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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Fish Bait
January 4, 2009
The most popular live bait of all time is the worm. Earth worms and night crawlers are found in gardens everywhere, or can be purchased at area tackle shops and convenience stores. Worms attract a wide variety of fish. Bream (sunfish) and perch love them, as do bass and catfish. Worms are so effective in luring fish that certain trout streams and most bass tournaments have outlawed their use. Some say it's the smell, others say the wiggle, but a worm, for whatever the reason, is the perfect live bait. Part of the popularity is that worms can easily be stored and transported in any container that holds dirt. Other popular live baits are crickets, goldfish, black salty's, crappie minnows, shiners, shad, herring and rainbow trout. Each can be caught or purchased in season.
Worms are the pan fisherman's bait of choice. A hooked worm, suspended below a small float, is all one needs to catch enough bream to make a meal. Worms will also catch perch, bass, and catfish. If worms aren't your thing, give live crickets a try. Crickets are easy to contain in a cricket tube or small mesh wire cage.
Soft bodied bait fish take untold numbers of crappie, bass, catfish and stripers each year. Matching the size of the bait to the appetite of the species is a key to successful fishing. Crappie like small minnows. Bass have a big mouth and can either inhale a mouthful of small threadfin shad or gulp down a single gizzard shad, river herring or shiner.
When using live feeder fish it is important to hook the bait so it can swim naturally. The preferred method is to hook it through the lips, the nostril or the eye. Hooking a baitfish in front of the dorsal fin is appropriate with a float when not moving.
Crappie minnows, shiners, goldfish, black salty's and trout are sold either by the dozen or the pound, depending on the dealer. A battery-operated aerator will usually keep them alive.
Gold fish, black salty's, shad and herring are prime baits for catfish. Fresh cut-bream, crappie and white perch also take their share of cats. Be aware of local size and creel limits when using crappie, shad and herring for bait. Since catfish depend on the sense of smell, anglers might scale and even cut the bait a few times before fishing it.
Shad and herring are also popular baits for striped bass. Most are caught in a cast net and kept alive in a round insulated tank equipped with an aerated filtration system.
Since shad and herring do not live well in small live wells, many anglers use hatchery raised trout. Rainbow and golden trout, not natural to area lakes, have lots of wiggle and are the right size for stripers.
Keeping baits lively is a must. Hopefully, the following information will be helpful.
1. Worms should be kept away from the sun and stored in a cool place. The soil should be moist, but not soggy.
2. Do not overcrowd bait in a bucket or tank. Assure that the water is well aerated. The warmer the water, the more aeration required to keep baits lively. If water gets excessively warm, replace a third by volume at a time and/or add chlorine free ice.
3. Excessive handling harms fragile bait fish. Dip only one at a time and wet hands before placing the bait on the hook.
The Hot Spot of the week is anywhere you find sea birds dipping bait from the water. Best bets are Stumpy, Little and Reed Creeks, as well as, the old river channel from the Highway 150 Bridge, south to Marker 13. Bass are concentrated around deep brush and can be taken on spoons, shaky heads and spinner baits
The lake level is down about 4.0 feet from full pond and the water surface temperature is in the forties and low fifties.
Upcoming Events:
The Lake Norman Striper Swipers are having their Annual Winter Classic on Jan. 17, 2009. Registration will be at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC on Jan. 16, 2009 from 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM with lines in the water at 7:00 AM Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009. Weigh-in will be at Stumpy Creek Access area at 3:30 PM. ANGLERS MUST BE CHECKED IN BY 4:00 PM.
A free seminar entitled “Learning To Use Your Depth Finder To Catch More Fish” is scheduled for Thursday, January 22, 2009 from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Mooresville, Exit 36. The discussion will be conducted by Lake Norman Fishing Guide, Capt. Gus Gustafson and Jake Bussollini, author of “Freshwater Fighters.” Bring the instruction book for your depth finder, along with any questions, to this ninety minute session. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
Tips from Gus:
If your boat battery appears to be weak, check and refill fluid levels, clean and tighten contacts, and recharge. If it still doesn’t work properly, return it to the dealer for a voltage check before replacing.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and is an outdoor columnist and a full time professional fishing guide on Lake Norman, NC. Visit his web site, Fishin' With Gus! at www.FishingWithGus.com or call 704-617-6812.
For additional information e-mail Gus at Gus@LakeNorman.com
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