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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ How to Improve Your Catch in 2009
February 1, 2009
With the beginning of a new fishing season, let’s focus on a few ideas that might improve the number of fish you catch. Begin by cleaning out, re-organizing and replenishing the contents of your tackle boxes. Clean and lubricate reels and replace old line. Inspect and repair fishing rods, as needed, and be sure that line guides and rod tips are tight and smooth to the touch.
When fishing is slow, successful anglers down-size fishing outfits, line and bait, because “smaller is better”, particularly on Lake Norman were shad and herring are not as large as forage fish in other area lakes. Also, some believe that predator fish are more likely to eat a snack (small bait), than a meal (large bait) when resting or inactive.
Veteran anglers have learned that finding fish is far more important than continuously switching lures. They use a few “go to” baits” while trying to determine the pattern of the day. The baits they use to probe the water column are pre-tied to fishing rods and placed on the boat’s casting platform or in rod holders for quick access.
Lake Norman’s baitfish are shades of silver and black. When motionless, they appear almost invisible to predators, but as they move about, the shiny flashes give them away. Silver sided lures with black markings, chartreuse, blue, green and crawfish are all colors that LKN fish prefer.
Lake Norman is a relatively deep body of water where stripers, bass, perch and catfish spend considerable time near the bottom in water from twenty to sixty feet deep. In 2009, spend some time probing deep humps, drop offs and brush piles, all likely spots when fishing is slow.
Upcoming events:
On Saturday - February 14, 2009, Light House Marine Services will offer its first Boater Safety Course of the new season. The registration fee for this eight- hour session beginning at 9:00 p.m. is $49.00. The class will be held at Morning Star Marina in Cornelius, NC. To register, or for more information, call Capt. Scott Spivey – 704 587 0325 or visit http://www.lmservice.org
A free seminar on “How to Catch LKN Striped Bass” will be held at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 in Mooresville, NC at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2009. This two-hour session will be conducted by fishing guide Capt. Craig Price and myself. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
The 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 that have taken up residence to avoid colder waters. The lake level is 95.5 or 4.5' below full pond and the water surface temperature is in the forties.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
If you need rod or reel service, 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 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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