| The beautiful thing about fishing is you can almost | | | | the major attractions of the lake, it is by no |
| always find a good spot. Lake Cumberland fishing | | | | means the only type of fishing found there. In |
| is the way to go in Kentucky. | | | | fact, no less than seven different Kentucky state |
| The stripped bass is a fish that lives most of the | | | | records have been pulled from the waters of |
| year in the ocean, but in the spring moves into | | | | Lake Cumberland. |
| fresh water rivers to spawn. As an experiment, | | | | These record catches include brown trout, lake |
| many years ago, some of these fish were | | | | trout, rainbow trout, sauger, sturgeon, and |
| stocked into inland lakes. The experiment was | | | | walleye. The state record stripped bass weighed |
| quite a success. Locked into the lakes and safe | | | | in at a little over 58 pounds. Not many lakes can |
| from the natural predators of the ocean waters, | | | | boast such a number of lunker records. The fact |
| the stripped bass flourished and many grew into | | | | that many fishermen around the country are not |
| monster fish far surpassing the normal size of | | | | that familiar with the fishing potential of Lake |
| their spawning ocean going cousins. | | | | Cumberland is one of the secrets of its success. |
| One such lake where the stripped bass have | | | | Although not exactly a secret spot, it has not |
| flourished is Lake Cumberland in Southern | | | | been subject to the tremendous fishing pressure |
| Kentucky. This monster manmade lake spans | | | | of other lakes. This is a very good thing, too. |
| 63,000 acres and has 1,255 miles of shoreline. It is | | | | It is the stripped bass fishing at Lake Cumberland |
| 101 miles long and 1 mile wide at its widest point. | | | | that makes it such an interesting story. It is an |
| The average depth is 90 feet. That is plenty of | | | | example of a man made body of water stocked |
| water to grow some pretty big stripped bass. | | | | with a non-native fish to produce a fishing |
| There is enough water contained in Lake | | | | experience that rivals anything Mother Nature put |
| Cumberland to cover the entire state of | | | | together on her own. Lake Cumberland was |
| Kentucky with almost three inches of water. | | | | created by the putting a dam across the |
| Lake Cumberland fishing is just one of the things | | | | Cumberland River. The reason for doing this was |
| that draws almost 4 million vacationers per year | | | | flood control and hydroelectric power. They didn't |
| to Southern Kentucky. There are two State | | | | do it to create one of the best fishing |
| Parks that encompass the lake and many towns | | | | experiences in the United States. Most fishermen |
| close to its banks that cater to vacationers and | | | | do not care what their reasons were. They are |
| fishermen alike. Although stripped bass are one of | | | | just happy it was done. |