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  Fishin' With Capt. Gus - More Interesting Happenings
September 11, 2006
A recent column about fishing events on Lake Norman stimulated a lot of discussion. Several readers volunteered their stories which made this sequel possible.
One of the best came from fishing buddies Robert and Ron. Before a recent fishing trip, they agreed to meet for breakfast at a local fast food restaurant. Robert arrived first and ordered coffee. Ron showed up on time. They drank coffee and discussed their plans for the day. After a quick breakfast, they headed to the parking lot. To the utter amazement of both, they had no boat! Each thought the other was to bring his boat. After a good laugh, they rescheduled the trip.
An angler became suspicious when the bait minnows in his dock tank were missing. He found the tank empty several times during the course of the summer. He surmised that his fishing partner might be using the minnows and not replacing them. When challenged, a heated discussion ended with each vowing never again to fish with the other. The minnows continued to disappear. In August, a picture arrived in the mail. It showed a great blue heron standing on the bait tank with a minnow in its mouth. A note on the photo read, "Now we know who is taking the bait."
A man called to arrange a fishing trip for himself and his ten year old grandson. He didn't seem too excited about fishing with the boy. He sited the youngster's impatience and rambunctious behavior and wanted to schedule the shortest trip available. As it turned out, the boy was a quick study and caught plenty of fish! Granddad had trouble hooking anything. The youngster really had him beat. Granddad finally became frustrated and was ready to head back to the dock. The not so impatient youngster shrugged his shoulders as he reeled in the last of many fish. He was not ready to call it a day.
On a recent summer morning, we were pulling up to our first drop in Davidson Creek when a passenger saw a large bird sitting on the water. He curiously asked what it was. At first glance, it looked like an overstuffed Christmas Goose. But, as it began to fly, it was unmistakably obvious that it was a pelican. I decided not to even mention the sighting. Who would believe that a pelican was flying around Lake Norman, particularly with so many false reports circulating about alligators, monsters and flying saucers? I had forgotten about the pelican until I received an email a few days later. The message read, "Guess what I saw on the lake this morning?" I replied, "A pelican!" He was relieved, as I was, that our old eyes weren't playing tricks on us. A utility worker later told me that it might be same bird he had seen on numerous occasions while crappie fishing on Wylie. What's next?
Tips from Capt. Gus!
Lake Norman Monster is a website full of fun stuff and interesting information about Lake Norman. It also provides a forum for people who wish to anonymously report interesting sightings. Check it out at http://www.lakenormanmonster.com/.
The Hot Spot of the week is Reed Creek where stripers and bass are hitting lures trolled behind the boat. Fish are spread out from D1 to The New Stutts Marina. Bass are hitting baits ten to fifteen feet deep. Stripers are cruising the deeper edges of the creek channel. The lake level is 2.1' from full pond and rising. Water surface temperature is in the low to mid eighties.
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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