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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ Take a Kid Fishing
October 28, 2007
Clear blue skies with low humidity and mild temperatures make Fall a wonderful time to take the family fishing. Yes, the water is low, but don’t fret. Just stay in the main channels and in familiar bays or creeks.
November is a perfect time to introduce children to the sport of fishing. Watching them dunk worms and reel in fish is lots of fun. A fishing trip is a special adventure a youngster, so talk it up in advance. Have the rods and reels rigged and stowed aboard in a safe place. Inexpensive light action, closed faced spinning tackle is ideal when rigged with a #6 hook, a pinch-on spilt shot and a small float. A carton of worms (red wigglers) is all the bait you will need. Cut them in small pieces so they will last the entire trip.
Remember that the attention span is short for children under four or five years of age, so plan to fish for only about an hour or so. Help them cast and learn to reel the bait back to the boat. If you use minnows, you will quickly see that kids have as much fun playing with the bait as they do fishing. Picking worms out of the dirt in the carton is also fun. When the fish aren’t biting, let them play. That’s how they learn to handle bait.
A funny thing happens when kids go fishing! They get hungry immediately, so bring plenty of food and drink. When packing for the trip, be sure to include warm clothes, boots and gloves. It feels cooler on the water than on land, when the boat is moving and the wind is blowing. And, don’t forget to make everyone wear a personal floatation device. Besides, it is the law that children under thirteen wear one when the boat is moving.
When finally underway, find a quiet cove that looks fishable, one away from the wind and boat traffic. Cast near docks, brush, rocks or stumps and wait for the float to go under. When it does, reel the line, keep it tight, and watch the expression on the child’s face! When the fish is landed, take lots of pictures. A childs first catch is special!
Upcoming Events:
A free Striper Fishing Seminar will be held at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC on Tuesday, November 6, 2007 beginning at 6:30 p.m. This 90 minute class will be conducted by Captains 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!
Bridges provide shade and cover for bass, crappie and perch. Bridge pilings are perfect places to pitch baits on a sunny afternoon, fish the shady side.
Hot Spots of the Week:
Stripers are surface feeding up river around the islands. Largemouth and spotted bass are plentiful on both sides of the Highway 150 Bridge. Spots have been bunched up on humps and drop-offs for weeks. They are easy to catch on deep diving crank baits, shaky-head jigs and drop shots.
The lake level is 93.4’ or 6.6' below full pond. 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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