Cumberland Rocks
 

Every week the bite improves as baitfish flood the river. Walk across the river on the backs of skipjacks!

Caught around 18 fish or various species. Photos of the two largest rock fish. Biggest 27lbs. Kept three knowing they would not survive the fight.

Damn the heat, stay safe and keep the cast on, my friends.

Nice catch!!!
But c'mon man . . . try to enjoy life! Smile once in a while.
:)

Rocks and Rolls
 

That was my boss.

I am like a non profit guide taking coworkers and friends. I have 5 other people "booked" before the season ends around mid Sept. So far home runs every single time out.

The heat blows but fishing fantastic. I'll sweat a little for a 30lbs fish.

Still waiting for the dam to stop, clogged with the twisted wreckage of hundreds of wake boats....

Solid trip. Those are great fish

Adrian should be all over this thread...haven't seen him in a while.

I have wrote off going to the lake till the water cools just cause of those wake boats. This has been the worst year for them.


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We could only hope!!!! :rolleyes:

Adrian said he has been working too much to go fishing.

I didn't realize he was a doctor.

I literally haven't logged on here in months. I just popped by today and what do I see? I guess it's time to take some time off! Listen... Happy & I really need to film a new YouTube video. Been trying to talk Merv into taking us to the dam, but like us, he's all covered up. I'm just waiting on the right opportunity :)

Great catch! Those are huge fish. It looks like you had a great time fishing.

Still Going..... Amazing
 

Still on fire.
Bait thick.
At least 1,000,000 skipjacks to every single sport fish.
Here are a of handful of photos.

Be safe, fish your brains out.

I don’t striper fish that often. I really only target them at the steam plant in the winter time but to me they are the most rewarding fish to catch. Especially ones over 30lbs. They are so strong and they are special memories for me. I’ve caught probably a dozen over 25lbs and every single one of them was on a 6xd with 12lb line. I’ve tried to go to 20lb line but I’ve never caught one on 20lb and I always end up switching back to my normal deep cranking bass rod. It’s a lot of fun but I’ve also broke off quite a few times. It makes me feel bad knowing that there are a few big stripers swimming around with a crankbait stuck in their mouth. I finally quit using the 12lb line for that reason and I haven’t caught one since. But I don’t spend much time doing it. 12lb line with a good drag will certainly hold up to a 40lb striper but not when their teeth are rubbing the line. A lot of the big ones I’ve caught I only got in because they were hooked outside the mouth. What are your rod, reel, and line setups that you use to catch them? Those are some nice fish man and I hope you catch a bunch more

Until Then....
 

I use 50lbs braid with a 30-40lbs mono leader.
I use spinning surf rods 7-8 feet. Baitcasters I use a variety of musky and catfish rods, heavy duty. I have never broken off but possibly I am missing fish. I am averaging 4-6 per trip with at least 2 over 20lbs. As the water cools the patterns will shift but until then it is full speed ahead.

Mmmmm <'TK><
 

Use 4 or 6 lb test. It fits between the teeth, therefore preventing the friction of larger diameter line.

I am for preservation of the fish. However, I can't find satisfaction with winching a fish to the boat. Use light equipment and give the fish a fighting chance.
Reminds me of Jerry Clower on coon hunting. Drop the coon amongst 10 or 15 dogs and give him a fighting chance of whooping them and walking away. :D

Yep !! <'TK><
 

TK Are you saying that the fish can swim away looking fine and die later? If that’s the case then that really bums me out. I’ve always released every one of them. I always take plenty of time with them in the water afterwards and I’ve never had one that didn’t swim away looking fine. I would be bummed if there was a high probability those fish didn’t survive. Most of them certainly seemed weakened after tge fight but seemed to gather their strength after a minute or 2 in the water beside the boat

It took me 30 minutes on 12lb line to catch one over 40lbs one time. I couldn’t imagine 4-6. That one in particular had me wrapped around the barrier at the steam plant for a long time. He swam under the barrier and I was in a bad spot. About the time I was trying to stick my rod under the barrier it swam back on the other side

lupanfreitag - are you fishing with live or cut skipjacks? Also, do you know what the water temp has been?

Rarely use 6. Mostly 2 or 4. Just didn't want lesser skilled people like Merv trying to mimic and lose all that he hooks.

Ahh. I haven’t seen a fish that Merv has caught that was in jeopardy of breaking 2lb line

ouch!!

:d

Rocky Rocks
 

Still pretty good. The water is cooling and bait is concentrating but if you find bait you find the river monsters.
Maybe another 2-3 weeks.
Plan to go deep after that or transition points.
Dam fishing can't be beat.