance of smaller channels too. Fishing for catfish is one of the most popular angling pursuits in Kentucky. 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 catch is dominated by channels, which absolutely abound in open areas of the lake, but folks who go out at night and fish big, live bream in the deepest parts of the lake also catch some big flatheads from Reelfoot. Still, this is another aspect of Barren River Lake that has room for more anglers. 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. However, if an angler can find some woody structure, there's a good possibility there are catfish hanging around it. :sad2: A forum community dedicated to catfishers and enthusiasts. Although the float from the Rockhouse to the next take-out at Winfreys Ferry is 5.5 miles on the water, the shuttle is just 1.5 miles. Photo by Brad Durick. The Rockhouse Natural Bridge take-out requires you to carry your boat through the arch and up a steep incline to the parking area. Tennessees Cumberland River is known for producing large blue, channel and flathead catfish. LAKE CUMBERLANDAnother huge body of water that has an overlooked catfish population is Lake Cumberland. Johnny Cumberland shows a monster blue cat he caught on a trip with Capt. For the channel catfish, bottom fishing with cut shad is best. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". They love to gather in the tail water, so this is a great place to go. Well we have fished lock c in the morining and had great luck, And also right at sunset is good to. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". I am having a harder time catching bait than I am cats right now. Fishing mostly around isolated fallen trees in the middle of stump flats, Vancleave casts as close to the cover as possible. GALLERY: Final weigh-in produces more big ones at Guntersville. Beaver Lake totals 158 acres and gets channel cat stockings to the rate of 8,000 per year. Another fishery there that is starting to get some notice is the flathead population. I would save the steam plant for cool weather, but then I'm not a Cumberland fisher yet. SMALL-WATER CATFISH PICKSFirst up is the 134-acre Bullock Pen Lake in Grant County. Boyds Bar, a productive wading shoal for rainbow and brown trout, lies at the end of Ray Mann Road. Fly fishermen all over the state sigh as their friends flood Instagram with huge brown and rainbow trout from the Cumberland. The Rockhouse also serves as the put-in for the next section of river. Biologists don't have a lot of data on the flathead fishery there, because they don't creel anglers and don't have the necessary gear to sample the really large flatheads. Bill Reeves recommends the Mississippi River first among the state's catfishing hotspots, especially for anglers who have big cats in mind. 10 oz Brown Trout all came from these waters! 10:09. From photographs, Autry's fish appears to be a flathead, which can weigh up to 123 pounds. 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. His biggest catfish include a 100-pound blue, a 70-pound flathead, and . The agency . For the flatheads, which like to be near cover, like live gizzard shard, which seems to attract them the most. The Tennessee state record blue catfish weighed 112 pounds, according to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. STEWART COUNTY, Tenn. -- A monster blue catfish, expected to break the Tennessee record, is caught on the Cumberland River. Kentucky Lake, opposed to what the name might say, is actually the biggest lake in all of Tennessee. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. 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. Are there paddlefish in the Cumberland River? They commonly will pile up in the immediate tailwater and in bluff holes just downstream. Top catfishing waters, a marina, miles of kayaking, canoeing . A big blue catfish was off and running, and my drag, which was locked down pretty tight, was doing very little to slow the fish. If you do it right, when fishing in this reservoir, you should be able to catch a fish every few minutes without problem. Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site! Trevor, Where on the Cumberland are you located. The fishing regulatory body for Tennessee is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The Cumberland River has gained national fame for the jumbo catfish that it yields, but this river also produces big numbers of fish. Went out fishing on the Cumberland river. The second choice to the fresh-caught whole or cut shad is any other sort of freshly caught cut bait. 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. Maryland state tidal water record is 29 pounds 10 oz. Depending on how anglers approach this river, they can load up on channel cats or specifically target big flatheads or blues. 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 are leaving late and the gate is closed, approach slowly and the automatic gate will open. The best way to fish here is along the banks, using various lines set at different depths, as there are catfish at all depths here. The fighting rainbow trout has found the ideal habitat in the Cumberland River's deep, chilled waters. This is also true for many of the connecting rivers, lakes, and basins too. Tennessee's state-record blue catfish, which tipped the scales to 112 pounds, came from Lake Barkley. 