“Striper Madness Year-Round on Lake Cumberland in Kentucky with Richard Holt and Mister Twister Lures”

Part 3: Stripers When the Night Bite’s Right

Editor’s Note: Richard Holt of Russell Springs, Kentucky, owner of Striper Madness Guide Service on Lake Cumberland, has fished for land-locked saltwater-striped bass all year long for 25 years. He uses different techniques throughout the year, depending on the depths at which the stripers are holding, and the baitfish the stripers are eating. “Here at Cumberland Lake, we have a year-round fishery for stripers,” Holt reports.

Question: Richard, tell me how you fish for the stripers at night from May to the end of June.

Holt: At night, the shad move into the shallow water to spawn. We’ll be throwing the 1/2- or the 3/8-ounce white-colored Mister Twister Striper Lightnin’ Jigs, depending on the water depth. When we’re night fishing, we mainly use white jigs, but we occasionally will use pearl-colored jigs. But most of the time the white bite’s the most productive. We’ll be casting to the banks and reeling the jigs back to the boat, using either the 4- or the 6-inch Mister Twister Curly Tail Grub on the back of these jigs. Although the fish we’ll be catching will be an average of 9 to 14 pounds, we may catch a trophy-sized fish. I’ve caught 25 or 30 fish on one night. Not all these fish will be keepers, but we’ll have a lot of action.

Question: How big is a keeper?

Holt: A keeper is 24 inches, and a non-keeper is less than 24 inches. But I have caught a 49-pound striper fishing at night at this time of year.

Question: On what pound-test line did you catch that 49-pound striper, and how much time was required for you to put it in the boat?

Holt: I caught it on 20-pound-test line, and I had to fight it for about 35 minutes.

Question: Do you release or eat the stripers you catch?

Holt: During the cooler months, when the fish are shallow, we do a lot of catch and release. Deep-water stripers from 80 or 90 feet of water don’t usually release well, so we keep those stripers. Our limit here is two fish per person.

For more information about Striper Madness Guide Service and how to fish with stripers at Lake Cumberland, visit www.stripermadness.com, or call 270-866-3660.