Lake Cumberland is over 100 miles long and has an average depth of 90 feet, making it one of the deepest lakes in the Commonwealth. These waters are perfect for striper habitat. The lake has over 1,200 miles of shoreline. That is nearly as long as the east coast of the United States.

According to Axon, Lake Cumberland has been stocked with 20 fingerlings per acre for many years. The stockings are paying huge dividends. Stripers from Cumberland average above 10 pounds, with fish to 20 pounds being relatively common as well. Fish over 20 pounds, while not common, are not unheard of either.

Various techniques are employed to catch such huge fighters. Live bait is one of the most popular. Shad seem to be the bait of choice for those anglers who can keep them alive. If you have trouble keeping shad alive, here is a tip: Store them in a round bait container or at least one with curved sides. After that, make sure you have plenty of oxygen in the water. Invest in a quality air pump.

Rigging for live bait is largely a matter of choice. Some anglers prefer Carolina-style rigs, while others use a variety of techniques that employ everything from a bobber to a balloon. Asking around and experimenting may be your best bet to see what works best for you.

Stripers are also taken on jigging spoons and blade baits. True stripers can be deep-water fish, so a vertical presentation as deep as 60 feet will produce upon occasion.

When stripers school and surface, look out! The fish exhibit behavior that would put them in an institution under any other set of circumstances. They attack baitfish, roll, jump and dash to and fro with reckless abandon. Topwater baits such as walking sticks and poppers are generally successful. At times, swimming a jig through the school is your best bet, especially for big fish.

Favorite locations on Cumberland include the deep waters off long, sloping rock points, twists and turns in the old channel and open water. You must look around to find these brutes.

Cumberland has very strict size and creel limits for stripers. Only two stripers per day may be kept and there is a minimum size limit of 24 inches. Check before you fish.

The river runs from the northeast corner to the southwest corner of the Commonwealth. There are countless ramps and public access points along her path.

Perhaps the best pool on the Ohio is at the northeast corner of the Commonwealth - the Meldahl Pool. It runs from the Greenup Dam at mile marker 341 to the Meldahl Dam at mile marker 436.2. That's nearly 100 miles of water.

The two best spots in this pool, at least in the opinion of Ohio River expert Mike McPherson, are at the mouth of Cabin Creek (mile 402.9) and along the mouth of White Oak Creek (mile 423.9). He reports both high numbers and big fish at these locations. As a long-time northern Kentucky resident, and a pro team member for Plapp's Pro Outdoors, he has decades of experience on the river. His opinions are to be taken seriously.

McPherson opines that to be successful, striper and hybrid anglers on the Ohio River, anglers must learn to fish barges. Yes, that's right - barges. There is no other structure or cover that will consistently outproduce barges when it comes to fishing for stripers and hybrids on this massive river.

McPherson suggests that the first step toward success with barges is analyzing current. The stronger the current, the more likely the fish will be found under the barges. The trick is to get your bait under the barge.

Begin by selecting the right bait. Most anglers opt for an in-line spinner, a weighted soft-plastic jerkbait or perhaps a light, wooden crankbait. Approach the barge from a 45-degree angle on its outside edge. Throw your bait in front of, and across, the nose of the barge. Retrieve it slowly. Allow the current to wash it under the barge.

Work the bait just 1 or 2 inches below the bottom of the barge. You can easily determine how much water the barge is drawing by reading the depth gauge painted on its side. If the water is at the 4-foot mark, the barge is drawing 4 feet of water. Your bait should be running just slightly deeper than that.

Stripers and hybrids, as well as a few black bass, will dart from under the barge to attack your bait. After that, the fight is on.

A second skill is patience. In the Ohio River, it may be necessary to work an area several times to begin catching fish. "The trick is to just keep fishing, back and forth along an area. In most cases, if you are fishing a good spot, you will finally catch fish," McPherson said.

A third skill that must be developed is an appreciation for shallow water. River fish will hold in shallow water. Stripers and hybrids are no exception. While these fish may suspend over deep water, or hide in deep water, in lakes and reservoirs, this is not the case in river systems. Hybrids and stripers are frequently found in water as shallow as 3 feet in the Ohio River.

The Louisville area also offers excellent striper and hybrid striper angling, either above or below the dam. This section of river is replete with holes, humps, rock obstructions and wing dams. Most of these areas will hold stripers and hybrids.

Fish these areas with spinners, spinnerbaits, crankbaits and topwater plugs. Many anglers say that the better fish are taken during early morning or late evening on topwater baits. Big, fat walking sticks with white bellies and blue or black backs are the local favorites. Work these lures fast in order to create lots of splash.

A final location for success on the Ohio is at the lower end of the river near Paducah. This portion of the river includes the downstream end of the Smithland Pool, as well as the mouths of the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. These river mouths are legendary big-fish spots.

Paducah is commercialized with scores of barges in the area. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the barge pattern is especially popular and effective. Just inside the mouth of the Tennessee River, there is a huge repair facility. It is one of the best hybrid spots in all of Kentucky. Fish around the barges found here, especially when there is a little current.

Creel limits are very generous on the river. There is a 30-fish daily limit so long as only four of these fish are 15 inches or longer. This includes white and yellow bass. Check before you fish.

The striper and hybrid outlook is excellent for 2004. Give them a try this year. You will be hooked once you hook one or more of these great fighters!