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Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Trout fishing in the Cumberland tailwaters remains hot during winter – NKyTribune

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Kentucky Afield Outdoors: Trout fishing in the Cumberland tailwaters remains hot during winter – NKyTribune


By Lee McClellan
Kentucky Afield

While winter slows down most fishing in Kentucky, trout angling remains hot in the tailwater below Lake Cumberland’s Wolf Creek Dam.

When resource managers release water through the dam to generate electricity, the outflow comes from deep within Lake Cumberland. The water is cold enough for trout to thrive in the river year-round. Trout are a coldwater species and only know it is winter from the shorter days.

“The water temperature in the Cumberland River never really changes much,” said John Hast. “I don’t approach fishing the Cumberland much differently than in the summer months. You usually have better water in winter.”

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While Hast currently serves as bear and elk program coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, he’s also an avid angler who enjoys casting flies in the Cumberland River year-round. You’ll often find him fishing the river alongside his parents, a decades-long family tradition.

Legendary Cumberland River trout fishing guide Gerry McDaniel holds a brown trout that fell for a nymph fly in the Cumberland River just upstream of Burkesville. The holiday season is prime time to catch trout from the Cumberland River on fly fishing gear. (Photo from Kentucky Afield)

The Cumberland River offers 75 miles of trout water from Wolf Creek Dam to the Tennessee state line. Each year, Kentucky Fish and Wildlife schedules the stockings of more than a quarter-million trout in the tailwater. Stocked species include rainbow, brown, brook and cutthroat trout. The department stocks rainbow trout up to 15 inches long and brown trout up to 12 inches in the river.

Because of the heavy stocking, the cold-water nature of trout and accessibility, the Cumberland River provides one of the most reliable places to fish in winter. If you need a day on the water to decompress over the holidays, the Cumberland River is about as good as it gets, especially if you like to fly fish.

“From December through February, go on a warm day,” Hast said, “not an uncomfortable day, no freezing weather. It is a completely different river than in summer. There are no people. You are often the only one on the river. If you are boat fishing, there is no one to tow you back to the ramp if you have motor trouble, so be aware of that. On many of our winter trips, we just wade at Helm’s Landing.”

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Wade fishing is a great avenue into winter fishing on the Cumberland River. The Find a Place to Fish Page lists public access spots where anglers may wade the Cumberland River, including Helm’s Landing Access. Unless you are experienced with boating on this tricky river, wade fishing is the safest option.

Because of the chill, wading anglers should wear neoprene waders and plenty of insulated clothes. Anglers should be mindful of the current and avoid wading beyond their capabilities.

Anglers only need a few flies for fishing the tailwater in winter. “There are only about 10 flies you need the whole time on the Cumberland,” Hast said. “A good nymph selection, including Copper Johns, Prince Nymphs and Hare’s Ears in sizes 16 to 18, serves you well. For swifter current, I like a Dally’s tailwater jig in the same sizes.”

Hast also fishes beadhead Woolly Buggers in olive, brown and orange and black. These imitate small baitfish or other aquatic food. Hast also uses Woolly Buggers weighed with lead wire to help the bait sink to the trout’s feeding level, or strike zone.

Using a nymph, which imitates the small aquatic bugs that trout feed on, is an excellent way to introduce someone to fly fishing. A good technique involves suspending the nymph under a floating strike indicator. The strike indicator serves as a bobber; it allows the nymph to drift at the same speed as the current – a more natural presentation of the bait. If the strike indicator disappears, a trout has inhaled the nymph. Pull your fly rod straight up and drive the hook home.

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The flowing holes with hides in the form of rocks or undercut banks make the best places to fish nymphs and Woolly Buggers in winter. Woolly Buggers are best fished near the bottom in winter since they imitate both crayfish and baitfish.

Hast favors Prince Nymphs with a tungsten head and the Dally’s tailwater jig that also employs a tungsten head. These flies sink quickly as tungsten is much denser than lead.

“Your fly needs to be near the bottom to have any luck on the Cumberland River,” Hast explained. “I use tungsten-weighted nymphs in swifter current because the tungsten bead gets the fly down in the water where you need to get.”

Hast uses small, foam strike indicators for stealth as well as a more realistic drift. When using tungsten head flies, he attaches two small foam indicators to the fishing line instead of one large one. Stocked trout in a southern tailwater are generally not as wary as the wild reared trout in Yellowstone National Park, but they are not stupid either.

