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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Fishin' Basics
January 10, 2010
Catching a fish on the first cast of the day gets any trip off to a positive start. Sometimes that’s hard to do, particularly if you haven’t been fishing in a while. This column discusses some of the things experienced anglers concentrate on to assure their next trip is successful.
Many fishermen keep and refer to a fishing diary - a record of the date, time, places fished, bait used, and species of fish caught on each trip. Over time, the diary provides invaluable information. Particulars pertinent to the trip, such as water temperature, barometric pressure and weather conditions, might also be recorded. Many old timers keep the information stored in the mind’s memory bank rather than writing it down.
A dairy works fine when fishing the same body of water again and again. But, when fishing a new lake or stream, one must go back to the basics. That includes reading magazines, newspapers and fishing reports on web message boards, as well as asking fellow fishermen, or at tackle and bait shops, where the fish are biting. Learning a new body of water is easier than it used to be. Most anglers now have topographic maps that allow them to study the bottom of the lake before a fishing trip. After deciding where to fish, it is important to choose between fishing deep or shallow, early or late, and deciding which type of bait to use.
When asked how he knew to fish shallow or deep, one angler said that the choice was simple. “Check the live well. If baits are at the bottom of the tank, fish deep with down lines or deep running baits. If baits are swimming on the surface, fish shallow with flat lines, planer boards, or shallow running plugs.” Another longtime angler added that he “fished deep when the barometric pressure was high, and shallow when it was dropping or below 30.0.”
Some fishermen watch the direction of the wind and try to fish the windward side. They know that forage fish get blown to the windy side where they become disoriented by the turbulence and are easy prey. Likewise, in moving water, fish hold close to obstructions, such as fallen trees, rocks or bridge pilings. Water flowing around these structures causes turbulence and confuses baitfish.
Winter fish locate where the water is warmest. Coves and shorelines with a southern exposure to the sun generally are warmer. In the dead of winter, when water temperatures drop into the mid forties, fish gravitate to the warm water at power plant discharge canals. Lake Norman has two. One is near the Highway 150 Bridge and the other, off Highway 73 in Huntersville.
Sonar units are a great aid in helping anglers locate schools of stripers, spotted bass and white perch. The accomplished angler learns how to interpret the images shown on the screen, and uses this information, along with the waypoints on his G.P.S., to pinpoint fishing spots.
At times, the best places to begin fishing are where diving birds are found. The sea birds are more than likely feeding on forage fish that have been chased to the surface by hungry stripers. Great blue herons that stalk the shallows, or crows that run a bank, are also indicators of feeding fish.
Regardless of where you begin, what depth you fish, or which baits you use, fish early. A high percentage of the fish hooked and landed are taken during the first few hours of daylight.
Upcoming Events:
A free fishing seminar entitled “How to Find and Catch Winter Striped Bass on Lake Norman” is scheduled at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC for Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. Capt. Gus will conduct this informational session. For more information, call 704-658-0822.
Hot Spots of the week:
Hot Spots of the week are the warm waters near the Marshall Steam Plant (Marker 15), where bass, stripers and schools of white perch are feeding on baitfish. Also, the deep water in Reed Creek between markers D6 and D10 has been productive for stripers, perch and spotted bass. The lake level is 96.5 or 3.5' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the forties, while the backs of many shallow coves are covered with sheet ice.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
Winter is the season to clean, oil and repair fishing tackle. For advice, contact Al, at Fisherman’s Friend (704 934 2122) in Kannapolis, NC or Frank Parsons at Tackle Town (704 483 1007) in Maiden, NC. These experts will also clean, repair and restore your fishing tackle to a like-new condition at a reasonable price.
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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