Big South Fork Adventures
Onieda TN, Stearns  &  Corbin KY,

Thunderstruck to Cumberland Falls Boat Ramp 2-4hrs | This is a great fishing expedition for those that get up early and want to get some fishing in before the day starts.  There are two main times early morning meeting at 7:00am and evening meeting at 3:00pm. BSFA is always a fan of the top three lures,  Deep Diving Rebel Crawdad, that crashes into the rocks, White Spinner Bait and maybe a weedless worm setup. Any moderate fishing setup is good and 6lb monofilament line or 10lb braided line.   This float meets at the Cumberland Falls State Park with a shuttle to Thunderstruck Boat Ramp and is the best choice for anglers. They may take their time fishing. Fishing this section of Cumberland River is an unusual experience in comparison to most Kentucky smallmouth streams. After clearing Summer Shoals, the river widens to nearly two football fields. The usual water reading and lure placement goes out the window when fishing a river this wide. The shoals run bank to bank as well. The flowing water at the head of these shoals along with eddies and plunge holes at the end of them present the highest percentage spots for smallmouth bass on the river. The Cumberland flows strong in this stretch, even at low water. Therefore, anglers should use jigs and leadheads ranging from 3/16-ounce to 3/8-ounce. Lures this heavy would constantly hang up on the bottom in most Kentucky smallmouth streams. Target these areas with black or motor oil-colored double-tailed skirted grubs rigged on 3/16-ounce leadheads. Use heavier heads if the lures fail to touch bottom occasionally. Black jigs tipped with black crawfish-shaped trailers also work well. Black is a strong color choice for Cumberland River smallmouth. The river often flows with some color to the water, so these lures work in either slightly stained or clear water. Deep running brown and chartreuse crankbaits and white spinnerbaits with Colorado blades work well in stained water. Local anglers use soft-plastic leech imitations rigged on leadheads for smallmouths. This stretch of the river often flows over long expanses of bedrock, especially the lower 5-mile stretch from Thunderstruck Shoals to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Anglers should work their lures along ledges and larger cracks in the bedrock, often right in the middle of the river. This is an excellent presentation for the larger smallmouth bass, as most anglers don't fish these spots.