Hast fishes a 4-weight fly rod for nymphs and a beefier 6-weight rod for throwing Woolly Buggers. He uses a 12-foot tapered leader in 5X (about 5-pound test) for fishing nymphs. He ties about 3 feet of tippet line material to the end of the tapered leader. Tippet is a thinner extension to the tapered leader that provides stealth as well as extra length to tie on flies.

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“I attach the strike indicator just below where I tie on the tippet to the leader to start,” Hast said. He then adjusts depth by moving the strike indicator up or down from there.

Hast uses a 4-foot section of what is known as a polyleader attached to his fly line and runs an 18- to 24-inch section of 4X (about 6-pound test) fluorocarbon tippet off the polyleader. A polyleader adds heft to the presentation and allows an angler to get a fly down in the water while still using a floating main fly line. Fluorocarbon tippet line, while more expensive than other kinds of fishing line, is less visible to fish.

Hast fishes the Woolly Bugger just over bottom with slow strips of the fly line on the retrieve.

One must know the electrical generation schedule from Wolf Creek Dam before fishing the Cumberland River. These are available online by searching under the keywords, “Cumberland River Generation Schedule.” Recent schedules have been favorable for fishing, with little or no generation.

On the published schedule, look under the “Wolf Creek” column. Each reading of 40 represents one turbine running, so a reading of 80 means two turbines are running. Anglers should be aware that the schedule is subject to change due to power demands or weather conditions. Anglers should be mindful of sudden current surges that indicate unexpected generation from Wolf Creek Dam.

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“One generator running is great for catching fish,” Hast said. “This release level allows for wading while providing current that can make the fish feed a bit more.”

Make a trip to the Cumberland River this winter. Remember, you must have a valid Kentucky fishing license and a Kentucky trout permit to fish the Cumberland River.

It is money well spent.





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Kentucky

Lowlife dad who owes over $100K in child support arrested getting off cruise ship in Miami: officials

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Lowlife dad who owes over 0K in child support arrested getting off cruise ship in Miami: officials


A Kentucky dad who has racked up more than $100,000 in unpaid child support was arrested as he got off a cruise trip in Florida after several years on the lam, according to officials.  

Dominic Weaver’s vacation ended with him in handcuffs after he was taken into custody by local cops exiting the cruise ship in Miami sometime last week and brought back to Bluegrass State, Jefferson County Attorney Mike O’Connell told a local Louisville news station.

The 47-year-old owes somewhere between $114,000 and $120,000 in child support, according to O’Connell.

Dominic Weaver owes thousands in child support. Law and Crime

Weaver was previously sentenced to five years of probation for flagrant non-support in 2019, according to Law and Crime.

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“I don’t know when he left, but he fled the jurisdiction, and from the date of his sentence until today, and even today, he’s not paid one cent of child support,” the Kentucky county official told WDRB.

O’Connell said Weaver has four cases with the child support division.

“This is one of the most egregious events that brings something to light that I think I’ve ever seen,” O’Connell told the news station.


The dad was arrested getting off a cruise ship, officials said.
The dad was arrested getting off a cruise ship in Miami and was brought back to Kentucky, officials said. Law and Crime

The official plans to ask the court to revoke his original sentence and instead get him behind bars for as long as four years.

The father’s lack of support for his kids is so poor he appeared on a 2021 list of parents that owe large sums of money for their children’s care. At the time, he owed nearly $100,000, according to county records.

Weaver’s arraignment is set for Jan. 6. 

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South Carolina lands talented player out of transfer portal following LaNorris Seller news

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South Carolina lands talented player out of transfer portal following LaNorris Seller news


Former Western Kentucky offensive lineman Rodney Newsom will transfer to play for South Carolina this upcoming season, On3’s Pete Nakos reported. Newsom spent just one season with the Hilltoppers and will have two years of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-3 offensive lineman played in all 14 games at WKU this past season. He joined the team in the offseason after spending one year at Itawamba Community College in Mississippi.

Newsom played high school football at Briarcrest Christian (TN), where he was a three-star recruit in the 2020 class. He ranked as the No. 2,256 overall player and No. 158 interior offensive lineman in the cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Newsom began his college career at Memphis and played two seasons with the Tigers prior to going to Itawamba. As a transfer, he ranks as the No. 119 overall player and No. 11 interior offensive lineman according to On3’s Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

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Rodney Newsom is the seventh commitment in the Gamecocks’ transfer portal class, joining EDGE Jaylen Brown (Missouri), interior offensive lineman Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest), tight end Jordan Dingle (Kentucky), defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M), LB Shawn Murphy, and QB Air Noland (OSU).

The portal officially opened on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. More than 2,800 FBS scholarship players entered their names into the NCAA’s transfer database during the 2023-24 school year. Removing those who withdrew or went pro, the final total sat at 2,707 transfers.