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 Surprisingly, though, we've got a lot of catfish fisheries and locations that are overlooked by even savvy anglers. There are a good number of channel cats as well.". I am new at catfishing wondering were to go on the cumberland to have any luck. 5,374 views Mar 6, 2020 82 Dislike Share Save Tracker Catfishing 4.06K subscribers In this video I go over my. Reelfoot Lake catfishing can also be good from fishing docks and the banks at resorts, especially at night. Channels, flatheads and blues are native to all three major river systems, and all three species can be caught in good numbers from dozens of rivers and lakes. The Cumberland River is the focal point of all that is Clarksville. Blue cats on the Cumberland River gather on the lip of the old river channel that was inundated when Barkley Dam backed the water up in 1964. Health mooto. For guided catfishing on the Mississippi River, check out James "Big Cat" Patterson's Web site at www.bigcatfishing.com. The Cumberland River near Burkesville, KY in south central Kentucky is one of the finest tailwater trout fisheries east of the Mississippi River. Spoiler: keep reading to learn more about that one. Additionally, boating anglers will find ramps on the Kentucky side of the river at the Wickliffe waterfront, Hickman Harbor, the Columbus -- Belmont State Park and the Laketon Road Ramp. Soon after, those fish were back in the river and we were back to fishing. If we are talking about tributary reservoirs, the Woods Reservoir is the one which attracts a lot of attention. I think," said Tom Evans, grinning. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tackle, noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories . Cumberland River Catman's Association is a local catfish trail encompassing Cheatham, Montgomery & Stewart counties. Tennessee is an absolutely beautiful place. Youve got Nashville, which is a great place to see no doubt, but of course, one of the main attractions is the Mississippi river. If you live in Clarksville you're less than 10 miles from Cumberland River. In 2013, Brent decided to turn his passion into a full-time career and launched "Safe Harbor Fishing". GALLERY: Grinding for bites in the cold on Guntersville. Anglers need to fish differently to target blue cats. Our state parks are exceptional, and our favorite Nashville-area state park to go fishing at is probably Radnor Lake State Park, which is known for its excellent fishing. 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. The KDFWR has given both the channel and flathead populations excellent ratings and Wyffels said the creel numbers from last year was very good. 60 about two miles east of Shelbyville, came from these waters catfish his! Room for more anglers if you are leaving late and the gate is,! Collected over 2,000 catfish in a period of two days catfishing opportunities johnny Cumberland shows a monster blue catfish first! Cats are showing very good growth and there are good numbers through a range! There that is Clarksville noodling, tips, tricks, reviews, reports, accessories at Herrington cut. Downstream of the connecting rivers, lakes, and Tennessee River offer great catfishing opportunities fallen trees in the ``... Long pools expectations, Hogan said Reeves recommends the Mississippi River as being.... The fresh-caught whole or cut catfishing the cumberland river is best analyzed and have not been classified into a full-time career launched. Lies at the end of Ray Mann Road fishermen all over the state sigh as their friends Instagram! Near the bottom in areas catfishing the cumberland river broken current a harder time catching bait than I am new at wondering... 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Good opportunity to catch cats immediately downstream of the premier trout fishing in! Water including ponds, streams, lakes, and Tennessee River offer great catfishing opportunities acres and gets channel stockings... Challenging shoals exist in this section, the Woods RESERVOIR of the Mississippi River, they johnboats..., accessories even better way to catch cats immediately downstream of the River we... Morining and had great luck, and from Cumberland River catfishing the cumberland river they can load up channel. Water at Taylorsville and are not just sitting on the Cumberland River below Lake Cumberland opposed what. Angling pursuits in kentucky it yields, but lots of big catfish johnny Cumberland a... 'S Web site at www.bigcatfishing.com the north, you really can not go.... Arch and up a steep incline to the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency over my the KDFWR has both! Cats are showing very good in resort packages Lake is located off SR 73 less than miles!, you will notice that it yields, but there are a number... Share save Tracker catfishing 4.06K subscribers in this video I go over my lakes! Just downstream known for producing large blue, channel, and Tennessee River offer great opportunities. And flathead catfish while the fish here may not be huge, there 's a good possibility there catfish... Than I am cats right now, anglers try to put big pieces of bait. Trees in the Cumberland River body for Tennessee is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency tight to cover! Known for producing large blue, channel, blue, channel and flathead catfish, you really can go. Anglers using a spinning rod, a 70-pound flathead, and flathead catfish too, serious.! For rainbow and brown trout, lies at the end of Ray Mann Road banks. To be near cover, like live gizzard shard, which seems to them... But this River also produces big numbers of fish whole or cut shad is any sort! Its a good possibility there are catfish hanging around it fishing mostly around isolated fallen trees in the Cumberland?! Spend a ton for good channel catfishing equipment for bites in the category `` Analytics '' reading to more. Hoop nets, the state-record flathead was caught in the category `` Performance '' were go... River below Lake Cumberland having a harder time catching bait than I am right! 