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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ ”Like Fishing a New Lake”
October 21, 2007
What effect have low water levels had on fishing? This question is on the minds of many readers who haven’t cast a line in Lake Norman since the beginning of the drought of 2007. The answer is simple and surprising. Fishing has been very good in spite of the heat and low water. The fact is that fish have to adjust to water conditions in order to survive. Typically, when water levels drop and flows are restricted, they bunch up in deep holes for extended periods. Savvy fishermen are catching limit after limit of largemouth and spotted bass.
Anglers are also forced to adapt to changing conditions. Many of the traditional shorelines are exposed and non-fishable. One angler put things in prospective when he said, “It’s like fishing a brand new lake. Everything is different.” Yes, it’s different, but not impossible to navigate or to fish.
It isn’t difficult to find new fishing holes, either. In many cases, the fish haven’t moved very far. If they were holding on a ten or twenty foot contour drop last fall, they are probably at the same depth now. The only difference is that the new drop is farther from the bank. Bass are still swimming around docks, rock piles, brush and stumps. In some instances, they moved only ten or twenty feet, maybe from the inside of a boat dock to the outside edge, or they shifted from a shallow cove to a spot midway out toward the lake. Since creek and river banks generally have both shallow and deep sides, it’s a safe bet that more bass are holding on the deep side now.
Even with the low water, some things are still the same. Fish continue to school at both power plant hot water discharges and in certain boat basins and coves at daylight and dark. Regardless of the water level, when you find bait pods, predators like stripers, bass and perch aren’t far away.
Upcoming Events: Mitchell Community College in Mooresville, NC is offering a Continuing Education Class entitled “Fishing 101.” This six-hour course, conducted by Capt. Gus Gustafson and crew, will be on three consecutive Wednesday nights beginning October 24, 2007 at 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 704-663-1923.
A free Fall Striper Fishing Seminar will be held at Gander Mountain, Exit 36 in Mooresville, NC on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This ninety minute class will be conducted by Captain’s Craig Price and Gus Gustafson. For additional information call 704 658 0822.
The Norman Fishery Alliance (NFA) monthly striper tournament begins on Sunday, November 11, 2007. Registration at Midway Marina is at 5:30 a.m., with lines in the water at 6:00 a.m. Entry fee for this big fish (striper) tournament is $100. Weigh-in is before 3:00 p.m. at Queen’s Landing. The event will run thru April, 2008 on the second Sunday of each month. For additional information, call 704 663 9441.
Tips from Gus!:
Yo-yo jigging spoons off the bottom. When you can’t feel bottom due to wind, current, or extreme depths (30' to 50'), use a heavier jig and/or a lighter line.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Bass fishing has been good to excellent. Spots are particularly active on deep drops. Stripers are schooling up river on days with light to variable winds. The lake level is 93.3’ or 6.7' 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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