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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Preparations for Fall Striper Fishing
October 7, 2007
GOOD NEWS! Lake Norman's striped bass population made it through the heat of summer without a major kill. Few, if any, dead or gilling fish were noticed floating on the surface. Better yet, the stripers that were caught appeared to be healthier than in previous years – a good omen for the upcoming fishing season.
By mid October, striper fishermen should be all over the lake in search of feeding fish. Early fall will find stripers chasing large bait pods throughout the water column and up and down major creek arms. After the hot summer hiatus, their pursuit to gouge themselves with food is endless. Watch for bait schools on your fish finder and on the water's surface. Stripers will be nearby.
The 2007-2008 striper season will be a good one. Don't be disappointed by an equipment failure or by any other preventable mishap that could cause you to miss a fishing trip or prevent you from catching a big fish. Batteries, trolling motors, bait pumps, cast nets and fishing reels should be high on the list of items to be cleaned, tuned up or replaced before your first trip of the new season.
Boat and trolling motor batteries become sluggish after a few years. Consider changing any battery over two years old. If deemed reliable, clean the posts, check the connections and refill the cells with distilled water. If you don't know the battery's purchase date, refer to the date code, a letter followed by a number. The letter represents the month the battery was manufactured (A is January, B, February, etc.). The numbers from 0-9 indicate the year the battery came off the assembly line. (0 is the year 2000, 1 is 2001, etc.). For example, if the battery's date code is J5 (October 2005), it is two years old and you should consider replacing it.
Aside from having a fish finder, a striper fisherman's most useful piece of equipment is a trolling motor. It is difficult to slow troll live baits quietly without one. All external electrical connections should be tightened, cleaned and lubricated before the season begins. Remove any fishing line that might be twisted around the shaft.
Detergents or chemical cleaners will contaminate a bait tank. Baking soda, water and a clean cloth are all one needs to clean a bait tank. When the tank is clean, replace the pump even if it appears to be working. Pumps are designed to serve as bilge pumps. Not, to run continuously. A combination of running for hours on end, plus the salt added to the water to calm the baits, takes its toll on a the small 12-volt motor. Keep the old pump for a spare since it's wired and working.
Check your cast net for tears and broken lead lines. If the holes in the net are too large to mend, replace the net. Save the lead weights to use as slip sinkers. Regardless of the age of the net, always soak it overnight in a solution of water and fabric softener at the start of the season. The softener will remove the memory from the monofilament net and make it easier to cast.
Clean and lubricate all fishing reels and fill with new line.
Upcoming Events:
Mitchell Community College Mooresville, NC is offering a Continuing Education Class entitled "Understanding GPS and Fish Finders." This four-hour course, conducted by Capt. Gus Gustafson and crew, will be on two consecutive Wednesday nights beginning October 10, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 704 663 1923.
Captain Alan Stopko is conducting a seminar entitled "Boating on Lake Norman." This three-hour session will be at the Peninsula Yacht Club on Saturday, October 20, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. To register, call 704 895 6993.
Tips from Gus!
Rip-rap, loose rocks that protect a lake's shoreline from erosion, is a man-made haven for fish. The gaps and crevasses created by the random piling of large stones, provides breeding grounds and hiding places for both large and small fish. Parallel casting along a windy stretch of rip-rap often produces nice catches of bass, striper and catfish.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Stripers are feeding on the surface at dawn and dusk in Reeds, Davidson, and Mountain Creeks and up river near the State Park. Bass fishing has been good to excellent at the south hot water discharge and in certain marina basins. Look for bass feeding on small shad in both locations.
The lake level is 93.5 or 6.5' below full pond and still dropping. Surface water temperature is in the mid to high seventies.
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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