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  Fishin' with Capt. Gus! ~ This and That
November 8, 2009
This is the time of year when it’s hard to decide whether to watch football, hunt, rake leaves or fish. Well, the answer is simple for yours truly and a host of other people that I know – FISH! The reason is; fish are more active now than they’ve been since spring, and the weather most days is magnificent.
Cooler water temperatures have brought stripers back to life after spending their summer in hibernation. While other species are bulking up for the winter months. The past week or so has seen surface water temperatures consistently in the sixties, making fishing for most species very good to excellent.
Stripers have moved into the major creeks runs and can be found wherever big schools of shad and herring are swimming. There have been days when surface feeding occurs at dawn, but the majority of striper schools are feeding on herring in water depths to fifty feet.
Crappie fishermen are reporting good catches around lighted docks at night and near deep brush and bridge pilings during the day. Catching a limit of twenty is achievable on most days. The fish are running larger than normal, with many measuring 15-17” inches in length.
White perch fishing is excellent. Larger fish are still in deep water. The easiest way to locate big schools is with a depth finder, but drift fishing also works. Once a school is located, the fish seem to stay in the same general area for days. Live minnows and small worms or fresh cut pieces of bait work well, but jigging spoons and sabiki rigs are catching the most fish. Perch are fast becoming the fish of choice for family groups with small children. That is because, white perch are not only fun to catch, but they make excellent table fare.
Bass fishing is excellent for both largemouth and spots. Spotted bass are hitting a variety of lures. Best bets are drop shots, crank baits and top water lures. Anglers who don’t want to cast artificial baits, are catching limits on bass minnows fished over shallow points and submerged brush.
Upcoming Events:
A free fishing seminar is scheduled at Gander Mountain, Exit 36, Mooresville, NC on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 6:30 p.m. The topic for discussion will be “The Best Places to Catch Winter Bass, Crappie, Perch, Stripers and Catfish on Lake Norman”. Jake Bussolini and Capt. Gus will conduct this informative session. For additional information, call 704-658-0822.
The Hot Spot Of The Week:
The Hot Spot of the week is Mountain Creek and the finger channels that feed it. Stripers are in deep water on the riverside of Slanting Bridge, while bass, perch and crappie are hitting throughout this creek run.
The lake level is 97.2 or 2.8 feet below full pond. Lake waters are generally clear with surface temperatures in the sixties. The fishing forecast is excellent. Take a kid with you - they like to fish too!
Tips from Gus!
Sabiki rigs are packaged with four to six flies tied in tandem making them difficult for small children to handle. Try cutting the rig in half or thirds and fishing with only two or three flies along with a half to one-ounce jigging spoon.
Captain Gus Gustafson of Lake Norman Ventures, Inc. is licensed by the US Coast Guard, a member of the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association, and 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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