Howdy from PA

[PA Ken]

Hi all!
7 of my Central PA friends and I take a week long striper fishing trip or two every year. We've been going to Lake Cumberland KY for 20+ years but and are taking a close look at Smith Mountain Lake for this April. Fishing is still good at Cumberland but they lost alot of the bigger stripers a few years ago. Plus, that 12-13 hour drive is getting harder every year. I've been reading this forum for a few weeks and it's a good one, so I decided I would join. I'm hoping to get some local information on where to stay, where to fish, etc. so that we can have a great fishing trip. Plus, I'd like to share what has worked for us at Lake Cumberland.

[mwardncsu]

Welcome Ken. Would love to hear info on your experiences at Cumberland - that's somewhere I'd like to get one day. Lots of helpful folks here on the forum - post up your questions in the SML striper section.

As for places to stay, the Westlake Waterfront Inn & the Inn @ Halesford Harbor are the only two "on the water" hotels. There is also the Lake Inn which is off-water. Westlake Waterfront is a decent place - none of them are the Ritz, but are good places to stay for a fishing trip and not terribly expensive.

Another option to consider for a week long trip would be renting a house - lots of options and rates would be competitive vs the hotels that time of year, especially when you have more comfort, a kitchen, etc. There are also some condo rental options such as Stripers Landing. Just to give you a few options to start researching & looking into.....

[leeb]

Hey Ken,

What part of PA? I make the drive to Harrisburg about once a month with work. It is a beautiful drive on 81.

What has caused the kill on Cumberland?

[CorneliaGale]

Welcome, glad to have you

[PA Ken]

Thanks for warm welcome guys! If you enjoy striper fishing on an isolated large deep lake, Cumberland is a great place to go. They had a huge striper kill in September 2010 due to the extremely hot summer weather which lowered the lake’s oxygen levels. There's still lots of fish 18-24" but not as many really big ones. They just lowered the minimum size limit last year from 24" to 22" (of course, after our May fishing trip). Most of the fish we were getting were 20-23". Not complaining though... they were a blast on top water.

I think I am going to check out some of the houses available on the water. We prefer to have a place where we can cook. There's going to be either 6 or 8 of us with 3-4 bass boats so an adequate dock is imperative.

Leeb... I'm from Harrisburg. The rest of my group is from the Mt. Union/Huntingdon area near Raystown Lake.

[Deleted]

Welcome Ken, once you learn the lake and the fish movements, you and your buddies are going to love SML.


I've fished Cumberland a few years ago, loved it.
When are they projecting having the work done on the dam so they can raise the water level back to normal pool?

[dogsbestfriend]

hey ken,

how has to smallmouth fishin been on the Susquehanna? i love that river. i use to guide for potomac guide service for years, and the fishing seemed to be slowly declining as far a 4 lb and up, the last few years that i fished it.

[PA Ken]

Bigun... the latest projection on the completion of Wolf Creek Dam work is late 2013.

[PA Ken]

Dogsbestfriend... smallmouth fishing has declined signficantly. We're finding lesions on alot of the fish. Disease has been killing alot of the young fish for the last 5-6 years so numbers and size has really dwindled. DEP keeps investigating but can't come up with a definitive answer. Feeder stream bass seem to be doing just fine. Hopefully, they come up with an answer.

[dogsbestfriend]

i have had the best time fishin that river. a few days of 170 fish a day for two people, and most 2-3 lbs. i heard the fracking was causing much of the problem. i moved down here from wv about 2 years ago, but i havent fished the susky for about 4 years. ihave heard it was still good, but not what it use to be. thanks for the reply.

[hotdog]

Welcome aboard PA Ken. Glad to see another yankee show up here. These guys can be kinda hard on us northern folk but I don't think there's a better bunch of friend to be found.
Have you been to Raystown lake? That's where I caught my first striper.
I wonder if their getting ice yet.
Glad to have you here.
Hotdog

[PA Ken]

Hi Hotdog!
Actually I grew up 9 miles from
Raystown. I occasionally get up
there and do some fishing with my
brother-in-law but not near enough.
Nice water though.
Ken

[maintenanceman4lif]

Welcome PA Ken great bunch of people here!

[striperaddict]

Welcome PA Ken==you hit the jackpot here,,if you bait fish ,,these guys are pro's and will tell you all their tricks,,,,i am totally artificial and wil tell you to get some pearl white green tail zoom super flukes,put onto 1/4 or 3/8 oz. shad heads[[check out Shad Taxi's store]]and hold onto your rod...most catches are in the SLOT around 29" to 32" for us artificial guys ,,larger for the bait guys......always wanted to fish Cumberlain but can't get the vehicle to steer away from Smith,,fished it for 34 years only artifical and still love the place===good luck to you and the cabin,,house leasing is your best bet,,book early

[PA Ken]

Hi Striperaddict! My group is all artificial as well. Thanks for the information on the super flukes and shad heads. I've been reading in alot of the reports of alot of success with flukes, jigs, etc. and plan on giving it a try. We generally throw alot of top water at night (redfins, rapalas, smack jacks, etc.) It's a rush when a striper explodes on a top water in total darkness! Have you tried any of the lures from Smack Tackle in Ohio? Started using their Giz 3 and Giz 4 lures a few years ago at Cumberland and did well on stripers and walleye. My brother-in-law and I tried their new double hinged Smack Jack top water last year and simply kicked them at night. The action is unbelievable. Caught every striper all week on the Smack Jack! Better believe I'll have 5 or 6 with me if we come to SML in April.