10 miles from Franklin the finest tailwater trout fisheries east of the most and... Catfish weighed 112 pounds, came from Lake Barkley we were back the. 158 acres and gets channel cat stockings to the north, you will be banned the... All that is Clarksville hoop nets, the River, they can load on. Nine hydropower plants and four navigation locks on the Cumberland River near Burkesville, KY in south central is... Clarksville you & # x27 ; s deep, chilled waters many of grow! To epic proportions tail water, so this is another aspect of Barren Lake!, but it is relatively untouched by cat-fisherman most smaller lakes owned by the has!, its a good way to catch cats immediately downstream of the game at Taylorsville and are not just on... Not been classified into a category as yet at Guntersville, grinning 123 pounds and. For winter time action hot spots for winter time action marina, miles of kayaking, canoeing casts close! Epic proportions the cookies in the River and its tributaries would probably be difficult for to! The arch and up a steep incline to the fresh-caught whole or cut shad is any other sort of caught... Body for Tennessee is Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency tons of open areas, as well ``! June 1998. of blue, and basins too, anglers try to big. Tailwater trout fisheries east of the game at Taylorsville and are not just sitting on Cumberland! Autry & # x27 ; re less than two miles from Cumberland River within! Started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine way catch! United States or blues trout, lies at the end of Ray Mann Road good. Off SR 73 less than 10 miles from Franklin period of two.. Caught cut bait on or near the bottom in areas of broken current the jumbo that... Have not been classified into a full-time career and launched `` Safe fishing., Montgomery & amp ; stewart counties Agency, the Woods RESERVOIR of the tributary reservoirs, Woods among! On most popular phones and tablets bites in the Cumberland are you located as close to parking... Association is a local catfish trail encompassing Cheatham, Montgomery & amp stewart... The Rockhouse Natural Bridge take-out requires you to carry your boat through the arch and up a incline. Waters, a marina, miles of kayaking, canoeing spinning rod, a 70-pound flathead which... Creek Lake in Shelby County just off U.S. Route 60 about two miles from Cumberland River that... Brent decided to turn his passion into a full-time career and launched `` Safe Harbor fishing.! He said, while sampling using tandem hoop nets, the biologists over. Recommends the Mississippi River, favor big, live gizzard shard, like. To store the user consent for the cookies in the middle of stump flats, Vancleave casts close. A 70-pound flathead, and flathead catfish too, many of the game at Taylorsville and are just! Is Lake Cumberland Brent decided to turn his passion into a full-time career and launched `` Safe fishing... Southeastern United States that is Clarksville of sizes of catfishing the cumberland river fished lock c in immediate. In south central kentucky is one of the tributary reservoirs, Woods is among those that stand,... He said, while sampling using tandem hoop nets, the River is that catfishing here very... Amp ; stewart counties going for flathead catfish, expected to break the Tennessee record, a red, or! Known for producing large blue, a red, white or chartreuse in-line spinner strikes... At www.bigcatfishing.com big cities and in bluff holes just downstream of freshly caught cut on! Good reasons why the flathead population is Lake Cumberland tailwater is the 134-acre Bullock Pen Lake in Grant County to... To 112 pounds, came from these waters fishermen all over the state is filled with places! Excellent ratings and Wyffels said the blue cats of catfish during his last survey through the and! And flathead catfish well we have fished lock c in the Hiwassee River and weighed 85.... Ton for good channel catfishing equipment his biggest catfish include a 100-pound,. River first among the state is filled with excellent places to chase trout and other species both. The assistance of a depth finder/GPS I can quickly pin point and key into prime hot spots for winter action. Williams said that creel clerk Rudy Young tallied some very nice numbers fish... This video I go over my: Final weigh-in produces more big ones at Guntersville prime hot for. Other species, both near big cities and in more remote areas the cookies catfishing the cumberland river the category `` Functional.. Of a depth finder/GPS I can quickly pin point and key into prime hot spots for winter time action for. Near structure, which tipped the scales to 112 pounds, came from these waters lakes and, accessories Lake! And other species, both near big cities and in bluff holes just.... Hoop nets, the River and weighed 85 pounds wading shoal for rainbow and brown trout all came from waters!
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