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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! - Lake Norman Fishing Forecast
April 29, 2007
The month of May gives anglers an opportunity to catch a wide variety of fish without having to hassle with the chilly winds of early spring. Fish also seem to enjoy the warmer weather. Most days they cooperate by striking at everything. Fishermen who target only one species, should have little difficulty catching a limit of bass or stripers. Incidental catches of white perch, catfish and bream will add to the stringer. Expect fish to be feeding close to shore and relatively easy to find.
Stripers, the king of Lake Norman's fish, prefer water temperatures in the sixties and seventies, typical for May. Schools will be cruising Reed, Mountain, Hicks and other large creek arms. Daylight and dusk are the best times to fish. Pull baits over clay shore lines and long points. At mid-day, stripers rest in deeper water, but can still be caught along the edges of creek channels.
Largemouth and spotted bass will hit about anything that swims by. For largemouths, cast near dock pilings, boat ramps, rock piles, "blow overs" and submerged brush. Small baits that resemble threadfin shad will attract lots of bites. Preferred colors are, grey, silver, crayfish and chartreuse. Spots tend to bunch together and stay somewhat off shore. Some are easily tempted with jigging spoons and shaky heads, along drop offs and underwater humps.
Cat fishing improves as water temperatures rise. Boat docks are prime locations. Small cats are especially attracted to worms, shrimp and prepared stink baits. Large cats like fresh filet strips of perch, bream, shad or herring. Small cat fish have difficulty removing fish strips, which gives the larger fish time to find the bait. When fishing is slow, try a small live bream or large goldfish.
Large schools of white perch will locate in cove openings and along drop offs throughout the month. Perch stay in the same general area for extended periods of time, so expect large catches. Best baits to use are small minnows, shad, cut fish, and jigging spoons. White perch are excellent table fare and are not regulated by size or creel limits.
May Events:
Lake Norman Striper Swipers Spring Classic- Striper Tournament - May 5 - 6, 2007
For additional information, visit http://www.lnssfishn.com or call Tommy Messick at 704-634-6410.
"How to Navigate Lake Norman at Night" - Saturday, May 19, 2007
Capt. Alan Stopko will conduct this three hour class at the Peninsula Yacht Club, 18601 Harbor Light Blvd., Cornelius, NC. at 9:00 a.m. The course fee s $20 per person. Call 704-895-6993 6993 for more information.
‘How to Use Sonar/GPS to Catch More Fish" - Sunday, May 20, 2007
This ninety minute free seminar is scheduled to begin at 2:00 p.m. at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC. Local angler and author Jake Bussolini and Capt. Gus Gustafson will lead the informative session. Additional information is available by calling 704-658-0822.
Tips from Capt. Gus!
Bass like live baits, particularly bass minnows, shad and herring. Give them a try when your favorite lures are not catching fish.
The Hot Spot of the Week: Reed Creek and its feeder creeks are producing nice catches of bass, stripers and catfish. Look for bass along rocky creek banks and stripers on points marked by shoals and channel markers. The lake level is 2.6' below full pond and the water temperature is in the high sixties and low sixties.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. 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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