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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ More Tales
February 21, 2010
Persistent winter weather conditions, combined with muddy water, have dramatically reduced the number of fishermen plying area lakes. Those braving the elements are making their efforts worthwhile by finding lots of bass, stripers and perch. The diehards are finding hungry fish in sections of the lake that aren’t muddy or in the warm water near the hot holes. Those not fishing are biding their time until spring by telling fish tales to anyone who will listen. One such story goes something like this:
During a fishing trip to the outer banks, so many yellow fin tuna were caught that half the filets had to be left behind. It seems there wasn’t enough room in the small plane for the passengers and all the ice chests. The pilot, knowing the plane was overloaded, taxied to the far end of the tarmac for takeoff. As the plane began to move, the ice chests shifted to the rear of the plane, which caused the nose to point skyward and the tail to drag the runway. Before the plane had time to stop, the fishermen jumped out and vowed to never fly to the coast again.
Then, someone told a story about a couple fishing in a canal in Louisiana. The man caught a bass that he estimated to weigh over eleven pounds. It was placed in the live well, and the husband and wife continued fishing. As the trip was winding down, the game warden stopped to check for fishing licenses. The man had one, but his wife didn’t. She was issued a citation. As the warden was leaving, the wife said, “Let me show you the big fish my husband caught.” When she opened the live well, the fish jumped out of the well and back into the canal. The warden must have felt sorry for the couple, because he voided the citation.
This one might be hard to believe, but it’s worth repeating. It seems that a guy was bank fishing when he almost stepped on a snake with a frog in its mouth. Thinking that the frog would make a good fish bait, he quickly grabbed the snake behind the head and put the frog in his bait bucket. Fearing the snake would bite when he released it, he poured some of the contents from his flask into the snake’s mouth. The snake slithered away and the man went about his fishing. Later, he felt something move near his feet. When he looked, the snake was back. This time it had two frogs in its mouth.
Tips from Capt. Gus:
It has been cold fishing on the lake. Don’t underestimate the effect of the wind chill. Layering is effective, particularly when the outer layer of clothing consists of insulated overalls and a parka with a hood.
Upcoming events:
A Free Seminar entitled “Learning To Use Your Depth Finder To Catch More Fish” is scheduled for Thursday, February 25, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Mooresville, Exit 36. Lake Norman Fishing Guide, Capt. Gus Gustafson, and Jake Bussollini, author of “Freshwater Fighters”, with lead the discussion. Bring the instruction book for your depth finder along with any questions you might have to this 90-minute session. For additional information, call 704 658 0822.
Hot Spot of the Week:
Muddy water has bass on the banks holding near rocks and brush. Because the water is cold, several casts to the same spot might be necessary in order to produce a strike. Schooling stripers and spotted bass are in and around both hot water canals. Spotted bass are also surface feeding throughout the day in Ramsey Creek. Much of the striper action is early and late. The lake level is currently well above normal, and surface water temperature (deep open water) is in the forties.
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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