So far this cycle, 2,160 players have entered the transfer portal with 676 of those already having committed to new schools.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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LaNorris Sellers signs new NIL deal with South Carolina for 2025 return

South Carolina star quarterback LaNorris Sellers has inked a new NIL deal with the Gamecocks’ NIL collective Garnet Trust, securing his return to Columbia for the 2025 season. Sellers holds an On3 NIL Valuation of $2.7 million.

His new deal now secures his return for 2025. Sellers put together an impressive 2024 season after taking over as South Carolina’s starting quarterback. He threw for 2,274 yards and 17 touchdowns in the air while adding 655 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

Those numbers helped lead the Gamecocks to a 9-3 record, including a six-game win streak to end the year to just miss out on the College Football Playoff.

South Carolina had to hold off suitors for Sellers, as multiple schools made efforts in recent weeks for the quarterback to jump in the transfer portal. Garnet Trust declined to give specifics on the agreement but sources told On3 it’s on pace with other top quarterback deals in college football.

“Ever since the LSU game, he’s been having programs reach out to his people,” a Power 4 personnel staffer recently told On3 about the LaNorris Sellers situation. “Then as he kept balling out he’s only had more and more programs reach out. I mean he had playoff-caliber teams blowing up his phone like crazy before the Clemson game. After? That shit hasn’t stopped ringing.”

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On3’s Pete Nakos contributed to this report.





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Former Kentucky RB Chip Trayanum is Moving to the MAC

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Former Kentucky RB Chip Trayanum is Moving to the MAC


Chip Trayanum has been through plenty of ups and downs throughout his lengthy college career. Now the former Kentucky running back is ready to make one final stop not too far from his hometown of Akron, Ohio.

On3’s Pete Nakos reports Trayanum will spend his final year of college eligibility in the MAC, suiting up for the Toledo Rockets. It’s his fourth school in six years.

Trayanum had a ton of potential as a Blue Chip recruit. After all, that’s how he got the nickname “Chip.” Some schools wanted him to play linebacker, but he had his mind set on playing offense. That’s why he left the Midwest to play for Arizona State. After tallying 691 yards and 10 touchdowns over two seasons, he decided it was time to try out playing defense.

He returned to Ohio to play linebacker for Ohio State. When injuries hit the Buckeyes’ running back room, he moved back to offense. He performed well vs. Michigan, finding a new permanent home in Columbus. Trayanum’s best moment happened in the final moments against Notre Dame, punching in the game-winning touchdown as time expired.

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Looking for a larger role as a bell-cow back, Trayanum transferred to Kentucky. He was poised to be RB1 until he suffered a broken hand during fall camp. Complications forced him to miss an extensive amount of time. He appeared in only three games and carried the ball 19 times for 101 yards.

Chip will finish his career by playing for the most consistent program in MAC. Jason Candle has led Toledo to four straight winning seasons, including an 11-win campaign in 2023. Hopefully, Trayanum can finally find the consistency that’s eluded him throughout his college career, just not in week one. The Rockets are traveling to Kroger Field to open the season.

There have been 21 transfer portal departures this offseason. There is still time for that number to grow. The transfer portal officially closes on Dec. 28.

  • DL Keeshawn Silver (Committed to USC on Dec. 19)
  • DB Avery Stuart
  • LB Jayvant Brown
  • TE Tanner Lemaster (Committed to Eastern Michigan on Dec. 22)
  • TE Khamari Anderson (Committed to Arizona State on Dec. 22)
  • TE Jordan Dingle (Committed to South Carolina on Dec. 18)
  • OL Courtland Ford (Committed to UCLA on Dec. 17)
  • OL Ben Christman
  • OL Dylan Ray (Committed to Minnesota on Dec. 21)
  • OL Koby Keenum (Committed to Mississippi State on Dec. 22)
  • DL Tommy Ziesmer (Committed to EKU on Dec. 15)
  • WR Dane Key
  • WR Barion Brown (Committed to LSU on Dec. 14)
  • WR Anthony Brown-Stephens
  • WR Brandon White
  • EDGE Tyreese Fearbry (Committed to Wisconsin on Dec. 22)
  • EDGE Noah Matthews
  • EDGE Caleb Redd (Committed to Kansas on Dec. 20)
  • RB Chip Trayanum (Committed to Toledo on Dec. 24)
  • QB Gavin Wimsatt

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. Keep closer tabs on the Cats with our staff-only sticky thread on KSBoard, which will have updates on departures and targets throughout the offseason. Not a KSR+ member? Try it out today.



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